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Quote:Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani offered advice to illegal immigrants on how to evade ICE in a video message Sunday — calling on illegal immigrants to “stand up” to the federal agents and “know your rights.”
The Democratic socialist positioned himself as the mayor of “more than 3 million immigrants” as he spoke following last weekend’s ICE raid in Chinatown, which was disrupted by protesters.
“Last weekend, ICE attempted to raid Canal Street and detain our immigrant neighbors,” Mamdani said in a video posted on X on Sunday. “As mayor, I’ll protect the rights of every single New Yorker. And that includes the more than 3 million immigrants who call this city their home.
“But we can all stand up to ICE if you know your rights,” the Queens Assembly member added, standing in front of a flip chart with the words “Know your rights” scrawled on it.
“ICE cannot enter into private spaces like your home, school, or private area of your workplace without a judicial warrant signed by a judge,” Mamdani said, bringing up an example of such a warrant on the screen.
“You have the right to say, ‘I do not consent to entry,’ and the right to keep your door closed,” he added, before showing an example of the non-binding legal paperwork he said ICE may show instead of a judicial warrant.
“ICE is legally allowed to lie to you. But you have the right to remain silent. If you are being detained, you may always ask, ‘Am I free to go?’ repeatedly until they answer you,” Mamdani said.
“You are legally allowed to film ICE, as long as you do not interfere with an arrest,” he added.
“New Yorkers have a constitutional right to protest, and when I’m mayor, we will protect that right,” Mamdani said.
Of the 3 million immigrants who call the Big Apple home, at least 412,000 are in the country illegally, according to 2022 data from the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, the most recent available numbers.
The mayor-elect’s video sparked an outcry from several on the right who argue that illegal immigrants are criminals — as many anticipate riled relations with the Trump administration once Mamdani takes office.
Mamdani and President Trump had an unexpectedly chummy sitdown when the pair met in the White House last month, but the bromance could be short-lived as the feds and incoming city administration appear on a crash course over their views on illegal immigration enforcement.
Quote:Tom Homan, President Donald Trump’s border czar, said during a Newsmax appearance on Monday that the administration is investigating Representative Ilhan Omar for alleged immigration fraud.
“I just got advised by a fraud investigator the other day on that. I asked the question, can we review the files? You know, there was immigration fraud involved,” Homan said on Newsmax. “The statute of limitation became an issue in the last four years when this was first brought up.”
He continued, “Pulling the records now, pulling the files, and we’re looking at it. But this fraud investigator, who I know personally, one of the best fraud investigators in HSI, Homeland Security Investigations, said there’s no doubt he’d review the file. So, I’m running that down this week as a matter of fact, and we’ll see.”
...
Why It Matters
Trump has claimed that Omar allegedly married her brother, a claim that she has repeatedly denied. Omar was born in Somalia in 1982, and her family fled the nation during a civil war when she was 8 years old. They spent four years in a refugee camp in Kenya before being granted asylum and arriving in the United States in 1995. She became a naturalized U.S. citizen at the age of 17 in 2000.
During a rally on Tuesday, Trump said, “Ilhan Omar, whatever the hell her name is. With her little turban. I love her. She comes in, does nothing but b****, she’s always complaining. She comes from a country, where, I mean it’s considered about the worst country in the world, right? They have no military, they have no nothing, they have no parliament. They don’t know what the hell parliament means. They have nothing, they have no police, they police themselves, they kill each other all the time. I love it. She comes to our country, and she’s always complaining about, ‘The Constitution allows me to do this.’ We ought to get her the hell out. She married her brother in order to get in.”
Omar said on X, “Trump’s obsession with me is beyond weird. He needs serious help. Since he has no economic policies to tout, he’s resorting to regurgitating bigoted lies instead. He continues to be a national embarrassment.”
What To Know
Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek, “DHS takes any and all marriage fraud allegations very seriously. Our message is clear: do not engage in marriage fraud or you will face the consequences of American justice including severe fines, arrest, jail time and deportation. DHS will remain vigilant in identifying suspicious patterns and will continues to work tirelessly to protect our fellow Americans. Marriage fraud undermines the integrity of America’s immigration system.”
Immigration enforcement has been a key focus of the Trump administration. The Department of Homeland Security announced on Wednesday that the agency’s enforcement operations have resulted in more than 605,000 deportations since January 20. The agency said 1.9 million people have voluntarily self-deported since January 2025.
Trump’s comments about Omar, the first Somali American elected to Congress, come as the administration has escalated rhetoric about Minnesota’s Somali community. Omar represents the state’s 5th congressional district.
“They contribute nothing. I don’t want them in our country,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting earlier this month. “Their country is no good for a reason. Your country stinks and we don’t want them in our country.”
Quote:Police in Minnesota said Thursday that a federal agent was briefly kidnapped during a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) operation close to Minneapolis.
The agent, working with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), was held in a suspect's car for a short period on Wednesday afternoon, before officers from the New Hope and Plymouth Police Departments arrived.
DHS later confirmed the incident to Newsweek, saying that the agent was initially thrown from the vehicle.
“Our officers pursued the vehicle and called local police for back up," Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek. "Both the illegal alien and the U.S. citizen were arrested."
Why It Matters
The incident comes at a time of heightened tensions in Minnesota, as the state became the latest target for President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, focusing on the Somali community. DHS has also warned that its agents are seeing a spike in assaults and threats, as they seek to carry out the president’s goal of mass deportation.
What To Know
A police report shared with Newsweek by Plymouth Police Department showed that local law enforcement was alerted to “a kidnapping of a federal agent” around 2:50 p.m. local time Wednesday.
The interaction between a member of the public and the agent started on the 4300 block of Nathan Lane N. in Plymouth, the report said, and moved to the nearby New Hope City Center area on Xylon Avenue.
DHS told Newsweek that agents were targeting Oluwadamiola Ogooluwa Bamigboye, a Nigerian national, who allegedly overstayed his student visa that expired last year.
Bamigboye is accused of refusing to exit the vehicle and resisting arrest during the vehicle stop, and his U.S. citizen girlfriend was driving the vehicle as he was in the back seat, according to DHS.
When officers opened the back seat door to try to remove the man, DHS alleges, he ordered his girlfriend to speed away, causing one of the officers to be knocked from the car and fall to the street, while another entered the passenger seat.
While Plymouth police were en route, New Hope police said they had secured the federal agent, and a suspect had fled the scene, close to the latter’s building. A suspect, believed to be the driver of the vehicle, was later detained.
Confirming the incident, Plymouth police insisted that it had no prior knowledge of a federal operation in the area, and that local police do not get involved with DHS activities.
Quote:White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday that Americans should expect to receive an additional $1,000 in their tax refund next year.
Why It Matters
The potential funds would provide households with a boost in disposable income early next year and would represent one of the most tangible results of Trump's signature tax legislation. Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act into law in July and has maintained that the economy, along with immigration, is the administration's core priority.
The cost of living has become a central concern for many Americans in recent months, with Democrats calling out the Trump administration over affordability issues, and Republicans backing the president.
What To Know
Leavitt said at a Thursday press briefing that "Americans can expect another boost in their bank accounts in the months ahead." She added that 2026 tax refunds are "projected to be the largest ever thanks to President [Donald] Trump's passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill."
She went on to cite recent analysis from investment bank Piper Sandler, saying Americans' refunds "could be about one-third larger than usual, or roughly an extra $1,000 per filer."
"It is only because of President Trump and Republican leadership that Americans will now pay no tax on tips, overtime, and Social Security," Leavitt said. Her statements come as Trump has recently floated eliminating federal taxes paid by millions of Americans on gambling winnings.
On Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters that working Americans would get "very large refunds" next year, amounting to about $1,000 to $2,000 per household. He also said the refunds would come as a result of tax cuts from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Quote:President Donald Trump lashed out Thursday after a number of Indiana Senate Republicans rejected a GOP-backed redistricting map, singling out State Senate Pro Tem Rodric Bray and warning that he would support a primary challenger against him.
“I’m sure that whenever his primary is, I'm sure he’ll go down. I'll certainly support anybody that wants to go against him," Trump said.
"I've won Indiana all three times by a landslide. I wasn't working on it very hard, I think it would have been nice ... I think we would have picked up two seats," Trump added. "It's a great place, I love the people there, they love me. I got record votes. There's no reason for doing that, and the Democrats do it to us."
Why It Matters
The bill's failure represents a rupture in Republican ranks and highlights the ongoing national debate over partisan map-drawing.
The proposal, which aimed to secure additional Republican seats, was defeated by a coalition of 21 GOP lawmakers—despite their party's overwhelming majority—and all 10 chamber Democrats. This loss could potentially impact Republican chances in the 2026 midterms and possibly threaten the GOP's slim House majority.
What To Know
The Indiana redistricting proposal would have split Indianapolis into four congressional districts favorable to Republicans. The measure, which passed the Indiana House with a 57-41 vote, was heavily lobbied for by President Trump, who launched personal attacks against Bray and pressured Republican lawmakers to support the bill.
Despite saying he wasn't "working on it very hard," Trump had personally urged Republican state senators to back the plan and pressed his case on social media, warning that he would support primary challengers against anyone who opposed it.
In a post to Truth Social on Wednesday, Trump said that he has won Indiana by "MASSIVE Majorities" and suggests that the state now has a chance to “make a difference” in determining the GOP’s margin in the House.
“Every other State has done Redistricting,” Trump wrote, claiming Indiana is the lone outlier because Bray “enjoys being the only person… who is against Republicans picking up extra seats.”
Quote:Indiana state Senator Mike Gaskill, a Pendleton Republican, declared on Thursday that a "second civil war has already started" in the United States, as he urged his colleagues to back an ultimately unsuccessful state redistricting push backed by President Donald Trump.
"I will submit to you that the Second US Civil War has already started. They're just using surrogates," the Republican lawmaker said. The Indiana state senator added, "I submit to you that that's accurate."
Despite Gaskill's remarks and significant pressure from the Trump administration, the redistricting effort failed in the Indiana Senate on Thursday. The legislative body rejected the mid-decade redistricting bill by a 19-31 vote.
Why It Matters
Trump has been backing redistricting efforts that would benefit the Republican Party in next year's midterms, but opposition from members of his own party, despite Gaskill's comments, in Indiana will be a blow to those efforts. The notion of a second U.S. civil war has been mentioned a few times in recent history, by those on both sides of the aisle—some worried that progressive policies threaten to divide the country, while others have blamed the MAGA movement for divisive rhetoric.
What To Know
Outside the state Senate chamber ahead of the vote, redistricting opponents chanted “Vote no!” and “Fair maps!” while holding signs with slogans like “Losers cheat.”
Concerns had been raised about the proposed map, which was designed to give the GOP control of all nine of Indiana's congressional seats, erasing the two currently held by Democrats. Support for the move, however, was unclear, with many state Senators not taking a position ahead of Thursday's vote.
Republican Senator Greg Goode, previously undecided, signaled his displeasure with the redistricting plan. In firmly delivered remarks, he said some of his constituents objected to seeing their county split up or paired with Indianapolis. He expressed “love” for Trump but criticized what he called “over-the-top pressure” from inside and outside the state.
Senator Michael Young, another Republican, said the stakes in Congress justify redistricting, as Democrats are only a few seats away from flipping control of the U.S. House in 2026. “I know this election is going to be very close,” he said.
Quote:The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sent letters to 39 governors on Thursday calling for an end to the diversion of foster youths’ earned Social Security survivor benefits.
The ACF said in a press release that state welfare agencies often intercept federal benefits, such as Social Security survivor benefits earned through a deceased parent’s lifetime contributions, that are intended for a child in foster care. The welfare agencies reimburse their own costs using these funds.
The ACF sent letters to governors who allow this practice and said it plans to work with states to end it.
Why It Matters
The Social Security Advisory Board said in a September report that about 27,000 children in foster care receive Social Security benefits or Supplemental Security Income payments, representing more than 5 percent of all children in foster care.
For decades, states routinely applied for Social Security survivor and disability benefits on behalf of foster children and used the money to help pay for foster care services, according to the Associated Press. The practice could save states from having to spend millions of their own tax dollars on foster care programs, but child advocates have said it drains funds that could be used to help children in foster care transition to adulthood.
VENEZUELA
Quote:The United States has announced a series of new sanctions targeting the family of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro just one day after it seized an oil tanker off the coast of the South American country. The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions on Maduro's wife Cilia Flores' three nephews on Thursday. A Maduro-affiliated businessman and six shipping companies operating in Venezuela’s oil sector have also been hit by the new sanctions.
“Nicolas Maduro and his criminal associates in Venezuela are flooding the United States with drugs that are poisoning the American people,” said Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent. “These sanctions undo the Biden Administration’s failed attempt to make a deal with Maduro, enabling his dictatorial and brutal control at the expense of the Venezuelan and American people. Under President Trump’s leadership, Treasury is holding the regime and its circle of cronies and companies accountable for its continued crimes.”
The sanctions come as the White House declined to rule out further oil tanker seizures in the future.
What To Know
- Initial reports on Wednesday cited U.S. officials saying the Coast Guard carried out the tanker seizure under international maritime law, targeting vessels tied to alleged illicit PDVSA-linked crude shipments.
- U.S President Donald Trump later confirmed the seizure, hinting that “other things are happening,” but offered no further details.
- Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin called Maduro on Thursday to reassure him of Moscow's support, even as the U.S. puts increasing pressure on the Venezuelan leader to leave office.
- The Kremlin said that Putin and Maduro had discussed a strategic partnership agreement and working together on several joint projects related to the economy and energy sector.
- A senior Trump administration official described the move as a “judicial enforcement action on a stateless vessel” last docked in Venezuela.
- Oil prices jumped on the news: Brent crude rose 0.8 percent to $62.35 a barrel, and West Texas Intermediate climbed to $58.46.
- Maduro has long accused Washington of seeking to overthrow him and seize Venezuela’s vast oil reserves; the nation’s production has fallen from over 2 million barrels a day to roughly 1 million.
- The seizure comes after Trump renewed threats of intervention by land, air, or sea, including a recent U.S. fighter jet flyover near Venezuelan airspace.
- Caracas condemned the action as “international piracy” and “brazen theft,” accusing the U.S. of trying to control its natural resources.
China opposes ‘long-arm jurisdiction’
Quote:China firmly opposes illegal unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction that lack a basis in international law and are not authorized by the U.N. Security Council, and opposes the abuse of sanctions, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Friday.
Guo was responding to a question at a briefing about the U.S. seizure of the Venezuelan oil tanker and U.S. sanctions on six oil tankers, including one flagged by Hong Kong, China’s Global Times newspaper reported.
China has been a key ally of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his predecessor, President Hugo Chavez, and direct and indirect oil shipments to China made up for about 90 percent of the country’s total recent oil exports, according to Reuters.
Colombia says it would consider offering Maduro asylum
Quote:Colombia would consider offering Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro asylum if he were to request protection, Colombian Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio told the Radio Caracol broadcaster.
President Donald Trump has not confirmed any military plan for Venezuela but pressure has been building on Maduro for weeks as the U.S. deploys forces to the Caribbean in support of what it says is its campaign to stop narcotics flowing to the U.S. from Venezuela.
Trump has said he believes Maduro's “days are numbered” and he has spoken of land operations in Venezuela.
Villavicencio said Colombia should not “close the door” to Maduro, the Colombian broadcaster cited the minister as saying on Thursday.
Tensions between the U.S. and Colombia have also escalated in recent weeks with Trump threatening to extend his anti-drug military campaign and warning that Colombian President Gustavo Petro “could be next.”
Quote:Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov demanded that the Trump administration provide its reasoning and justification for its seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker this week, as tensions have soared between the U.S. and the South American nation in recent months.
"I really hope that the United States, although they consider themselves entitled to conduct such operations, will somehow explain, out of respect for other members of the world community, what facts led them to take such actions," Lavrov said, Russia's Tass news agency reported on Thursday.
Why It Matters
President Donald Trump confirmed Wednesday that the United States seized the tanker off the coast of Venezuela, calling it “the largest one ever seized” and signaling a sharp escalation in tensions with President Nicolás Maduro’s government.
Trump has ordered a large-scale U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean and South American waters, including the deployment of an aircraft carrier, fighter jets and tens of thousands of troops, as part of what his administration has framed as expanded counter-narcotics and sanctions enforcement.
Caracas has called the U.S. seizure an "act of international piracy," arguing that the move was part of a long-running strategy to take control of its natural resources.
Russia and Venezuela are major international oil producers.
What To Know
Over the past few months, the Pentagon has conducted more than 20 maritime strikes against suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, resulting in more than 80 deaths. The seizures and strikes have raised concerns about potential international violations, and many have asked the U.S. to provide evidence and justifications for their moves.
"There is too little information here because I do not know how the United States views the Venezuelan situation, except that President [Donald] Trump has spoken publicly demanding a regime change or voluntary resignation of [Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro], but Chevron is operating in Venezuela, buying Venezuelan oil. What illegal volumes of this type of fuel were on this tanker—we need to get to the bottom of that somehow," Lavrov said.
Oil prices jumped on news of the operation, which market analysts said could intensify already-strained relations between Washington and Caracas. The United States described the move as a “judicial enforcement action on a stateless vessel” last docked in Venezuela, according to a senior Trump administration official who spoke to Bloomberg.
Maduro has repeatedly accused Washington of attempting to overthrow him and seize control of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, among the world’s largest. With a damaged oil industry that once produced more than 2 million barrels a day at its peak, it now produces roughly 1 million barrels a day.
Russia's push for additional information comes as other major oil producing countries like Iran have called out the U.S. move.
UKRAINE WAR
Quote:WASHINGTON — President Trump described Europe as “decaying” and run by “weak” leaders in a harsh takedown of many of America’s top allies in a newly published interview.
“I think they’re weak,” Trump told Politico’s Dasha Burns on Monday on the latest episode of “The Conversation” podcast. “But I also think that they want to be so politically correct.”
“I think they don’t know what to do,” he added. “Europe doesn’t know what to do.”
Trump’s comments came days after his administration’s latest national security strategy warned that Europe was heading toward “civilizational erasure” due to “activities of the European Union and other transnational bodies that undermine political liberty and sovereignty, migration policies that are transforming the continent and creating strife, censorship of free speech and suppression of political opposition, cratering birthrates, and loss of national identities and self-confidence.”
That declaration sent shivers down the spines of many European leaders, some of whom, such as Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, tried to impress upon the American public that “Europe is your closest ally, not your problem.”
Host Burns pressed Trump for his response to European leaders who “are a little freaked out” by the administration’s rhetoric.
“They should be freaked out by what they’re doing to their countries. They’re destroying their countries,” the president shot back, adding that “they’re people I like.”
“I get along with ’em. You, you know that. But they can’t let this happen, and it gets to a point where you can’t really correct it. There’ll be a point, and it’s very close to that point … that they’re no longer going to be strong nations.”
Since Trump roared back into the White House in January, many European leaders have sought to woo him with various forms of flattery and have acquiesced to him on trade policy to curry favor.
Quote:A Republican congressman has introduced legislation calling for the U.S. to withdraw from NATO.
The bill, introduced by Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky and co-sponsored by Representative Anna Paulina Luna of Florida, seeks to "remove the United States" from the alliance it has spearheaded since its inception in 1949.
"NATO is a Cold War relic," Massie said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that companion legislation had been introduced in the U.S. Senate by Republican Senator Mike Lee of Utah.
When contacted for further comment, Massie’s office referred Newsweek to a post on X by the congressman that said “George Washington opposed NATO!” and quoted the first president’s farewell address in 1796, which said “why quit our own to stand upon foreign ground?”
Newsweek has contacted Luna, Lee and NATO for comment.
Why It Matters
Massie's bill comes as he calls for GOP lawmakers to conclude that NATO's original Cold War purpose no longer aligned with the U.S.'s national security interests.
While the legislation is at an early stage and there is no sign the Trump administration backs it, it comes amid a debate over Washington's future role in the alliance, with the U.S. president repeatedly criticizing European members for not spending enough on defense.
Last week, the U.S. released a national security strategy that criticized Europe and suggested the Continent's security would be less of a priority for Washington, even in the face of the threat posed by Russia.
What To Know
After introducing the bill, HR 6508, that would pull the United States out of the alliance, Massie said in a statement that NATO was created to counter the Soviet Union, which collapsed decades ago. Since then, he added, U.S. participation "has cost taxpayers trillions of dollars and continues to risk U.S. involvement in foreign wars."
He said the U.S. should not be "the world's security blanket—especially when wealthy countries refuse to pay for their own defense."
Trump has said that European members in the alliance should pay at least 3.5 percent of their gross domestic product on defense. In response, countries such as Germany and Poland have since greatly increased military expenditure.
Massie said that if the bill passed, the president would have to formally notify NATO of the U.S.'s withdrawal under Article 13 of the North Atlantic Treaty.
The move would prevent U.S. taxpayer funds for NATO's common budgets, including its civil budget, military budget and the Security Investment Program.
Trump has criticized Spain for backing out of the commitment to raise defense spending, but he has not said he wants to withdraw from the alliance like he did during his first term. Trump also told alliance members at a June summit that he was "committed to being their friends."
Quote:Denmark has for the first time identified the United States as one of the security threats facing the country in an annual risk assessment published on Wednesday.
The report, from the Danish Defence Intelligence Service (DDIS), revealed that the U.S. is "now using its economic and technological strength as an instrument of power, including toward allies and partners."
The report also concluded that uncertainty over U.S.'s security role in Europe was likely to spur Russia to intensify its hybrid attacks against NATO members, which have already accused Moscow of repeated drone and aircraft breaches of its airspace.
Denmark has for the first time identified the United States as one of the security threats facing the country in an annual risk assessment published on Wednesday.
The report, from the Danish Defence Intelligence Service (DDIS), revealed that the U.S. is "now using its economic and technological strength as an instrument of power, including toward allies and partners."
The report also concluded that uncertainty over U.S.'s security role in Europe was likely to spur Russia to intensify its hybrid attacks against NATO members, which have already accused Moscow of repeated drone and aircraft breaches of its airspace.
Quote:Recent moves by China reveal it has not forgotten the territory lost to the Russian Far East during its "Century of Humiliation." This has raised speculation that the world’s longest border may be ripe for Chinese encroachment, even as "no limits partners" Beijing and Moscow appear increasingly aligned on the world stage.
Chinese Map Alterations and Border Disputes
The Chinese Ministry of the Environment in 2023 moved to dictate that new official maps must depict cities in this area, such as the Siberian city of Vladivostok, with their official names. Another change was to portray an island at the confluence of the Ussuri and Amur rivers, subject to a long-running dispute and a border agreement in 2008, as entirely Chinese. An uptick in Chinese purchases of farmland and decades-long leases across the border has also raised eyebrows.
Strategic Partnership and Power Imbalance
Meanwhile, Chinese nationalists openly call for the return of territory forcibly transferred to Tsarist Russia by a weakened Qing dynasty during the 19th century. These calls are not echoed by Beijing, which has downplayed the map changes while regularly touting the importance of ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who stood in the place of honor at Xi’s side during the June V-Day military parade in Tiananmen Square.
China has also supported Russia since Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the heavy international sanctions that followed. As a top purchaser of Russian natural gas and oil, China has helped keep Russia’s war economy afloat. Russia, in turn, benefits from record trade flows with its neighbor and the adoption of the Chinese yuan for payments, helping to mitigate the impact of being dropped from SWIFT.
The partners are increasingly aligned diplomatically, giving rise to a potential multilateral order in opposition to U.S.-led hegemony. This includes stepped-up joint exercises in the Pacific, viewed by the U.S. and its allies as a challenge to Washington’s military dominance in the region.
Yet concerns have emerged in Russia about becoming a “junior partner” in the relationship, with some Kremlin-linked propagandists warning that overreliance on China could backfire.
Strained but Stable Ties
A New York Times report earlier this year cited a leaked document from Russian intelligence, revealing concerns about Chinese designs to expand its influence. The report highlighted a degree of mistrust on both sides, with Chinese agents said to be recruiting Russian nationals with Chinese spouses and conducting polygraph tests on returning agents returning from the Eurasian country.
How much China intends to capitalize on the growing power imbalance with Russia remains uncertain, with some observers arguing the concerns are overblown.
Quote:Sergei Shoigu, who was Vladimir Putin’s defense minister when Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, has said that countries in Asia are forming groups which are aligned with NATO.
During a visit to Vietnam, Shoigu, who is now secretary of Russia’s Security Council, told reporters of the emergence of "embryos of NATO in the East," which could threaten Russia and members of ASEAN (Association of South East Asian Nations).
Newsweek has contacted NATO for comment.
Why It Matters
Shoigu was one of the faces of Putin’s full-scale invasion which the Kremlin justified in part as a response to NATO’s encroachment on Russia’s borders.
His latest comments in his role as Security Council head reiterate Moscow’s rhetoric about an expanding alliance to an Asian audience. They are likely intended as a call for closer security ties between Russia and ASEAN as well as an appeal for members not to side with NATO.
What To Know
Shoigu arrived in Hanoi on Monday as head of a Russian delegation for talks with Vietnam’s political, law enforcement and military leadership.
He told reporters on Wednesday that in the Asia-Pacific region, alliances akin to NATO are appearing which pose a threat to Russia, according to state news agency RIA.
Shoigu said that these were small groups, or "embryos of NATO in the East," which could threaten Russia and other countries of ASEAN. He added that Moscow would like to retain its relationship with ASEAN in its current form.
Shoigu did not specify any countries, but in November, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Oleg Savelyev told an ASEAN meeting in Kuala Lumpur about Moscow’s concerns at the groups AUKUS, the Indo-Pacific Four, SQUAD and JAPHUS.
AUKUS is a partnership between Australia, the U.S. and the U.K. The Indo-Pacific Four consists of Australia, South Korea, Japan and New Zealand. SQUAD involves the U.S., Australia, Japan and the Philippines, while JAPHUS consists of Japan, the Philippines and the United States.
Russian state media also reported that the Russian Defense Ministry had noted NATO's strengthening position in the Asia-Pacific region, suggesting that the alliance was trying to extend its influence there.
In reporting Shoigu’s comments, the Russian ultra-nationalist news channel Tsargrad cited Russian military and political analyst Yevgeny Mikhailov as saying that NATO is increasing its reach in Asia with U.S. participation to counter China's economic and political expansion.
Mikhailov said that should be the impetus for Russia to counter this by developing its naval bases in the region and exert its economic might in the far east.
I'd like to ask Shoigu "so what?" if given a chance.
Then I found this other article...
Quote:A Newsweek map shows Russia and China deployed air and naval units—including bombers and an aircraft carrier—for a joint patrol and training near Japan on Tuesday.
The Russian Defense Ministry said the joint air patrol was not directed against third countries, while the Chinese military said the aerial maneuver demonstrated their ability to address security challenges and maintain peace and stability in the region.
Japan's Defense Ministry said it scrambled fighter jets to intercept the Russia-China air formation and dispatched a warship to continue monitoring and gathering intelligence on the Chinese aircraft carrier CNS Liaoning, following a "radar lock-on" incident last week.
Why It Matters
Russia and China have closely cooperated on military matters as part of their so-called partnership "without limitations," under which they regularly conduct joint patrols and bilateral drills to bolster their readiness to challenge the United States and its security alliances in Europe—NATO—and in Asia—Japan, South Korea and the Philippines.
The Russian and Chinese military maneuvers near Japan came amid tensions between the Moscow-Beijing quasi-alliance and Tokyo. China has strongly opposed Japan's remarks about possible military intervention in the event of a Chinese blockade of self-ruled Taiwan, while Russia has objected to Japan hosting U.S. midrange missiles.
What To Know
The Russian Defense Ministry said the joint air patrol, which lasted about eight hours, involved Russian Tu-95MS and Chinese H-6K bombers, which flew over the Sea of Japan—also known as the East Sea—the East China Sea and the western Pacific.
"The Chinese and Russian militaries conducted their 10th joint strategic air patrol in the relevant airspace over the East China Sea and the western part of the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday," the Chinese Defense Ministry said in a statement, adding that it was carried out as part of what it called an "annual cooperation plan" of the two militaries.
Footage released by the Chinese military provided details about the Russia-China air formation, which also included J-11BS, Su-30MK2 and J-16 fighter jets, as well as KJ-500A early warning aircraft from the Chinese side, according to a military analyst.
The Joint Staff Office of Japan's Defense Ministry said at least five Russian and 10 Chinese military aircraft were tracked flying over waters near three of Japan's four main islands—Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku—outside Japan's territorial airspace.
Russian and Chinese aircraft patrolled within Japan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ), which is established outside its territorial airspace—extending up to 13.8 miles from the coast—to provide identification and early warning, a Newsweek map shows.
The Russia-China patrol also flew over two key waterways near Japan—the Tsushima Strait and the Miyako Strait. The former lies between the Korean Peninsula and the Japanese archipelago, and the latter links the East China Sea with the Philippine Sea.
So was that supposed to distract us from the fact that they love bugging Japan and South Korea with mysterious drills that take place very close to those nation's waters?
Quote:Russia has employed “gig worker” saboteurs to carry out attacks across Europe — including trying to bomb US-bound cargo planes, derail trains and even poison water supplied, according to a shocking new report.
An analysis of a series of deniable hybrid attacks and sabotages occurring across Europe in recent years have pointed to a web of freelancers employed by Russian agents to test the continent’s vulnerabilities for war, experts told the Financial Times.
Keir Giles, a Russia expert at the Chatham House think tank, warned that the attacks that have been made public are only the tip of the iceberg, warning European officials that the incidents cannot be simply brushed aside as sabotages by individual actors.
“It’s nonsensical to call this anything other than what it is — warfare against Europe,” he told the FT.
One of the incidents clearly aimed at testing Europe’s vulnerabilities came in July 2024, where DHL parcels exploded at logistics hubs in the UK, Poland, and Germany.
Had the bombs exploded in the air, they would have brought down the cargo planes.
The plot, which was linked to a group of Russian-directed saboteurs, was aimed at preparing for attacks on US-bound cargo planes that would recreate the chaos the airline industry faced in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks, security officials told the FT.
In that same month, multiple break-ins were reported at Finnish water towers and treatment plants, with officials expressing fear at the time that the trespassers were scouting locations for an attack on the country’s water supply.
By the end of 2024, three underwater fiber-optic cables linking Sweden to Lithuania, Finland to Germany, and Finland to Estonia were slashed, triggering an international investigation that pointed the finger at Moscow.
This year also saw dozens of Russian drones infiltrate NATO members’ airspace in an act allegedly aimed at testing the defense bloc’s response time in the event of an attack from Moscow.
And last month, a bomb detonated on a Polish railway leading to Ukraine in what Prime Minister Donald Tusk slammed as “an unprecedented act of sabotage.”
These attacks and others like it are allegedly part of Moscow’s long-reaching espionage campaign across Europe, which sees Russian-linked agents recruit willing participants online to carry out their work, according to the FT.
The saboteurs are typically young men motivated solely by money with no real connections to Russia itself, with Moscow happy to use them as a disposable force that cannot be traced back to them.
Officials have dubbed these people members of the “gig economy” of Russia’s new spy-craft network, which come with their own set of problems.
The biggest drawback for Russia is that because these agents are amateurs with no real allegiances to Moscow, they tend to botch missions.
Quote:WASHINGTON — European officials are convinced that Ukraine-Russia peace talks have reached a “decisive moment” as President Trump’s team eyes a Christmas deadline to hammer out a plan to end the war and two supplemental documents.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday expressed rare optimism that Russia’s war on his country may soon come to a close as he worked on the details of the Trump administration’s proposed 20-point peace plan and two other supporting documents related to Kyiv’s security guarantees and post-war economy.
“This week may bring news for all of us – and for bringing the bloodshed to an end,” he said in a video posted to X.
Zelensky’s remarks came after he discussed “Ukraine’s postwar reconstruction and economic development” with US officials on Wednesday and “finalizing work on the 20 points of a fundamental document that could define the parameters for ending the war” after drafting it with European leaders.
The Ukrainian president and the Americans — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Jared Kushner and BlackRock Larry Fink — are drafting a document related to the US-Ukrainian economic partnership, that will include business opportunities that will benefit both countries as Kyiv revitalizes following the war’s end.
The discussions were “positive,” according to a Ukrainian source, and could end with a formal document signed in a matter of days.
Ukraine’s leader said he anticipates handing over the revised proposal for the 20-point to the US “in the near future.”
Negotiations on the peace plan are being accompanied by talks about eventual security guarantees for Ukraine and an economic recovery plan for Kyiv to rebuild after the war, the Washington Post reported.
All three topics are being discussed with both US and European officials. Ukraine would also potentially have to give up one-quarter of the contested Donetsk province but may be able to join the European Union, according to the outlet.
Ukrainian officials say the issue of territory must be left for Trump and Zelensky to hammer out together, but the Washington Post reported Wednesday that Ukraine may have to give up Donbas — including land in the Donetsk province that Russia has been unable to conquer — while also being able to join the European Union by 2027, according to the outlet.
Trump told Politico in an interview Monday that the Ukrainians “have to play ball,” since Russia now has the “upper hand,” if they want the war to conclude — and that Zelensky should allow his nation to hold elections.
“They’re much bigger. They’re much stronger in that sense,” the president said of Moscow.
“I give the people of Ukraine and the military of Ukraine tremendous credit for the, you know, bravery and for the fighting and all of that,” he added. “But you know, at some point, size will win, generally.”
Quote:An abundance of hungover Russian drivers forced Ukraine to pause its “Pearl Harbor”-style attack on Moscow’s bomber fleet, just one of the hiccups that nearly thwarted the secret operation, according to a new report.
After Kyiv successfully sneaked dozens of drones into Russia for the unprecedented attack this past spring, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) hoped to launch the assault around Russian Victory Day on May 9 to humiliate the Kremlin.
Instead, the festivities around the holiday, as well as Russian Labor Day, and Orthodox Easter, created an unexpected issue — a lack of active drivers to carry out the mission, the Wall Street Journal reported.
For Operation Spider’s Web to be a success, Ukraine was relying on a group of unwitting Russian drivers to transport their drones to the desired locations, with the truckers believing they were only hauling mobile wooden cabins.
Unfortunately, there was a small pool of drivers to choose from during the holiday as hungover drivers took the day off, making it far too risky to carry out the mission, SBU officials told the WSJ.
It wasn’t until the end of May that Kyiv and its agents found the perfect set of drivers to hire for the days-long mission, which was carried out on July 1 and saw 41 Russian bombers damaged and destroyed.
The hungover drivers weren’t the only issue the SBU ran into when trying to pull off the clandestine mission.
During the drive to one of the destinations inside Russia, one of the local drivers noticed that the roof of one of the cabins fell off, with the trucker discovering the hidden drones inside.
The shocked driver immediately contacted his employer for an explanation, with the man on the other end of the phone being Artem Timofeev, a 37-year-old former Ukrainian DJ living in Russia who signed up with his wife, an erotic novelist, to put the drones and cabins together for the operation.
Timofeev feigned ignorance when the truck driver called him, with the SBU coaching him on how to lie to the Russian driver and convince him that the drones and wooden cabins were for hunting, according to the WSJ.
Quote:Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested Thursday that Ukrainians would be allowed to vote on whether to hand over the Donbas region that Russia has repeatedly demanded as a way to secure an end to the war.
The region has been a key sticking point for Russia, which has failed to conquer it for more than a decade, with Zelensky previously stating that such a major land concession cannot be made without the will of the Ukrainian people, as per the country’s constitution.
Speaking from Kyiv, Zelensky told reporters that a nation-wide referendum was possible to see if Ukrainians would accept giving up their fortress belt for peace and security guarantees, Bloomberg reported.
“The Russians want the whole of Donbas — we don’t accept that,” Zelensky said. “I believe that the Ukrainian people will answer this question. Whether in the form of elections or a referendum, the Ukrainian people must have a say.”
Ukrainian and western officials have previously expressed concerns that giving up the entire Donbas region, which Moscow occupies the vast majority of, would pave the way for another Russian invasion in the near future.
The Donetsk oblast inside the region has been repeatedly credited for expelling Russia’s army, with Moscow losing hundreds of soldiers a week in its continued attempt to seize the fortress belt.
As Kyiv and Moscow inch toward a cease-fire deal brokered by the US, Zelensky said disagreements persist on whether Donbas would be a “free economic zone,” as pitched by American mediators, or stand as a “demilitarized zone,” which was proposed by Russia.
Zelensky also said the US is working to hammer out security guarantees for Kyiv that would mitigate Russian aggression, with the Ukrainian president noting that he had “constructive” talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte and US presidential envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.
“Security guarantees are among the most critical elements for all subsequent steps. We have already got the negative experience of the Budapest Memorandum,” he wrote on X, referencing the 1994 agreement where the US pledged to protect Ukraine from a Russian invasion after the country gave up its nuclear arsenal.
“Everyone remembers this, as well as the occasions when Russia repeatedly violated all its other commitments. That is why it is essential that this document on security guarantees provides concrete answers to what concerns Ukrainians the most: what actions partners will take if Russia decides to launch its aggression again,” Zelensky added.
The current peace proposal being discussed called for NATO’s Article 5 to be extended to Ukraine, which would treat an attack on Ukraine as an attack on the entire defense bloc, CNN reported.
Quote:WASHINGTON — The US House of Representatives passed the annual defense bill Wednesday, outlining a $900 billion budget that would give troops a 4% pay bump, help counter China and Russia, support new technologies like the Golden Dome missile defense system and promote military readiness, among other provisions.
The House voted 312-112 to adopt the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2026.
The Senate will have to approve the bill before sending it to President Trump’s desk for a signature, though an earlier version cleared the upper chamber in October.
It’s expected to take it up next week.
Before the vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) had touted that the more than 3,000-page bill was aimed at “codifying 15 of President Trump’s executive orders, ending woke ideology at the Pentagon, securing the border, revitalizing the defense industrial base, and restoring the warrior ethos.”
That last effort will be aided by a return to “merit-based” promotions in the military’s ranks and admissions to US service academies.
The executive actions included orders to end DEI programs, declare a national emergency at the southern border, spur innovation for the US defense industrial base, build a Golden Dome missile defense system and unleash American “drone dominance.”
The DEI cuts total roughly $40 million by eliminating offices and programs previously funded. Another $1.6 million in climate-related spending will also be cut.
Funds for defense will also go toward key allies like Israel, which will get $60 million in American missiles for its Iron Dome defense system.
Ukraine will receive $800 million through 2027 as part of a security assistance initiative that allows Kyiv to buy weapons for its military from US companies.
EUROPE
Quote:A glittering exhibition of royal jewels is opening Wednesday in Paris even as the city still reels from the brazen crown-jewel heist at the nearby Louvre Museum.
The four-minute operation in October emptied cases in the Louvre’s Apollo Gallery, forced its closure and rattled public confidence in France’s cultural security.
With the plundered gallery still sealed off, another museum nearby is showcasing diamonds and tiaras that endured revolutions, exile and empire: treasures that have managed to escape the type of plunder now afflicting the Louvre’s own jewels.
A loaded location
The “Dynastic Jewels” exhibition at the Hôtel de la Marine — itself the site of an infamous 1792 crown-jewel theft — opens at a moment of national sensitivity.
Spread across four galleries, the exhibit unfurls more than a hundred pieces that dazzle in both sparkle and scale. Its objects are drawn from the Al Thani Collection, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and major lenders including King Charles III, the Duke of Fife, Cartier, Chaumet and France’s own national collections.
Some of the most striking loans include the giant 57-carat Star of Golconda diamond; a sapphire coronet and emerald tiara designed by Prince Albert for Queen Victoria, reunited here for the first time in more than 150 years; and Catherine the Great’s diamond-encrusted dress ornaments. A Cartier necklace created for an Indian ruler blends European platinum-age design with centuries-old gems.
Security front and center
Curators didn’t comment on details of operational security. But the Hôtel de la Marine stresses that it was rebuilt with modern, high-grade security when it reopened in 2021, and that its galleries were conceived with robust protections in mind. The museum did not say whether any measures had been strengthened in response to the Louvre heist.
So are they asking for
someone to steal those jewels? 
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
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My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
List of Compiled Binary Executables I have published...
HiddenChest & Roole
Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
Maranatha!
The Internet might be either your friend or enemy. It just depends on whether or not she has a bad hair day.
My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
List of Compiled Binary Executables I have published...
HiddenChest & Roole
Give me a free copy of your completed game if you include at least 3 of my scripts!
Just some scripts I've already published on the board...
KyoGemBoost XP VX & ACE, RandomEnkounters XP, KSkillShop XP, Kolloseum States XP, KEvents XP, KScenario XP & Gosu, KyoPrizeShop XP Mangostan, Kuests XP, KyoDiscounts XP VX, ACE & MV, KChest XP VX & ACE 2016, KTelePort XP, KSkillMax XP & VX & ACE, Gem Roulette XP VX & VX Ace, KRespawnPoint XP, VX & VX Ace, GiveAway XP VX & ACE, Klearance XP VX & ACE, KUnits XP VX, ACE & Gosu 2017, KLevel XP, KRumors XP & ACE, KMonsterPals XP VX & ACE, KStatsRefill XP VX & ACE, KLotto XP VX & ACE, KItemDesc XP & VX, KPocket XP & VX, OpenChest XP VX & ACE
