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  1. 1

    Trump waives Russia sanctions and tariffs passed by Congress, citing national interest

    President Donald Trump has waived a package of sanctions and tariffs on Russia that Congress passed and he signed into law in September, citing the national interest in an executive order on Friday. The law, named for the late senator Lindsey Graham, targets Russian officials, banks and shadow-fleet tankers and authorises tariffs of up to 100% on the top five importers of Russian oil or gas. The move follows Trump's public criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his deal to buy Russian diesel, which he said would lower energy prices before the midterm elections. Democratic and Republican lawmakers have criticised the waiver, and Zelenskyy said the diesel deal would send cash back into Russia.

    Key facts

    • Trump signed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act in September.
    • The sanctions and tariffs were due to take effect on 18 October, the law's deadline.
    • The law allows tariffs of up to 100% on the top five importers of Russian oil or gas.
    • Trump said Russia would immediately supply more than 300,000 metric tons of diesel to the US.
    • Senator Elizabeth Warren called the waiver an "abject and predictable failure in leadership."

    Commentary

    What moved is the timing: the waiver lands days before enforcement, so the law's leverage was set aside before it could apply. Lawmakers who wrote the law must now decide whether to press a president who puts falling fuel prices ahead of the Ukraine policy they legislated. Their letter has so far not changed his course.

    Sources: The Guardian, BBC, Bloomberg.com, CNN

  2. 2

    Democrats criticise Trump's waiver of Russia sanctions under Graham law

    US Democrats and others have sharply criticised President Donald Trump for waiving sanctions on Russian fuel sales that were due to take effect under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, a month after he signed the bill. The law, now paused, would have imposed tariffs of up to 100% on goods from the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas, including India and China. Trump invoked Section 115 of the Act, certifying that the waiver serves US national interests. The move follows a diesel deal with Russia amid soaring US diesel prices ahead of the November midterm elections. Representative Don Beyer said Trump was surrendering to Putin and betraying Ukraine, and Newsom's office accused him of getting paid by Putin. India's Ministry of External Affairs said it had conveyed its concerns about the legislation to the US.

    Key facts

    • Trump waived sanctions on Russian fuel sales under the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act.
    • The waived measures would have allowed tariffs of up to 100% on the five largest importers of Russian crude oil or gas.
    • Trump announced a diesel deal under which Russia would supply over 300,000 tonnes of diesel immediately.
    • Representative Don Beyer said Trump 'just waived all of the sanctions on Russia' provided for in the Act.
    • India's MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said concerns about the SRIA legislation had been conveyed to the US.

    Commentary

    The waiver is the predictable part; what stands out is that the law's tariff threat was paused just as diesel prices and midterm politics bit, suggesting domestic pressure outweighed the Act's Ukraine-focused aims. Critics frame the move as capitulation, but the facts show a trade-off Trump has made openly. Expect the Democrats' push to 'fix' the law to be the real test of whether Congress can constrain such waivers.

    Sources: ANI News, Rediff

  3. 3

    Carney urges Albertans to reject separation path ahead of Monday's referendum

    Prime Minister Mark Carney warned Thursday that the United States is trying to break Canada so it can 'own us,' urging Albertans not to begin a process toward separation. Speaking at a pro-Canada rally in Calgary, he called a vote against Canada a dangerous bluff that would bring years of division, and said Albertans' frustrations with Ottawa are real. The vote is not a direct independence referendum. It will decide whether Alberta remains a province or instructs the government to begin the legal process toward a future separation referendum. AP reported that Carney did not directly name the U.S. or President Donald Trump in that passage, though he has done so in past speeches. Premier Danielle Smith, who called the vote, says she wants Alberta to remain in Canada but that changes are needed. Separatist leaders reject Carney's argument that global instability makes this the wrong time to vote.

    Key facts

    • Alberta voters will decide whether to remain a province or start a legal path to separation.
    • Carney's office estimated about 5,000 people attended his Calgary rally.
    • Carney said the Pacific Link pipeline would create more than 140,000 jobs.
    • Let Alberta Decide's Keith Wilson predicted Carney would eventually impose a tax on oil exports.
    • Advance voting in the Alberta referendum runs through Saturday.

    Commentary

    The notable shift is that a Liberal prime minister is drawing a warm reception in Alberta, which suggests the case for staying depends on outside pressure rather than on resolving grievances. Separatists call Carney's agreements 'pinky promises,' so a decisive result may hinge on whether Trump-era threats outweigh unresolved frustrations.

    Sources: PBS, CPAC

  4. 4

    Judge threatens Trump with sanctions over deposition in BBC defamation suit

    A federal judge in Miami has threatened to sanction President Donald Trump for failing to sit for a mandatory deposition in his defamation suit against the British Broadcasting Corporation. Magistrate Judge Enjoliqué A. Lett wrote that the court had admonished Trump for his lack of participation to no avail and expects strict compliance, or sanctions will follow. Trump's lawyers canceled the deposition session late last month, citing matters of national importance, and proposed rescheduling. The BBC has moved to compel the testimony. Trump sued over a Panorama documentary's edit of his January 6, 2021 speech; the BBC apologized for the edit but denies it defamed him.

    Key facts

    • Trump seeks $5 billion for defamation and $5 billion under Florida's deceptive trade practices law.
    • The BBC's motion to compel Trump's deposition has a hearing set by October 22.
    • Discovery closes December 18, according to the BBC's filing.
    • Trump's lawyer reportedly said he would be available in the second or third week of January.
    • The BBC apologized for the Panorama edit but denies it defamed Trump.

    Commentary

    The sanctions threat matters less than the calendar: each postponement pushes testimony toward the edge of discovery, leaving the BBC without evidence on Trump's intent when he gave the speech. Trump is pressing damages claims while avoiding the questions that test them, which makes the court's patience the real constraint on how this resolves.

    Sources: Bloomberg.com, TheWrap, Hanford Sentinel

  5. 5

    Pope Leo calls Putin from hospital urging ceasefire in Russian-held Oleshky

    Pope Leo XIV spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin from Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he is recovering from lung cancer surgery, to press for a ceasefire in Oleshky, a Kherson city the Vatican described as in grave humanitarian crisis. The Holy See said the pope called for a ceasefire to allow food and medical aid and the voluntary, safe evacuation of civilians. Cardinal Pietro Parolin said the pope took the initiative for a besieged city where some 2,000 civilians need humanitarian routes, though Ukrainian groups put the number at more than 6,000. The Kremlin said Putin blamed Kyiv for the situation, while expressing support for the Vatican's efforts and saying both sides agreed to cooperate. Ukraine's foreign minister and aid groups say Russian forces have blocked food deliveries since May.

    Key facts

    • Pope Leo XIV spoke by phone with Vladimir Putin on October 16 and called for a ceasefire in Oleshky.
    • No food deliveries to Oleshky have been allowed since late May, according to Ukraine's foreign minister and ISW.
    • The Kremlin said Putin blamed Kyiv's responsibility for the humanitarian situation in Oleshky.
    • Cardinal Parolin said about 2,000 civilians need humanitarian routes out of the city.
    • Ukrainian Council of Churches estimates more than 6,000 civilians remain in Oleshky, including about 200 children.

    Commentary

    The call matters less for any ceasefire it produces than for what it shows: Moscow accepted the pope's call while still assigning blame to Kyiv, so the civilians waiting in Oleshky remain the ones without a path out. Disagreement over casualty numbers, 2,000 versus more than 6,000, suggests no one holds a reliable count of who is trapped.

    Sources: Fox News, Vatican News, OSV News, A News

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