Trump Taps Former DHS Official Troy Edgar for U.S. Ambassador Role in El Salvador 
Trump’s Rob Reiner Remarks Spark Bipartisan Outrage After Tragic Deaths 
Taiwan Political Standoff Deepens as President Lai Urges Parliament to Withdraw Disputed Laws 
Venezuela Seeks UN Security Council Meeting Over U.S. Oil Tanker Blockade 
Trump Attends Dover Ceremony Honoring U.S. Personnel Killed in Syria 
U.S.-Russia Talks in Miami Raise Hopes for Potential Ukraine War Deal 
NSW to Recall Parliament for Urgent Gun and Protest Law Reforms After Bondi Beach Shooting 
Trump Administration Plans Major Increase in Denaturalization Cases for Naturalized U.S. Citizens 
Zelenskiy Urges Allies to Use Frozen Russian Assets as EU Summit Nears 
Pakistan’s Army Chief Faces Gaza Troop Dilemma Amid US Pressure 
U.S. Initiates $11.1 Billion Arms Sale to Taiwan Amid Rising China Tensions 
Federal Appeals Court Allows Trump’s National Guard Deployment in Washington, D.C. to Continue 
Italy Supreme Court Upholds Salvini Acquittal in Migrant Kidnapping Case 
Union-Aligned Investors Question Amazon, Walmart and Alphabet on Trump Immigration Policies 
Republicans Raise National Security Concerns Over Intel’s Testing of China-Linked Chipmaking Tools 
U.S. House Advances GOP Healthcare Bill as ACA Subsidies Near Expiration 
The United States military released the video footage showing the incident when its drone was intercepted by a Russian fighter jet sending it crashing into the Black Sea. The footage comes amidst Russia’s denial that it deliberately downed the drone.
The video footage of the incident was declassified and released by the US European Command, showing the Russian Su-27 fighter jet approaching the back of the US MQ-9 drone to dump fuel near it. The footage also showed how there was a loss of video feed after another Russian fighter jet maneuver, which the Pentagon said came from the collision with the drone before ending with images of the drone’s damaged propeller that was said to have resulted from the incident.
Moscow has denied Washington’s accusations that its fighter jets acted recklessly and instead blamed the incident on sharp maneuvers and that the jet did not make any contact with the drone. Russia also blamed the incident on “the intensification of intelligence activities against the interests of the Russian Federation.” Moscow went on to accuse Washington of “escalation” over the situation, warning that it would respond “in kind to all provocations.”
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley both spoke to their Russian counterparts following the incident. US officials have maintained that the military will continue flying drones in the Black Sea even amidst concerns of escalation, according to Kimberley Halkett of Al Jazeera, noting that the drones are surveillance drones that are flying in accordance with international law.
On Thursday, Polish interior minister Mariusz Kaminski said the country’s security service has broken up a Russian spy network operating in Poland and detained nine people suspected of plotting acts of sabotage by monitoring rail routes to Ukraine. A staunch ally of Ukraine and the center of weapons deliveries to Kyiv, Warsaw said it is often being targeted by Russian efforts to destabilize the country.
“In recent days, the Internal Security Agency has detained nine people suspected of collaborating with the Russian secret services,” Kaminski told a news conference. “The suspects conducted intelligence activities against Poland and prepared acts of sabotage at the request of Russian intelligence.
Kaminski said six of the nine people that were detained were charged with espionage for Russia and participation in an organized criminal group. The prosecution proceedings against the remaining three people are still ongoing.
