Trump hangs a 'nice' photo of himself and Putin in the White House

International papers are discussing the United States. The headline on the front page of French paper Libération reads "American flop power". It's an editorial that says even American celebrities are reacting to the brutal attacks by ICE agents. Tourists are also fleeing the country. Visits to the United States fell by 6 percent in 2025. The article says that Trump's violence has a lot to do with it. America’s soft power is wavering, "damaged by Trump's excessive behaviuor and the ultraviolence of ICE agents", says the editorial, adding that we aren't seeing a mass effect for the moment, "but this may be the beginning of a real movement of resistance".

The Washington Post writes about the cost of troops' deployment across the US. Deploying National Guard members cost taxpayers half a billion dollars, writes the paper. That's an estimate for the period between June and December last year, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. In 2026, this could cost Americans over $1 billion. But Donald Trump seems to have different priorities, like redecorating the White House, reports The Telegraph. The US president framed a photo of himself and Vladimir Putin side by side, which hangs right above a photo of Trump with his granddaughter. The American president said he thought the Russian leader looked "nice".

Next, we look East, where Serbia and Georgia are targeting dissent and pro-democracy protests. Governments are weaponising surveillance technologies, Balkan Insight reports. The article says that "Big Brother"-style cameras have been installed in Georgia. The government there suspended talks on joining the European Union, resulting in massive pro-democracy protests throughout 2025. The security cameras help identify people participating in these protests. Facial recognition cameras have been used against the student-led mass protests in Serbia, too. The government there hasn't confirmed using the cameras, since the collection and processing of biometric data in Serbia is prohibited by law. 

Finally, some wholesome news from Manchester. A two-year-old boy from the British city secured multiple Guinness World Records for his snooker skills, the BBC reports. The snooker prodigy became the youngest person to perform two trick shots: a pool bank shot and a snooker double pot. The biggest talent for the boy is finding an appropriate stool that helps him reach the snooker table.

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