Author: The Washington Recorder

When a new publication begins, it faces two questions from readers: why now? and why us? As The Washington Recorder launches its first opinion article, we want to answer both directly, not as a marketing exercise, but as a statement of intent. Our newspaper’s mission is simple but not easy: to report truthfully, to examine critically, and to speak when silence would be a disservice to readers. News delivers facts; opinion provides context, perspective, and sometimes courage. This debut column represents the moment we take on both responsibilities. In a world saturated with information, the very act of publishing requires…

Estonia accused Russia on Friday of an “unprecedentedly brazen” airspace violation, saying three Russian fighter jets entered its territory for 12 minutes before being forced out by NATO aircraft. The incident, which Tallinn called the most serious breach of its sovereignty this year, underscores rising tensions along the alliance’s eastern frontier. According to Estonia’s Defence Forces, the three MiG-31 fighters crossed into its airspace over Vaindloo Island, about 100 kilometers north of Tallinn, without flight plans or functioning transponders. The aircraft were not in contact with air traffic control, officials said. Italian F-35s deployed to the Baltic region under NATO’s…

Spain produced one of the most remarkable comebacks in Davis Cup history on Sunday, overturning a 0-2 deficit against Denmark to book their place in the tournament’s Final 8. On the same day, Belgium held off a spirited Australian resurgence in Sydney, sealing their qualification in a dramatic fifth rubber. Both ties provided a fitting conclusion to a tense weekend of World Group action, with Spain and Belgium joining Argentina, Austria, France, Germany, Czech Republic, and defending champions Italy in the elite field headed to Bologna, Italy, for the November finals. The stage was set for heartbreak in Marbella on…

U.S. and Chinese officials convened in Madrid on Sunday to tackle a growing list of trade irritants, including a looming deadline for TikTok’s divestiture in the United States, Chinese purchases of Russian oil, and U.S. tariffs—though experts say substantial progress is unlikely. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer met with Vice Premier He Lifeng and top trade negotiator Li Chenggang at Spain’s Palacio de Santa Cruz. The meeting represents the fourth encounter in as many months between the two sides as both try to stabilize relations strained by tariffs and export controls. ByteDance, the Chinese owner…

New York Fashion Week opens Thursday with more than 60 presentations on the books—and a complicated backdrop shaping the narrative on and off the runway. Heavyweights including Coach, Michael Kors and Calvin Klein are slated to show, even as some of the city’s biggest draws opt for their own stages beyond the official calendar. The event runs through Sept. 16. Marc Jacobs, for one, unveiled his fall collection in late June at the New York Public Library, a tightly edited, 19-look outing that bypassed the September timetable entirely. Ralph Lauren will present his Spring 2026 women’s collection on Sept. 10…

In a dramatic upset at the 82nd Venice Film Festival, veteran U.S. indie filmmaker Jim Jarmusch clinched the coveted Golden Lion for his introspective film Father Mother Sister Brother. The quiet, reflective triptych explores familial estrangement across New Jersey, Dublin, and Paris, featuring an ensemble cast including Tom Waits, Adam Driver, Cate Blanchett, and Mayim Bialik. Although praised by critics, the film was not widely expected to win. The emotional front-runner was Kaouther Ben Hania’s documentary, The Voice of Hind Rajab, a harrowing Gaza-set drama inspired by a real emergency call from a Palestinian child. It received the Silver Lion,…

President Donald Trump attended the U.S. Open men’s singles final Sunday, eliciting both cheers and boos from the crowd and prompting a 30-minute delay to the start of the match due to heightened security protocols. The late arrival postponed the match originally scheduled for 2 p.m. ET to 2:30 p.m., officials announced just before play began. An ABC broadcast captured Trump waving from a luxury box, though the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) had requested that broadcasters refrain from airing any audience reactions to his appearance. A USTA spokesperson emphasized its standard practice “to refrain from showcasing off-court disruptions.” The delay…

American tennis player Amanda Anisimova pulled off one of the biggest surprises of the U.S. Open on Wednesday, defeating second seed Iga Swiatek 4–6, 6–3 in the quarterfinals to advance to her first career semifinal at Flushing Meadows. The result sends the 23-year-old into the last four of a Grand Slam for the third time in her career, and the first time on home soil. The victory also marked a sharp reversal of fortune from their most recent meeting at Wimbledon earlier this year, when Swiatek dominated Anisimova 6–0, 6–0 in the final. This time, however, Anisimova handled the pressure…

France’s data protection authority, the CNIL (Commission Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés), has imposed a €325 million ($381 million) fine on Google for violating consumer privacy laws. The penalty stems from the tech giant’s failure to secure proper user consent when displaying ads in Gmail and deploying tracking cookies during the Google account creation process. Among the key violations, the CNIL noted that ads appeared between users’ Gmail messages without explicit consent, and that cookies tracking user behavior were activated by default when users signed up for Google accounts—both actions violating GDPR consent requirements. To restore compliance, Google must…

Europe’s General Court, the bloc’s second-highest tribunal, cleared a pivotal hurdle on Wednesday by upholding the EU–U.S. Data Privacy Framework, approved in 2023. The court dismissed a challenge by French lawmaker Philippe Latombe, affirming that at the time of its adoption, the United States provided an “adequate level of protection” for personal data transferred from the EU. Latombe had argued that U.S. intelligence surveillance remains unchecked and that the U.S. Data Protection Review Court (DPRC) lacks true independence and fails to meet robust EU privacy standards. The General Court, however, ruled that U.S. intelligence operations are subject to ex post…