10.13 | The threats kept coming

Mary Reichard (0:05)

Good morning.

Myrna Brown (0:06)

Students are shutting down schools in France in protest of bad conditions. But who's going to pay?

Nicolas Varon (0:12)

Over the last 20 years or so, there hasn't been a big political emphasis on balancing the books.

Nick Eicher (0:19)

Also today, Marco Rubio on Western civilization and protecting kids from predators online. Later, a treasure trove of history beneath the St. Lawrence River.

Todd Keister (0:29)

Almost every dive, somebody comes up with a whisky bottle from the Civil War or some weird relic.

Nick Eicher (0:36)

And remembering Mike Ditka, World's Ted Kluck on the football coach he never had.

Myrna Brown (0:46)

It's Tuesday, October 13th. This is The World and Everything In It. From listeners supported World Radio, I'm Myrna Brown.

Nick Eicher (0:53)

And I'm Nick Eicher. Good morning.

Myrna Brown (0:58)

Up next, Kent Covington with today's news.

Kent Covington (1:01)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is pushing back against criticism from President Trump.

Trump is pressing Ukraine and Russia to stop attacking each other's power plants and other energy sites. And at the White House on Monday, Trump suggested that the holdup in reaching an energy ceasefire is Zelensky rather than Russia's Vladimir Putin.

Nick Eicher (1:22)

They're going to make a deal.

Volodymyr Zelensky (1:24)

I think actually Putin wants to make a deal more than Zelensky.

Kent Covington (1:28)

On Sunday, Trump announced that both sides had agreed to an immediate energy ceasefire. But Zelensky says Russia promptly hit a power plant in Kharkiv just hours later, followed by attacks on gas facilities.

And the Ukrainian president said his military had not attacked Russian energy sites since Trump's announcement.

Volodymyr Zelensky (1:47)

We are ready today for an energy ceasefire, as President Trump said. But I'm not sure that Putin is ready.

Kent Covington (1:54)

Kremlin officials said Monday the talks were ongoing.

Zelensky also disputes Trump's claim that Ukrainian attacks on Russian refineries have driven up diesel prices. He points instead to Iran obstructing oil tankers in the Middle East.

Volodymyr Zelensky (2:08)

Everybody understands that the prices on diesel, it doesn't depend on our attacks on diesel in Russia. Everybody understands that it depends on the blocking of our moves, straight over our moves.

Kent Covington (2:24)

And some European officials are criticizing President Trump's recent diesel deal with Moscow, warning that Russian energy sales helped defund the war in Ukraine. Trump responded by pointing to Europe's own purchases of Russian energy and said he, quote, made the right choice for the American people.

Meantime, the European Union has imposed new sanctions on Russia's weapons industry. More than half of the new sanctions target people and companies that help to build ballistic missiles. EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaya Kallis.

Kaja Kallas (2:56)

There is a clear understanding that now is not the time to ease pressure on Moscow, and that's why today ministers adopted nearly 1,600 new sanctions listings targeting Russia's military industrial complex.

Kent Covington (3:13)

She called it the largest expansion of the EU sanctions list since Russia's war started. The penalties freeze assets inside Europe and bar EU citizens and companies from sending money to those listed.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham says there is now very little doubt that Iran was behind a plot against a British military base used by US forces. American bombers had flown out of the RAF Fairford base to strike Iran. Burnham first said a couple of weeks ago that there had been, in his words at the time, strong indications that Iran played a part in a plot against the base. But on Monday he told the House of Commons.

Andy Burnham (3:53)

I can confirm our assessment that it is highly likely to have been coordinated in Iran, almost certainly directed by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard. We will not tolerate these threats on our soil.

Kent Covington (4:10)

Police found gasoline in three vans linked to suspects last month but no explosives. Authorities later released all seven men on bail and prosecutors have not charged them. Following news of that plot, the Pentagon pulled American bombers out of Fairford earlier this month.

Federal agents searched the Washington home of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar on Monday. Agents blocked off the street and carried boxes out of the house. World's Kristin Flavin reports.

Kristin Flavin (4:40)

Ilhan Omar is a prominent Democrat aligned with the party's socialist wing. She was born in Somalia and arrived in the US at age 12

Last month, Homeland Security Secretary Mark Wayne Mullen said investigators were looking into possible fraud in her family's immigration paperwork. Omar denies any fraud and she calls the search political intimidation. House Democratic leaders also questioned the timing three weeks before an election with Omar seeking another term. The Justice Department says a judge approved the warrant. Homeland Security agents carried it out as part of a criminal probe. Officials have not publicly explained the grounds for Monday's search.