News of the World
09-25-2025, 11:44 AM
USA
Quote:The White House colonnade now includes a striking addition: an image of an autopen representing President Joe Biden, installed by former President Donald Trump as part of a new “Presidential Walk of Fame.”
A video posted to X by Margo Martin, special assistant to the president and communications adviser, shows the walkway lined with black-and-white presidential portraits. As the camera pans to where Biden's portrait should be, it's revealed to be a zoomed-in photo of an autopen signing his name.
“The Presidential Walk of Fame has arrived on the West Wing Colonnade,” Martin wrote in the caption.
Why It Matters
Trump has repeatedly accused Biden of relying on an autopen to sign pardons, executive orders, and other major documents, claiming Biden wasn’t even aware they had been signed.
Legal experts note that autopen use is acceptable so long as the president directs it, but Trump insists its deployment in Biden’s final days undermines the validity of those actions.
What To Know
Trump publicized the walkway project weeks ago, warning that “not all presidents will be treated equally” in the Walk of Fame outside the West Wing. He told the Daily Caller that Biden’s place would be “a picture of the autopen,” not a formal portrait.
Portraits of Barack Obama and George W. Bush had been moved, either replaced with Trump’s own or placed in less visible spots, but are back in the walkway. The latest changes coincide with a Rose Garden redesign featuring stone tiles and new lighting, which aides call the “Rose Garden Club,” modeled after Mar-a-Lago.
In June, Trump ordered an investigation into Biden’s use of the autopen, citing what he called his predecessor’s “cognitive decline.” Investigators were tasked with reviewing specific policy documents signed using the autopen, including clemency grants, executive orders, memoranda, and other presidential directives.
Biden rejected the claim, saying in a statement that he personally made the decisions on pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations, and called Trump’s suggestion “ridiculous and false.”
Quote:A federal judge in Manhattan warned Wednesday that Justice Department officials could face sanctions if they continue making public comments about the prosecution of Luigi Mangione, who is charged in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Garnett issued an order suggesting that statements by government officials about Mangione potentially facing the death penalty may have violated a local rule designed to limit publicity and ensure a fair trial. Defense attorneys for Mangione had asked Garnett to dismiss his federal charges and to remove the death penalty as a sentencing option, arguing that comments by senior officials poisoned the case.
Mangione, who has pleaded not guilty to state and federal charges, is accused of fatally shooting Thompson on December 4 outside a Manhattan hotel where the health care executive was arriving for his company’s annual investor conference. In the federal case, Mangione is charged with murder through the use of a firearm, stalking and gun offenses. The firearm charge carries the possibility of capital punishment.
Last week, a judge dismissed terrorism charges against Mangione in New York State's case over Thompson's killing but kept the state's second-degree murder charges against the suspect.
In written filings, Mangione’s lawyers said Justice Department officials crossed the line when U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi declared before Mangione’s April indictment that the death penalty was warranted for what she described as a “premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.” At the same time, Bondi announced she was directing federal prosecutors in Manhattan to pursue capital punishment.
Defense lawyers also pointed to a choreographed “perp walk” staged in April, when Mangione was escorted in handcuffs by heavily armed officers along a Manhattan pier in front of television cameras. They said the Trump administration further tainted the proceedings by disregarding established Justice Department protocols for pursuing a death penalty case.
“These actions have violated Mr. Mangione’s constitutional and statutory rights and have fatally prejudiced this death penalty case,” his attorneys wrote.
Garnett, in her order, said it appeared that at least two high-ranking Justice Department staff members may have violated the Southern District of New York’s rule limiting pretrial publicity. She directed the department to explain how the apparent violations occurred and what measures are being taken to prevent a recurrence.
“Future violations may result in sanctions, which could include personal financial penalties, contempt of court findings, or relief specific to the prosecution of this matter,” Garnett wrote.
It is not the first time a Manhattan federal judge has rebuked prosecutors for public statements. In 2015, Judge Valerie Caproni sharply criticized then-U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara for a press campaign surrounding the corruption case against former New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. Caproni said Bharara came “so close to the edge of the rules governing his own conduct” that Silver had a legitimate claim the publicity was prejudicial.
Silver was eventually convicted, sentenced to more than six years in prison, and died in federal custody in January 2022 at age 77.
Quote:California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been ripped for stoking anti-immigration flames after he decried federal agents as President Trump’s “private domestic army” — just hours before a sniper shot dead multiple people at a Texas ICE field office.
The Democrat spewed the rhetoric during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Tuesday night as he blasted the Trump admin’s “authoritarian tendencies” and said the “ICE issue is alarming beyond words.”
“People ask, ‘Well, is authoritarianism you being hyperbolic?’ Bulls–t we’re being hyperbolic. If you’re a black or brown community, it’s here in this country… These are not just authoritarian tendencies; these are authoritarian actions by an authoritarian government,” he said during a lengthy rant.
Newsom, who just last week signed a bill banning ICE agents from masking up to conceal their identities during raids, suggested the federal agency was having a “chilling impact” on other law enforcement agencies across the country.
“We’re losing confidence and trust in law enforcement,” he claimed.
“That’s happening in the United States of America: Masked men jumping out of unmarked cars, people disappearing, no due process, no oversight, zero accountability,” Newsom said. “This can’t be normalized. None of this can be normalized.”
Critics quickly blasted the Dem leader’s “absurd” and “inflammatory rhetoric.”
Others argued his remarks were proof that immigration agents were being demonized – especially in the wake of Wednesday’s shooting at the Dallas ICE facility that left two detainees dead and another critically injured.
“Three days ago, Gavin Newsom yelled, “To ICE: unmask! What are you afraid of? What are you afraid of?!” Three people shot by a sniper at a Dallas ICE facility this morning have his answer,” one person raged on X.
Another chimed in, “Newsom LAST NIGHT on ICE: ‘These are authoritarian actions.’ JUST NOW: An ICE facility in Texas was shot up by a sniper.”
Quote:A crazed gunman who scrawled “ANTI ICE” on his ammo opened fire on federal agents and immigration detainees in Dallas on Wednesday morning — killing one migrant and wounding two others — in the latest horrifying attack on ICE and border patrol authorities.
Violence against immigration agents has been skyrocketing since President Trump began his massive deportation sweep — with the Department of Homeland Security warning that threats have increased 1000% in recent months.
The shooter is Joshua Jahn, 29, of suburban Dallas, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene. He’s a former Boy Scout who also has a criminal record after being busted with weed.
The shooting at the Dallas ICE facility is being investigated “as an act of targeted violence,” the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Dallas Field Office, Joe Rothrock, told a press conference on Wednesday morning.
“What I can share with you is that early evidence we’ve seen from rounds that were found near the suspected shooter contain messages that are anti-ICE in nature. Again, this is just the most recent example of this type of attack,” Rothrock said.
The killer fired multiple rounds from a sniper’s nest on the roof of a nearby immigration lawyers office. He shot into the Dallas ICE field office’s sallyport, seemingly indiscriminately, with some witnesses comparing the sounds of the shots to fireworks.
The weapon used appears to be an antique 8mm bold-action rifle — not unlike the gun used to kill Charlie Kirk earlier this month.
It’s not the first attack on federal agents in the Lone Star state — with four wounded in shootings in two other ambushes earlier this year,
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz took the mic to hit out at the demonizing of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers for fueling political violence.
“Just two weeks ago today we saw a political assassination in Utah that tore the heart out of much of this country. This is the third shooting in Texas directed at ICE or CBP. This must stop,” he said.
“Politicians demanding that ICE agents be doxed and calling for people to go after their families: stop,” he told reporters.
Quote:President Trump has threatened to sue ABC over Jimmy Kimmel’s sudden return to air — insisting the network should have let the embattled late-night host “rot” after his inflammatory Charlie Kirk comments.
Trump taunted the network with possible legal action just before a defiant Kimmel fronted his audience Tuesday night, nearly a week after his show was yanked.
“He is yet another arm of the DNC and, to the best of my knowledge, that would be a major Illegal Campaign Contribution. I think we’re going to test ABC out on this. Let’s see how we do,” Trump said on Truth Social.
“Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars. This one sounds even more lucrative. A true bunch of losers! Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad Ratings.”
Trump had slapped the network and ABC host George Stephanopoulos with a defamation lawsuit in early 2024. ABC News later agreed to a $15 million settlement.
Elsewhere, the president blasted the ABC’s decision to reinstate Kimmel — despite the lefty host sparking widespread outrage for claiming that Kirk’s alleged assassin, Tyler Robinson, was likely affiliated with the MAGA movement.
Elsewhere, the president blasted ABC for reinstating Kimmel — despite his false and inflammatory comments about Kirk’s assassination.
“I can’t believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back. The White House was told by ABC that his Show was cancelled!” Trump raged.
“Something happened between then and now because his audience is GONE, and his ‘talent’ was never there. Why would they want someone back who does so poorly, who’s not funny, and who puts the Network in jeopardy by playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE.”
Quote:President Trump called for arrests to be made related to an escalator at the United Nations headquarters that abruptly stopped working as soon as he and first lady Melania Trump stepped onto it Tuesday.
The sudden escalator outage, which nearly caused the first lady to fall over, was one of at least three snafus Trump, 79, noticed while he was in the building to address world leaders and diplomats at the UN General Assembly in New York.
“A REAL DISGRACE took place at the United Nations yesterday — Not one, not two, but three very sinister events!” Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday.
“First, the escalator going up to the Main Speaking Floor came to a screeching halt. It stopped on a dime. It’s amazing that Melania and I didn’t fall forward onto the sharp edges of these steel steps, face first. It was only that we were each holding the handrail tightly or, it would have been a disaster,” the president continued.
Trump argued the escalator incident was “absolutely sabotage,” pointing to a Times of London report that UN staffers had been overheard joking that they might switch off the escalator and make Trump walk to the hall to give his speech.
“The people that did it should be arrested!” the president fumed.
A UN spokesperson suggested a member of Trump’s entourage may be to blame for the stalling of the escalator.
“In an effort to document their arrival, a videographer from the US delegation stepped on to the escalator ahead of the President and First Lady,” Stéphane Dujarric, a spokesman for the UN secretary-general, said in a statement. “As the videographer, who was traveling backwards up the escalator reached the top , the First Lady, followed by President Trump, each mounted the steps at the bottom. At that moment (9:50am), the escalator came to a stop.”
“A subsequent investigation, including a readout of the machine’s central processing unit, indicated that the escalator had stopped after a built-in safety mechanism on the comb step was triggered at the top of the escalator,” Dujarric added. “The safety mechanism is designed to prevent people or objects accidentally being caught and stuck in or pulled into the gearing.”
“The videographer may have inadvertently triggered the safety function described above.”
Trump demanded an “immediate investigation” into the incident and said “all security tapes at the escalator should be saved, especially the emergency stop button.”
“The Secret Service is involved,” the president noted.
Trump’s teleprompter also stopped working as he delivered his speech, and the president claims his remarks couldn’t be heard by anyone in the auditorium not wearing an earpiece.
“It was stone cold dark,” Trump said of the teleprompter. “I immediately thought to myself, ;Wow, first the escalator event, and now a bad teleprompter. What kind of a place is this?’”
The president said the teleprompter “kicked in about 15 minutes later.”
So how would the videographer manage to stop the escalator if he was busy filming Trump at that moment?
Then they claim that guy might have been close to get stuck, thus provoking the escalator to trigger the safety mechanism that stopped the machine from moving another inch upwards.
Wouldn't Trump or Melana or the rest of the US delegation have noticed that the worker or the equipment got stuck at the top of the escalator?
We can't discard it right away, but I can tell for sure that it's a weird explanation on what happened at the UN building. It would have been a lot easier to believe it IF Trump had not heard about the employees making ill comments on the escalator during that time. Only to be followed by another weird event...
Let's keep in mind that the UN is full of leftists so they might not want to listen to Trump who had the intention to speak against the climate change.
If Trump knew about the next article, he might have convinced many people of firing their local experts on solar plants in no time.
Quote:Seen from the sky, the Ivanpah Solar Power Facility in California’s Mojave Desert resembles a futuristic dream.
Viewed from the bottom line, however, Ivanpah is anything but.
The solar power plant, which features three 459-foot towers and thousands of computer-controlled mirrors known as heliostats, cost some $2.2 billion to build.
Construction began in 2010 and was completed in 2014. Now it’s set to close in 2026 after failing to efficiently generate solar energy.
In 2011, the US Department of Energy under President Barack Obama issued $1.6 billion in three federal loan guarantees for the project and the secretary of energy, Ernest Moniz, hailed it as “an example of how America is becoming a world leader in solar energy.”
But ultimately, it’s been more emblematic of profligate government spending and unwise bets on poorly conceived, quickly outdated technologies.
“Ivanpah stands as a testament to the waste and inefficiency of government subsidized energy schemes,”Jason Isaac, CEO of the American Energy Institute, an American energy advocacy group, told Fox News via statement this past February. It “never lived up to its promises, producing less electricity than expected, while relying on natural gas to stay operational.”
When Ivanpah began operating in 2014, it ranked as the world’s largest solar plant. It seemed like a viable solution to California’s renewable energy goals of employing affordable and efficient technology to reduce the need for fossil fuels.
Located near the California-Nevada border, 65 miles southwest of Las Vegas, the plant’s glowing towers are as striking as some casinos on the Strip.
The facility’s 5 square miles of desert were covered with some 173,500 heliostats, adjusted via computer to catch maximum rays. The computer-controlled mirrors can reflect light from the sun at temperatures that can reach 1,000 degrees in part of the installment.
“The idea was that you could use the sun to produce a heat source,” alternative energy consultant Edward Smeloff told The Post. “The mirrors reflect heat from the sun up to a receiver, which is mounted on top of the tower. That heats a fluid. It creates steam [that spins] a conventional steam turbine. It is complicated.”
Though it sounds like a bit of a Rube Goldberg contraption — and looks like an art installation — Ivanpah was a cutting-edge idea for a while. But, as the market changed, it couldn’t compete with newer and less expensive forms of creating solar power.
“It simply did not scale up,” said Smeloff. “It’s kind of an obsolete technology [that’s] been outpaced by solar photovoltaic technology.”
That tech uses semiconductor material to transform sunlight into energy in a streamlined process. The solar panels you see on many residential rooftops or in endless rows across the desert rely on the technology.
A statement from NRG Energy, the Texas-based company that was an Ivanpah partner and the largest investor, having put up $300 million, agrees with Smeloff’s view.
And not even the photovoltaic technology is free of cumbersome issues, guys.
Quote:Senate Majority Leader John Thune voiced his reservations Wednesday with the Trump administration linking Tylenol use in pregnancy to autism in children, indicating he was “very concerned” about the impact the warning could have on women.
Thune (R-SD), during an appearance on CNN’s “Inside Politics,” appeared skeptical that recent claims about the popular pain reliever and autism, made by President Trump and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., are conclusively backed by scientific evidence.
“Well, I’m obviously very concerned about that,” the Senate Republican leader responded, when asked by CNN host Dana Bash if he worries Monday’s announcement could adversely affect the health of women and their babies.
“I think that science ought to guide these discussions, these conversations and our decision making around our health,” Thune argued. “There are studies out there that they reference – but again, I think there are an awful lot of people in the medical community who would come to a different conclusion about the use of Tylenol.”
“We ought to be very guarded in making broad assertions and make sure that they are well grounded in science and medicine and where we’re taking the consultation advice of experts in the field and ensuring that these things are all well documented,” he added.
Trump, RFK Jr. and other top administration health officials announced Monday that acetaminophen, the main ingredient in Tylenol, can lead to a “very increased risk of autism.”
The White House cited multiple studies which it claimed show “acetaminophen use in pregnant women, especially late in pregnancy, may cause long-term neurological effects in their children,” in a fact sheet related to the announcement.
The studies appear to show associations between acetaminophen use and autism in children but do not establish a direct link between the drug and the neurodevelopmental disorder.
Quote:The family of Casey Crafton has filed the first lawsuit over the American Eagle Flight 5342 crash in the Potomac River near Washington, D.C., alleging the disaster was avoidable and caused by systemic negligence.
The Jan. 29 crash involved an Army Black Hawk helicopter that collided midair with an American Airlines passenger plane near Ronald Reagan Washington International Airport, killing 64 people on the American Eagle flight and three aboard the military helicopter.
The federal lawsuit was filed on behalf of Casey Crafton’s estate, with his wife Rachel and family leading the legal action.
“Our lives were shattered in a moment,” said Dailey Crafton, Crafton’s brother. “Casey was betrayed by systemic disregard for safety. We cannot stand by and allow his life to be lost in vain.”
The lawsuit accuses American Airlines and PSA Airlines of negligence in operations, training, and knowingly allowing dangerous conditions at DCA, noting the crash was predictable and preventable.
American Airlines allegedly ignored repeated near misses and congestion data, prioritizing profit over safety, according to attorneys.
“The crash of American Eagle 5342 was predictable, preventable, and caused the needless loss of 67 lives,” said attorney Robert Clifford. “… American ran red lights for years by allowing these planes to operate in congested, unsafe conditions.”
Action will also be brought against the U.S. government, encompassing the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Army, for systemic failures in oversight, air traffic control and military helicopter procedures.
Attorneys said the FAA failed to provide safe air traffic control and allowed unsafe operational environments, while the Army helicopter crew failed to follow basic “see and avoid” flight principles.
“The helicopter crew’s conduct was inexcusable,” said Brian Alexander, an attorney and former Army aviator. “Air traffic control completely failed in their duty as the lifeguards of our aviation system.”
Before suing the government, families must first file separate Form 95 claims, which attorneys said have already been filed by nearly all the victims’ families.
Quote:Conservative CNN analyst Scott Jennings flagged disturbing messages from Keith Olbermann to the FBI — including one in which the liberal political commentator wrote, “You’re next, motherf–ker.”
Jennings on Monday flagged the since-deleted posts from the former MSNBC and ESPN host to the bureau, claiming they amounted to a threat on his life.
“You’re next motherf–ker,” read one of Olbermann’s hateful missives, according to a screenshot shared by Townhall columnist Dustin Grage.
“But keep mugging to the camera,” Olbermann snarled in another deleted post, according to the grabs Jennings retweeted from Grage and tagged FBI Director Kash Patel in his response.
Olbermann appeared to be reacting to a post from Jennings about Disney bringing Jimmy Kimmel’s ABC show back on Tuesday amid uproar over its short hiatus in the wake of Kimmel’s controversial remarks about Charlie Kirk’s assassination and the motives behind it.
“So basically his employer suspended him for being an insensitive pr–k, and we don’t live in an authoritarian regime? Got it,” Jennings wrote in the post that prompted Olbermann’s furious response.
“Now we get the fascists off real TV. That’d mean your career is next, Jennings. Send a tape to Real America’s Voice,” Olbermann added in the same threat.
“But keep mugging to camera, amateur.”
When approached, Olbermann directed The Post to his mealy-mouthed apology on X, admitting they could be “misinterpreted” as threatening.
“Yesterday I wrote and immediately deleted 2 responses to him about Kimmel because they could be misinterpreted as a threat to anything besides his career. I immediately replaced them with ones specifying what I actually meant,” he wrote.
In a follow-up post, he again failed to apologize for the posts, but rather for not deleting them sooner, while acknowledging the charged political climate in which they were made in the wake of Kirk’s assassination.
“I oppose and condemn political violence, and the threat of it. All times are the wrong time to leave even an inadvertent impression of it – but this time is especially wrong. I should’ve acknowledged the deletion and apologized yesterday. I’m sorry I delayed,” he added in a second tweet.
“Per policy, the FBI does not comment on or confirm or deny the existence of an investigation,” the agency told The Post Tuesday.
Olbermann has faced huge backlash in recent days for his controversial posts about Kirk and Kimmel, particularly following the news that several TV affiliates, including those owned by Sinclair, would preempt Kimmel’s show.
“Burn in hell, Sinclair. Alongside Charlie Kirk,” Olbermann wrote in another X post.
Quote:An American Airlines passenger was duct-taped to her seat as she allegedly attacked a flight attendant and erupted into a profanity-fueled tirade, bizarrely admitting to trying to poison her father.
Ketty J. Dilone is accused of walking and yelling throughout the cabin of the Las Vegas-bound flight, where she verbally threatened multiple flight attendants on Sept. 16, according to the United States Attorney’s Office District of Nevada.
Dilone was taking off on a connecting flight in Charlotte, NC, during a return trip from the Dominican Republic when chaos unfolded in front of her fellow passengers.
Flight staff were forced to restrain Dilon with zip ties and duct tape due to her on-flight behavior, authorities said.
After being restrained in her seat, Dilone allegedly kicked a flight attendant and caused the worker to fall.
A viral video posted to TikTok captured her foul-mouthed outburst, where she can be heard shouting that the restraints are hurting her.
“You don’t know what the f–k I’ve been through, bitch!” Dilone screamed towards a flight attendant. “Kill yourself, bitch! You wanna die, bitch?”
Dilone then bizarrely admitted to putting “roach poison” in her father’s coffee when she was 11 with the intention to kill him.
“It didn’t work,” she calmly said. “And in DR (Dominican Republic), we call it ‘Tres Pasito.'”
WARNING: Language
@corbohydrate
American Airlines flight 2470 for CLT to Vegas #crazy #fyp #airplane #mentalillness #foryou
♬ original sound – corbohydrate
Tres Pasitos — which means “three little steps” — is a potent pesticide used to kill cockroaches and mice that is illegal in the US, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency.
Dilone appeared to settle down momentarily as she started singing the chorus to a song in Spanish with the same name.
However, seconds later, she again began flying off the handle.
“So if anybody wants to kill somebody, put roach poison! But make sure it’s not expired, and make sure you put a lot of it!” she shouts, alleging that when she tried it on her father, it only “put him to sleep.”
After a brief moment of silence — with tension still building in the cabin by worried passengers trying to ignore her outburst — Dilone starts screaming that “the show’s f–king over” and rambling on with nonsense before the video ends.
The FBI arrested Dilone after the flight touched down at Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport and she was transported to the Henderson Detention Center.
Quote:At Dearborn, Michigan’s first city council meeting since his clash with a local Christian minister went viral after a heated exchange over a controversial honorary street sign naming, Mayor Abdullah Hammoud declined to apologize for his saying the minister was “not welcome here” and that he would “launch a parade” when he left town.
Ted Barham, the same Christian minister, opened his remarks at Tuesday’s meeting by repeating the words that went viral at the previous one on Sept. 9.
“The mayor, in a way, cursed me, as was seen around the world. And I would like to repeat what I said that day to you, Mr. Mayor: ‘God bless you,’” Barham said.
Barham said he had no plans to file a lawsuit despite pressure from supporters.
“People have been saying I should do that all over the world. I have no intention of doing that,” Barham said.
Instead, he urged the council to consider his larger message: “Bless those who curse you… love your haters. And I would say that in regard to Hezbollah as well. I would [say] that in regard to Mr. Siblani and I would [say] to Israel, too. ‘Love your haters.’”
He then made a new appeal.
“Would it be possible for you, Mayor Hammoud, in front of the world and council members to join me in saying we would like to put out a Christian call to prayer and a Christian call to faith in all the countries around the world where an Islamic call to prayer goes out?”
Others took the microphone to press the council more directly.
Anthony Deegan told the chamber, “We love you with the love of Christ. We want the blessings of God to be in your life… it’s not a matter of us versus them.” But he then asked pointedly: “Do you definitively, unequivocally, by name, denounce Hamas and Hezbollah? Or do you support them?”
Shane Rife of Garden City said he was “shocked” to learn that Hammoud had appeared at a rally where Arab American News publisher Osama Siblani praised Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah as a “hero.”
“We have a mayor in the United States who is sharing a platform with somebody, with [a] terrorist!?” Rife asked. “Where is your allegiance? Is your allegiance to the United States or is your allegiance to Hezbollah?”
Pastor Jeff Davis of Dearborn Evangelical Covenant Church also voiced support for Barham, stressing his long service in the city.
The emphasis is mine, and I had to expose that mayor for what he actually is: a terrorist supporter.
Quote:A radicalized Queens man who plotted a terrorist attack on Big Apple bridges and promenades on behalf of the Islamic State group in 2019 has been sentenced to nine years in prison, according to authorities.
Awais Chudhary, 25, was handed the sentence by United States District Judge Carol Bagley Amon on Tuesday for attempting to provide material support to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization, the US Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of New York announced in a statement.
The terrorist wannabe pleaded guilty to the charges in June.
Chudhary, a Pakistan-born US citizen, became radicalized by watching and sharing violent content online, including knife attacks and beheadings, for more than 16 months while he was merely a braces-wearing teen living with his devout Muslim family.
He then pledged allegiance to ISIS’s then-leader, Abu Bakr al‑Baghdadi, and began to plan a knife or a bomb attack on behalf of the group, authorities said.
Chudhary, who was 19 at the time, planned to strike at the Dunkin’ Donuts just blocks from his East Elmhurst home, pedestrian bridges over the Grand Central Parkway, the Flushing Bay Promenade, and the World’s Fair Marina, prosecutors said in court papers at the time.
He conducted several reconnaissance trips to the popular destinations and made video recordings of the areas he intended to attack, authorities added.
The radicalized teen sought guidance from people he believed to be ISIS supporters, asking them for advice on what knife to use and how to avoid being caught by law enforcement by not leaving “traces of fingerprints [or] DNA,” prosecutors said.
He even sent a screenshot of an ISIS propaganda magazine, including a diagram of a human body depicting where to stab victims with a knife.
In preparation for the lethal attacks, Chudhary ordered a tactical knife, a mask, gloves and a cellphone chest and head-strap to help him record the attack.
He was arrested while attempting to retrieve the items from an online retailer’s locker in Queens.
Chudhary also helped recruit English-speaking internet users to ISIS’s violent cause, working with another ISIS member — who was separately convicted of material support charges — to translate the group’s propaganda materials into English, authorities added.
“Awais Chudhary pledged allegiance to a brutal terrorist organization and set out to kill American citizens,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.
Quote:The Justice Department is considering seeking a criminal indictment against former FBI Director James Comey, for allegedly making false statements to Congress, according to multiple outlets.
The investigation into Comey is reportedly focused on whether he lied during congressional testimony he delivered on Sept. 30, 2020, related to the 2016 Trump-Russia collusion investigation, Fox News reported on Wednesday.
The statute of limitations on bringing perjury charges is five years, so federal prosecutors would have until next Tuesday to indict Comey.
The US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia is handling the case.
“There is a grand jury underway looking at the matter in Virginia. A decision could come any day,” a source told Fox News.
The extent of the charges Comey could face, and the part of his testimony under scrutiny, is unclear.
President Trump announced last week that he “fired” the top prosecutor in the Eastern District of Virginia, Erik Siebert, over the “UNUSUALLY STRONG support” he had received from Democratic senators.
Siebert, who claimed he resigned, had reportedly been under pressure from the Trump administration to bring charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James related to mortgage fraud allegations.
Trump has nominated White House aide Lindsey Halligan to replace Siebert, who had yet to be confirmed by the Senate.
Comey, 64, was fired by Trump in 2017, during the president’s first term in the White House.
The former FBI director, who has become an outspoken Trump critic, launched an investigation into allegations of collusion between the Russian government and Trump’s presidential campaign in July of 2016, dubbed “Crossfire Hurricane.”
Trump, who was never charged with a crime related to the probe, has long blasted the investigation as a “witch hunt” and “hoax.”
Quote:Beloved Hollywood icon William Shatner was rushed to the hospital after he experienced a medical emergency on Wednesday afternoon.
Shatner, 94, had an issue with his blood sugar while at his Los Angeles home and was hospitalized, TMZ reported.
The actor, best known for his role as Captain James T. Kirk on “Star Trek,” was the one to make the call to emergency medical service workers after realizing something was wrong.
An LAFD ambulance was sent to his home as a precaution, the outlet reported.
Shatner was then taken to a local hospital for evaluation, where he was doing “good” and “resting comfortably.”
The Post has reached out to Shatner’s representatives for comment.
The Hollywood legend has been open about his ongoing health issues throughout his acting career.
In March 2024, Shatner revealed that he had been diagnosed and was treated for stage 4 melanoma — an advanced and aggressive form of skin cancer that spreads to other parts of the body.
Shatner noticed a simple lump under his right ear and visited his family doctor, who told him not to worry and to massage and monitor it, the “Boston Legal” actor told Healio.
Well, last week actor Robert Redford had left this world. Yet, he is not the only one that did so...
Quote:Claudia Cardinale, the Italian actress best known for her roles in “The Pink Panther,” “Once Upon a Time in the West” and “8½,” has died. She was 87.
Cardinale died Tuesday in Nemours, near Paris, her agent, Laurent Savry, confirmed to the Agence France-Presse.
“She leaves us the legacy of a free and inspired woman both as a woman and as an artiste,” Savry said in a statement.
The Post has reached out to Cardinale’s agent for comment.
Born in Tunisia on April 15, 1938, Cardinale was picked out of a crowd to win a beauty contest at age 16. The prize was a trip to the Venice Film Festival, where she was spotted by Italian producers.
Franco Cristaldi, who owned the production company Vides, and would go on to become Cardinale’s husband, offered her a seven-year contract, which she accepted because she was pregnant after being raped.
“One day as I was walking home from school in Tunis a man in a car grabbed me and raped me and I became pregnant,” she told Variety in 2017. “After that my mother and my sister stayed close to me. I gave birth in London, because in those days it would have been a scandal.”
“We pretended that my son was my little brother. I didn’t want to become an actress; I did it so I could be independent,” Cardinale added.
UKRAINE WAR
Quote:WASHINGTON — President Trump’s dramatic pronouncement Tuesday that Russia is a “paper tiger” is based on new US intelligence that shows the Kremlin is spiraling toward economic ruin and battlefield defeat as a result of its invasion of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Trump’s insistence in the same statement that Ukraine can regain all the land currently occupied by Russia is the president’s latest “strategic move” to try and bring Russia to the negotiating table, sources inside and outside the White House told The Post Wednesday.
Despite months of administration efforts and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s stated willingness to pursue peace talks, Russian leader Vladimir Putin has shown no interest in any truce — shunning overtures by Washington and Kyiv as his forces continue to strike civilian targets.
In a lengthy post on Truth Social after meeting Zelensky on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, Trump warned that once the Russian people “find out what is really going on with this war” economically, “Ukraine would be able to take back their Country in its original form and, who knows, maybe even go further than that!”
Asked Wednesday whether the message by Trump was a “strategic move aimed at stirring up negotiations,” a White House official responded: “Yes, that is correct.”
“It doesn’t signal any substantive policy change,” affirmed a source close to the administration. “It’s a clear and obvious negotiating tactic to push Russia.”
However, the president’s statement was also based on fresh information detailing Moscow’s military and financial struggles, according to a source familiar with discussions.
“The president of United States is a person who will listen, but he needs to check, to compare, to speak with many people, and for me, this is absolutely normal,” top Zelensky adviser Andriy Yermak said in an interview Tuesday. “It’s our job as [the] team of our leaders, to speak, to consult, to repeat, to give the evidence, to exchange the information.”
Both Yermak and Zelensky himself stated Tuesday that Trump is coming to realize that Putin’s claims of total superiority on the battlefield are “fairy tales.”
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russia has gained very little land for the number of casualties its forces have taken in recent months.
Moscow’s forces have advanced a total of 1,910.39 square kilometers (737.6 square miles) inside Ukraine between May and August if this year, while suffering 130,160 killed and wounded in the same time frame, an “extremely heavy casualty rate” by ISW’s definition.
“I think he knows more details than before, and I’m happy with this and I’m thankful for him and also maybe for the people who briefed him,” Zelensky said of Trump during a Tuesday news conference.
Russia’s economic decline, meanwhile, is due to both declining oil revenues and the using up of so-called “free resources,” like liquid assets from its National Welfare Fund.
In August of this year, for example, Russian oil export revenues declined to $13.5 billion from $14.4 billion the previous month, according to the International Energy Agency.
Over the first eight months of this year, the value of Moscow’s oil exports reached $110.6 billion, a decline of 16% from the same period in 2024.
Quote:A Kremlin spokesman has rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's characterization of Russia as a "paper tiger," noting that the country is traditionally seen as a bear, not a tiger, and there are "no paper bears".
Why It Matters
Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, was responding to remarks on Tuesday by Trump who has grown increasingly frustrated with Putin as he seeks to broker an end to Russia's war in Ukraine. Russia has intensified the war as Trump tries to end it.
Trump was referring to Russia's inability to defeat Ukraine since Putin ordered his forces to invade in February 2022, and the U.S. president's comments appeared to signal a sharp shift from his earlier calls for Ukraine to make concessions.
What To Know
"Russia is by no means a tiger. After all, Russia is more associated with a bear. There are no 'paper bears,' and Russia is a real bear," the Kremlin spokesman said, as reported by TASS, a state-run news agency in Moscow.
Peskov said that Putin "has repeatedly and with varying emotion described our bear; you can recall this for yourself. There's nothing paper-based here; Russia maintains its resilience, Russia maintains macroeconomic stability," Peskov added, apparently referring to Trump's assertion on Tuesday that Russia was in "big economic trouble."
Trump is pushing European allies to end their imports of all Russian oil and gas, and said the U.S. would follow their lead on tougher sanctions against China, Moscow's key strategic partner.
Peskov said that Trump is a businessman and is trying to make the world buy more expensive American oil and gas, TASS reported.
Peskov also said that Putin appreciates Trump's willingness to find a solution to the Ukraine conflict, and that a settlement will coincide with a revival of U.S.-Russia relations.
Trump, in a marked change from his earlier position, wrote on his Truth Social platform that he thinks Ukraine, with the help of European NATO allies, can win back all of the territory seized by Russia.
"Russia has been fighting aimlessly for three and a half years a War that should have taken a Real Military Power less than a week to win. This is not distinguishing Russia. In fact, it is very much making them look like 'a paper tiger'," Trump wrote.
Trump has for months been pressing Ukraine to make concessions and floating the idea of territorial swaps with Russia.
Trump's changing stance on the Russia-Ukraine war signals a major shift in the U.S. foreign policy with global implications.
Trump shared the new position in a social media post shortly after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Quote:Hungary's top diplomat told Newsweek that the only path to obtaining peace in Ukraine and ensuring Europe's security ran through a stable relationship between the United States and Russia, vowing Budapest would not back down in the face of pressure from EU and NATO allies on this front and others.
Speaking Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where his counterparts from Washington and Moscow were soon set to meet, Hungarian Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto said his country would "welcome such an event, because we in Central Europe have a very clear historical experience."
"And this experience says that in case the Americans and the Russians are able to maintain a civilized cooperation, then we in Central Europe enjoy a better security," Szijjarto told Newsweek. "If the Americans and the Russians fail to maintain a civilized relationship, then we are concerned about the consequences on our security."
But as President Donald Trump suddenly took aim at Russia in a remarkable shift Tuesday — promised ongoing U.S. military aid to NATO's pro-Ukraine war effort and even suggesting Ukraine could take back territory it has lost — Szijjarto maintained only a deal between the U.S. leader and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin could pave the path toward peace in Ukraine.
He argued such rapprochement, for which both Trump and Putin had previously called, could also make strides in stabilizing the region.
"I really do believe that the only solution for this war is a comprehensive American-Russian agreement," Szijjarto said. "If there's no Russian-American agreement, I see very limited hope for peace here. The Russians and Americans should come to a big agreement, part of which could end up in in peace returning to the central part of Europe, certainly."
'The Only Hope for Peace'
Yet many on the continent, including Poland, are calling for tougher measures toward the Kremlin and have expressed skepticism toward Trump's diplomatic engagement with Russian President Vladimir Putin—with whom Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has also retained ties.
But if the White House's overtures have failed to make sufficient progress, Szijjarto argues it may be Trump's detractors who are to blame for adopting policies that have fueled the conflict rather than quell it.
"I have to tell you that we do consider President Trump as the only hope for peace in Ukraine," Szijjarto said, "because during the time before him taking office, there had been no hope, because both the former American administration and the current European leaders are very much pro-war. They are more interested in prolonging the war than concluding it, and therefore it is only President Trump who can make the change here, who can give hope for a peaceful settlement."
"So, I think that his efforts must be respected pretty much," Szijjarto said. "And I can tell you that if European leaders had not put so many efforts in undermining the peace process, I would say he would have had a good chance to resolve the issue until now."
Quote:The Spanish Defense Ministry said one of its military planes carrying Margarita Robles to Lithuania was hit by an attempted attack on its GPS navigation as it flew near the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
"There has been an attempt to disrupt the GPS signal, but as our aircraft has an encrypted system, it was not affected," a defense ministry spokesperson said, Reuters reported. But they added that this was not targeted directly at the NATO ally's aircraft: "It must be common on this route and also with commercial flights. It is not because it is our aircraft."
Newsweek has contacted the Russian Embassy in Spain for comment.
Robles had flown to Lithuania for a meeting with her counterpart there, Dovilė Šakalienė, and to visit the Spanish Vilkas Tactical Air Detachment, part of the forces defending NATO's eastern flank, at the Siauliai Air Base.
NATO-Russia Tensions Heighten
The GPS incident comes as NATO allies accuse Russia of multiple serious airspace violations. Moscow has called the accusations unfounded. It also denied jamming the GPS of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's plane as it tried to land in Bulgaria in August.
Escalating tensions between NATO and Russia bring closer the prospect of a direct clash between the two nuclear-armed sides. They are engaged in indirect conflict over Ukraine, whose defense against the ongoing Russian invasion NATO is supporting with materiel and training.
The Kremlin has described NATO as at war with Russia, though neither side has formally declared war on the other.
Quote:The Russian army is moving at a “glacial pace” and struggling to gain ground more than three years after its invasion — but it still could take years and major losses for Ukraine to reclaim all the territory Moscow has taken since 1991, according to military analysts.
The Ukraine war saw a major shift on Tuesday after President Trump claimed for the first time that Kyiv can push back Russia’s forces and liberate 20% of the country currently occupied by the Kremlin.
Such a feat, however, would come at a high cost that would force Ukraine’s military to ramp up enlistment, weapons production and develop a fully fledged air force and navy, Seth Jones, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) think tank, told The Post.
“It will be hard, but not impossible to take back the territory,” he said. “The big challenge so far in the Ukrainian war is that the conflict has largely given the advantage to whoever is on defense.”
Moscow has been sluggish to gain ground since attacking Ukraine in February 2022, with the Kremlin’s troops now moving at a “glacial pace,” Jones said.
In the past 20 months, Russia’s forces have only managed to take 1% more of Ukraine, with Moscow barely able to make any dents against Kyiv’s fortress belt cities in Donetsk, according to the CSIS and the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a fellow Washington-based think tank monitoring the war.
The slow advancement is compounded by the massive losses Moscow has faced, with the Russian casualties estimated at 1 million, according to the last CSIS analysis in June.
The estimates include 250,000 dead soldiers, which is about five times greater than all the losses faced in the previous Soviet and Russian wars since World War II combined.
In the last 20 months, Russia was also estimated to have lost more than 4,100 armored vehicles and 1,800 tanks. the CSIS reported.
If Ukraine were to switch to the offense, it would likely face similar losses, Jones warned.
“The fighting has provided the side on defense with the chance to dig trenches and place minefields. It all makes it difficult for the offense to push through without suffering massive casualties like what we’ve seen from Russia,” Jones said.
EUROPE
Quote:A Paris court found former French President Nicolas Sarkozy guilty on some but not all charges on Thursday in his trial for the alleged illegal financing of his 2007 presidential campaign with money from the government of then-Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi.
The court is still detailing its ruling and hasn’t immediately sentenced the 70-year-old Sarkozy.
That step would come later in the court proceedings Thursday. Sarkozy can appeal the guilty verdict, which would suspend any sentence pending the appeal.
Prosecutors have argued for a seven-year prison sentence.
Sarkozy, accompanied by his wife, the singer and model Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, was present in the courtroom, which was also filled with reporters and members of the public.
Sarkozy sat in the front row of the defendant’s seats. His three adult sons were also in the room.
With the verdict, the 70-year-old Sarkozy becomes the first former French president found guilty of accepting illegal foreign funds to win office.
Sarkozy, who was elected in 2007 but lost his bid for reelection in 2012, denied all wrongdoing during a three-month trial that also involved 11 co-defendants, including three former ministers.
Despite multiple legal scandals that have clouded his presidential legacy, Sarkozy remains an influential figure in right-wing politics in France and in entertainment circles, by virtue of his marriage to Bruni-Sarkozy.
Alleged Libya financing
The accusations trace their roots to 2011, when a Libyan news agency and Gadhafi himself said the Libyan state had secretly funneled millions of euros into Sarkozy’s 2007 campaign.
In 2012, the French investigative outlet Mediapart published what it said was a Libyan intelligence memo referencing a 50 million-euro funding agreement.
Sarkozy denounced the document as a forgery and sued for defamation.
French magistrates later said that the memo appeared to be authentic, though no conclusive evidence of a completed transaction was presented at the three-month Paris trial.
FAR EAST
Quote:A Russian submarine capable of launching nuclear missiles was spotted near Japan—a key United States ally—as Moscow continues to flex its military power in the Pacific.
...
Russia operates a fleet of ballistic missile submarines as part of its strategic nuclear forces, including three Borei-class and five Borei-A-class vessels, the defense outlet Naval News reported. Each submarine carries 16 missiles, and each missile can be armed with six nuclear warheads, according to the Federation of American Scientists.
During a July meeting on the development strategy for the Russian submarine forces, President Vladimir Putin said submarines play a key role in ensuring the country's sovereignty and security, protecting its interests and maintaining strategic parity.
While the Russian military continues its war against Ukraine, it remains active in the Far East and the Indo-Pacific, which Japan described as "a strong security concern" in a defense white paper. The Russian Pacific Fleet recently completed deployments with a ballistic missile submarine and a conventionally armed missile submarine.
What To Know
Japan's Defense Ministry reported that three Russian naval vessels passed through the Soya Strait—also called the La Pérouse Strait in Russia—on Wednesday as they sailed from the Sea of Okhotsk to the Sea of Japan, called the East Sea in South Korea.
The Russian flotilla was tracked transiting 24 miles northeast of Cape Soya on Japan's main island of Hokkaido. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea states that a state can claim territorial seas extending up to 13.8 miles from its coastline.
According to the report, one of the Russian vessels was a Borei-class ballistic missile submarine powered by nuclear propulsion, marking the first time the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has spotted this type of Russian submarine near Japanese territory.
U.S. Naval Institute News reported that the Russian Pacific Fleet operates five Borei- and Borei-A-class submarines. It remains unclear which one was spotted by Japan.
The Russian submarine was accompanied by the cruiser Varyag—identified by its hull number—and a rescue tug. The Varyag serves as the Russian Pacific Fleet's flagship.
Japan's Defense Ministry also reported that three Chinese ships—the destroyers CNS Huainan and CNS Kaifeng and the replenishment ship CNS Dongpinghu, identified by hull numbers—passed eastward through the Soya Strait between Monday and Tuesday.
Quote:A top South Korean official said Thursday that North Korea is operating a total of four uranium enrichment facilities, adding to outside assessments that it has multiple covert atomic plants along with the widely known site near the capital of Pyongyang.
The North’s leader Kim Jong Un has called for a rapid expansion of his country’s nuclear weapons program and recently said he would never make the arms a negotiating point in response to overtures by US President Donald Trump.
The South’s Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said uranium enrichment centrifuges at the four facilities — which would include the known site at Yongbyon, about 60 miles north of Pyongyang — are running everyday and stressed the urgency to stop the North’s nuclear program.
Chung did not elaborate further on the location of the other, undeclared nuclear sites.
He spoke about the North with local reporters, according to his ministry.
A nuclear stockpile
Chung cited an assessment that the North possesses about 4,400 pounds of highly enriched uranium.
He first said that was based on intelligence but the ministry later clarified it was attributed to civilian experts.
If confirmed, the amount would also signal a sharp increase in North Korea’s stockpile of nuclear material.
In 2018, Stanford University scholars, including nuclear physicist Siegfried Hecker who had previously visited the Yongbyon complex, said the North had about 550 to 1,100 pounds of highly enriched uranium, sufficient for 25 to 30 nuclear devices.
Nuclear weapons can be built using either highly enriched uranium or plutonium, and North Korea has facilities to produce both at Yongbyon.
Last year, North Korea released photographs of what it said was a uranium enrichment facility, the first such disclosure since it showed the one at Yongbyon to Hecker and others in 2010.
The location and other details of the facility in the photographs remain unknown.
Quote:Kim Keon Hee, the wife of South Korea’s ousted former president Yoon Suk Yeol, appeared in court on Wednesday at the start of her corruption trial, part of a criminal probe that has ensnared high-profile political and religious figures.
Kim, who faces charges including bribery and stock manipulation, arrived at the Seoul Central District Court in southern Seoul wearing a black suit, making her first public appearance since her arrest in August.
In brief remarks to the court she confirmed her personal information and asked for a trial by judge, rather than a jury, but did not address any of the charges.
A prosecutor outlined charges against Kim, including allegations of stock manipulation, violating political fundraising laws by asking a power broker to carry out free opinion polling, and accepting bribes from South Korea’s Unification Church.
Kim’s lawyers denied all the charges and said the prosecutors had not shared details of the evidence they had obtained.
If convicted on any of the charges, Kim faces penalties ranging from fines to up to five years in prison.
A scandal over a Dior bag she was seen accepting from a pastor, which was filmed on a hidden video camera, came to overshadow her husband’s presidency until his shock martial law declaration in December led to his removal from office.
Yoon is on trial separately for insurrection and has been held in custody since July.
Quote:Super Typhoon Ragasa, one of the strongest in years, whipped waves taller than lampposts onto Hong Kong promenades and halted life on the southern Chinese coast early Wednesday after leaving deadly destruction in Taiwan and the Philippines.
In Taiwan, 14 people died in a flooded township, and four deaths were reported in the Philippines.
The fierce winds woke Hong Kong residents in the early hours, and many went online to describe scenes like a kitchen ventilation fan being blown down and a crane swaying.
Strong winds blew away parts of a pedestrian bridge’s roof and knocked down hundreds of trees across the city. Some vessels crashed into the shore, shattering a row of glass railings along the waterfront. Areas around some rivers and promenades were flooded, including cycling lanes and playgrounds.
At a promenade restaurant, furniture was scattered chaotically by the winds. Over 30 injured people were treated at hospitals.
A video that showed waves of water crashing through the doors of a hotel and flooding its interiors went viral in the financial hub.
The hotel has not immediately commented on the incident. But staff were seen cleaning up the lobby, with parts of its exterior damaged.
Nearly 1.9 million people were relocated across Guangdong province, the southern Chinese economic powerhouse. The national weather agency forecast the super typhoon would make landfall between the cities of Yangjiang and Zhanjiang in the evening.
MIDDLE EAST
Quote:Russian MiG-29 fighter jets have touched down in Iran, giving the country’s aging air force a short-term boost amid escalating Middle East tensions, an Iranian lawmaker said Tuesday.
Abolfazl Zohrevand, a member of parliament’s National Security Committee, called the MiG-29s a “short-term solution” while Tehran awaits the more advanced Sukhoi Su-35 jets, signaling a broader push to strengthen its military capabilities.
“Once these systems are fully in place, our enemies will understand the language of power,” Zohrevand told local media, highlighting Tehran’s determination to project strength as regional and global powers watch closely.
Newsweek reached out to Iran's Foreign Ministry for comment.
Why It Matters
The MiG-29 deliveries arrive in the wake of the recent 12-day conflict with Israel, which exposed weaknesses in Iran’s aging air force and defense network. Israeli strikes during the war targeted Iranian assets, highlighting vulnerabilities that Tehran is now moving to address. The new jets provide a boost while signaling Iran’s intent to rapidly modernize its aerial capabilities. The move underscores Tehran’s determination to rebuild its military strength and enhance deterrence amid ongoing Middle East tensions.
What To Know
“Russian MiG-29 fighter jets have arrived in Iran and are stationed in Shiraz, while Sukhoi Su-35 jets are also on the way,” Zohrevand said. He added that China’s HQ-9 air defense system and Russia’s S-400 system were being supplied to Iran “in significant numbers.”
Following recent clashes with Israel, Zohrevand emphasized that the MiG-29 jets are part of a broader effort to rapidly strengthen Iran’s air capabilities. The aircraft serve as an interim measure until Su-35s arrive, though Moscow has not yet officially confirmed any shipments.
Aging Fleet and Air Defense Gaps
Iran has long struggled to modernize its air force, which still relies heavily on U.S.-made jets purchased before the 1979 revolution, supplemented by a small number of Russian aircraft and domestically upgraded platforms. The country’s vulnerabilities were exposed earlier this year when Israeli strikes destroyed its last Russian-supplied S-300 air defense systems, which Tehran had acquired in 2016, leaving significant gaps in its protective network.
To compensate, Iran has bolstered its indigenous air defenses by developing the Bavar-373 long-range surface-to-air missiles, the Khordad and Sayyad missile systems, the Arman long-range anti-ballistic missile defenses, and the S-200 Ghareh long-range surface-to-air missiles.
Quote:Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday dismissed reports that Jerusalem was willing to give up the country’s buffer zone in Syria as part of a potential deal with the new government in Damascus.
The idea is a “joke,” the premier said in a recording on X.
“I’ll tell you what we’re discussing. We’re discussing with Syria something that wasn’t even imaginable before our great victory over Hezbollah. We’re discussing a security arrangement in which they demilitarize southwest Syria, and we ensure the security of our Druze allies in Jabal al-Druze,” said Netanyahu.
Last week, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said that ongoing security negotiations with Israel may soon yield a formal agreement.
During a briefing before his trip to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, the Syrian leader said talks could lead to results “in the coming days,” according to Reuters.
A Syrian Foreign Ministry official confirmed progress in talks, telling AFP that several security and military agreements are expected to be signed with Israel by the end of the year.
In an interview aired on Sunday, al-Sharaa told CBS News’ Margaret Brennan that U.S. President Donald Trump’s lifting of sanctions from his country was a “courageous and historic decision.”
Trump “recognized that Syria should be safe, stable, and unified. This is in the greatest interest for all countries of the world, not just Syria,” he added.
When asked if he wants to meet with the American leader during the U.N. General Assembly conference in New York this month, the Syrian president answered affirmatively.
“We need to discuss a great many issues and mutual interests between Syria and the USA. We must restore relations in a good and direct way,” he said.
Brennan also asked al-Sharaa if he had undergone an ideological transformation, having led the Sunni terror group Hayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS), an offshoot of Al Qaeda, during Syria’s prolonged civil war.
The president replied: “Let’s look at what’s happening now, regardless of what was said in the media. Today, we have really saved the people from the oppression that was being thrust on them by the criminal [Bashar al-Assad] regime. And we have restored hope for the people who are refugees or internally displaced, so they can return to their homeland.
Quote:The Israel Defense Forces is advancing into Gaza City, targeting Hamas’s main stronghold, with troops engaged in combat against terrorists both above and below ground, IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said on Sunday.
“Hamas has shown the world its true strategy: to exploit its own people and prolong this war,” said Defrin.
“Our forces are working day and night, turning over every stone, to bring our hostages home, dismantle Hamas’s terror networks, and secure a safer region for all,” he added.
Over the past week, Hamas had demonstrated its tactics by firing on a U.N. team, using stolen United Nations vehicles to obstruct the building of a new road for aid deliveries and robbing four UNICEF trucks at gunpoint, depriving thousands of infants of baby formula, said Defrin.
Hamas continues to block civilians from leaving combat zones, choosing to sacrifice Gaza’s residents rather than protecting them, he added.
The IDF has carried out a wide-scale operation to warn civilians and move them away from the fighting, using tools such as voice messages, leaflet drops, text messages and phone calls.
The military said it concurrently designated a humanitarian area in Khan Yunis and was working to expand related infrastructure in southern Gaza, including field hospitals, water pipelines, desalination facilities and the continued delivery of food, tents, medicine and medical equipment.
Defrin noted that tons of supplies were waiting at the Kerem Shalom crossing for collection by the United Nations and other international organizations, calling on them to deliver the aid directly to Gazans.
“Israel is ensuring civilians can keep out of harm’s way, enabling access to food, shelter and medicine,” said Defrin.
Quote:President Trump condemned moves by Western nations to recognize a Palestinian state on Tuesday, claiming such steps would only reward Hamas for the atrocities committed on Oct. 7, 2023.
Speaking before the United Nations General Assembly, Trump called on the world powers to help him secure a hostage release deal rather than join the wave of countries that have formally recognized a Palestinian state.
“As if to encourage continued conflict, some of this body is seeking to unilaterally recognize the Palestinian state. The rewards would be too great for Hamas terrorists for their atrocities,” he said.
“This would be a reward for these horrible atrocities,” he charged. “Instead of giving in to Hamas’ ransom demands, those who want peace should be united with one message — release the hostages now, just release the hostages.”
About 48 hostages are still believed to be in Gaza after Hamas kidnapped 251 people on Oct. 7, 2023, which saw the largest modern attack on Israel that left more than 1,200 people dead.
Over the past two days, France, Britain, Canada, Australia and Portugal all committed to recognizing Palestine, with other major powers expected to join.
The recognition of a Palestinian state has gained steam in recent months over the ongoing war in Gaza, which has devastated the Gaza Strip with no end in sight.
Although the move is largely symbolic, it has further isolated Israel. The US, however, remains a staunch ally, with Washington joining a boycott on Monday as France voted in favor of embracing a Palestinian state.
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, slammed the vote as a “charade,” claiming it does nothing to end the fighting in Gaza.
“They feel they are doing something, but they are not promoting peace. On the contrary, they are supporting terrorism,” Danon told reporters.
Quote:Archaeologists in Israel recently found an ancient treasure hoard dating back more than 1,600 years – not far from where Jesus carried out much of his ministry.
The coins were found at Hukok, a kibbutz in northern Israel, according to the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA).
Hukok is roughly three miles west of Capernaum, an ancient fishing town where Jesus preached and performed miracles.
Hukok and Capernaum are part of the Galilee region, which stretches from Israel’s Jezreel Valley to the border of Lebanon.
The coins, however, were not contemporary to Jesus.
The IAA said that they date back to the 4th century A.D., over 1,600 years ago.
They were left by Jews during the Gallus Revolt, the last Jewish uprising under Roman rule, between 351 and 352 AD.
The hoard consists of 22 bronze coins found “in a small crevice prepared deep in an underground hiding complex,” the IAA noted.
IAA researcher Uri Berger said the hoard’s location suggests it was “carefully planned its hiding place, [with its owners] hoping to return to it when the threatening troubles were over.”
The coins were found in a pit at the end of a narrow, winding tunnel.
Interestingly, the hiding complex also dates back to earlier revolts, such as the Great Revolt in the first century A.D. and the Bar-Kochba Revolt, between 132 and 136 A.D.
“This shows that hundreds of years after these tunnels were dug out, they were reused,” the IAA noted.
“The hoard provides, in all probability, unique evidence that this hiding complex was used in one way or another during another crisis – during the Gallus Revolt – a rebellion for which we have only scant historical evidence of its existence.”
Researchers were “great[ly] surprised” by the discovery, which was found by volunteers excavating the complex for tourism development.
“Fortunately, it was the many volunteers excavating the hiding complex who actually uncovered this important treasure, and they enjoyed this great moment of the joy and excitement of discovery,” the IAA’s Einat Ambar-Armon said.
“The excavation thus became not only an important scientific event, but also a significant communal educational experience – one that brings the public closer to its heritage, and strengthens the sense of belonging and the connection to the past.”
"For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ," 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Maranatha!
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My Original Stories (available in English and Spanish)
List of Compiled Binary Executables I have published...
HiddenChest & Roole
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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
