Blue state sheriff issues stark warning for activists who defy ICE, rips media ‘fear mongering’
A California sheriff is pushing back against the media narrative about President Trump’s deportations across the country and says that those opposing ICE raids both in the media and on the streets will cause people to get hurt. “It’s all fearmongering,” Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco told Fox News Digital. “So the reality right now is that the only people that ICE are going after are people who have already been deported for criminal issues. That’s it. The lie that they’re doing raids and that they’re just going through communities, that is an absolute lie spread by activists and dishonest politicians.” The Associated Press reported last month that volunteers and activists were attempting to disrupt ICE efforts in Los Angeles by warning residents of ICE’s presence with bullhorns and sirens. Bianco, who recently announced he is running for governor of California, told Fox News Digital that those who are impeding ICE operations are “guilty of a crime” and could find themselves arrested. GOP FIGHTS BACK AGAINST ‘TRUMP-PROOF’ SANCTUARY JURISDICTIONS “It’s going to get people hurt because the reality is these people all have federal warrants to be deported,” Bianco said. “They’ve already gone through the process. They’ve already victimized us in the past. They’re not here to make a better life for themselves. They were here to victimize us, and a judge has ordered them removed. That’s the only people they’re going after.” Bianco also warned of the potential danger to the community that impeding ICE actions could cause. TRUMP ADMIN ENDS DEPORTATION PROTECTIONS FOR MASSIVE NUMBER OF VENEZUELANS AMID ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN “It’s going to cause a confrontation with these federal law enforcement officers and people are going to get hurt,” Bianco explained. “Law enforcement is going to get hurt. People are going to get hurt and, more than likely, in some situations, killed, and it is absolutely ridiculous.” Bianco continued, “All of these people, they don’t even really know what they’re protesting. They’re protesting because they’re believing dishonest politicians, and they’re believing these activist groups, and it’s unfortunate. It’s very unfortunate.” Trump has continued to make deportations a focal point of his immigration plan and his promised border crackdown appears to be influencing groups of migrants looking to enter the United States illegally. Despite the increase in criminal illegal immigrants being deported, many of them accused of heinous crimes, many Democrat politicians have pledged to defy his orders and refuse to work with ICE. “The media should be reporting the truth. The politicians should be telling the truth,” Bianco said. “But we know that the only way for these politicians to win is to create this divide. There has to be this emotional divide that separates us from race and with sex and all of these different things, and they believe that that works, and it truly doesn’t, and right now it’s just placing people in danger.”
Red state bill could zero out tax burden for donors to pro-life pregnancy centers
Missouri residents donating to pregnancy resource centers that do not provide abortions could enjoy significant reductions in their state tax bill if a new GOP bill passes into law. SB 681, sponsored by state Sen. Jill Carter, a Republican, would establish a 100% tax credit for such donations beginning in 2026, up from a 70% credit for the years 2021 to 2025. Essentially, for every dollar donated, one dollar would be deducted from the taxpayer’s annual income tax obligation. “I think states that are Republican-led are racing to try to figure out how to get more tax dollars back to their communities,” Carter told Fox News Digital in an interview Friday. “So, we don’t want to shift the burden necessarily to the taxpayer, but to incentivize people being able to say, ‘with my own dollars, I want to invest in these women who are community members,’ and in supporting those things that they also value.” ABORTION PILL MIFEPRISTONE SPARKS NEW PRO-LIFE DEBATE AS SOME DOCTORS STRESS SAFETY CONCERNS Under Carter’s bill, taxpayers can claim up to $50,000 in tax credits each year for donations of at least $100, with any unused credits carrying over to the next year. SB 681 also removes the previous $3.5 million cap on total credits that could be claimed for fiscal years up to 2021. The same bill was introduced in the state House, which passed the tax reform committee last month in a key legislative hurdle. “We’re trying to help people support the values that they believe in by being able to personally invest instead of government doing it for them,” Carter said. “I think that’s a strong conservative Republican policy and position.” Carter added that Republicans are “in a really transformative stage right now with politics and policy” when it comes to more pro-life options. In a written testimony submitted to the state House legislature, Alissa Gross, the CEO of Resource Health Services that runs four pregnancy centers in Missouri and a virtual office in Kansas, wrote, “The impact of the tax credits on our organization has been profound.” “We have seen our budget increase dramatically and in return, our ability to impact more men and women for life as well as build healthy families has been substantial,” Gross wrote. “We are so grateful for this opportunity and are hopeful for the increase so our reach can grow into the KC area and beyond.” Written testimony submitted by Cindy Speer, a board member and volunteer client advocate at Oasis Resource Center, wrote that her pregnancy center “just completed a debt-free 5000-square-foot center due in large part to the Missouri tax credit.” “Our next phase is housing for these women, many of whom are unable to afford, let alone find a place for themselves and their baby,” Speer wrote. “This would be revolutionary in helping guide these women to become productive citizens who can then become role models for their children.” SCOTUS TURNS DOWN ABORTION CLINIC BUFFER ZONE CHALLENGE, THOMAS SLAMS ‘ABDUCTION’ OF DUTY Other written testimonies opposing the bill say they didn’t want their tax dollars going toward “unregulated, anti-abortion pregnancy centers” that discourage women from having abortions. The bill comes after Missouri voters enshrined an abortion amendment into their state constitution – becoming the first state to overrule a near-total abortion ban – during the November general election. Abortion providers have recently resumed their services, which had been outlawed since 2022, but a slew of pro-life bills introduced at the start of the legislative session in January are still coming down the pipeline for consideration. The package of bills includes two proposed constitutional amendments. The first would ban abortion again, allowing exceptions only for medical emergencies, cases involving fetal anomalies, and certain instances of rape or incest, provided patients present the necessary documentation. A public hearing on the measure was held last month. Other bills under consideration include a proposal to reclassify the abortion drug mifepristone as a Class IV controlled substance, similar to a Republican-led law passed in Louisiana last year. Another proposed amendment aims to make abortion illegal after a fetus reaches viability, typically around 24 weeks of pregnancy. Other bills introduced in the state target the timing of abortions, including House Bill 194, which would ban the procedure once a fetal heartbeat is detected. Attorney General Andrew Bailey vowed after the election to continue enforcing the abortion ban after fetal viability. “Under the express terms of the amendment, the government may still protect innocent life after viability,” Bailey wrote. “The statutes thus remain generally enforceable after viability.” NEW YORK GOV. HOCHUL SIGNS LAW PROTECTING ABORTION PILL PRESCRIBERS AFTER DOCTOR INDICTED IN LOUISIANA Several other states also passed abortion amendments in November, including Arizona, Colorado, Maryland and Montana. President Donald Trump signed an executive order in January, titled the “Enforcing the Hyde Amendment,” which revokes two 2022 executive orders from the Biden administration that had expanded access to abortion services. By reinstating the Hyde Amendment, the executive order prohibits federal funding for elective abortions, aligning with long-standing policies that prevent taxpayer dollars from being used for abortions.
Karnataka’s Tarnished Image: Crime, corruption, and industrial decline overshadowed by political power struggles
From the brutal assault of an Israeli tourist near Hampi to rampant corruption in industrial land allotments, the state’s economic and social fabric is under severe strain.
HHS employees offered $25k as ‘incentive to voluntarily separate’
Health and Human Services Department (HHS) employees have been offered up to $25,000 to part ways with the agency in order to help it downsize under President Donald Trump’s plans to shrink the federal workforce. In the email sent on Friday, the HHS, which is led by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., said it has received authorization from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to offer Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments. The OPM “allows agencies that are downsizing or restructuring to offer employees lump-sum payments up to $25,000 as an incentive to voluntarily separate,” according to the email. This incentive is aimed at those who are in surplus positions or have skills that are no longer needed within their department. CIA OFFERING BUYOUTS TO ITS ENTIRE WORKFORCE: REPORT The payment is available to most employees within the HHS, which includes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Employees also have the option to take the payment if they are eligible for optional or early retirement, according to the OPM’s website. ROUGHLY 75,000 FEDERAL EMPLOYEES AGREE TO TRUMP’S BUYOUT OFFER “By allowing employees to volunteer to leave the Government, agencies can minimize or avoid involuntary separations through the use of costly and disruptive reductions in force,” the website stated. There are around 80,000 people currently working for the HHS in some capacity, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The offer becomes available on Monday and forms must be submitted to local HR offices by Friday at 5 p.m. The HHS is the second-costliest federal agency and accounts for 20.6% of America’s budget for Fiscal Year 2025 with $2.4 trillion in budgetary resources, according to USASpending.gov. Most of that money is spent by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services. The only agency with more spending power is the Department of the Treasury.
Manipur Police arrest 15 insurgents in multiple raids across state in last 48 hours
On March 9, Manipur Police arrested three active cadres of UPPK from Langol Type – II, Imphal West. The arrested people have been identified as Ngangbam Nishan Meitei (24 yrs), Ashangbam Manikanta Singh (37yrs) and Sorokhaibam Nganthoi Singh (23 yrs).
UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s BIG statement on speculation of shift to Delhi, says ‘Not a…’
The 52-year-old Chief Minister dismissed speculation around a possible shift to New Delhi for a larger political role. “As Mother India’s helper, I have been given the responsibility of Uttar Pradesh, and I am working in that role only.”
Trump says intel pause on Ukraine has been ‘just about’ lifted; says tariffs will make America rich
President Donald Trump said the U.S. has “just about” lifted the intelligence pause on Ukraine, adding that his administration has to do anything it can to get Ukrainians serious about making a deal to end the war with Russia. “You know, I say they don’t have the cards. Nobody really has the cards,” Trump told reporters during a gaggle on Air Force One on Sunday evening. “Russia doesn’t have the cards…What you have to do is you have to make a deal, and you have to stop the killing. It’s a senseless war, and we’re going to get it stopped.” On Friday, Fox News Digital learned from three sources familiar with the situation that the U.S. was continuing to share some defensive intelligence with Ukraine to protect it against incoming Russian strikes. Federal intelligence, the work of the CIA, FBI and human intelligence, and data that helps with offensive Ukrainian strikes against Russia had already been paused. TRUMP EXEMPTS MEXICO FROM TARIFFS FOR USMCA GOODS UNTIL APRIL 2 When asked during the gaggle if he would consider lifting the intel pause on Ukraine, Trump said the U.S. had. “We, we just about have. I mean, we really just about have,” he said. “And we want to do anything we can to get Ukraine to be serious about getting something done.” Trump also noted that he thinks Ukraine will sign the minerals deal, but he wants them to want peace at the moment. TRUMP TO PUT TARIFF EXEMPTIONS ON CERTAIN GOODS FROM CANADA, MEXICO When asked how Ukraine should show it wants peace, Trump said they have not shown it to the extent he thinks they should. “I think right now they haven’t, but I think they will be, and I think it’s going to become evident over the next two or three days,” the president said, adding that we have to have peace over anything. “This week, hundreds of people died in cities in Ukraine, and we got to get it stopped. It would have never happened if I was president.” During the nearly 10-minute gaggle with reporters, Trump fielded questions on a variety of topics, including the types of sanctions or tariffs he may impose on Russia. EMMANUEL MACRON CALLS ‘EMERGENCY MEETING’ FOR EUROPEAN LEADERS TO DISCUSS TRUMP: REPORT The president explained that he and his team had been looking at their options, but his focus was on a few big meetings coming up in Saudi Arabia, which will include Russia and Ukraine. “We’ll see if we can get something done,” Trump said. “A lot of people died this week, as you know, in Ukraine – not only Ukrainians but Russians. So, I think everybody wants to see it get done. We’re going to make a lot of progress, I believe, this week.” Trump was also asked what he would say to Americans watching their retirement accounts freefall from their highest in years amid concerns about tariffs. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR SAYS PUTIN, ZELENSKYY AGREE ‘ONLY PRESIDENT TRUMP COULD GET THEM TO THE TABLE’ The president told the reporter the tariffs “are going to be the greatest thing we’ve ever done as a country,” adding that they will “make our country rich again.” The tariffs, Trump explained, will bring companies and factories back, noting that 90,000 factories in the U.S. had closed since the beginning of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between the U.S., Canada and Mexico, which was in effect from 1994 to 2020. At the end of his time with reporters, Trump was asked if he was worried about a recession, after hesitating on the same question when asked by FOX Business’ Maria Bartiromo. “Of course you hesitate. All I know is…we’re going to take in hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs, and we’re going to become so rich you’re not going to know where to spend all that money,” Trump said. “I’m telling you; you just watch. We’re going to have jobs. We’re going to have open factories. It’s going to be great.”
Who is Mark Carney, Canada’s new Liberal leader and next prime minister?
Montreal, Canada – Canada has its next prime minister. Mark Carney has been elected as the new head of the governing Liberal Party, replacing Justin Trudeau in the midst of historic tensions and fears of a trade war with the United States. An economist and former central banker, Carney will be sworn-in as prime minister in the coming days. He is making his first foray into Canadian politics at the country’s highest level – and with a federal election looming. He is also taking the helm of a party that, after years of declining support and criticism over its handling of social and economic issues, is riding a newfound wave of political momentum. “I will work day and night with one purpose, which is to build a stronger Canada for everyone,” Carney said in his victory speech on Sunday evening after securing 85.9 percent of the vote on the first ballot. But just who is Mark Carney? What policies does he plan to pursue, and will he be able to boost the Liberals’ fortunes in the upcoming federal election against a strong Conservative Party? Advertisement Oxford grad, central banker Born in Canada’s Northwest Territories and raised in the western province of Alberta, Carney has presented himself as a political outsider who can steer Canada through a period of economic turmoil and uncertainty. The country has been roiled by US President Donald Trump’s steep tariffs on Canadian products, which came into effect on March 4. Fears of a recession have fuelled a sense of Canadian nationalism and a desire for steady leadership in Ottawa. Carney holds degrees from Harvard and Oxford universities and spent over a decade at the investment firm Goldman Sachs. More recently, he served as the chair of Brookfield Asset Management, where he also led the company’s “transition investing” – an effort to promote investments that align with global climate goals. But it is his banking experience in times of crisis that Carney and his supporters say best demonstrates his ability to help Canada weather the Trump storm. The 59-year-old began his tenure as the governor of the Bank of Canada amid the global financial crisis of 2008, and he was credited with taking quick and decisive actions that helped spare Canada from a more serious downturn. In 2013, Carney left to take the helm of the Bank of England, where he remained until 2020 – the year the United Kingdom formally left the European Union. There, too, he was recognised as having minimised the effects of Brexit – though his assessment that a break with the EU posed a risk to the British economy drew the ire of conservatives who were in favour of leaving the bloc. Advertisement “He was an innovative and inventive central banker,” said Will Hutton, an author, columnist and president of the UK’s Academy of Social Sciences. “He understood that actually, central banks have a job to make capitalism as legitimate as possible by ironing out its worst proclivities. And he was appalled by Brexit, which he thought was self-defeating,” Hutton told Al Jazeera. “But he managed to organise the Bank of England’s behaviours so the fallout from it was less disastrous than it could have been.” Carney holds a news conference in 2016 as governor of the Bank of England [Matt Dunham/Pool via Reuters] Lack of political experience While few dispute Carney’s economic credentials, his lack of experience in electoral politics has raised questions. He previously served as an economic adviser to Trudeau, who resigned amid widespread anger over his government’s handling of a housing crisis and rising costs of living. But Carney has never run for political office before, and he spent much of the Liberal leadership campaign introducing himself to Canadians. “He’s someone who’s been behind the scenes, an adviser,” said Daniel Beland, a political science professor at McGill University who described Carney as a “technocrat on steroids”. Carney has laid out broad promises since he launched his campaign, including reining in government spending, investing more in housing, diversifying Canada’s trading partners and putting a temporary cap on immigration. A former United Nations Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance, Carney is also a major proponent of the idea that the private sector must take a leadership role in tackling the climate crisis and getting to net-zero emissions. Advertisement “I know how to manage crises. I know how to build strong economies,” he said during a debate against the other Liberal leadership hopefuls last month. “I have a plan, a plan that puts more money back in your pockets, a plan that makes our companies more competitive, a plan that builds a strong economy that works for you.” Beland told Al Jazeera that the Liberal leadership contest largely failed to test Carney because his main opponent was longtime friend and former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. The pair did not attack each other much during the race. “That’s not the best test for someone who has no political experience and will then have to basically go into the lion’s den,” Beland said, referring to this year’s federal election, where Carney will face fiery opposition leaders such as the Conservatives’ Pierre Poilievre and Yves-Francois Blanchet of the Bloc Quebecois. ‘Consummate insider’ Carney’s attempt to paint himself as an outsider has been challenged as well. His time as a Liberal Party adviser, coupled with his experience atop the global financial world, make him “a consummate insider and a consummate elite”, said Canadian political analyst and journalist David Moscrop. “At the same time, he’s an accomplished policy expert, a renowned and respected mainstream economic thinker. And if that’s your sort of thing, then this is pretty much the cream of the crop,” Moscrop told Al Jazeera. “But if it’s not your sort of thing, then he represents what some on the left and some on the right see as a kind of global economic elite consensus that is oppressing day-to-day people.” Advertisement Poilievre and his Conservative Party have tapped into that feeling of public
Mahmoud Khalil, student leader of Columbia protests, arrested
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents (ICE) have arrested a Palestinian graduate student who played a prominent role in last year’s pro-Palestinian protests at New York’s Columbia University, the student workers’ union said on Sunday. The student, Mahmoud Khalil at the university’s School of International and Public Affairs, was arrested at his university residence on Saturday, the Student Workers of Columbia union said in a statement. Khalil’s wife is a US citizen and he has a permanent residency green card, the union said. He remained in detention on Sunday. Khalil’s wife declined to comment through one of Khalil’s fellow students. Khalil’s lawyer, Amy Greer, told the Associated Press news agency that she spoke by phone with one of the ICE agents during the arrest, who said they were acting on State Department orders to revoke Khalil’s student visa. Informed by the lawyer that Khalil was in the country as a permanent resident with a green card, the agent said they were revoking that too, according to the lawyer. Advertisement Greer said the authorities declined to tell Khalil’s wife, who is eight months pregnant, whether he was accused of committing a crime. Khalil has since been transferred to an immigration detention facility in Elizabeth, New Jersey. “We have not been able to get any more details about why he is being detained,” Greer told the AP. “This is a clear escalation. The administration is following through on its threats.” The arrest appeared to be among the first known actions under President Donald Trump’s pledge to deport international students who joined the protests against Israel’s war in Gaza that swept college campuses last year. His administration has claimed participants forfeited their rights to remain in the country by supporting Hamas, which is designated as a ‘terror’ organisation by the US. The move has been described as an attack on First Amendment freedoms. Khalil, an Algerian citizen of Palestinian origin, has been one of the school administrators’ lead negotiators of the pro-Palestinian student protesters, some of whom set up a tent encampment on a Columbia lawn last year and seized control of an academic building for several hours in April before police entered the campus to arrest them. Khalil was not in the group that occupied the building but was a mediator between Columbia provosts and the protesters. The protesting students called for Columbia’s divestment from companies with ties to Israel, a ceasefire and an end to the war that killed nearly 50,000 Palestinians and turned the enclave into rubble after nonstop bombardment. The US provided the bulk of the ammunition for the war. Maryam Alwan, Mahmoud Khalil and Layla Saliba speak to members of the media at Columbia University on June 1, 2024 [Jeenah Moon/Reuters] Columbia said last year that it would consider expediting some of the students’ demands through its investments committee. Advertisement Rights groups have accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza – home to 2.3 million people. Despite a ceasefire in place since January 19, Israel has blocked the entry of any aid into Gaza since March 1, drawing condemnation from rights groups and aid agencies. The October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel and subsequent Israeli military offensive on Gaza led to months of pro-Palestinian protests that roiled US college campuses. At least 1,100 people were killed in the Hamas attack and some 240 people were taken captive. Most of the captives have been released as part of truce deals. A new round of truce talks will resume in the Qatari capital, Doha, on Monday. Targeted by the government A spokesperson for Columbia said the school was barred by law from sharing information about individual students. The Department of Homeland Security and the State Department, which oversees the country’s visa system, did not respond to questions from the news agencies. It was not immediately clear on what grounds ICE agents arrested Khalil. The ICE comes under the US Department of Homeland Security. In an interview with the Reuters news agency a few hours before his arrest on Saturday about the Trump administration’s criticism of Columbia, Khalil said he was concerned that he was being targeted by the government for speaking to the media. The Trump administration on Friday said it had cancelled government contracts and grants worth about $400m to Columbia University. The government said the cuts and the student deportation efforts are due to “anti-Semitic” harassment at and near Columbia’s Manhattan campus. “What more can Columbia do to appease Congress or the government now?” Khalil said before his arrest, noting that Columbia had twice called in police to arrest protesters and had disciplined many pro-Palestinian students and staff, suspending some. Advertisement “They basically silenced anyone supporting Palestine on campus and this was not enough. Clearly, Trump is using the protesters as a scapegoat for his wider agenda [of] fighting and attacking higher education and the Ivy League education system.” In response to the announced grant cuts on Friday, Columbia’s interim president, Katrina Armstrong, said the school was committed to combating anti-Semitism and was “working with the federal government to address their legitimate concerns”. Protesting students have denied the charges of anti-Semitism. ‘This is only the beginning’ Maryam Alwan, a Palestinian American senior at Columbia who has protested alongside Khalil, said the Trump administration was dehumanising Palestinians. “I am horrified for my dear friend Mahmoud, who is a legal resident, and I am horrified that this is only the beginning,” she said. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said last week that international students who support Hamas, which the US has designated a “terrorist” organisation, face visa revocation and deportation. On Thursday, Columbia issued a revised protocol for how students and school staff should handle ICE agents seeking to enter private school property. The school said ICE agents without a judicial arrest warrant may be allowed to enter its private property in “exigent circumstances”, which it did not specify. “By allowing ICE on campus, Columbia is surrendering to the Trump administration’s assault on universities across the
Russia claims new gains; Zelenskyy says ‘committed’ to dialogue with US
Moscow said it captured territory shortly before potential peace talks begin in Saudi Arabia. Moscow says it has made new gains in Ukraine’s Sumy region and Russia’s Kursk region as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was “fully committed” to having a constructive dialogue with United States representatives ahead of talks in Saudi Arabia to discuss how to end Russia’s war on Ukraine. US and Ukrainian negotiators are set to meet for talks in the Red Sea city of Jeddah on Tuesday, with US President Donald Trump’s administration vying to secure a ceasefire and a “framework” for a peace agreement. Despite the upcoming talks, the Russian Ministry of Defence said in a briefing that its forces had “liberated” the small village of Novenke in Sumy near the border with Kursk. Moscow also announced the recapture of the villages of Lebedevka, Malaya Loknya, Cherkasskoye Porechnoye and Kositsa in Kursk. Russia briefly occupied parts of Ukraine’s Sumy at the start of its all-out invasion in 2022 but has not taken any territory there since. Kyiv has not yet commented on Russia’s claim to have captured Novenke, which analysts say could bring Russian troops closer to blocking a major Ukrainian supply route. Advertisement Zelenskyy said in his evening address on Sunday: “I want to thank all our units who are steadfastly and against all odds destroying the occupier, repelling attacks and defending our positions. “Diplomacy will be strong only on strong front-line positions. And we are doing our best to ensure that Ukraine’s front-line needs are met.” Who’s meeting who The US cut off Ukraine’s access to intelligence sharing and satellite data, as well as aid – following a White House public spat with Zelenskyy – in a bid to force Kyiv to negotiate an end to Russia’s invasion – Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II. Zelenskyy invited Trump’s wrath for rejecting a mineral deal, which the Ukrainian president says should involve a US security guarantee. But the Trump administration has refused to commit to that and instead asked Europe to step up aid for the war-battered country. European leaders have, meanwhile, agreed to boost defence spending as they pledged support to Ukraine against Russian threats. Washington has also poured cold water over Ukraine’s NATO ambitions. Zelenskyy confirmed on Saturday that he would visit Saudi Arabia next week and that after meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday, Ukrainian diplomatic and military representatives would stay for a meeting on Tuesday with the US. “Ukraine has been seeking peace from the very first second of this war. Realistic proposals are on the table. The key is to move quickly and effectively,” the Ukrainian president said on X. Advertisement US envoy Steve Witkoff, meanwhile, confirmed last week that he would meet Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia, signalling that he would discuss an “initial ceasefire” and a “framework” for a longer agreement. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will also visit Saudi Arabia between March 10 and 12 for talks with Ukrainian counterparts, a statement from the US Department of State said. He will also hold talks with Prince Mohammed to discuss regional issues and ways to bolster US-Saudi Arabian ties, the State Department said. Rubio spoke with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Friday and said Trump wanted to end the war in Ukraine as soon as possible. It will be the first high-level gathering of US and Ukrainian officials since the February 28 meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump devolved into a shouting match and ended with the Ukrainian leader being asked to leave the White House. Adblock test (Why?)