President Bola Tinubu has expressed deep concern over the repeated incidents of xenophobic and Afrophobic violence in South Africa, urging the African Union (AU) to respond with a united continental approach.
Tinubu conveyed Nigeria’s position through Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented him at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union held in Luanda, Angola.
The Brandspur Politics Desk reports that the Nigerian leader appealed to African heads of state and government to take up the matter during the 40th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, which is scheduled for January 2027.
Tinubu calls for collective action
Although Tinubu recognised South Africa’s sovereign authority to regulate migration and enforce its immigration laws, he warned that attacks directed at Africans and other foreign nationals weaken the spirit of African unity, integration and peaceful coexistence.
In his message, Nigeria urged the AU Assembly to formally include the issue on its agenda for consideration and appropriate action.
Tinubu said, “Nigeria wishes to express its concern over the recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Africans and other nationals in South Africa.”
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He further stated, “such attacks undermine African solidarity, unity and peaceful coexistence, and require urgent collective attention.”
Nigeria seeks protection for African nationals
The president also urged African leaders to reaffirm their commitment to the safety, protection and dignity of all African nationals, regardless of where they reside on the continent.
His call places the recurring xenophobic attacks in South Africa before the continent’s highest political body for further consideration.
The matter is expected to receive attention at the AU Assembly’s 40th Ordinary Session in January 2027, where African leaders will be asked to consider appropriate action.
Man Airlifted as Batman Coaster Incident Fractures Both Legs
A day of thrills turned chaotic at a Spanish theme park on Saturday after a visitor was seriously injured while riding a Batman-themed roller coaster, with local reports saying the man sustained fractures in both legs.
The accident happened on Batman Gotham City Escape at Parque Warner Madrid, the amusement park confirmed in a statement posted on X.
The injured rider, a 49-year-old man, suffered an open fracture to his left leg and a closed fracture to his right leg, Europa Press reported, citing emergency services.
Batman Gotham City Escape debuted in 2023 and was promoted by Parque Warner Madrid as Spain’s first multi-launch roller coaster. The high-speed attraction includes three separate launches that send riders surging upward, along with four inversions that briefly turn passengers upside down.
Park officials said the roller coaster was brought to an immediate stop after the incident, and emergency response protocols were activated without delay.
“The affected person was attended to immediately by emergency medical services,” Parque Warner said.
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First responders then airlifted the visitor to a nearby hospital, Europa Press reported.
Another visitor, Juan José Molina, described panic among some parkgoers.
“There were people crying and having anxiety attacks,” he said.
Parque Warner said the roller coaster will remain closed while management reviews the incident in coordination with authorities.
Trump Warns Israel ‘Would Be Gone’ Without His Support
Donald Trump claimed Israel and the wider Middle East “would be gone” if he were not President, as he defended the war in Iran and his administration’s stance toward Tehran.
His remarks aired on a night of renewed escalation, with US and Iranian attacks intensifying again after a lull of several weeks in the six-month conflict.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump described Iran’s government as “violent, evil people” and again insisted that Tehran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon. He warned that such a development would threaten both Israel and the broader region.
“If they had a nuclear weapon, Israel would be gone. If I weren’t President, Israel would be gone and there would probably be no Middle East,” Trump said.
Trump added that Iran had alienated not only its allies, but also countries that had previously been “sort of neutral” or had maintained workable relations with Tehran before the war began.
‘As soon as the shooting started, they started aiming at Saudi Arabia, Qatar, at UAE, at Bahrain, at Kuwait, everybody was shocked. I was surprised.’
Trump admitted that it was a positive from his perspective because the Iranians ‘lost all of the support they had.’
However, he fears that Iran’s turncoat behavior against its neighboring nations means ‘if they would have had a nuclear weapon, they would have fired it.’
Donald Trump said that if he weren’t President, both Israel and the entire Middle East ‘would be gone’ as he defended the war in Iran
‘If they had a nuclear weapon, Israel would be gone. If I weren’t President, Israel would be gone and there would probably be no Middle East,’ Trump claimed
‘I think the Middle East would have essentially been gone but Israel definitely would have been gone and I guess we would be next, or Europe or someplace,’ he added.
Trump reaffirmed his promise, however, that ‘you cannot let them have a nuclear weapon and they won’t have a nuclear weapon.’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ruled out any diplomatic deal with Iran as he backed Donald Trump’s new economic campaign earlier this week.
Speaking at an event in Jerusalem for Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, Netanyahu said he told Trump in a meeting at the White House last month: ‘I doubt that an agreement can be reached with that group there, with those savages.
‘I tell you – an agreement cannot be reached.’
Netanyahu added the two also discussed renewing military action against Iran: ‘We will not allow Iran to attack us, and if, God forbid, they attack us, they will suffer a blow beyond anything they have imagined– far stronger than anything they have suffered until now’
The prime minister also hailed the US president’s new campaign after Trump on Monday declared ‘economic D-Day’ aimed at destroying Iran’s economy.
The President stressed earlier this week that he’s ‘not in a hurry’ to get Iran back to the negotiating table, and he continues making the case that the Islamic Republic’s leadership is on the ropes.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (pictured left) ruled out any diplomatic deal with Iran as he backed Donald Trump’s new economic campaign earlier this week
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei (pictured), urged rulers of Muslim nations to ‘know your real enemy, understand its plans and confront it,’ and called the US and Israel enemies of all Islamic nations Sunday
‘They’re not paying their troops. They’re in deep trouble. They have very little capacity,’ Trump told reporters Thursday. ‘We don’t want to speak to them. We’re not looking to meet or anything,’ he said.
Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, urged rulers of Muslim nations to ‘know your real enemy, understand its plans and confront it,’ and called the US and Israel enemies of all Islamic nations Sunday, the official IRNA news agency reported.
Six months after the US and Israel attacked Iran, killing Khamenei’s father and other senior leaders, the younger Khamenei still has not been seen publicly.
His comments came in a letter to religious leaders attending a conference in Tehran.
US forces made their first strikes at Iran in over a month Sunday, firing at two rocket launchers on the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran responding by attacking American forces in Jordan.
The fresh fury erupts after forces with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) were seen preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the strait, Central Command spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins confirmed to The Daily Mail.
‘US forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway,’ Hawkins said.
The US military last week completed clearing sea mines from the strait’s international shipping routes, he added. Iranian news outlets reported sounds of explosions near Larak Island on the strait.
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Crowds fill a street during celebrations marking Prophet Muhammad’s birthday in Tehran, Iran, Sunday
The IRGC in a statement carried by Iran’s state broadcaster noted ‘the martyrdom and injury of several of our fighters and compatriots.’
The statement said the attack will ‘result in punishment of the aggressor.’
Shortly following the US strikes, Fox News reported that Iranian forces were attacking American troops stationed in Jordan.
Almost all of the incoming missiles have been intercepted and there have been no significant impacts, Fox said.
The fighting comes just days after the Trump administration said it would turn its focus to increasing economic pressure – rather than military action – to try to end its war with Iran.
Secretary Scott Bessent told Reuters Sunday that the Treasury Department is likely to unveil new secondary sanctions aimed at increasing economic pressure on Iran.
Bessent announced the measure after imposing penalties on the United Arab Emirates branches of Egypt’s Banque Misr on Friday over alleged financial links to Iran.
The shifting strategy centers on threats to punish any country or entity that continues to conduct business with Tehran.
Sailors conduct night flight operations aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73) as the ship sails in regional waters supporting operations in the Middle East
Forces with the Revolutionary Guard Corps were seen preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the strait
Join the discussion
Should the US risk greater conflict to protect Israel and the Middle East from Iran’s nuclear ambitions?
The turn to using sanctions as the cudgel of choice comes as the administration weighs diminished munitions stockpiles after months of war, sparking concerns that the prolonged conflict could undermine US military readiness in other parts of the globe.
Trump has consistently emphasized that the US and Israel campaign has been devastating for Iran´s navy and air force.
Iranian officials have said the country has suffered $270 billion in direct and indirect damage.
Israeli military strikes in the first weeks of the war wiped out much of the theocratic government’s leadership structure.
But Iran has found leverage through its own strikes in the critical Strait of Hormuz where relatively few vessels carrying oil and liquefied natural gas are risking passage.
Iran still has enough drones and missiles to fire at vessels transiting the vital energy waterway, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil normally flows, effectively controlling much of the traffic in the strait.
Trump has repeatedly declared that the ‘Strait of Hormuz is open,’ saying 24 vessels passed through last week. But that´s a fraction of the roughly 130 vessels that passed through the vital waterway daily before the war began.
Earlier on Sunday, a multinational coalition overseen by the US Navy said commercial traffic through the strait remained at ‘reduced levels.’
And a monitoring agency run by the British military said an unknown projectile struck a tanker ship on Saturday north of Khasab, Oman, in the strait.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization said the ship had been moving inbound and no casualties or environmental impact had been reported.
It cited unspecified military authorities. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
A return to open conflict would be dangerous for the region, where Iran has targeted US military bases and infrastructure in Gulf countries since the war began on February 28.
The last time the US military confirmed targeting Iran was on July 29, when it announced a ‘heavy wave of strikes’ on dozens of Revolutionary Guard targets including coastal surveillance and defense sites.
On August 1, Trump said he would order the military to hold off on new strikes at the urging of Gulf allies Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
4 Wall Exercises to Help Tighten Belly Sag After 60 Without Crunches
Skip the crunches: four simple wall exercises can help strengthen your core and address belly sag after 60.
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An empty wall may be one of the easiest fitness tools in your home. With just a few free minutes, it offers balance, support, and a no-fuss way to work your core without getting down on the floor. For adults over 60, that upright setup can make abdominal strengthening feel more approachable—and much easier to stick with from week to week.
Reducing belly sag is not about one magic move. It usually comes from a consistent mix of daily movement, resistance training, protein-rich meals, quality sleep, and a sustainable calorie routine. Wall-based core exercises can play a helpful role in that larger plan by turning short, manageable workouts into something that feels both doable and worthwhile.
Everyday household surfaces can become surprisingly effective workout aids when used intentionally. A wall, kitchen counter, stable chair, or sofa can provide the support you need while helping you line up your body safely. That makes it easier to fit quick strength sessions into ordinary moments throughout the day.
The exercises below use the wall to train your core from standing and inclined positions. You’ll work through knee drives, pressing, plank control, and lower-body movement so your abs stay involved while the rest of your body helps raise the effort.
Wall Mountain Climbers
Start here when you want the workout to feel active right away. Wall mountain climbers bring your knees forward one at a time while your hands stay planted, which keeps the movement more approachable than the floor version. Your abs help hold your body position as your legs move. Keep the pace steady first, then add speed once every knee drive feels clean.
Muscles Trained: Abs, hip flexors, shoulders, glutes.
How to Do It
- Stand facing a wall.
- Place both hands on the wall at about chest height.
- Step your feet back until your body leans forward slightly.
- Brace your core.
- Drive one knee toward your chest.
- Step that foot back and switch sides.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 2 to 3 sets of 20 to 40 seconds.
Best Variations: Slower wall mountain climbers, wall knee drives, counter mountain climbers.
Form Tip: Keep your hands planted and move at a pace you can control.
Wall Push-Up
The wall push-up brings your upper body into the session while your midsection holds the line. Think of it as a moving plank with a press built in. Your chest and arms do the pushing, and your abs keep your ribs and hips from drifting. Step farther from the wall only when the reps stay smooth.
Muscles Trained: Chest, shoulders, triceps, abs.
How to Do It
- Stand facing a wall.
- Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width.
- Step your feet back to a comfortable incline.
- Brace your core.
- Bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the wall.
- Press through your hands to return to the starting position.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps.
Best Variations: Closer wall push-up, slower wall push-up, counter push-up.
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Form Tip: Keep your body moving as one long line from shoulders to heels.
Wall Plank Shoulder Tap
This move works well when you want more control through the waist. Each shoulder tap creates a small shift, so your abs have to keep your torso steady while one hand leaves the wall. Slow taps are best here. Place your hand back with control before switching sides.
Muscles Trained: Abs, shoulders, chest, upper back.
How to Do It
- Stand facing a wall.
- Place both hands on the wall at shoulder height.
- Step your feet back until your body forms a straight line.
- Brace your core.
- Lift one hand and tap the opposite shoulder.
- Place it back on the wall and switch sides.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 taps per side.
Best Variations: Wall plank hold, slower shoulder taps, counter plank shoulder taps.
Form Tip: Keep your hips still as each hand lifts.
Wall Sit March
A wall sit march gives the routine a stronger lower-body finish. Hold the wall sit with your thighs while your core keeps your hips level with each small lift. Stay higher on the wall if your knees prefer a gentler angle. A controlled march with steady breathing will do more than rushing through a deeper position.
Muscles Trained: Quads, glutes, abs, hip flexors.
How to Do It
- Stand with your back against a wall.
- Walk your feet forward and slide down into a comfortable wall sit.
- Keep your back against the wall.
- Brace your core.
- Lift one foot a few inches off the floor.
- Lower it, switch sides, and continue marching.
Recommended Sets and Reps: Perform 2 to 3 sets of 20 to 30 seconds.
Best Variations: Higher wall sit march, regular wall sit, wall sit with heel lifts.
Form Tip: Keep the march small enough to keep your hips level.
How to Dial In Belly-Sag Progress After 60
Wall exercises can help you build a stronger midsection and make short workouts easier to repeat. For visible change around the belly, pair them with habits that support fat loss across the week. Walk most days, build meals around protein, and keep the workout close enough that you’ll actually do it. Progress feels more manageable when the plan is simple, and the work keeps showing up.
- Use the wall as a daily cue: Pick a wall you pass often and attach one short exercise block to a routine you already have.
- Walk most days: Daily walking adds low-stress movement and supports the calorie burn behind belly-fat loss.
- Build meals around protein: Protein helps preserve muscle while you work toward a firmer waistline.
- Keep the first set smooth: Start at a pace that lets you feel your abs working before you add speed.
- Plan your snacks: A little structure around snacks can make calorie control feel easier.
- Repeat the work often: Short, consistent sessions can support better strength, better movement, and stronger follow-through.
References
Tiny Scottish Village in Uproar Over Huge Data Centre Plan
Villagers have voiced fierce opposition to proposals for what would be the world’s second-largest data centre, planned for a site immediately beside their small community.
The development earmarked for Auchtertool in Fife would tower over the village, which has around 200 homes, and would spread across land said to be bigger than 100 football pitches.
The Cato data centre is also understood to generate heat comparable to 600,000 electric one-bar heaters, amid claims that temperatures in the surrounding area could rise unnaturally by as much as nine degrees.
Concerns have been heightened by reports from similar data centre complexes in Nevada, where residents have blamed such facilities for damaging the local environment, including one horse trainer who claimed every foal born since the site opened has been stillborn.
In Auchtertool, anger over the proposed Cato data centre has already prompted more than 1,600 objections, while protest banners have appeared on homes, cars and around the village park.
Some claim the infrared noise from the site will affect humans and animals who cannot cope with the frequency it emits, while others have concerns about flood risks.
The development would store, process and run large amounts of data and software which power the internet. Scotland is considered an ideal location for the hubs due to its abundant supply of renewable energy to power them.
But locals have been left furious and are already planning to protest at Holyrood on September 3, alongside other residents in Larbert – including Susan Boyle – who have a similar proposal on their doorstep.
A plan of what the development in Auchtertool, Fife, will look like once built
An aerial view shows the village next to the proposed site (highlighted in red) which will cover an area larger than 100 football pitches
Clare Williams, 51, who has lived in the area for the last nine years, has erected a protest banner outside her home
A map shows the scale of the site compared to the village (seen near bottom right) which only has 200 or so houses
Fiona Stewart, 53, from Wilmar cottage in Auchtertool, said she was horrified by the plans when she saw them.
Ms Stewart, whose house looks on to the bottom field, said: ‘When I saw the scale and size of the planned data centre I was horrified. It’s bigger than the village and right next to it.
‘I’m not against data centres necessarily, and understand that we might need them, but I don’t know how you can ever justify putting them in a site next to a tiny village.’
She added: ‘I’m worried about light pollution. I’m worried about the noise that comes from them, worried about the flood risk. We’ve got an area down there that has flooded when we get heavy rain. It is already a flood risk, and there’s no information on how they would mitigate for that.
‘We’re calling on the First Minister to just pause this, and take a look at the plan and the framework, and make sure that these are regulated properly, because at the moment the framework’s not there.’
Developers ILI have held some information sessions for locals over the past few weeks, and argue the development will create hundreds of jobs.
Andrea Cail, another resident who chairs the community council, said locals first became aware of the plans around March 2025.
‘We were concerned by the proposal because of the sheer size of the buildings [and] the site, because it’s just at the top end of the village, and it’s on agricultural land,’ she said.
‘We knew very little about data centres at that point, but we twigged that it was going to be quite energy rich, and it would need a lot of electricity, and it would probably need a lot of water.
Laila Seeth with her horse John. Residents fear for the welfare of their animals if the development is built
Adele and Russell Seeth have concerns for livestock in the area
The size of the site is significantly bigger than the size of the village next to it
‘We know it’s a 24/7 facility, and once it’s up and running, it won’t just hum. It will make quite a bit of noise. We don’t know what the longer term effects might be.’
She added: ‘Clearly, there’s a lot of information coming out from the States, so we know, for example, that the land around the data centre will warm up because of the heat that’s radiated.
‘The noise is a big one, because it’s not just the noise we can hear. It’s infrared sound. The unknown quantity is the thing that’s more scary just now.’
According to Ms Cail, Fife council was initially asked to do a screening for an environmental impact assessment, before they determined one wasn’t needed because it didn’t fall within any of the regulations that made it mandatory.
She said: ‘I’m frustrated. I’ve gone through being angry, very frustrated, but also slightly cheered, because last week, the Scottish government decreed that there had to be a full environmental impact assessment done on this planning application.
‘We’ve been working with communities across Scotland who are all in similar boats. They’ve picked here because we have good grid connections and they will be able to get the electricity they require.’
Clare Williams, 51, who has lived in the area for the last nine years, has proudly erected her protest banner outside her home.
The foster carer said that in an earlier public meeting, she was told the centre would consist of a 25 to 30 metre high building before developers admitted it would be closer to 30 to 35 metres.
She said: ‘I’m even more concerned about the noise pollution and heat – 600 megawatts – coming off the buildings. We’d have the same heat as 600,000 one bar fire heaters.
Fiona Stewart, 53, from Wilmar cottage in Auchtertool, said she was horrified by the plans when she saw them
A protest sign is stuck to the back of a resident’s car in the Scottish village
An aerial view of the village, which is currently surrounded by rolling countryside
‘I’ve done the party life and I chose to live here for the quiet life. We are in the countryside. And it’s quiet. My mum comes here [and] when she sits in the garden, she loves it. It’s just so peaceful and serene and you can sit outside and just hear the birds, but our peace is being threatened.
‘I’m angry, frustrated, worried, stressed, all of that.’
She added: ‘We have spent money on living here and wouldn’t be able to afford to sell up if it happens because the house wouldn’t be worth what it is.
‘People will lose potentially hundreds of thousands on their properties. We need more information. It’s not like I’m anti-AI and I’m not anti-data centres. But how many do we need? Do we need to have them on people’s doorsteps?
‘The developers need to leave us alone. Our message is clear: Please reconsider and look at alternatives.’
For Adele and Russell Seeth, who live in Glenniston Farm Cottage right next to where the proposed site will begin up on the hill, there are concerns for livestock.
They claim they weren’t included in any correspondence from the data centre about the future plans because their farm is on the boundary.
However, they have grave fears their animals will suffer if the data centre is built so close to them as a similar development in Nevada has had fatal results.
Mr Seeth, who has lived there for 23 years, said: ‘We have had loads of renewables put around us. We’ve had the wind turbines.
‘They told us that wasn’t going to make any noise, and it makes noise. We’ve had the battery storages and 98,000 solar panels going around us, ten metres off the fence line, right down to the end of the road which we didn’t object to but when we saw this data centre, it was like, “wow”.’
Andrea Cail, who chairs the community council, said locals first became aware of the plans around March 2025
Protest signs are erected throughout the village as residents desperately try to halt the plans
The plans for the data centre in Auchtertool have collected more than 1,600 objections so far
Mrs Seeth agreed, adding: ‘This is the second largest in the world, the biggest one being in Nevada. We can’t get our head around it being here when there are other places.’
Mr Seeth said: ‘We’ve got three horses and four dogs. There’s a real concern to us that there will be acoustic shock to them. They are elite athletes. These are high performance, British showjumping horses, established here for 12 years.
‘They’re highly strung flight sensitive athletes. The 24/7 low frequency hum from massive industrial cooling fans, and sudden testing of emergency diesel backup generators, present a severe psychological and physical threat to their welfare and training.’
Mrs Seeth added: ‘We did a lot of research and the British Horse Society propose an acceptable distance for something like this is five miles. The horses that sleep there every night are just 270 metres from the proposed site, and it will have a direct impact.
‘Our daughters do British showjumping, so we put in the arena here a few years back to allow them to train here and ride here to go with nice hacks on the roads. Their whole life is going to be disturbed and changed if this happens.’
Mrs Seeth also highlighted the extra heat caused by the data centre energy. ‘It puts the temperature up 9 degrees around a half a mile radius. We’ll never see snow again, ice again,’ she said.
Mark Wilson, CEO of ILI Group, said: ‘We understand the strength of feeling in Auchtertool and take local concerns seriously.
‘The proposal is subject to the planning process and has already been supported by detailed technical assessments covering matters including noise, air quality, water, landscape and ecology.
‘Noise assessments we have undertaken show the project can operate within acceptable limits, while the Scottish Government has since requested a full Environmental Impact Assessment. We welcome this additional scrutiny and the opportunity for the potential impacts of the proposal to be examined further.
‘It is important that the proposed development is considered on the basis of the facility that is actually being proposed. Cato is being designed to meet current environmental and technological standards, with significant measures incorporated to manage its potential impacts.
‘Comparisons with data centre developments elsewhere in the world do not necessarily reflect the design, technology, environmental standards or regulatory requirements that would apply to this proposal in Scotland.
‘The built development would occupy only a small part of the wider site, with the majority of the land remaining undeveloped. The proposals also include significant areas of new woodland, wetland and meadow habitat.
‘If approved, Cato would represent a significant investment in Fife, with independent analysis by BiGGAR Economics estimating that the project could support around 1,450 job-years during construction and around 262 jobs in Fife once operational, alongside around 120 permanent on-site roles.
‘We are committed to continuing to engage constructively with the local community as the environmental assessment progresses, listening to concerns and providing clear, evidence-based information about the proposals.’
Ukraine Aid Faces Scrutiny as Zelenskyy Circle Hit by Corruption Scandal
The United States is depending on a broad network of safeguards and dozens of oversight bodies to monitor and protect billions of dollars in aid sent to Ukraine, even as Kyiv continues to confront long-running corruption challenges, a regional security expert said Sunday.
That scrutiny comes at a politically sensitive moment for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whose inner circle is under growing pressure as expanding investigations have led to senior officials and aides resigning, being removed from office or coming under investigation since 2025.
On Aug. 19, Zelenskyy dismissed Iryna Mudra, a deputy head of the presidential office, while anti-corruption investigators were pursuing a money-laundering case tied to another deputy head of the office.
Mudra has not been identified by investigators as a suspect, The Associated Press reported.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks at a press conference after meetings with the heads of the EU and Ireland, following a formal ceremony to mark the launch of Ireland’s eighth EU presidency, at Dublin Castle in Dublin on July 1, 2026. (Paul Faith / AFP via Getty Images)
“Of course, in all of the former Soviet Union countries, there is significant corruption,” former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Carrie Filipetti, now executive director of the Vandenberg Coalition, told News Media.
“A lot more work needs to be done. But we know, at least on the U.S. side, as we’re providing support for their military, we have a lot of mechanisms,” she said before explaining how dozens of agencies are working on oversight of U.S. aid to Ukraine.
The U.S. committed $67.8 billion in defense articles and services to Ukraine from February 2022 through March 2026 through the Presidential Drawdown Authority, the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative and Foreign Military Financing, congressional reports show.
That support is part of a broader U.S. response to the war.
About $195 billion has been appropriated for Operation Atlantic Resolve, including funds to replenish U.S. weapons stocks, support U.S. military operations in Europe and provide economic, development and humanitarian assistance, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak are meeting with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Kyiv, Ukraine, on January 22, 2024. (Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto via AP)
“Over 24 federal agencies are involved in oversight,” Filipetti said. “To make certain that there are no consequences to the U.S. taxpayer, to our equipment in terms of the corruption issue, U.S. contributions are very much protected.”
In recent months, however, senior Ukrainian officials have resigned, been dismissed or faced scrutiny by the country’s independent anti-corruption bodies, including NABU.
Those developments include Andriy Yermak’s Nov. 28, 2025, resignation after investigators searched his premises and Mudra’s Aug. 19 dismissal during a money-laundering probe.
Former Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna was dismissed by Zelenskyy as Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S. on Aug. 3, two days before a suspicion notice was served against her, according to the Kyiv Post.
He also fired Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov on July 15 in a broader reshuffle over internal wartime disagreements which sparked protests across the nation.
Tensions escalated in Ukraine in July when Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov was dismissed following rifts over procurement reforms. (Thierry Monasse/Getty Images)
In interviews after he left government, Fedorov also complained about what he described as ingrained corruption and patronage networks, Reuters reported.
“We’ve seen that Zelenskyy is taking really seriously the criticisms of corruption, and every time there is an allegation, he moves very swiftly to remove those individuals from the government,” Filipetti said.
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“And the fact that there are these independent bodies is, I think, really important. They’re listening to them. They’re making sure that they’re trying to root it out as much as humanly possible.”
President Donald Trump greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his Mar-a-Lago club on Dec. 28, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Zelenskyy has pushed back on suggestions that the investigations implicate him personally.
“The heads of anti-corruption agencies have zero questions for me,” Zelenskyy said in remarks published Aug. 23 regarding the investigations. “They understand perfectly well that I am not involved in anything like that.”
A February 2024 USAID inspector general review also found that the agency did not independently verify some Ukrainian health workers’ salary claims before reimbursement, though Filipetti said U.S. economic aid is now reimbursed only after verification.
“A lot of what the United States has been providing, we’re making sure that everything is through a reimbursement mechanism,” Filipetti said.
TOP UKRAINIAN OFFICIALS IN ZELENSKYY GOVERNMENT SUBMIT RESIGNATIONS AMID $100 MILLION CORRUPTION SCANDAL
President Donald Trump said the United States would send more Patriot missiles to Ukraine during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in the Oval Office on July 14, 2025. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)
She said U.S. aid has not been tied to the money-laundering allegations and remains protected as Ukraine works to combat corruption.
The scrutiny also comes as Kyiv faces shortages of Patriot interceptors amid intensified Russian strikes and a need for air defense interceptors.
Zelenskyy said he wants to secure 300 additional interceptors for the coming winter, while Ukraine’s air force has requested 360.
“One of the most urgent needs that the Ukrainians have right now is interceptor missiles,” Filipetti said. “This is why this idea of sending Patriot capabilities and allowing them to produce them on the ground in Ukraine has become so important to Zelenskyy.”
Ukraine launches domestically produced long-range FP-5 “Flamingo” cruise missiles toward targets in Russia. (East2West)
President Donald Trump has expressed reluctance to further deplete U.S. missile inventories, saying the United States also needs the weapons, while pressing European allies to shoulder more of Ukraine’s defense burden.
“We want missiles too,” Trump said Aug. 6 when asked about Zelenskyy’s requests for long-range missiles and Patriot systems. “Biden gave him so much, Biden gave $300 billion worth of ammunition.”
Filipetti also said Ukraine’s anti-corruption efforts remain an important consideration for its NATO aspirations.
“I think every country has been really adamant that the Ukrainians move forward in their anti-corruption mechanisms,” Filipetti said.
“Obviously, if Ukraine ever wants to be a formal member of NATO, that’s something that they will need to prove and demonstrate.”
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy Plans Major Fraud Crackdown Announcement With DHS and DOJ
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy signaled Sunday that the Trump administration is preparing to unveil a major new push aimed at cracking down on fraud.
Writing on X, Duffy previewed what he described as an “unprecedented fraud crackdown,” saying more details would be announced Monday.
“TOMORROW: UNPRECEDENTED FRAUD CRACKDOWN,” Duffy posted.
His post also tagged Markwayne Mullin, the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Department of Justice and the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, indicating the announcement may involve a coordinated effort across multiple federal agencies.
Duffy did not provide additional information, leaving unclear when or where the announcement will take place, what category of fraud officials plan to address or whether any arrests have already been made.
The announcement comes amid the administration’s broader crackdown on fraud. Trump established the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud in March to coordinate efforts involving federal benefit programs.
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The DOJ has also created a National Fraud Enforcement Division to investigate and prosecute the theft or fraudulent misuse of taxpayer dollars.
Duffy’s Department of Transportation has worked with DHS in recent months to crack down on alleged fraud and safety violations in the commercial trucking industry, including improperly issued commercial driver’s licenses, fraudulent driving schools and unvetted foreign drivers.
The agencies announced a joint investigation in July into about 75 commercial driving schools suspected of fraud, including allegedly falsifying training records and improperly certifying drivers.
The two departments have also conducted roadside enforcement operations targeting unqualified foreign commercial drivers.
Unearthed 20-Year-Old Notes Reveal New Clues in Childhood Cancer Mystery
Newly unearthed notes tied to the developer behind an affluent Southern California community are prompting renewed scrutiny over what may be driving a troubling cluster of rare childhood cancer cases in the area.
Ladera Ranch, an upscale master-planned community of roughly 25,000 residents located east of Laguna Beach, has recorded at least six confirmed cases of Ewing sarcoma from 2013 to 2024.
The aggressive and often painful cancer is exceptionally uncommon, with only about 200 diagnoses in the United States each year. It primarily strikes children and teenagers, forming in bone or soft tissue, and if it is not detected early, the survival rate can fall to around 30 percent.
For years, Ladera Ranch parents who lost children to the disease have searched for answers, asking why such a rare cancer appears to have surfaced with unusual frequency in their community.
Possible explanations have ranged from extensive pesticide use in the region to concerns about a nearby landfill. But handwritten notes found in the archives of Ladera Ranch’s development company, DMB Development, have now intensified those questions.
The notes, which appear to have been scribbled in the early 2000s when Ladera Ranch was under construction, say: ‘This well is not to be built over without further considerations.’
In 2002, DMB Development re-sealed a pair of abandoned oil wells to ensure that they met contemporary safety standards. The notes were written on a Department of Conservation permit and also appear typed in the final report of well abandonment.
The wells did not have a history of producing oil or gas, and there is no evidence that they are connected in any way to cases of Ewing sarcoma in Ladera Ranch.
In Ladera Beach, California, there have been an unusually high number of cases of Ewing sarcoma, an incredibly rare form of cancer, between 2013 and 2024
Handwritten notes in the files of Ladera Beach’s developer have raised fresh questions about the cause of the rare cancer cases
Lily Dalton, a resident of Ladera Ranch, died aged 23 from Ewing sarcoma. She is one of at least six people to have contracted the extremely rare form of cancer in the community since 2013
The Department of Conservation told the Los Angeles Times that the note’s presence in the final report may have been a ‘clerical error.’
However, one of the handwritten notes also said ‘put on final letter.’ The Department of Conservation did not comment on that message when the Times asked about it.
The notes do not explain why construction should potentially be avoided on top of the wells, and it is unclear whether there was any ‘further consideration.’
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The presence of the notes in DMB Development’s files raises more questions than answers for Ladera Ranch residents who have been demanding investigations into potential causes for Ewing sarcoma cases in their community.
Bonnie Regan, whose son Ryan died aged 36 in October 2025 from Ewing sarcoma, told the LA Times: ‘There’s something wrong here. I had never even heard of this kind of cancer before.’
Brian Dalton, who lost his 23-year-old daughter Lily to the disease in January, told the California Post he suspects pesticides caused her cancer but said he wants a broader investigation.
‘When something this unusual happens, families deserve answers,’ Dalton told the outlet.
‘If there is even a possibility that environmental exposures, including pesticides or any other factor, could be contributing, then those possibilities deserve a thorough, transparent, independent investigation,’ he added.
Lily is pictured partway through her cancer treatment. Her father demanded an investigation into Ladera Ranch’s environment after she died
Brody Matteson (center back) died from Ewing Sarcoma at the age of 17 in March. His father said he wants to find out what caused his son to fall ill
Dustin Matteson, whose 17-year-old son Brody died from Ewing sarcoma in March, told the Times: ‘It feels like where we live, and with the high number of cases, it’s a place where you should be able to find out what caused it.’
Despite the lack of any tangible connection between the sealed wells or other theories about the cause of Ewing sarcoma cases in Ladera Ranch, experts say that grieving families are right to be asking questions, though they have also cautioned against jumping to conclusions.
Karen Lincoln, director of the Center for Environmental Health Disparities Research at UC Irvine, told the California Post: ‘We don’t know that the well is causing harm.
‘But residents are telling us they are concerned about a potential environmental health risk. They deserve a serious, transparent response.’
Dr Janet Yoon, a pediatric hematologist-oncologist at City of Hope who specializes in Ewing sarcoma, told the LA Times that it would be ‘incredibly challenging’ to prove a link between the cases in Ladera Ranch.
But she did say that the number of cases in the community appeared unusually high and said: ‘There definitely is cause for concern for members of this community.’