It's the most expensive single defense project in Europe, with a projected cost of at least €100 billion ($116.6 billion). From 2040, the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) aims to combine a new European fighter jet with fleets of drones controlled via a European defense cloud.

"It's more like a flying combat system," Christian Mölling, a German security expert, told DW. The goal is to reduce European dependence on the United States and the F-35 fighter jets, equipped with stealth technology, that the US produces.

 

On 15 August, US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Alaska, the first head-of-state meeting between the two countries since the Ukraine War began.

It was widely panned as a “shameful” and “vomit-inducing” episode where Putin apparently came out on top.

 

Jersey Lee

Taking a win from Alaska

 

Just when you think that the Australian Government cannot sink any lower, the prime minister still manages to surprise!_

 

Cameron Leckie

Gaslighting the electorate, virtue signalling to our ‘partners’

 

We have now been made aware of accusations that the Republic of Iran was involved in two antisemitic “incidents” in Australia.

No one killed. No one hurt. Relatively minor property damage.

Yet these accusations, based on intelligence shared with ASIO from “foreign partners” (presumably Israel), were sufficient for the prime minister to decide, for the first time in Australia’s history, to expel the Iranian ambassador.

Yes, you heard it correctly.

It is a dilemma... Swiss banks that used to profit from Russian oligarchs cash, had to support the sanctions imposed by the USA and Europe against Russia — for "Russia's invasion of Ukraine"...

As well, the origin of some cash from other sources (EU, UK, USA) may be more dirty than profits made by the Russians. Ukraine's elite is siphoning a huge amount of the cash given to Ukraine by its "allies"... Where does the money go? Dubai? Switzerland?...

German chancellor Friedrich Merz has made a moderate media splash and ruffled some feathers in his own ruling coalition with the Centrist Social Democrats (SPD). Using the platform of a regional party congress of his CDU Conservatives in Niedersachsen, Merz has delivered a speech that immediately attracted national attention and will be remembered for one phrase.

 

Cut welfare, give billions to Ukraine, suppress opposition: The German leader’s checklist to success
Friedrich Merz thinks he is the savior of the old German establishment. He is really more of a gravedigger

BY Tarik Cyril Amar

 

Brussels has “bent at the knee” before US President Donald Trump – that’s how one White House official described the recent trade deal involving tariffs, massive investment in US economy and a pledge to purchase American energy.

 

Fifty shades of the EU: Queen Ursula should start charging to watch her kinky dance with Trump
Is the US president having his way with the EU, or just getting more “solidarity” smoke and mirrors?

BY Rachel Marsden

 

Only 8% of Democrats support Israel’s “war in Gaza,” and almost two-thirds of Democrats—65%—believe that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, with only 8% disagreeing that they are. In response to this, Democratic leaders, with a long history of backing both the current genocide and Israel more broadly, are scrambling to hedge their support and create an image of not only being Very Concerned Humanitarians, but of politicians willing to stand up to Israel—in some vague and ill-defined capacity. 

US spent ‘tens of millions’ in Moldova – former USAID chief
Samantha Power has admitted that Washington financially supported the pro-Western candidate that won the last presidential election

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) invested tens of millions of dollars in Moldova to support pro-EU President Maya Sandu, former USAID chief Samantha Power has admitted in a call with Russian pranksters.

Speaking to the famous duo Vovan and Lexus, who apparently pretended to be Western officials, Power recalled that under her leadership, USAID made “unprecedented investments” in Moldova and “massively” expanded its presence in the country.

The CONVERSATION website published an article in 2023 that paralleled Vladimir Putin 2022 “invasion of Ukraine” and Lenin/Stalin invasion of Poland in 1920… It is ludicrous and erroneous. It’s probably deliberate to belittle Putin and destroy Lenin at the same time. Yes, the Bolsheviks made mistakes, especially in trying to annex Poland into Russia, but Putin did not make a mistake... 

 

Russia’s disastrous decision to invade Poland in 1920 has parallels with Putin’s rhetoric over Ukraine

Peter Whitewood (the CONVERSATION)

 

Meanwhile, Trotsky, sometimes blamed for advocating this Poland invasion caper, understood the working class struggle.

 

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Burkina Faso wants to expand partnerships with foreign media, including Russian ones, in response to Western media bias against the western African nation, Burkinabe Communications Minister Pingdwende Gilbert Ouedraogo told Sputnik.

The country cannot achieve full sovereignty without the support of trustworthy media, the official said. In order to ensure impartial coverage in the country and abroad, the Burkina Faso news agency and a number of other Burkinabe media outlets have made partnership deals with Russian media, including Sputnik Afrique and RT.

 

Burkina Faso Strengthens Ties With Russian Media in Response to Western Bias

 

 

Gaza hospitals recorded another three starvation-related deaths due to the Israeli siege

by Dave DeCamp | August 26, 2025 at 1:54 pm ET | Gaza, Israel

Last week in Sydney, we saw a melodrama acted out that could stand in for the state of Australian universities more generally. Inside Sydney’s swish Fullerton Hotel, a glittering cast of vice-chancellors, politicians, public servants, journalists, and consultants deliberated at a higher education summit, sponsored by the Australian Financial Review and consultancy Nous Group.

 

Universities have lost their way, but cost-cutting and consultants are not the answer

 

Michelle Arrow
Professor of History, President, Australian Historical Association, Macquarie University

Anna Clark
Professor in Public History, University of Technology Sydney

This week, India and China have taken a great leap of faith in their mutual efforts to incrementally advance the normalization process in their bilateral relationship. This may assume the nature of a rapprochement when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation [SCO] summit in the port city of Tianjin in northeast China on 31 August–1 September.

It is not surprising that the FRENCH media France 24 does not give a hoot about the Russians. For this torchon [RAG] de media digital, ZELENSKY is god whose demands are sacrosanct… Zelensky wants to meet VLADIMIR PUTIN mano a mano. The French media reports SAINT Zelensky’s demands are GOSPEL and swallows HIS explanation that Putin does EVERYTHING to AVOID talking face to face.