The Pentagon has quietly stopped Ukraine from firing U.S.-made long-range Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) into Russian territory, limiting Kyiv’s ability to respond to Moscow’s continued aggression.

The Wall Street Journal reported the restriction on Saturday, August 23, citing U.S. officials.

The move comes as President Donald Trump grows increasingly frustrated over his inability to secure a breakthrough in the three-year-old Russia-Ukraine war.

Despite high-profile meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, European leaders, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Trump’s push for a peace deal has failed to deliver concrete progress.

Speaking on Friday, Trump warned that his next step could reshape U.S. policy toward the war.

“I’m going to make a decision as to what we do, and it’s going to be a very important decision,” he said.

“That’s whether or not it’s massive sanctions, or massive tariffs, or both  or we do nothing and say it’s your fight.”

Trump had hoped to broker a direct meeting between Putin and Zelenskiy, but the effort has faced roadblocks.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told NBC that no agenda had been prepared for such a summit.

“Putin is ready to meet with Zelenskiy when the agenda would be ready for a summit.

And this agenda is not ready at all,” Lavrov said, stressing that no talks were planned for now.

Meanwhile, the Journal revealed that a Pentagon approval process has been preventing Ukraine from using U.S. long-range missiles to hit targets deep inside Russia.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly holds the final authority on whether the weapons can be deployed beyond Ukrainian territory.

Neither Ukraine’s presidential office nor its defense ministry commented immediately on the report.

The White House and Pentagon also declined to respond to requests for comment.

The restriction highlights Washington’s balancing act supplying Kyiv with powerful weapons while avoiding direct escalation with Moscow.

But with Russia intensifying strikes on cities like Kharkiv and Trump struggling to push peace talks forward, pressure is mounting on Washington to clarify its role in the conflict.

India’s parliament has passed a landmark bill outlawing online gambling, citing growing concerns over financial losses, addiction, and suicides linked to the industry.

The legislation, approved late Thursday, August 21, by both houses, criminalises the offering, promotion, and financing of online gambling platforms, with violators facing up to five years in prison.

It covers card games, poker, and fantasy sports  including India’s hugely popular fantasy cricket apps.

Government figures revealed that gambling companies had extracted an estimated $2.3 billion annually from more than 450 million Indians. Officials said nearly one in three citizens had lost money on gambling apps.

The ban casts uncertainty over Indian cricket’s biggest sponsorship deal. Fantasy sports giant Dream11, named in July 2023 as the lead sponsor of the national team, has its logo splashed across Team India’s jerseys.

While no announcement has yet been made by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), its secretary Devajit Saikia said the board would comply with the law.

“If it’s not permissible, we’ll not do anything,” Saikia said on Friday. “The BCCI will follow every policy framed by the central government.”

Dream11 has since suspended cash contests, telling users on its website: “Following the passing of the bill, cash games and contests have been discontinued. Stay tuned.”

‘Predatory Platforms’

The government defended the move as necessary to protect vulnerable citizens from what it called “predatory gaming platforms.”

“This legislation is designed to curb addiction, financial ruin and social distress caused by misleading promises of quick wealth,” a statement read.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi added that the new law would encourage safe digital gaming while shielding society from the harmful effects of gambling.

“It will encourage e-sports and online social games,” Modi said, “while saving our society from the dangers of online money games.”

The sweeping ban does not cover e-sports or educational games, which the government said it would continue to promote as part of India’s growing digital economy.

Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw explained that the bill draws a clear line between competitive online gaming and gambling.

“It separates constructive digital recreation from betting and fantasy money games that exploit users with false promises of profit,” he said.

Gaming industry groups had lobbied for regulation and taxation instead of an outright ban, warning the decision could push millions of players toward illegal offshore platforms.

But lawmakers insisted the social costs were too severe to ignore.

Beyond addiction and financial ruin, officials said gambling apps had been linked to fraud, money laundering, and even terrorism financing.

The bill, titled the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, now awaits presidential assent before taking effect.

Once signed into law, it is expected to transform India’s vast online gaming landscape, placing heavy restrictions on one of the world’s largest digital markets while reshaping its $1.5 billion fantasy sports industry.

The United Kingdom has announced sweeping new sentencing powers that will see criminals banned from football matches, pubs, concerts, and even restricted from traveling under a set of toughened community punishments designed to curb reoffending.

The reforms, unveiled on Sunday, August 24, 2025, as part of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s “Plan for Change,” will allow judges to impose far-reaching restrictions such as travel bans, driving limits, and geographical exclusion zones on offenders serving community sentences.

According to the government, the measures aim to reinforce accountability and ensure criminals who avoid prison still face meaningful consequences.

Wider Scope of Punishments

Currently, judges can only impose bans tied to specific crimes such as prohibiting football hooligans from attending matches.

Under the new plan, courts will be empowered to apply similar restrictions more broadly, regardless of the offence, ensuring punishment extends beyond traditional fines or community service.

“These new punishments should remind all offenders that, under this government, crime does not pay,” said Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor Shabana Mahmood.

“Those serving their sentences in the community must have their freedom restricted there, too.

Rightly, the public expects us to do everything possible to keep Britain safe, and that is exactly what we are doing.”

Drug Testing and Probation Monitoring

The policy changes also expand supervision for offenders leaving prison.

Those under the Probation Service will face tighter restrictions, including mandatory drug testing not only for known addicts but also for offenders without prior drug histories.

The government said any offender who breaches these new conditions could be returned to court or sent back to prison, depending on their sentence.

Investment in Prisons and Probation

The new sentencing powers are being introduced alongside wider reforms to address the strain on Britain’s prisons.

Since July 2024, the government says over 2,400 new prison places have been opened, with £7 billion earmarked to create a total of 14,000 additional spaces as the prison population continues to rise.

The Probation Service is also receiving what officials describe as “the biggest investment in a generation,” with funding expected to increase by £700 million by 2028/29, up from the current £1.6 billion annual budget.

Recruitment has seen a boost as well: probation officer numbers rose by 7% in the past year, while trainee recruits grew by 15%.

The government pledged to hire 1,300 more probation staff this year, following the recruitment of 1,000 in 2024.

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Technology is also set to play a role, with the Ministry of Justice highlighting plans to deploy artificial intelligence tools to ease paperwork burdens and allow officers to focus more on supervising high-risk offenders.

“Keeping Communities Safe”

Officials argue the new measures will close loopholes in existing sentencing powers, prevent anti-social behaviour, and reassure the public that offenders cannot simply “walk free” after committing crimes.

“Crime damages communities, and when criminals break society’s rules, they must be punished,” Mahmood stressed.

The reforms will be tabled in Parliament in the coming months as part of the government’s wider overhaul of the justice system.

The Trump administration has announced a sweeping review of more than 55 million foreigners holding US visas, aiming to identify potential violations that could trigger visa revocation or deportation.

In a statement to The Associated Press, the State Department confirmed that all visa holders are now subject to “continuous vetting.”

Officials will examine any indicators of ineligibility, including overstaying authorised periods, criminal activity, threats to public safety, engagement in terrorism, or support for terrorist organisations.

If authorities find evidence of such violations, they will revoke the visa, and individuals already in the US could face immediate deportation.

Officials stressed that the review targets both individuals residing in the United States and those holding multiple-entry visas abroad.

Since assuming office, President Donald Trump has prioritized strict immigration enforcement, targeting not only undocumented migrants but also holders of student and visitor exchange visas.

The current vetting process extends far beyond prior reviews, potentially affecting individuals who initially received approval to stay in the US.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, last year the US had 12.8 million green-card holders and 3.6 million people on temporary visas.

Immigration policy expert Julia Gelatt of the Migration Policy Institute noted that the 55 million figure likely includes individuals living abroad with tourist or business visas. She questioned whether allocating resources to review people unlikely to return justifies the scale of the initiative.

Alongside the review, Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on X that the US will immediately halt work visas for commercial truck drivers, citing safety risks and threats to American jobs.

“The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on US roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers,” Rubio wrote.

The administration recently strengthened English proficiency requirements for foreign truckers following incidents where language barriers contributed to accidents. State Department officials confirmed they are pausing the processing of new work visas to reassess screening and vetting protocols.

“Ensuring that every driver meets the highest standards protects American workers and maintains a secure, resilient supply chain,” the department added.

Experts warn the broader implications of the review could ripple across the US economy. Edward Alden, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, explained that the administration’s policies aim to discourage companies, universities, and hospitals from employing foreign workers.

“The economic consequences will extend far beyond individual visas,” Alden said, emphasizing that employers risk compliance issues if they continue hiring foreign staff.

The review represents the most comprehensive enforcement action in recent US history and signals that the administration will aggressively monitor both legal and temporary visa holders to maintain national security and prioritize domestic employment.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has issued a fierce warning to Hamas, declaring that Gaza City will face complete destruction if the militant group refuses to accept Israel’s conditions for ending the war.

Katz, in a statement shared on social media on Friday, August 22, 2025, used sharp words to describe Israel’s next steps.

He said the “gates of hell” would open on Hamas if it failed to disarm and release all hostages.

“Soon, the gates of hell will open upon the heads of Hamas’s murderers and rapists in Gaza until they agree to Israel’s conditions,” Katz wrote.

He added that if Hamas refused, Gaza City would suffer the same fate as Rafah and Beit Hanoun, two cities previously flattened by Israeli offensives.

His comments mark one of Israel’s strongest warnings since the escalation of the conflict.

The minister’s remarks came only hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that negotiations had been ordered to free the hostages held in Gaza.

Netanyahu explained in a video address that Israel’s military operation in Gaza City would not stop during talks. “Defeating Hamas and releasing our hostages go hand in hand,” he said.

The prime minister also confirmed the mobilisation of 60,000 reservists to join the offensive.

Meanwhile, mediators have been waiting for Israel’s response to a ceasefire plan that Hamas accepted earlier in the week.

The proposal suggests a phased release of hostages, but Israel insists that only a deal ensuring the release of all captives at once will be accepted.

Israel’s hardened stance has sparked growing concern worldwide.

International leaders have cautioned that an expanded assault on Gaza City could worsen the humanitarian disaster already unfolding in the region.

Gaza’s health ministry says more than 62,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed since Israel’s military campaign began.

The United Nations considers these figures credible.

The war was triggered by Hamas’s October 2023 attack, which left 1,219 people dead in Israel, mostly civilians.

Since then, the conflict has intensified, with both sides showing little sign of compromise.

With Katz’s threat to turn Gaza City into rubble if demands are not met, the conflict appears to be entering an even deadlier stage.

The international community continues to press for a ceasefire, but Israel’s leadership insists that victory over Hamas and the release of all hostages remain its top priorities.