🇺🇸 President Donald Trump appeared to mix up Russia with Alaska ahead of his meeting with 🇷🇺 Russian leader Vladimir Putin, during a White House press conference about crime in Washington, DC and his plans to deploy the National Guard and put the city’s police under his control.
Trump delivered the news from the podium in the press briefing room — joined by Attorney General Pam Bondi, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and newly confirmed DC U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro — where he decried the level of crime in Washington, DC.
“This is a tragic emergency, and it’s embarrassing for me to be up here,” Trump told reporters. “You know, I’m going to see Putin. I’m going to Russia on Friday. I don’t like being up here, talking about how unsafe and how dirty and disgusting this once-beautiful capital is.”
The highly anticipated meeting between myself, as President of the United States of America, and President Vladimir Putin, of Russia, will take place next Friday, August 15, 2025, in the Great State of Alaska. Further details to follow. Thank you for your attention to this matter!
Had a very good and detailed conversation with my friend President Putin. I thanked him for sharing the latest developments on Ukraine.
We also reviewed the progress in our bilateral agenda, and reaffirmed our commitment to further deepen the India-Russia Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership.
I look forward to hosting President Putin in India later this year @KremlinRussia_E
🇷🇺 🇲🇾 Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, arrived in Russia on 5 August on a state visit that will last until 10 August.
This is the first visit by a Malaysian Head of state to Russia since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the country and the USSR in 1967.
Sultan Ibrahim hopes that talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin will open a new chapter in bilateral relations between the two countries. This was stated by Malaysian Ambassador to Russia Cheong Loong Lai in an interview with Bernama, a partner of TV BRICS.
"His Majesty also expressed hope that the two leaders can hold productive discussions, especially on matters of mutual interest," he said.
According to the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Sultan Ibrahim's visit marks an important stage in the development of bilateral relations.
It is also seen as a continuation of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's official visit to Moscow in May this year, during which he held talks with Vladimir Putin and other senior Russian officials.
Experts believe that the king's visit will give additional impetus to economic relations, especially in such promising sectors as renewable energy, aerospace, digital technology, agrotechnology, and the halal industry.
Talks with the Russian President are scheduled for 6 August. It is expected that the discussions will focus on the prospects for Malaysian companies entering the Russian market, as well as opportunities for attracting Russian investment in infrastructure projects and Malaysia's green economy.
As noted by the Bernama News Agency, Sultan Ibrahim may advocate for more inclusive and diversified economic cooperation, as well as the promotion of sustainable development and multilateral diplomacy.
The agency believes that the topic of cooperation between the countries in civil nuclear energy, including personnel training and modernisation of energy infrastructure, may be discussed.
In an exclusive comment for TV BRICS, PhD in Economics Andrey Khlutkov spoke about the prospects for cooperation between the two countries.
"In my opinion, the new opportunities for Russian-Malaysian cooperation go far beyond traditional areas and are shaped by global trends. These are, first and foremost, the transition to sustainable development, digitalisation, energy transition and the strengthening of ties between the countries of the Global South," he said.
Khlutkov noted that he considers digitalisation to be one of the most promising areas. According to him, Malaysia has already established itself as a digital hub in Southeast Asia and, as the chair of ASEAN in 2025, is actively investing in digital transformation, especially in areas such as fintech, smart cities and artificial intelligence. Russia, as the expert emphasised, has qualified specialists in the IT field and significant achievements in the areas of AI, big data analysis, and cybersecurity.
In this context, he considers it quite likely that effective partnerships will be formed between the technology parks and universities of the two countries, and that Russian IT companies will participate in the implementation of digital infrastructure projects in Malaysia in the foreseeable future.
🇷🇺 Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with 🇮🇳 India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval at the Kremlin on Thursday, Russia's state-run RIA news agency reported, citing the Kremlin press service.
The two countries stressed their commitment to a "strategic partnership" during bilateral security talks in Moscow, held a day after US President Donald Trump announced higher tariffs on Indian imports in response to India's continued purchases of Russian oil.
On Wednesday, President Trump signed an executive order imposing an additional 25 per cent tariff on goods imported from India, taking the total import duty to 50 per cent. The United States has also threatened secondary sanctions on countries buying Russian crude unless Moscow agrees to end the war in Ukraine - now entering its fourth year - by Friday.
The new tariff measure, announced on Wednesday, will come into full effect in two phases: the first 25 per cent hike began on August 7, and the second is scheduled for 21 days later, unless negotiations alter the course.
The move has deepened tensions between Washington and New Delhi, with India calling the decision "unfortunate" and promising to protect its interests.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, condemned the tariffs as "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable" and warned that New Delhi would take "all actions necessary" to defend its economic sovereignty.
Washington has also faced accusations of double standards, with critics highlighting its continued imports of Russian uranium hexafluoride, palladium, and fertilisers.
Reacting sharply to the development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi struck a defiant tone on Thursday during a speech at the MS Swaminathan Centenary International Conference.
Without naming the US directly, PM Modi said India would not bow to external pressure, even if it meant bearing the cost.
Earlier in the day, Doval confirmed that President Putin will visit India later this year, with the dates currently being finalised.
🏥 Health authorities are warning travellers of a mosquito-borne virus that can cause debilitating joint pain, after thousands of cases have been reported in a few weeks in 🇨🇳 China.
Almost 8,000 instances of the chikungunya virus have been diagnosed in the country, mostly in Foshan city in Guangdong province. It has prompted authorities to impose forceful measures, including mass quarantines, although the virus is not spread person to person.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has now raised its concern about the virus, giving new guidelines to healthcare providers on how to help those who have contracted chikungunya.
Diana Rojas Alvarez, a medical officer at WHO, told reporters in Geneva that an estimated 5.6 billion people, across 119 countries, are at risk from the virus. This year so far, France has reported 49 cases of chikungunya virus on the mainland and in Corsica. Italy has reported two.
While Europe is not currently experiencing a severe outbreak, health officials on the continent are making travellers aware of the virus as well as the rollout of a new vaccine in the UK.
Here is what travellers need to know about the virus, plus advice from a specialist travel doctor on how to best prepare for travelling overseas.
[color=black]What is Chikungunya and how is it spread?[/color]
Chikungunya virus disease is a mosquito-borne disease that is found across tropical and sub-tropical regions.
It is spread to humans by a bite from an infected mosquito. It cannot be passed from human to human.
Most cases have been found in the Americas, Africa and Asia. Brazil has had the most cases in 2025 (more than 185,000), followed by Bolivia with more than 4,700.
In total, there have been approximately 240,000 chikungunya cases and 90 related deaths across 16 countries or territories since the beginning of the year.
Foreign Affairs › 'I'm Going To Russia On Friday' - Trump Mistakes Alaska For Russia (Video) by WriterNig(op): 8:45pm On Aug 11, 2025*. Modified: 9:06pm On Aug 11, 2025
