United States
🇺🇸 Washington demands swift action from India as plot thickens in foiled assassination attempt of US-based Sikh activist Pannun. Fresh charges against ex-Indian spy Yadav test diplomatic ties, while India maintains silence amid parallel Canadian controversy.
🇨🇺 Cuba is struggling to restore power after multiple grid failures, worsened by Tropical Storm Oscar. The government has closed schools and non-essential industries to manage the crisis, with blackouts affecting millions. Cuba blames the U.S. embargo and sanctions for its fuel and parts shortages.
🇺🇸 U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visited Kyiv, pledging $400 million in new arms for Ukraine just weeks before the U.S. presidential election. Despite uncertainty over future support, Austin reaffirmed bipartisan backing for Ukraine, warning that failing to resist Putin risks tyranny.
🇺🇸 The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Michael Cohen’s appeal to revive his lawsuit against Donald Trump, alleging retaliation for writing a book critical of Trump. Cohen’s lawyer calls it a “dangerous moment for democracy,” while Trump’s attorney dismisses it as a “frivolous” attempt to involve Trump in court again.
🇺🇸 Paul Whelan recounts the harsh, monotonous conditions of his five-year imprisonment in Russia, enduring filthy labor camps, sham trials, and failed prisoner swaps. Now free, he’s focused on fighting for fellow Americans still held abroad, driven by hope and advocacy rather than revenge.
🇺🇸 U.S. Envoy Amos Hochstein warns Israel’s conflict with Hezbollah has spiraled “out of control,” urging the enforcement of U.N. Resolution 1701 to deescalate the crisis. With Israel’s offensive deepening the humanitarian disaster, Lebanon’s future hinges on diplomacy, not warfare.
🇰🇵 North Korea, hardly known for respecting international law, denounces US-led sanctions team as “unlawful,” escalating tensions. With NK’s military ties to Russia growing amid accusations of sending troops to Ukraine, Washington, Seoul, and Tokyo remain on alert.
🇮🇳 Ex-Indian official Vikash Yadav, charged in the U.S. for a foiled plot to kill a Sikh separatist in NYC, was also arrested in Delhi for attempted murder in Dec. Allegations link him to gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, as India is confronted over its targeting and assasinations of dissidents abroad.
🇺🇸 With Elon Musk’s $75 million backing, America PAC is faltering in key battleground states as canvassers struggle to hit outreach goals. In places like Wisconsin and Nevada, inflated door-knocking numbers and staff turnover reflect deeper organizational chaos amid total dysfunction.
🇺🇸 A federal judge has blocked Florida officials from threatening TV stations over pro-abortion rights ads, calling it a clear violation of free speech. From the ruling: “To keep it simple for the state of Florida: it’s the First Amendment, stupid.”