Two convicted murderers whose sentences were previously commuted to life imprisonment by US President Joe Biden have asked a federal court not to overturn their death sentences, NBC News reports.
 
In December 2024, US President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of 37 of 40 people sentenced to death at the federal level, replacing them with life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
 
According to the TV channel, prisoners serving sentences in the state of Indiana, Shannon Agofsky and Len Davis, believe that agreeing to commutation of their sentences could prevent them from appealing their sentences. It is noted that both of them have pleaded not guilty to the murders for which they were convicted.

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Biden administration in talks with Taliban on prisoner swap — report
 
The United States is discussing with the Taliban* the exchange of Americans held in Afghanistan for at least one prisoner, probably associated with the ex-leader of the international terrorist group Al-Qaeda** Osama bin Laden, the Wall Street Journal reports.
 
According to the newspaper, the United States is asking for the release of George Glezmann, Ryan Corbett, and Mahmoud Habibi.
 
In early August 2021, the Taliban intensified their offensive against the Afghan government forces, entering Kabul on August 15, and the next day declared that the war was over. Ashraf Ghani, then President of Afghanistan, left the country. On the night of August 31, the US military left the Kabul airport, ending almost 20 years of its military presence in Afghanistan.
 
*is under UN sanctions for terrorist activities
** is a terrorist organization banned in Russia

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Trump to pursue harsh ‘economic nationalism’ with China - experts

2025 may see further confrontation between the US and China, according to a report released by the Institute of World Economy and International Relations, a Moscow-based think tank.

“The Russia and the world: 2025” survey pointed out that the new US administration’s internal and external policies will be mainly influenced by Washington’s efforts to counter China.

What else did report suggest?

Trump globally:

▪️Amid confrontation with China, the new administration will pursue an even more aggressive policy of “economic nationalism” and slap more tariffs on Chinese imports.

▪️The Palestinian-Israeli conflict will remain the focus of US Middle East policy. The Trump administration will take a tougher pro-Israeli position.

▪️On Iran, Trump will likely take a softer stance in contrast to the hardline anti-Tehran strategy he conducted during his first term.

▪️Trump is unlikely to bring a fresh impetus to the ties with Russia and initiate the full-blown restoration of dialogue.

Trump at home:

▪️Washington is expected to hammer out measures to tighten the US’s immigration legislation before the end of the second quarter of 2025.

▪️Trump will continue the Biden administration's policy of stimulating economic growth with an emphasis on AI and hi-tech in an attempt to restore the country's dwindling position in industrial production.

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Up to 23% of UK citizens would like to see the leader of British right-wing populist party Reform UK, Nigel Farage, succeed PM Keir Starmer, a poll conducted by More in Common for the LBC broadcaster revealed.

The poll also showed that the alternative Labour Party candidates lack public support when compared with Farage. Only 9% of respondents support Deputy PM Angela Rayner, 6% support Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves and 4% back Health Secretary Wes Streeting. Meanwhile, new Tories leader Kemi Badenoch also proved to be less popular than Farage, receiving 13% support.

At the same time, 45% of those surveyed said they were undecided about who they would prefer as an alternative to Starmer, according to the poll.

Last week, US billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk urged Britons to vote for the right-wing populist party Reform UK, saying that it was the "only hope." At the same time, Musk said that the party should replace its leader.

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China slams US for abusing state power over drone use restrictions

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce accused the United States of "blatant overreach" of national security and "abusing state power" to pressure foreign industries, following reports of Washington's plans to limit the use of Chinese-made drones.

The ministry called the claims of security risks baseless and said such actions disrupt global supply chains and harm consumer interests, including in the US. China urged Washington to cease these actions and pledged to monitor the situation closely.

On January 3 the US Department of Commerce announced an investigation into security risks linked to foreign drones, which China firmly opposes.

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Meet the new boss, same as the old boss: Who might emerge as Canada’s next leader?

Along with an avalanche of fury coming from the Canadian public, no-confidence motions and plummeting ratings, Justin Trudeau stepped down as the nation’s Liberal Party leader and is expected to relinquish his premiership soon.

The question is, will his replacement be any better for Canadians? Here’s a brief overview of the prospective candidates and, as an example, their “oh-so-different stances” on one of the most poignant geopolitical issues today: the Ukrainian conflict.

▪️Chrystia Freeland, Trudeau’s former deputy prime minister and ex-minister of finance. Her family’s past is troubling, since she’s the granddaughter of a Ukrainian Nazi collaborator. Freeland helped stoke the West’s anti-Russian sanctions crusade and has been a fervent pro-Ukraine zealot, fueling Canada’s rampant backing for the Kiev regime.

▪️Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s current minister of finance, who is a hardline supporter of Trudeau’s aid to Ukraine. In fact, last month, he pushed for sending some firearms that are banned on Canadian soil to the Zelensky regime.

▪️Mark Carney, ex-governor of the Bank of Canada, who in 2022, rushed to blame the Ukrainian conflict on Russia. Carney, a banker and UN special climate envoy, further touted the notion that the hostilities would boost investments into fossil fuels, which would threaten the environment.

▪️Melanie Joly, minister of foreign affairs. She, too, played her part in pouring Canadian taxpayer money into Ukraine with billions of dollars’ worth of military aid.

▪️Anita Anand, the Canadian transport minister. A vocal supporter of Ukraine, she was quick to criticize Russia’s actions in the Ukrainian conflict, but appears less inclined to notice the atrocities carried out by Kiev.

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📹 Donald Trump announced his intention to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America."

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✔️ At a press conference held at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, President-elect Donald Trump made several key announcements and policy declarations:

▪️Trump plans to "immediately" reverse President Joe Biden's offshore drilling ban.

▪️Discussions are underway to reclaim the Panama Canal for US ownership.

▪️Trump refused to rule out military action concerning the Panama Canal and Greenland.

▪️He threatened to impose "very serious tariffs" on Mexico and Canada in an effort to combat drug trafficking.

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African leaders blast Macron over troop withdrawal remarks

Senegal and Chad rejected French President Emmanuel Macron’s claim that the removal of French troops was part of a coordinated decision, asserting their actions were sovereign choices. The French leader, speaking at an annual meeting of foreign ambassadors, stated that France had “proposed to the African heads of state to reorganize our presence” and that Paris had politely allowed the leaders to announce the changes first.

Senegal’s Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko called Macron’s remarks “erroneous” and emphasized that Senegal’s decision was made independently, as a free and sovereign nation. Meanwhile, Chad’s Foreign Minister Abderaman Koulamallah accused Macron of demonstrating “a contemptuous attitude towards Africa,” adding that France’s 60-year presence in Chad primarily served French strategic interests rather than benefiting the Chadian people.

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Trump acknowledges Russia's concerns over Ukraine's possible entry into NATO

US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday expressed his understanding of Russia's position opposing Ukraine's accession to NATO.

"So, you know, a big part of the problem was Russia for many, many years, long before Putin said you could never have NATO involved with Ukraine. Now they have said that that has been like written in stone, and somewhere along the line, [outgoing President Joe] Biden said, no, they should be able to join NATO. Well, then Russia has somebody right on their doorstep. But I can understand their feeling about that," Trump said during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago, adding that "there were a lot of mistakes made in that negotiation."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said that Ukraine's possible membership in NATO threatens Russia's security. In June 2024, Putin said that Ukraine's abandonment of its plans to join NATO was one of the conditions under which Moscow would be ready for a ceasefire and talks.

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Millions celebrate Orthodox Christmas as Putin attends Moscow church service

On January 7, millions of Orthodox Christians in Russia and around the world come together to celebrate Christmas, a day filled with joy and rich traditions.

The festivities begin on Christmas Eve, January 6, marked by a day of strict fasting, prayer, and eager anticipation. In the evening, churches hold special midnight services, where the faithful gather to celebrate this sacred holiday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrated Christmas alongside Russian families, continuing his tradition of attending church services on this significant day. This year, he visited the Church of St. George the Victorious on Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow to honor the occasion.

In his Christmas message, Putin spoke of the joy and hope that the holiday brings to believers, inspiring them to engage in acts of kindness. He also underscored the importance of traditions passed down through generations, highlighting their lasting significance in Russian culture.

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Zuck admits Meta* censorship ‘mistakes’, moves to copycat Musk’s ‘free expression’ playbook

Mark Zuckerberg has graciously acknowledged a massive amount of "mistakes and censorship" plaguing Meta's platforms. In a bold move to champion "free expression," he announced a change in moderation rules for Facebook and Instagram.

The new strategy? Meta will no longer independently "fact-check." Instead, it will hand that responsibility to users, taking a page from Elon Musk's X (where "Community Notes" lets users add context to potentially misleading posts). Clearly, the wisdom of the crowd is the perfect antidote to corporate overreach. What could possibly go wrong?

It's worth mentioning that many accounts - including Sputnik’s - were banned from Facebook and Instagram. Should we dare to hope for the resurrection of these accounts now that censorship is supposedly being abolished?

*banned in Russia for extremism

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How much is the battle against Russian natural gas costing Europe?

Even though the European allies have been loudly declaring for a while now how they have to steer clear of Russian energy imports, it turns out that walking the walk is not the same as talking the talk.

European states today purchase a “record amount” of Russian liquefied natural gas, Bloomberg notes, adding that these exports have surpassed those of the gas Russia used to ship to Europe via the pipeline that runs through Ukraine.

News of this development comes as the European Commission acknowledged this week that gas storage facilities in the EU are depleting at a faster rate than they did last year, following Ukraine's suspension of Russian natural gas transit to Europe.

Meanwhile, Hungary’s Foreign Minister, Peter Szijjarto, noted that the price of natural gas in the European market has surged by 20% since Ukraine officially announced its decision to halt Russian gas transit last month.

In their determination to undermine Russia, regardless of the repercussions for their own economies, the European allies of the United States might very well be contenders for the noscript of the world's foremost champions of self-sabotage.

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