
Trump rules out sending US troops to Ukraine
US President Donald Trump has ruled out sending US troops to help defend Ukraine from Russia, a day after appearing to leave the option open.
In a television interview, Trump also declared that Ukraine's hopes of joining NATO and retaking the Crimean Peninsula from Russia are "impossible."
Trump, along with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders, held several hours of talks in Washington on Monday, aimed at finding a peace solution.
Hamas gives positive response to ceasefire, Israel waits
As attacks on the Gaza Strip continue, Israel is considering what Qatar, acting as mediator, has described as a "positive response" from Hamas to a ceasefire proposal.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid al-Ansari did not provide details on the content of the agreement, but said it is "almost identical" to an earlier proposal by US envoy Steve Witkoff, which Israel had accepted.
Under the proposed agreement, a 60-day ceasefire would be established, some of the hostages held by Hamas would be released in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, the route for humanitarian aid to Gaza would be opened, and talks on a permanent ceasefire would begin.
New Zealand soldier admits attempted espionage, first in country's history
A New Zealand soldier has pleaded guilty to attempted espionage in a military court, marking the first conviction of its kind in the country's history.
The soldier's name has not been made public, nor has the name of the foreign country he is suspected of attempting to provide information about.
According to military court documents, in 2019 he believed he was communicating with a foreign agent and attempting to pass on sensitive military data, including base phone lists, maps, security vulnerability assessments and military network login credentials.
Finnish politics shaken: MP Eemeli Peltonen found dead in parliament
Finnish politician Eemeli Peltone was found dead in the parliament building in Helsinki on Tuesday, in what authorities are treating as a suicide, according to local media.
The death of the 30-year-old Social Democratic Party MP has caused a major shock in Finland's political scene, with numerous reactions from representatives of all political forces.
While the Finnish parliament is currently in summer recess, Prime Minister Petteri Orpo suspended all political activities on Tuesday as a mark of respect for his late colleague.