WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange gave his first public remarks on Tuesday since his release from a UK prison in June. Speaking before the legal affairs and human rights committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, France, Assange addressed the protracted legal battle that had defined his life for over a decade. "I am not free today because the system worked," Assange told lawmakers from 46 countries. "I am free today after years of incarceration because I pled guilty to journalism." He added: "I pled guilty to seeking information from a source. I pled guilty to obtaining information from a source. And I pled guilty to informing the public what that information was." Assange said that moving from confinement in the Ecuadorian Embassy in London to British prison to addressing the council was a "profound and surreal shift," adding that the last few years had been a "relentless struggle to stay alive, both physically and mentally." Long legal battle After his release three months earlier, his wife Stella Assange said that the famous whistleblower needed time to recuperate physically from his stay in the UK's maximum security Belmarsh Prison, where he was kept in solitary confinement. WikiLeaks became a household name in 2010, when it published top secret files from the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including evidence of potential war crimes on the part of US service members. Being sought in Sweden on sexual assault allegations and by the US for an espionage investigation, Assange took asylum in Ecuador's Embassy in 2012. However, he was dragged out in 2019 following years of souring relations with the Ecuadorian government and what critics called an increasing tendency to peddle conspiracy theories. He was sent to London's Belmarsh prison for skipping bail, and fought US extradition for several years. He was released in June after agreeing to plead guilty to publishing secret US military documents and sentenced to time served in the UK. Following the plea deal, he returned to his native Australia a free man.

Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) has won a national election for the first time, securing 28.8% of the vote. However, the party, known for its Eurosceptic and pro-Russian stance, may struggle to form a coalition government as most other parties have refused to work with it. The ruling conservative People’s Party (OeVP) came in second with 26.3% of the vote. FPOe leader Herbert Kickl, a polarizing figure, declared the victory as a historic moment and expressed his readiness to form a government with any party. “We have opened a door to a new era,” he told supporters in Vienna. Kickl has led the party since 2021 and has gained popularity on issues like migration, economic concerns, and discontent over COVID-19 restrictions. Despite the FPOe’s win, analysts suggest forming a coalition could be difficult. Chancellor Karl Nehammer of the OeVP, who nearly closed the gap on the FPOe in recent polls, acknowledged his party’s defeat but vowed to continue working for the people. Nehammer could remain chancellor if he forms a coalition with the Social Democrats (SPOe), who received 21.1% of the vote, and possibly the liberal NEOS party, which garnered 9.2%. A three-party coalition would be unprecedented but may face challenges in governing due to the country’s rightward shift. The FPOe has previously been part of coalition governments with the conservatives, though these alliances ended in controversy. A government formed in 2000 led to protests and sanctions from the European Union, while a later coalition collapsed in 2019 over a corruption scandal. If Kickl becomes chancellor, experts suggest Austria's relationship with the EU could change, as he has openly admired Hungary’s Viktor Orban and opposes EU sanctions on Russia.

Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine war more than two and a half years ago, the Russian military has lost over 70,000 soldiers. BBC and Russian news outlet Mediazona confirmed this information in a report published on Friday. Russian media regularly updates the number of soldiers killed and injured, along with their names and identities. Additionally, Russia’s Ministry of Defense and related agencies also release casualty figures. The names of Russian soldiers buried in cemeteries are also recorded. BBC and Mediazona used these three sources to gather data and contacted the families of the deceased soldiers to verify the information. Key Stats: Russian soldiers killed in the Ukraine war: 70,112 (confirmed by BBC and Mediazona) Volunteer fighters among the deceased: 13,781 (13% of total deaths) Age range of volunteers: Mostly between 42-50 years old Oldest identified volunteer: 71 years old At least 250 volunteers aged: 60 or older According to BBC’s report, “Based on our calculations, 70,112 Russian soldiers have been killed in the war. We have confirmed their names, identities, and deaths. However, the actual death toll is likely much higher, as many families of deceased soldiers and officials have been unwilling to share information with the media. Furthermore, we do not have complete casualty data for those fighting for Russia in Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine.” Of the 70,112 identified Russian soldiers, 13,781 were volunteer fighters. These were civilians who later joined the Russian military in response to the state's call. Volunteers make up 13% of Russia's total deaths in the war over the past two and a half years. Most of these volunteer fighters come from economically disadvantaged cities and villages in Russia, where finding satisfactory employment is difficult. Many joined the military out of necessity. Most of these volunteers enlisted willingly, drawn by the fact that current military pay is 5 to 7 times higher than before. Additionally, the Russian government offers various social benefits, such as free medical care for soldiers' children and tax exemptions. Beyond regular pay, volunteers receive a significant lump sum payment upon joining. For those in financial hardship, these benefits are highly appealing. The majority of these volunteers are between 42 and 50 years old, with some being even older. The oldest volunteer fighter identified in BBC’s report was 71 years old. The list also includes at least 250 volunteers aged 60 or older. In addition to Russian citizens, other countries’ volunteers, primarily from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and other Central Asian nations, are also fighting in the Russian military. Despite the high pay and benefits, there have been complaints about the poor quality of the gear issued to the soldiers. According to several soldiers interviewed by BBC and Mediazona, the uniforms, helmets, and bulletproof vests provided by the government are cheap and of poor quality, unsuitable for the harsh winters. One volunteer soldier, speaking anonymously, said, “The uniforms, helmets, and bulletproof vests given by the government are cheap and of poor quality, especially for the severe winters here. There are better quality items available, but you’ll have to buy them yourself.”  (Source: BBC)

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Saturday he had signed an agreement for the return of mandatory military service in his country, which abolished it in 2011. The compulsory service would last 75 days, he told cadets being promoted at a ceremony at the country's Military Academy. Serbia abolished compulsory military service 23 years ago, relying since then on a professional army. What did Vucic say? "I hope you all understand how much we need a strong army, how much we need to purchase and manufacture more weapons," he told his audience. "We don't want to attack anyone. Nor will we do so. But we want to deter those who threaten us with savage relentnessness every day," he added. Vucic gave no details on who he thought was threatening his country. For compulsory military service to be reintroduced, both the government and the parliament — where Vucic's party holds a substantial majority — must approve the proposal.       Vucic recently said that the government was considering the introduction of military service lasting 60 plus 15 days. The service would be mandatory for men, while women would still be able to serve voluntarily, he said.  The president has frequently been condemned by rights groups for tending toward authoritarianism as he moved up the ranks of Serbian politics. 

Russia said on Monday that its forces have taken control of the Memryk settlement of the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, while Ukraine reported on the same day that over 100 battles had taken place along the frontlines and its forces had repulsed multiple assaults in directions of Kharkov and Sumy in northeastern Ukraine, Chernihiv in northern Ukraine and Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine. Over the past 24 hours, the losses of Ukrainian armed personnel amounted to 620 servicemen, a tank, two infantry fighting vehicles, and many other U.S.-made and UK-made weapons, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Monday. The Russian forces' air defense system shot down 45 Ukrainian drones, the ministry said. Russia's "Northern" army group thwarted multiple Ukrainian attacks in the direction of various settlements in Kursk region located in western Russia and bordering Ukraine, with the support of army aviation and artillery fire. Meanwhile, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported 105 combat engagements along the frontlines by Monday. The border areas in Chernihiv and Sumy continued to be bombarded by the Russian army. In the Kharkov region, Russian forces are continuing their offensive around Vovchansk, with Ukrainian forces in full defense. In the direction of Pokrovsk, also known as Krasnoarmeysk in Russia, Ukrainian forces have successfully repelled 16 out of 23 Russian offensives, according to the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Earlier this week Washington indicted two RT employees and slapped its top editors with sanctions, accusing them of trying to influence the upcoming US presidential election. Russia is to impose domestic restrictions on media from the United States as a response to Washington's sanctions on the Russian state-funded outlet RT, the Kremlin said Friday. Washington indicted two RT employees and slapped its top editors with sanctions on Wednesday, accusing them of trying to influence the upcoming 2024 presidential election. "A symmetrical response is not possible. There is no state news agency in the US, and there is no state TV channel in the US," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the RIA Novosti news agency. "But there will certainly be measures here that will restrict their media disseminating their information." Russia denies asserting influence, but seeks to put across its 'perspective' Peskov maintains Russia is not seeking to interfere in the November presidential election, adding that Washington was trying to stymie Moscow's perspective on world affairs. "Washington continues to try to put pressure on Russia, on Russian citizens, and even on the Russian media, which is engaged in informing both citizens inside our country and world public opinion about what is happening, from our perspective," the Kremlin spokesman added. "Washington does not even accept that there should be options out there for anyone to get news from our perspective. This is nothing other than blatant pressure. We strongly condemn this stance as unacceptable." Most US media outlets downsized or pulled their staff from Russia when the Kremlin launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Western countries have separately curbed access to RT, formerly known as Russia Today, and other Russian-owned news outlets, accusing them of spreading pro-Kremlin propaganda. The 10 individuals and two entities sanctioned by the United States included RT editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan and her deputy Elizaveta Brodskaia. The US accused Simonyan of being "central" to Russia's efforts to proliferate its influence and accused Brodskaia of having reported directly to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Four Ukrainian ministers have resigned as the country battles ongoing conflict with Russia. Among them, Rostislav Shurma, one of President Volodymyr Zelensky's deputy chiefs of staff responsible for the economy, was dismissed, according to Reuters on Tuesday. The resignations of Strategic Industries Minister Oleksandr Kamyshyn, Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanyshina, the Justice Minister, and the Environment and Reconstruction Ministers have left a third of Ukraine’s cabinet vacant. Zelensky and his allies are expected to swiftly fill these positions ahead of his upcoming visit to the United States. In his Tuesday evening address, Zelensky emphasized the importance of the coming months for Ukraine, stressing the need to strengthen government institutions and implement reforms, with more changes expected in the government and presidential office. Meanwhile, the death toll from a Russian missile strike on the city of Poltava has risen to 51, with over 200 injured, marking the deadliest attack on a Ukrainian city this year.