Reports

SOAS University, of which Hamdi is an alumnus, urge ‘US authorities to ensure full transparency and due process’ in his case.

The London university where British political commentator and journalist Sami Hamdi completed his studies has called for “full transparency and due process” regarding his detention in the United States.

In a statement published on Wednesday, SOAS University of London said it was “deeply concerned” by reports of Hamdi’s detention, adding that “there is no indication that Mr Hamdi has violated any laws”.

“We urge the US authorities to ensure full transparency and due process in Mr Hamdi’s case, and to uphold his fundamental right to freedom of expression and movement.”

Hamdi, 35, was stopped at San Francisco international airport in California on October 26 and detained by agents from the Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) condemned Hamdi’s detention as “a blatant affront to free speech”, attributing his arrest to his criticism of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed at least 68,875 Palestinians and wounded 170,679 since October 2023.

Hamdi, who was completing a speaking tour in the US discussing Israel’s war on Gaza, had addressed a CAIR gala in Sacramento, California, the previous evening and was due to speak at another CAIR event in Florida.

He was unaware at the time that his visa had been revoked by US authorities two days before his detention.

Hamdi’s detention has led to a legal battle, with his lawyers filing emergency petitions against his detention, and his wife Soumaya and civil society groups demanding that the United Kingdom government take action.

Soumaya told Al Jazeera that the US government has still not provided any evidence “as to why they feel the need to revoke his visa. And therefore they are treating him as an overstayer”.

She said the incident raises an important question: “Has the United States become a country now where a British citizen travelling on a valid visa can be detained at will? Because that is really scary.”

Soumaya said she believed her husband had been targeted by the US authorities because “he’s become extremely effective at galvanising support for Palestinian rights. Sami has been able to bring people together across the political spectrum, not just within Muslim communities.”

She also said her husband’s arrest should be of concern to “everybody who values the right to freedom of speech, everybody who values the right to receive facts from journalists and for journalists to be able to report on news without being persecuted”.

“If they [US authorities] are able then to treat Sami in this way, it’s only a matter of time before they start to treat US citizens like that too.”

“The US government must release Sami immediately. They’ve made a big mistake, and they need to release him immediately. And Congress must investigate these ICE detentions because they are setting a dangerous precedent for the future ability of US citizens being able to exercise their right to the First Amendment properly. And that’s bad news for everybody,” she said.

Warner Bros. Discovery reported a $148 million loss in the third quarter, hitting a sour note as the company began fielding interest from would-be buyers as Hollywood braces for a transforming deal.

Earnings for the entertainment company that includes HBO, CNN and the Warner Bros. film and TV studios fell short of analyst expectations. A year ago, the company reported profit of $135 million for the third quarter.

Revenue of $9.05 billion declined 6% from the year-ago period. The company swung to a loss of 6 cents a share, compared to last year’s earnings of 5 cents a share.

Still, Chief Executive David Zaslav spent much of Thursday’s call with analysts touting his company’s underlying strengths — while avoided giving details about the company’s sale.

“It’s fair to say that we have an active process underway,” Zaslav said.

Warner Bros. Discovery on Thursday reiterated it is forging ahead with previously announced plans to split into two separate entities by next spring. However, the Warner board acknowledged last month that it was also entertaining offers for the entire company — or its parts — after David Ellison’s Paramount expressed its interest with formal bids.

Paramount has made three offers, including a $58 billion in cash and stock for all of Warner Bros. Discovery. That bid would pay Warner stockholders $23.50 a share.

The Ellison family appears determined to win one of Hollywood’s most storied entertainment companies to pair with Paramount, which the Ellisons and RedBird Capital Partners acquired in August.

But Warner Bros. Discovery’s board, including Zaslav, voted unanimously to reject Paramount’s offers and instead opened the auction to other bidders, which is expected to lead to the firm changing hands for the third time in a decade.

Board members are betting the company, which has shown flickers of a turnaround, is worth more than the offers on the table. Despite its rocky third-quarter results, Warner’s stock held its ground in early morning trading at around $22.60 a share.

“Overall we are very bullish,” Zaslav said of the company’s business prospects.

“When you look at our films like ‘Superman,’ ‘Weapons’ and ‘One Battle After Another,’ the global reach of HBO Max and the diversity of our network’s offerings, we’ve managed to bring the best, most treasured traditions of Warner Bros. forward into a new era of entertainment and [a] new media landscape,” he said.

But the company’s results underscored its business challenges.

The studio witnessed a major decline in advertising revenue in the third quarter, reporting $1.41 billion, down 16% from the previous year, which executives attributed to declines in the audience for its domestic linear channels, including CNN, TNT and TLC.

Distribution revenue also took a hit, as the company reported sales of $4.7 billion, a decrease of 4% compared to last year.

Studio revenue increased 24% to $3.3 billion, powered by the success of DC Studios’ “Superman,” horror flick “Weapons” and the latest installment of “The Conjuring.” But even those box office wins couldn’t totally offset shortfalls in other areas of its content business.

Last year, the company was able to sub-license its rights to broadcast the Olympics in Europe, which pushed content revenue to $2.72 billion. But this year, revenue was down 3% to $2.65 billion.

Burbank-based Warner Bros. has had a string of success in theaters, with nine films opening at the top spot globally at the box office. The studio recently surpassed $4 billion in worldwide box office revenue, making it the first studio to do so this year. Warner Bros. last achieved that milestone in 2019.

Zaslav would like to continue with Warner’s break-up plans, which were announced last June.

The move would allow him to stay on to manage a smaller Hollywood-focused entity made up of the Warner Bros. studios, HBO, streaming service HBO Max and the company’s vast library, which includes Harry Potter movies and award-winning television shows such as “The Pitt.”

The company’s large portfolio of cable channels, including HGTV, Food Network and Cartoon Network, would become Discovery Global and operate independently.

Beyond Paramount, Philadelphia-based Comcast, Netflix and Amazon have expressed interest in considering buying parts of the company.

The company said its third quarter loss of $148 million was the result of a $1.3 billion expense, including restructuring costs.

Tens of thousands of people in Sudan have fled el-Fasher and the advance of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in the Darfur region. Al Jazeera’s Hiba Morgan reports from a camp for displaced civilians in the neighbouring Northern State where people are in desperate need of assistance.

Nov. 1 (UPI) — Berkshire Hathaway has a record-high cash reserve of $381.7 billion after increasing its third-quarter earnings by 34% from a year ago, the firm said in its quarterly report on Saturday.

Berkshire Hathaway generated $13.485 billion in revenue during the third quarter, which is a 34% increase from $10.1 billion a year earlier.

“Investment income continues to benefit from rising cash balances and relatively high, though declining, yields on cash and short-term securities,” Edward Jones analyst James Shanahan wrote after the earnings report was released, as reported by MarketWatch.

Income from insurance underwriting topped $2.37 billion during the quarter, which was a 200% increase, partly due to relatively little by way of natural disasters and other common drivers of catastrophic losses.

The Omaha, Neb.-based conglomerate’s primary insurance and reinsurance companies produced pre-tax quarterly profits after reporting losses a year ago.

Although its insurance sectors posted profits, property and casualty insurer GEICO’s underwriting profits dropped by 13% due to an increase in claim amounts, according to Bloomberg.

Berkshire Hathaway’s Class A and Class B shares each rose 5%in value so far in 2025, and the firm did not undertake share buybacks through the first nine months of the year, CNBC reported.

It’s also the fifth consecutive quarter in which Berkshire Hathaway did not buy back any shares, which boosted its cash reserves to its current record of $381.6 billion.

That amount exceeds the prior record of $347.7 billion, which was set during the year’s first quarter.

Berkshire Hathaway also continued its recent trend of selling more equities than it buys, with a $10.4 billion gain from equities sales.

The U.S. Navy is continuing to build up its forces in the Caribbean amid reported claims that an attack on Venezuela could be imminent. The Ticonderoga class guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg is now in the region, a U.S. Navy official told The War Zone. The Gettysburg adds to a current force of eight other warships deployed as part of enhanced counter-narcotics operations also aimed at Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. In addition, as we have previously reported, the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group has also been ordered to the region, but is not expected to arrive for at least another week.

The Gettysburg is the second cruiser to take part in the operation, joining the USS Lake Erie. The vessels in this class bring a great deal of additional firepower and other capabilities to the flotilla now arrayed in the Caribbean. You can read more about the status of America’s dwindling fleet of cruisers here.

News about the Gettysburg deployed to the Caribbean comes as the Miami Herald on Friday reported that U.S. strikes on targets inside Venezuela “could come at any moment.”

“Sources told the Herald that the targets — which could be struck by air in a matter of days or even hours — also aim to decapitate the cartel’s hierarchy,” the publication reported. The outlet added that it is unclear if that means taking out Maduro. The Venezuelan leader was indicted in a New York federal court in 2020, during the first Trump presidency. He and 14 others, including several close allies, were hit with federal charges of narco-terrorism and conspiracy with the Colombian FARC insurgent group to import cocaine. There is now a $50 million bounty for his arrest.

The Herald story follows reporting on Thursday by the Wall Street Journal that the Trump administration “has identified targets in Venezuela that include military facilities used to smuggle drugs.”

While the Journal says that President Donald Trump hasn’t made a final decision yet on ordering strikes against land targets, anonymous officials told the paper that “a potential air campaign would focus on targets that sit at the nexus of the drug gangs and the Maduro regime.”

The potential targets under consideration “include ports and airports controlled by the military that are allegedly used to traffic drugs, including naval facilities and airstrips, according to one of the officials,” the publication added. 

Trump has since outright denied that he is considering strikes on Venezuela.

The president replied “no” when asked by reporters on Friday aboard Air Force One if it was true he is weighing whether to attack military sites in Venezuela. He said “no” again when asked if he had decided on the matter.

A White House spokesperson further pushed back on any assertion that an attack was imminent.

“Unnamed sources don’t know what they’re talking about,” Anna Kelly, a White House spokesperson, told The War Zone. “Any announcements regarding Venezuela policy would come directly from the president.” Kelly did not answer our questions about when that decision might take place or what targets, if any, have been identified.

A U.S. official we spoke with on Friday morning was not aware of any imminent plans to attack Venezuela. 

“While it does not appear that such an attack would take place in the coming hours, the U.S. military will be ready to execute at the POTUS’ direction,” said the official. “We are poised to execute any orders given to us.”

While Trump has stated that he is eyeing land strikes on drug targets in Venezuela, so far, attacks have been limited to what the Pentagon asserts are drug smuggling boats. Several strikes have resulted in multiple deaths of suspected drug smugglers.

Earlier today, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out a lethal kinetic strike on yet another narco-trafficking vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organization (DTO) in the Eastern Pacific.

This vessel, like all the others, was known by our… pic.twitter.com/mBOLA5RYQe

— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) October 29, 2025

These attacks have come under intense criticism for being carried out without evidence or the consent of Congress.

Blowing up boats without proof isn’t justice; it’s what China or Iran would do. There’s no evidence of fentanyl and no due process.

This isn’t about blowing up drug boats, it’s about talks of regime change in Venezuela. We’ve seen how that ends: chaos, not freedom.

America… pic.twitter.com/8VBNWu2xE9

— Senator Rand Paul (@SenRandPaul) October 30, 2025

Regardless of the timing of a large-scale attack, U.S. Navy vessels appear to be sailing closer to Venezuela. Satellite imagery shows that the Wasp class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima and an unidentified Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer have come closer than 125 miles from La Orchila, one of Venezuela’s outlying islands. The U.S. Navy official we spoke with declined to confirm the specific location of the Iwo Jima or any other vessels.

In another potential sign of future operations, the U.S. just closed airspace off the Puerto Rican coast, designating it “National Defense Airspace.” Pilots not adhering to the notice to airmen (NOTAM) are subject to being intercepted, detained and having criminal charges levied against them.

The NOTAM is adjacent to José Aponte de la Torre Airport, home to a significant deployment of forces, including F-35s. You can read more about the airport’s role in the ongoing operations in our story here.

This appears to be a ‘corridor TFR’ supporting military operations operating out of Puerto Rico into the Caribbean and back.

These are typically used when there is a high amount of traffic expected. https://t.co/7oZadNszc7

— TheIntelFrog (@TheIntelFrog) October 31, 2025

Meanwhile, as the U.S. continues to build up forces in the region, the Pentagon is assessing what, if any, resources will be deployed to provide humanitarian relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Melissa. The storm was a Category 5 hurricane when it slammed into Jamaica and Haiti, causing tremendous destruction.

U.S. Southern Command on Friday announced that Joint Task Force-Bravo deployed to Kingston, Jamaica, “on a mission to provide humanitarian and disaster relief assistance following Hurricane Melissa,” the command said in a statement.

“Three CH-47 Chinooks from the 1st Battalion, 228 Aviation Regiment, carried 40 service members and supplies as part of the initial effort to provide immediate, lifesaving and humanitarian support,” the statement continued. “The advance team will set up operations in Kingston to prepare for the arrival of additional personnel and equipment via three UH-60 and two HH-60 Blackhawks. Upon arrival, they will provide ongoing U.S. disaster relief assistance missions requested by the government of Jamaica.”

“Historically, U.S. military capabilities are needed most in the critical early stages of a disaster relief operation, when fewer resources, capabilities and disaster-response experts are available to help victims and impacted communities,” SOUTHCOM added.

The ships and troops of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Readiness Group (ARG)/22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), already in the region as part of the counter-narcotics mission, could also potentially be deployed for relief efforts. In addition to more than 4,000 Marines and sailors, the ships in the ARG/MEU have Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) hovercraft, CH-53, UH-1 and MH-60 helicopters, MV-22 Osprey tilt rotor aircraft and AV-8B Harrier II attack jets that could be beneficial in any crisis response.

While these units have responded to post-storm relief efforts in the region in the past, no tasking has yet been made for Melissa, the official told us.

“It is too early to say if the 22nd MEU will be deployed for any humanitarian relief efforts,” the official posited.

Regardless, assigning assets for relief efforts will not affect the counter-narcotics operation, SOUTHCOM said.

“SOUTHCOM is mission-ready to support both missions as required,” Army Col. Emanuel Ortiz, a SOUTHCOM spokesman, told us.

While it is publicly unknown what Trump’s plans are concerning Venezuela or Maduro, the addition of the Gettysburg is one more asset the president can call on should he decide to attack.

Update: 2:43 PM Eastern –

The Navy provided us with a comment about what the Gettysburg will bring to the table.

“As a Ticonderoga class cruiser, the USS Gettysburg (CG 70) brings a versatile suite of capabilities to support naval operations. These cruisers are designed as multi-mission surface combatants, capable of contributing significantly to Air Warfare (AW), Undersea Warfare (USW), Naval Surface Fire Support (NSFS), and Surface Warfare (SUW) efforts.

The Gettysburg can effectively support carrier strike groups, amphibious forces, or operate independently as a flagship of surface action groups. Equipped with Tomahawk cruise missiles, the vessel provides long-range strike warfare options. Furthermore, some Aegis cruisers, including the Gettysburg, have been upgraded with Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) capabilities. Advances in Standard Missile technology, coupled with the Aegis combat system, enhance the anti-air warfare capabilities of Ticonderoga class cruisers, providing precision accuracy across a wide range of altitudes. During its deployment to the Caribbean, the USS Gettysburg could leverage these capabilities in support of the U.S. Southern Command mission, Department of War-directed operations, and the president’s priorities to disrupt illicit drug trafficking and protect the homeland.”

Update 3:55 PM Eastern –

The military on the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago, located less than 10 miles from the Venezuelan coast, has boosted its readiness status, a local newspaper reported.

“The Trinidad and Tobago Defense Force (TTDF) has been placed on high alert, with all soldiers and Coast Guard officers ordered to report to their respective bases by this evening,” The Express newspaper reported. “A memo circulated to members yesterday stated that the TTDF has been moved to State One Alert Level—the highest level of operational readiness.”

The War Zone cannot independently confirm that claim.

Tensions between the two nations have soared over Trinidad and Tobago’s support for the U.S. That includes a recent visit by the Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer USS Gravely. A U.S. Navy official confirmed to us that the Gravely left that nation yesterday after a port call for joint military training.

It also appears that the MV Ocean Trader – a roll-on/roll-off cargo ship modified to carry special operators and their gear – has left Puerto Rico for an unknown destination. Navy officials and U.S. Special Operations Command have declined to comment on this vessel. The ship, which TWZ first reported on back in 2016, has been something of a ghost since entering service, popping up in hot spots around the globe.

The Ocean Trader has been spotted several times in various parts of the Caribbean in the past few weeks.

MV Ocean Trader, chartered by the Military Sealift Command for the U.S. Special Operations Command that supports Special Operations Forces as a mothership leaving Ponce, Puerto Rico – October 31, 2025 SRC: TW-@MichaelBonet8 pic.twitter.com/80HocPjWZL

— WarshipCam (@WarshipCam) October 31, 2025

Update: 4:14 PM Eastern –

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined the chorus of those pushing back on the Miami Herald‘s claim that a strike on Venezuela was imminent.

Contact the author: [email protected]

Oct. 22 (UPI) — House Democrats are launching a probe of allegations that President Donald Trump is seeking hundreds of millions of dollars from the Justice Department in compensation for investigations conducted against him before he won a second term .

House Judiciary Committee Democrats announced in a statement Tuesday that ranking member Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., was launching an investigation into the president’s “shakedown of taxpayers.”

The announcement of the investigation was announced in response to a New York Times report that said Trump is demanding the Justice Department pay him some $230 million in compensation.

Trump submitted at least two administrative complaints, the first in 2023 and the second in 2024, seeking compensation, ABC News also reported.

The first administrative claim seeks damages for purported violations of his rights in connection with the investigation into alleged ties between his 2016 election campaign and Russia.

The second seeks claims over allegations is in connection with the August 2022 FBI raid of his Mar-a-Lago residence and subsequent investigation and prosecution on charges that he mishandled classified documents after he left office following the completion of his first term.

Asked about the reports during a press conference at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said he wasn’t aware of the amount being sought but stated he should be compensated.

“I was damaged very greatly and any money I would get, I would give to charity,” he said.

Trump also acknowledged the unprecedented nature and potential ethical issues, stating “I’m the one who makes the decision.”

“And that decision would have to go cross my desk and it’s awfully strange to make a decision where I’m paying myself,” he said.

House Judiciary Committee Democrats chastised Trump, accusing him of “robbing America blind.”

“This is exactly why the Constitution forbids the president from taking any more from the government outside of his official salary,” they said in a statement. “This is Donald Trump First, America Last — the Gangster State at work, billionaires shaking down the people.”

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., described it as Trump “extorting his own Justice Department” and as “unprecedented, unfathomable corruption.”

“Eye watering conflicts of interests,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said in a statement. “More corrupt self enrichment.”

Kurt Suzuki wrapped up his 16-year playing career with the Angels in 2022.

Now, three years later, he is starting his professional coaching career with the same team, as multiple media outlets are reporting that the Angels are set to hire Suzuki as their next manager.

The Angels have yet to finalize or announce the deal.

Suzuki, a World Series champion with the Washington Nationals in 2019, played for the Angels in 2021 and 2022. After retiring as a player, he has served as a special assistant to Angels general manager Perry Minasian.

Suzuki will be the Angels’ fifth manager since 2018, when the organization parted ways after 18 seasons with Mike Scioscia — who led the team to its only World Series title in 2002.

He will replace Ron Washington, who was manager the past two seasons but missed roughly half of the 2025 season after undergoing quadruple bypass heart surgery. Ray Montgomery was interim coach in Washington’s absence but wasn’t considered for the job on a permanent basis.

The Angels went a franchise-worst 63-99 in 2024 after losing Shohei Ohtani to the Dodgers in free agency. They were 72-90 in 2025, their 10th consecutive losing season.

Born in Wailuku, Hawaii, Suzuki hit the game-winning single that clinched the College World Series title for Cal State Fullerton in 2004. He was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the second round of the 2004 draft and spent his first five-plus MLB seasons with the organization. He also played for the Minnesota Twins.

The Angels are said to have considered fellow former team members Albert Pujols and Torii Hunter for the manager job as well.

Staff writer Steve Henson contributed to this report.

Liberal Democratic Party leader Sanae Takaichi appears back on track to become Japan’s first female prime minister.

Japan’s governing party and the main opposition are set to form a coalition government, setting the stage for Sanae Takaichi to become the country’s first female prime minister, local media report.

Sanae Takaichi, the leader of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and Hirofumi Yoshimura, the head of the smaller right-leaning Japan Innovation Party (JIP), known as Ishin, are set to sign an agreement on their alliance on Monday, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported on Sunday.

Takaichi became leader of the governing LDP earlier this month, but her bid to become Japan’s first female premier was derailed by the collapse of her governing coalition.

Since then, the LDP has been working to cobble together a different political alliance, putting her chances for the top job back on track.

“The LDP has entrusted Takaichi with handling the coalition matter, while the JIP will hold an executive board gathering in Osaka on Sunday and a plenary meeting of lawmakers the following day before giving final approval to the agreement with the LDP,” Kyodo reported.

Japan’s leading Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper also said that Takaichi and Yoshimura were “likely to sign a coalition agreement after talks on Monday”.

Reports of a new coalition come after the LDP’s junior partner, the Komeito party, left the governing coalition after 26 years, plunging the country into a political crisis.

The sealing of an alliance between the LDP and JIP could lead to Takaichi’s election as premier as early as Tuesday, but the parties are still two seats short of a majority to pass the vote.

Should the vote go to a second-round run-off, however, Takaichi would only need support from more MPs than the other candidate.

The moves to form a coalition come just days before the expected arrival in Japan of United States President Donald Trump.

Trump is scheduled to travel to Japan before the annual Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea.

The U.S. Department of Defense may finally be ready to choose which company will develop and build the U.S. Navy’s F/A-XX next-generation carrier-based fighter. A report from Reuters today states that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth personally gave the green light for the selection last Friday. However, this is not the first time that there have been reports that this decision was imminent, as you can read about here, but these came to nothing.

The Reuters report publishes details provided by “a U.S. official and two people familiar with the decision.” Similar comments provided to Breaking Defense were attributed to “two sources.” The upshot is that the Pentagon could choose its preferred F/A-XX design this week. The program has long been even more secretive than the U.S. Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance jet, which emerged earlier this year as the Boeing F-47. What is clear, however, is that the F/A-XX decision is now months later than planned.

Also interesting is the timing of this apparent move, coming so soon after President Donald Trump’s visit to the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush over the weekend. He went aboard the carrier as the Navy celebrated its 250th anniversary and witnessed a firepower demonstration. While aboard the warship, Trump also met with senior Navy officials and saw the hardware of the current carrier air wing at close quarters — including the F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and E/A-18 Growlers that the F/A-XX will eventually replace.

At this point, the F/A-XX contest is understood to have narrowed to two companies.

Northrop Grumman is one of them. When it exited the USAF’s NGAD program around 2023, Northrop Grumman said it would focus on other priorities, including the F/A-XX, as well as the B-21 Raider stealth bomber. Earlier this summer, the company presented a conceptual rendering for its submission for F/A-XX.

The other F/A-XX contender is thought to be Boeing, the prime contractor for the F-47.

Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin was reportedly eliminated from the competition in March. It now seems they were about to get cut from the program prior to the choice to leave it on their own accord.

TWZ approached the Navy and the Office of the Secretary of Defense for comment on the apparent new development. Both declined to comment.

Notably, the Reuters story also includes the caveat, which it attributes to one or more of the sources, that “last-minute snags have delayed progress on the Navy jet in the past and could do so again.”

This points to the fact that, for many months now, the future of the F/A-XX program has been under scrutiny, with growing signs that it was at best in limbo. Boeing pushed back on that assertion back in June of this year.

Notably, like this report, it was Reuters that, in March of this year, published a story suggesting that the Navy was set to confirm the choice of F/A-XX that same week, something that never materialized.

In June, the Pentagon’s proposed budget for the 2026 Fiscal Year included enough funding to complete initial development work but didn’t include any further funds to actually start buying the aircraft. U.S. military officials said that this decision was made to avoid competition for resources with the Air Force’s F-47 and amid concerns about whether the U.S. industrial base would be able to handle work on both programs simultaneously.

At the same time, there have been questions, too, about whether Northrop Grumman would be able to support work on the F/A-XX while also grappling with the demands of the Air Force’s Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program, which is behind schedule and over-budget.

In July, however, the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced a draft defense spending bill that would reverse the Pentagon’s plan to freeze the F/A-XX program, as you can read about here. Approved by the committee in July, that version of the 2026 Fiscal Year Defense Appropriations Bill included $1.4 billion for F/A-XX.

The figure of $1.4 billion had also appeared in a call for additional F/A-XX funding that the Navy had reportedly included in its annual Unfunded Priority List (UPL) sent to Congress earlier in July.

While there has apparently been something of a dispute between the Navy and Pentagon leadership over the direction the program should take, the Navy has long spoken about its centrality to its future carrier aviation plans.

“The Navy has a validated requirement for carrier-based sixth-generation aircraft, and it is critical that we field that capability as quickly as possible to give our warfighters the capabilities they need to win against a myriad of emerging threats,” Adm. Daryl Caudle, the nominee to become the next Chief of Naval Operations, wrote in response to a question about F/A-XX ahead of his confirmation hearing in July.

Caudle was also present at the Navy’s 250th birthday in Norfolk, Virginia, wearing a flight suit alongside President Trump.

Not lost on Navy officials is the rapid pace of development that China is currently making in terms of carrier aviation.

The latest evidence suggests that China’s Shenyang J-35, its next-generation carrier-based fighter, may have entered limited series production and could even be in service with the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).

In a standout development last month, the PLAN demonstrated a new ability to launch and recover aircraft from a catapult-equipped aircraft carrier, its first of this kind, the Fujian. As well as the J-35, the J-15T single-seat carrier-based fighter and the KJ-600 airborne early warning and control aircraft have undertaken carrier trials on the new flattop.

With China rapidly developing even more advanced combat aircraft designs, and especially 6th generation stealth fighter-like aircraft, some variants of which will likely migrate to the carrier environment eventually, the pressure is on for the U.S. Navy to not fall behind. Calls have been growing to now move on F/A-XX in light of these developments.

China also has an expanding repertoire of advanced drones, broadly equivalent to the U.S. military’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), some of which would be suitable for adaptation for carrier operations. This could mirror U.S. Navy plans, in which the F/A-XX should eventually be a central part of a new-look carrier air wing that could feature as much as two-thirds uncrewed aircraft.

Once again, if we’ve learnt anything from the secretive F/A-XX program, it’s that it doesn’t always take the course that might be expected. But the appearance of Trump and Hegseth very much in the spotlight as the Navy marked its 250th anniversary, and China continuing to develop its carrier aviation capabilities at an impressive rate, might indicate that a decision on who will make the Navy’s next carrier-based fighter is finally due.

Contact the author: [email protected]

A shocking murder rocks South Korea when a young woman, obsessed with true crime stories, kills a random stranger to satisfy her darkest curiosity. But how can fascination with real-life murder cases spiral into deadly actions?

Are true crime podcasts and shows fueling dangerous fantasies? Can constant exposure to violence blur the line between entertainment and reality? We investigate the chilling case, examine the media’s responsibility, and ask: Does true crime content do more harm than good?

In this episode:
-Dr. Alex Taek-Gwang Lee, professor of cultural studies at Kyong Hee University
-Craig Wainwright, victim of false allegations

Reports indicate that the United States has agreed to provide Ukraine with targeting intelligence for its long-range strikes against Russian energy infrastructure. For many months now, Ukraine has been waging a campaign to degrade Russia’s oil and natural gas infrastructure, depriving it of critical resources for its offensive in Ukraine as well as revenue from energy exports.

According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, which cites unnamed U.S. administration officials, and another report from Reuters, the new policy is being adopted ahead of a possible transfer of longer-range and harder-hitting weapons that can be used against the same kinds of targets, and potentially others deep in Russia.

The officials who spoke to the WSJ reportedly said that President Donald Trump had recently signed off on the sharing of intelligence for the Ukrainian strikes, although the caveat that only attacks on energy infrastructure are covered is significant. Targeting data will be provided to Kyiv by U.S. intelligence agencies as well as the Pentagon. Meanwhile, U.S. officials are said to be pushing NATO allies to do the same.

This would be the first time, officially at least, that the Trump administration provides Ukraine with this kind of intelligence for its long-range strikes.

In the meantime, Ukraine has been repeatedly using long-range one-way attack drones, and to a lesser degree, cruise missiles of its own design, to hit Russian refineries, pipelines, power stations, and related infrastructure far beyond the front lines.

Videos showing purported Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil refineries in March 2024, involving long-range one-way attack drones:

The hope is that the new U.S.-supplied intelligence will make these raids more destructive.

At the same time, a Ukrainian delegation has arrived in Washington this week to work on a new agreement with the Trump administration that would see Kyiv sharing its drone technology with the United States, in exchange for a so-far undecided compensation, perhaps in the form of additional arms.

As to what might come next in terms of longer-range and more powerful weapons, should the United States agree to provide them, there is already much speculation that the Tomahawk land-attack cruise missile might be included. The prospect of Ukraine getting its hands on the Tomahawk, which can strike targets at a range of almost 1,000 miles, carrying a 1,000-pound unitary warhead, has already caused some alarm among pro-Kremlin military bloggers, as seen in the video below.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has confirmed that he had requested Tomahawks from Trump, after which U.S. Vice President JD Vance said that the United States was considering Ukraine’s request.

However, there is no guarantee that the Tomahawk transfer to Ukraine will be approved. As it stands, these highly accurate — and expensive — cruise missiles have only ever been exported to a handful of countries, and only in ship- and submarine-launched form.

The same officials explained that the Tomahawk was just one option being discussed, with others including the Barracuda, from Anduril. This is described by the company as an “expendable autonomous air vehicle,” but is essentially a low-cost, highly modular, air-breathing precision standoff munition. The Barracuda-500, for example, has a maximum range of 500 miles and carries a payload of up to 100 pounds. Currently, it is exclusively for air-launched applications, but it is built to be adapted to ground launch as well.

“Other American-made ground- and air-launched missiles that have ranges of around 500 miles” are also being considered, the officials said.

Washington has already approved the transfer to Ukraine of thousands of Extended Range Attack Munitions (ERAM). These are another new and relatively low-cost standoff missile, although it’s unclear whether Kyiv will be able to use the new weapon to strike targets deep within Russia. Previously, unnamed U.S. officials suggested that such targets are off-limits for American-made weapons, at least for the U.S.-donated Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS).

The ERAMs, which have a range between 150-280 miles and are stated to be air-launched, at least initially, may well have already begun to arrive in Ukraine. The first lot of 840 ERAMs is split between two designs, produced by CoAspire and Zone 5 Technologies, respectively. These are to be delivered by the end of October 2026.

As for the aforementioned ATACMS, Trump halted new deliveries of this ballistic missile, first provided to Ukraine under the Biden administration. There are also now tight controls on Ukrainian ATACMS use, with each strike requiring approval from Washington. At least some requests to use them against targets in Russia have been turned down, although the weapon has seen notable use in the Kursk region, adjacent to the Ukrainian border.

Even without the delivery of additional types of U.S.-made long-range missiles and the approval to use them against targets deep in Russia, the additional intelligence will be very useful to Ukraine. Pinpointing the weakest links in Russia’s energy infrastructure is especially critical if Ukraine continues to rely on lower yield, less capable weapons, like one-way attack drones, instead of advanced cruise missiles that pack heavy warheads.

There remains the possibility that long-range weapons might be provided by Ukraine’s non-U.S. allies.

Germany, for example, has been consistently linked with a transfer of Taurus air-launched cruise missiles to Ukraine, although this has, so far, been turned down by the government in Berlin. Nevertheless, German military officials have supported the idea of sending Kyiv weapons of this kind.

“Ukraine needs assistance in three key areas of confronting Russian aggression: air defenses, the ability to hold the front line, and the ability to strike deep into Russia,” explained Brig. Gen. Joachim Kaschke, responsible for German military aid to Ukraine. “When the Ukrainian defenders are facing a numerically superior adversary, they have to take the fight beyond the front lines,” he added.

Previously, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy have provided Ukraine with Storm Shadow and the similair SCALP-EG air-launched cruise missiles, which have seen extensive use.

Kyiv has used a wide variety of homegrown long-range one-way attack drones to attack Russian energy infrastructure.

It also has available the Long Neptune, an extended-range version of the land-attack version of the Neptune anti-ship missile. Ukraine famously used Neptune missiles to sink the Russian Navy’s Slava class cruiser Moskva in 2022 and reportedly began developing a new land-attack version in 2023. The numbers of these weapons is said to be very limited though.

A first official look at Ukraine’s other operational land attack cruise missile; the Long Neptune.

The Neptune LACM reportedly has a range of roughly 1000km, and has already seen combat this year. pic.twitter.com/cPHJ5sjZlu

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) August 25, 2025

Zelensky has said the range of the Long Neptune is in the region of 620 miles and that it has already been tested in combat.

More relevant for these kinds of strikes is the locally produced Flamingo ground-launched long-range cruise missile, unveiled in August. This weapon has a reported range of 1,864 miles and a powerful 2,535-pound warhead, making it a much farther-reaching and more destructive weapon than any missile or one-way-attack drone available to Ukraine now. Just as significantly, Ukraine is hoping to ramp up manufacturing capacity to build seven Flamingos every day by October of this year, though there are questions about how realistic any expanded production goals might be.

While there have been questions about the survivability of one-way attack drones and the very large and relatively crude Flamingo cruise missile, at the very least, they provide an additional headache for Russia’s hard-pressed air defenses, and it’s clear that a significant proportion of these attacks result in damage to energy infrastructure.

Remarkably clear footage of a Ukrainian attack drone flying untouched through Russian ground fire over Krasnodar Krai this morning, eventually slamming directly into Rosneft’s Tuapse refinery and detonating. pic.twitter.com/7p2U7l53Nr

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) July 22, 2024

Interestingly, it appears that Russia has been stepping up its own attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure in recent weeks. This may well signal the start of a new winter offensive, repeating Russian tactics of previous years.

Russia is intensifying its strike campaign against Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Footage below shows strikes on 330kV & 110kV electrical substations in the town of Slavutych, Kyiv Oblast, northern Ukraine.

In recent time, the Russians carried out similar attacks on energy… pic.twitter.com/ZEhl8hyoQg

— Status-6 (Military & Conflict News) (@Archer83Able) October 2, 2025

The new intelligence-sharing policy and the possibility of new long-range missiles being cleared for transfer to Kyiv appear to indicate a changing approach from the Trump administration.

After he took office in January, Trump made efforts to broker a ceasefire. However, despite offering Russian President Vladimir Putin economic and commercial incentives, this hasn’t gained traction, and a series of meetings between Russian and U.S. leaders have not had any success.

Now, Trump is taking a new and harder line with Putin.

Last week, Trump took to social media to declare, for the first time, that he considers it possible that Ukraine retakes all of its territory that was lost to Russia. He also called upon NATO allies in Europe to shoot down Russian aircraft if they enter alliance airspace.

It seems that, with an eye on the battlefield situation, where Russia continues to make only slow progress, Trump is now turning up the heat on Putin, something that we have discussed in detail in the past.

Of course, approving the delivery of additional long-range weapons would be an even bolder action.

Already, Kremlin officials are talking about the possibility of Tomahawks arriving in Ukraine.

“The question remains: Who can launch these missiles, even if they end up on Kyiv regime territory?” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier this week. “Can only Ukrainians launch them, or will the American military do so? Who is assigning the targeting to these missiles? This requires a very thorough analysis.”

Whatever decision Washington makes on the long-range weapons, the expanded intelligence-sharing with Kyiv underscores the fact that the United States is willing to provide more support for Ukraine, including its direct strikes deep inside Russia aimed at Moscow’s prized energy production capabilities. It may well also suggest that Trump sees this as the next step in pressuring Russia to sit at the negotiation table.

Contact the author: [email protected]

SEOUL, Oct. 2 (UPI) — The share price of Naver surged some 10% over the past week after reports that the leading internet company of South Korea may merge with Dunamu, a major player in the country’s cryptocurrency industry.

Naver’s affiliate, Naver Financial, is reportedly in talks with Dunamu, which operates the world’s No. 4 crypto exchange Upbit, for a stock-for-stock merger. If finalized, Dunamu would become one of Naver’s subsidiaries.

Both companies confirmed Thursday that such negotiations were underway, but they declined to provide details.

“Beyond discussions on stablecoins and an unlisted stock trading platform, Dunamu and Naver Pay are exploring a range of additional collaborations. No further details or specific agreements have been finalized at this time,” Dunamu’s chief spokesman Juan Kim told UPI.

Naver Pay, the digital payments service of Naver Financial, boasts a customer base of more than 30 million. Naver holds about 70% of the firm, with Mirae Asset Group holding the remaining 30%. Dunamu remains privately held, with its founding Chairman Song Chi-hyung having a 25.5% stake.

Even if a deal is reached, it would require approval from the shareholders of both sides. At least two-thirds of participants at each company’s shareholder meeting must vote in favor.

Market sentiment suggests that approval is likely, in consideration of the recent sharp rise in Naver’s share price on the Seoul bourse. That of Dunamu has also soared in the over-the-counter trading.

Creating new digital finance ecosystems

Observers point out that amalgamation between Naver Financial and Dunamu could reshape South Korea’s financial landscape, enabling them to compete more effectively with large-sized global rivals.

One major synergy could come from the introduction of a stablecoin, a cryptocurrency pegged to a stable asset like the U.S. dollar. This compares to most other cryptocurrencies, which fluctuate greatly in value.

Daishin Securities analyst Lee Ji-eun said in a recent report that the combined entity could link its stablecoin to Naver Pay, boosting mainstream adoption.

“In the long term, they could seek to dominate the Korean currency-based stablecoin market and provide services such as investment returns and lending by utilizing deposits as collateral,” she said.

Mirae Asset Securities projects that such a business model would provide roughly $210 million in annual revenue by the end of this decade.

Sogang University Professor Yoon Seok-bin described the potential deal as “the marriage of Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 businesses.” The former represents interactive, platform-based services, while the latter focuses on decentralized technologies.

“Both Naver Financial and Dunamu are already profitable. Together, I think they can bring about various new services such as a stablecoin and an all-in-one mobile application called a ‘super app,'” Yoon said in a phone interview.

“In addition, Naver Financial will be able to help Dunamu’s Upbit go abroad. Upbit is the primary crypto exchange in the country, but has yet to establish a notable global footprint. Based on Dunamu’s strong cash flow, Naver Financial will also have a chance to challenge bigger competitors, including PayPal and Stripe,” he added.

Naver Financial recorded $1.18 billion in sales last year for an operating profit of $74 million. Dunamu logged $1.24 billion in revenue, with an operating income of $847 million. Dunamu’s operating margin amounted to 68.5%.

Some watchers say that lucrative Dunamu opted to become a Naver affiliate to achieve its long-standing goal of going public in the United States based on the global brand power of Naver, which listed its U.S. unit Webtoon Entertainment on Nasdaq last year.

Expecting the merger will be structured as an equity swap, Eugene Investment & Securities analyst Jo Tae-na said that Dunamu chairman Song would be the largest shareholder of the new company.

Her rationale: Because the value of Dunamu is about three times bigger than that of Naver Financial, such an outcome is plausible through an equity swap.

“Following the merger, a global listing is expected to lead to at least 1.5 to 2 times higher valuation compared to Dunamu’s standalone listing,” she said in a report. “If the new company goes public, its corporate value could reach $29 billion to $36 billion.”

Unidentified drones seen at several places, including the biggest army base, after a slew of earlier sightings that Denmark calls a ‘hybrid attack’.

Unidentified drones have flown over Denmark’s military sites, including its biggest base, the latest in a slew of incursions near airports and critical infrastructure this week, which officials have called a “hybrid attack” and hinted at possible Russian involvement.

“The Danish Defence can confirm that drones were observed at several of the Danish Defence’s locations last night. Several capabilities were deployed,” an army spokesperson said on Saturday, without specifying where the drones were observed.

Police said “one to two drones” were observed at about 8:15pm (18:15 GMT) on Friday near and over the Karup military base in western Denmark, the country’s biggest base, which houses all of the armed forces’ helicopters, airspace surveillance, flight school and support functions.

Police spokesman Simon Skelkjaer said they could not comment on where the drones came from, adding: “We didn’t take them down.”

The Karup base shares its runways with the Midtjylland civilian airport, which was briefly closed, though no flights were affected as none were scheduled at that hour, Skelkjaer said.

Mysterious drone observations across the Scandinavian country over the past week have prompted the closure of several airports, including Copenhagen airport, the Nordic region’s busiest, which closed for several hours late on Monday.

Five smaller airports, both civilian and military, were also shut temporarily in the following days.

Drone reports also closed Oslo airport for several hours earlier in the week, following drone incursions in Polish and Romanian territory and the violation of Estonian airspace by Russian fighter jets, which raised tensions in light of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Thursday said “over recent days, Denmark has been the victim of hybrid attacks,” referring to unconventional warfare.

Investigators have so far failed to identify those responsible, but Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said on Thursday the flights appeared to be “the work of a professional actor”.

Frederiksen has pointed the finger at Russia, saying it is the “main country that poses a threat to Europe’s security”.

Moscow said on Thursday it “firmly rejects” any suggestion that it was involved in the Danish incidents. In a social media post, its embassy in Copenhagen called them “a staged provocation”.

The drone flights began just days after Denmark announced it would acquire long-range precision weapons for the first time, as Russia would pose a threat “for years to come”.

Defence ministers from about 10 European Union countries agreed on Friday to make a so-called “drone wall” a priority for the bloc.

EU Defence Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said Europe needs to learn from Ukraine and swiftly build anti-drone defences.

“We need to move fast,” Kubilius told AFP news agency in an interview. “And we need to move, taking all the lessons from Ukraine and making this drone wall together with Ukraine.”

Copenhagen will host an EU summit gathering heads of government on Wednesday and Thursday. It said on Friday it had accepted Sweden’s offer of its anti-drone technology to ensure the meeting could go ahead without disruption.

“Star Trek” legend William Shatner saw recent reports about his health as an opportunity to raise the flag about another matter.

The 94-year-old Hollywood veteran on Thursday urged his social media followers to be mindful of where they get their information, writing “don’t trust tabloids or AI!” He shared the cautionary message as he addressed reports that he was hospitalized Wednesday in Los Angeles.

The actor shared a meme of himself portraying Mark Twain in an episode of the Canadian series “Murdoch Mysteries” to his Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) accounts. “Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated,” says the text over the photo, referencing a famous and famously misquoted line from the American literary icon.

Shatner also opened up about his health in his caption for the meme: “I over indulged. I thank you all for caring but I’m perfectly fine.”

TMZ reported Wednesday evening that the Emmy-winning actor — who famously originated the role of Capt. Kirk on the TV series that launched the “Star Trek” universe — was hospitalized “after suffering a medical emergency.” Shatner agent Harry Gold confirmed to the outlet that the star “experienced an issue with his blood sugar” while at his Los Angeles home and called emergency services “as a precaution.”

Gold confirmed in a statement shared Thursday that his client is “perfectly healthy,” echoing the “Boston Legal” and “T.J. Hooker” actor’s social media sentiments.

Shatner addressed his health after previously discussing his tinnitus. In a video for nonprofit Tinnitus Quest he said that his struggles with the condition — in which a person experiences ringing or other noises in one or both ears — began during his “Star Trek” days when he was “too close to the special effects explosion,” which left him with permanent tinnitus.

“Over the years, I’ve had many up and downs with my tinnitus, and I know from firsthand experience just how difficult it can get,” he said, later encouraging viewers to donate to the nonprofit.

Al Jazeera’s Ibrahim al-Khalili saw the aftermath of an Israeli attack on one of the tallest residential towers in Gaza City. The Israeli military has levelled at least 50 multi-storey buildings in recent weeks.

A spokesperson for NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) says it has no force posture changes to announce after an unprecedented flurry of Russian drones violated Polish airspace overnight. Authorities in Poland say they have assessed that the incursions were not accidental. Polish and Dutch fighters shot down several of the intruding uncrewed aircraft. The alliance has described this as a first-of-its-kind event, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has warned that the risk of a broader conflict in Europe is now greater than at any point since the end of World War II.

Polish authorities say Russian drones began to violate the country’s airspace at around 11:30 PM local time last night. The last incursion was reported at 6:30 AM local time this morning. The intrusions came amid a new round of Russian drone and missile attacks on neighboring Ukraine.

Exactly how many Russian drones, and of what specific types, made their way into Poland’s airspace is unclear. Polish Prime Minister Tusk said that between 11 and 19 violations of Polish airspace were recorded overnight, many of them crossing the border from Belarus. He said that at least three, and likely four, drones were shot down. In his Polish-language statements, Tusk used the term “kilkanaście,” which means a number between 11 and 19, and has no direct English translation.

Radoslaw Sikorski, Poland’s Foreign Minister, subsequently said there had been 19 total airspace violations. He also said Poland has assessed that the drones “did not veer off course but were deliberately targeted.”

Poland’s Tusk has also said that while at least three to four drones were shot down, another three to four appeared to have simply crashed in Polish territory. According to Karolina Gałecka, a spokesperson for the Polish interior minister, the remains of seven drones and an unidentified “rocket” have been recovered so far. Speaking at a briefing today, the spokesperson for the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command, Jacek Goryszewski, said debris currently categorized as being of “unknown origin” may turn out to be from an interceptor fired by NATO’s air defenses.

Pictures that have emerged so far show the drones that have been retrieved look to be Gerberas, a cheaper and simplified Russian-developed complement to variants and derivatives of the Iranian-designed Shahed-136s. Gerbera can be configured as kamikaze drones or decoys, and it is unclear whether the ones that flew into Poland were armed. With an estimated range of just under 373 miles (600 kilometers), it is not immediately clear where Gerberas may have been launched from that put them within reach of Polish territory.

❗️Breaking: More than 20, most likely 23, Russian drones were detected in a nighttime violation of Polish airspace, — Polish media Rzeczpospolita reported, referring to the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces. pic.twitter.com/piwOkFrwqt

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) September 10, 2025

The debris has been found mostly in areas in eastern Poland, relatively close to the country’s borders with Ukraine and Belarus, but some has also been discovered much further north and west. The drone incursions had also led to the temporary closure of four Polish airports, including the country’s main Chopin Airport in the capital Warsaw, although this has since reopened and flights have resumed. One of the other airports closed was Rzeszów-Jasionka in Poland’s south-east, which is a major hub for arms transfers to Ukraine.

Locations in Poland where Russian drones were found today shown on a map:

Cześniki (Zamość County, Lublin Voivodeship) – 1 drone,
Czosnówka (Bialski County, Lublin Voivodeship) – 1 drone,
Wyryki Wola (Włodawa County, Lublin Voivodeship) – 1 drone and a damaged building,… pic.twitter.com/tVfugCeOrA

— Special Kherson Cat 🐈🇺🇦 (@bayraktar_1love) September 10, 2025

NOTAMs for closures at Modlin and Warsaw are set to expire at 0330 UTC (~60 minutes from now), while NOTAMs for Rzeszow and Lublin are scheduled to end at 0600 (all times preliminary and subject to change). Transit traffic over Poland continuing to stay west of normal routes. pic.twitter.com/QRd97Nw4Bv

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) September 10, 2025

At the time of writing, there have been no reports of casualties, but at least one Russian drone hit a house when it came down.

⚡ 7 drones and rocket debris of unknown origin found in Poland

This was confirmed by the spokesperson of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration, Karolina Gałecka, during a press conference. “We have found 7 drones and one piece of a rocket,” she confirmed.… https://t.co/EnsxzMOe6u pic.twitter.com/u6V2jz0iQj

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) September 10, 2025

Poland had already put its forces on high alert ahead of the first airspace violations last night. Polish and Ukrainian authorities have also confirmed they were actively coordinating throughout the night as Russian drones were tracked heading west.

Another report from the Commander of our Air Force. We are clarifying all available data and analyzing the details of this Russian strike.

Already during the night, Ukrainian forces were informing the Polish side through the relevant channels about the movement of Russian…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 10, 2025

More information is coming in about the intrusion of Russian attack drones into Polish territory. As of now, it’s known about 8 drones. Increasing evidence indicates that this movement, this direction of strike, was no accident. There have been previous incidents of individual…

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 10, 2025

Prime Minister Tusk’s office has confirmed that assets that were “directed to the anticipated area of operation” included two Polish F-16s, as well as Polish Army Mi-24 Hind, Mi-17 Hip, and S-70 Black Hawk helicopters. At least one Polish Saab 340 Erieye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft also appears to have participated in the operation last night, based on publicly available flight-tracking data. The look-down capability offered by the Erieye’s radar would have been particularly valuable for spotting small, low-flying drones. Poland’s armed forces also have extensive ground-based air defense capabilities.

After a major 9+ hour mission hunting Russian drones and coordinating air defenses overnight, Poland’s SAAB 340 airborne early warning aircraft is heading for home. pic.twitter.com/L1McAqVWz1

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) September 10, 2025

1x Polish AEW&C aircraft over Poland currently monitoring the eastern border.
Additionally, 1x NATO refueling aircraft was over Polish airspace supporting fighter jets, including at least one F-35, in the task of neutralizing Russian drones that have crossed the Polish border. pic.twitter.com/Dek3DwGFLb

— Amelia Smith (@ameliairheart) September 10, 2025

Polish authorities also said that two F-35 Joint Strike Fighters took part in the response to the Russian drone incursions. The Netherlands has separately said that its F-35s were among the assets that helped secure Poland’s skies overnight. The Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) currently has Joint Strike Fighters stationed at Malbork in Poland, to help bolster the country’s air defenses.

Dutch F-35s have intercepted Russian drones over Poland.

Within the NATO framework, our F-35s make a significant contribution to the defence of our collective security. This is precisely what we stand ready to do.

This is how we keep the escalating Russian threat at a distance. pic.twitter.com/fxZDbAXuTG

— Ruben Brekelmans (@DefensieMin) September 10, 2025

NATO has further confirmed that an Italian Air Force AEW&C plane, which would be one of that country’s modified Gulfstream G-550 aircraft, as well as at least one A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) from a fleet the alliance operates collectively, were launched in response to the incursions into Polish airspace.

German Patriot surface-to-air missile systems forward-deployed in Poland were also at least placed on alert. A NATO source separately told Reuters that Patriot surface-to-air missiles in the region detected the drones with their radars, but had not engaged them.

Exactly what Polish and other NATO assets were used to shoot down Russian drones is unclear. The Dutch Minister of Defense, Ruben Brekelmans, has confirmed that Polish and Dutch fighters were among them.

Video, seen immediately below, has emerged that is said to show a Russian drone being downed by a Polish Air Force F-16, but this remains unverified. A picture of debris from an AIM-120C-7 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) that is said to have been found in Poland earlier today is also circulating online, but this is also unconfirmed. Both F-16s and F-35As could have employed AIM-120s, as well as AIM-9 Sidewinder variants, and even potentially their internal guns.

Doczekaliśmy się momentu w którym Polak może w swoim ogrodzie znaleźć resztki naszego albo holenderskiego pocisku powietrze – powietrze AIM-120 C-7 AMRAAM którym strzelano do rosyjskich dronów.

Gwoli jasności, tonie jest powód do radości

1/ pic.twitter.com/MavfmjGF4L

— Dawid Kamizela (@DawidKamizela) September 10, 2025

Poland’s Tusk thanked both his country’s armed forces and NATO allies for shooting down drones overnight.

My thanks and congratulations to the Polish Operational Command and our NATO pilots for shooting down Russian drones over Poland. Actions speak louder than words.

— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) September 10, 2025

Regardless, it is important to note here that NATO jets, including Dutch F-35s in Poland, have scrambled in response to Russian drones into the airspace over alliance members in the past. However, they had not fired any weapons in response to those intrusions until last night.

“This is the first time NATO planes have engaged potential threats in Allied airspace,” Col. Martin L. O’Donnell, a spokesperson for NATO’s Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) told ABC News.

❝Last night showed that we are able to defend every inch of NATO territory including its airspace.❞

— @SecGenNATO Mark Rutte on the violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones

— NATO (@NATO) September 10, 2025

Though the immediate response to the Russian drone incursions overnight has concluded, Polish Minister of Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed that the search for downed drones was still underway as of Wednesday.

“We ask for calm and to share only the announcements of the military and state services. In case of encountering object fragments, please do not approach them and inform the police,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said on X.

Nad Polską trwa operacja neutralizacji obiektów, które naruszyły granicę RP. Prezydent i Premier zostali powiadomieni. Wszystkie służby działają. Prosimy o stosowanie się do komunikatów Wojska Polskiego i Policji. Samoloty użyły uzbrojenia przeciwko wrogim obiektom. Jesteśmy w…

— Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (@KosiniakKamysz) September 10, 2025

The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces called the overnight violations “unprecedented” and “an act of aggression that posed a real risk to the lives of our citizens.”

❗️W wyniku dzisiejszego ataku Federacji Rosyjskiej na terytorium Ukrainy doszło do bezprecedensowego w skali naruszenia polskiej przestrzeni powietrznej przez obiekty typu dron. Jest to akt agresji, który stworzył realne zagrożenie dla bezpieczeństwa naszych obywateli.

Na… pic.twitter.com/w9ygKlRh8V

— Dowództwo Operacyjne RSZ (@DowOperSZ) September 10, 2025

The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces called the overnight violations “unprecedented” and “an act of aggression that posed a real risk to the lives of our citizens.”

“There is no reason to claim that we are in a state of war… but the situation is significantly more dangerous than all previous ones,” Poland’s Prime Minister Tusk said. He further warned that the prospect of a large-scale conflict in Europe is now “closer than at any time since the Second World War.”

Warsaw’s immediate response included the foreign ministry summoning Andrey Ordash, Russia’s chargé d’affaires in the Polish capital. However, Ordash told the Russian RIA Novosti news agency that Poland has not offered any evidence that the drones were of Russian origin.

Poland has also now invoked Article 4 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which forms the legal basis for NATO. Article 4 states that “the Parties [to the alliance] will consult together whenever, in the opinion of any of them, the territorial integrity, political independence or security of any of the Parties is threatened.”

NATO’s article four calls on allies to “consult” in case of a threat. It was last invoked in 2022 after the Russian invasion by several Eastern European countries. Among other things, it would be a test of Trump’s approach to the alliance. Just a week ago Trump had said: “We are… https://t.co/yddJZAcP4U

— Shashank Joshi (@shashj) September 10, 2025

Since NATO was created in 1949, Article 4 has only been invoked seven times. The last of these was in 2022, in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The North Atlantic Treaty also includes a collective defense provision, Article 5, which has only ever been invoked once, following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States.

As noted, a spokesperson for NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) told TWZ that there are “no force posture adjustments to announce at this time.” U.S. European Command (EUCOM) declined to comment.

It remains to be seen what kind of response NATO might formulate following the Article 4 consultation.

A White House official told TWZ that President Donald Trump and the White House are tracking the reports out of Poland, and there are plans for President Trump to speak with Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki today.

Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers have been swift to condemn Russia’s actions. Democratic Senator Dick Durbin said that the “repeated violations of NATO airspace” by Russian drones were “fair warning that Vladimir Putin is testing our resolve to protect Poland and the Baltic nations.”

Repeated violations of NATO airspace by Russian drones are fair warning that Vladimir Putin is testing our resolve to protect Poland and the Baltic nations. After the carnage Putin continues to visit on Ukraine, these incursions cannot be ignored.

— Senator Dick Durbin (@SenatorDurbin) September 9, 2025

Republican congressman Joe Wilson, a senior member of the foreign affairs committee, went further, describing the incursions as an “act of war.”

Russia is attacking NATO ally Poland with Iranian shahed drones less than a week after President Trump hosted President Nawrocki at the White House. This is an act of war, and we are grateful to NATO allies for their swift response to war criminal Putin’s continued unprovoked…

— Joe Wilson (@RepJoeWilson) September 10, 2025

Wilson called upon President Donald Trump to respond with sanctions “that will bankrupt the Russian war machine.”

Increasingly, questions are being asked at the highest levels as to whether the drone incursion was a deliberate act, although the Kremlin has denied this.

German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius said the Russian drones were “clearly set on this course” and “did not have to fly this route to reach Ukraine.”

German Defense Minister Pistorius:

There is definitely no reason to assume that [Russian drones violating Polish airspace] was a matter of course correction errors or anything of that sort. These drones were quite obviously deliberately directed on this course.

According to the… https://t.co/Qw8C7h9wtQ pic.twitter.com/71AAh3x8Yz

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) September 10, 2025

“There is absolutely no reason to believe that this was a course correction error or anything of the sort,” Pistorius told the German parliament. He added that, according to the Polish government, the drones were armed with warheads, although this claim doesn’t seem to be otherwise supported.

The Russian Ministry of Defense, meanwhile, claims that there were no intentions to engage any targets on Polish territory, but has provided no further information to substantiate that assertion. The type of drones used are also indicative of this being a probing action to give Russia a valuable opportunity to observe NATO’s response. It could also serve as a form of intimation.

Same outward public signaling as if they had used larger Geran drones, but with a much lower risk to Russia of any actual NATO response given the much smaller warhead (if they even carried any and weren’t the decoy variant).

— Oliver Alexander (@OAlexanderDK) September 10, 2025

The Russian government already stands accused of an escalating campaign of hostile activities short of all-out war across Europe since it launched its all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Even before then, Russia had a long history of so-called hybrid or gray-zone warfare operations. Poland has previously accused Russia, as well as its ally Belarus, of deliberately fomenting crises along their shared borders.

Altogether, the full scale and scope of the response from Poland and the rest of NATO to last night’s Russian drone incursions, as well as whether that is the start of a trend of escalating airspace violations, remains to be seen.

Update: 2:00 PM Eastern –

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk says he has now “received not only expressions of solidarity with Poland, but above all proposals for concrete support for the air defense of our country” following conversations today with the leaders of other NATO members in Europe and the alliance’s Secretary General. Tusk did not elaborate on what that support might entail. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had previously said that “allies expressed solidarity with Poland and denounced Russia’s reckless behaviour.”

❝Allies expressed solidarity with Poland and denounced Russia’s reckless behaviour.❞

Following a North Atlantic Council meeting, @SecGenNATO Mark Rutte delivered a statement to the media on the violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones

Tap to watch his full statement ↓

— NATO (@NATO) September 10, 2025

It is worth reiterating here that Poland has significant air defense capabilities itself and has been making major investments to expand and improve them. This includes plans for a new aerostat-based elevated airborne early warning system that would be especially useful for spotting and tracking incoming low-flying threats like drones and cruise missiles.

“What’s with Russia violating Poland’s airspace with drones? Here we go!” U.S. President Donald Trump has now written in a post on his Truth Social social media network, but what actions he may be looking to take are unclear. Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican and major political ally of Trump’s, has said the U.S. Congress is prepared to help impose new sanctions and tariffs on Russia in response.

I completely agree with President @realDonaldTrump‘s sentiment in response to Russia’s insane violation of Polish airspace for hours, deploying multiple drones.

Mr. President, Congress is with you. We stand ready to pass legislation authorizing bone crushing new sanctions and… pic.twitter.com/LIqYmS4rG7

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 10, 2025

Fox News has reported that no U.S. forces were involved in the response to the drone incursions overnight. A report from CNN says that Keith Kellogg, Trump’s special envoy for Ukraine, had been on his way to Poland at the time.

A NATO spokesman tells @LucasFoxNews there was ‘no U.S. military involvement’ in shooting down the Russian drones.
“This is the first time NATO planes have engaged potential threats in Allied airspace.”

Attributable to U.S. Army Col. Martin L. O’Donnell, Supreme Headquarters… https://t.co/FSDcqYsp8h

— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) September 10, 2025

More imagery of Russian drones that came down in Poland also continues to emerge.

This remains a developing story.

Howard Altman contributed to this story.

Contact the author: [email protected]

Romania has scrambled fighter jets after a drone breached the country’s airspace during a Russian attack on neighbouring Ukraine, its Ministry of National Defence said, as Kyiv accused Moscow of expanding its war.

The Romanian move on Saturday came as Poland also deployed aircraft and closed an airport in the eastern city of Lublin over the threat of a drone attack.

Ukraine’s European Union neighbours have been on guard since Poland shot down Russian drones in its airspace earlier this week, with the backing of aircraft from its NATO allies.

Romania’s Defence Ministry said it detected the drone incursion late on Saturday, and scrambled two F-16 fighter jets as well as two Eurofighters – part of German air policing missions in Romania – while also warning citizens to take cover.

It said the jets followed the drone until “it disappeared from the radar” near the Romanian village of Chilia Veche.

Minister of National Defence Ionut Mosteanu said the F-16 pilots came close to taking down the drone before it left the country’s airspace, adding that helicopters would survey the area near the border to look for potential drone parts.

“But all information at this moment indicates the drone exited airspace to Ukraine,” he told the private television station Antena 3.

Romania, an EU and NATO state which shares a 650km (400-mile) border with Ukraine, has had Russian drone fragments fall onto its territory repeatedly after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on the social media platform X that data showed the drone breached about 10km (6 miles) into Romanian territory and operated in NATO airspace for about 50 minutes.

He alleged that the Russian military knows exactly where its drones are headed and how long they can operate in the air.

“It is an obvious expansion of the war by Russia – and this is exactly how they act,” Zelenskyy said.

“Sanctions against Russia are needed. Tariffs against Russian trade are needed. Collective defence is needed.”

Sweden also condemned the drone incursion in Romania.

Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard wrote on X that the breach was “another unacceptable violation of NATO airspace”.

“Sweden stands in full solidarity with Romania as a NATO Ally and EU Member State. We are always ready to contribute further to the deterrence and defence of the Alliance.”

NATO had announced plans to beef up the defence of Europe’s eastern flank on Friday, after Poland shot down drones that had violated its airspace, the first known shots fired by a member of the Western alliance during Russia’s war in Ukraine.

While Russia denies targeting Poland, several European countries, including France, Germany and Sweden, have stepped up their support for defending Polish airspace in response.

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, expressed concern at the Russian drone incursion into Polish airspace, but said that it remained unclear if it was a deliberate act by Russia.

“We think it’s an unacceptable and unfortunate and dangerous development,” Rubio told reporters before departing on a trip to Israel and the United Kingdom.

“No doubt about it: the drones were intentionally launched. The question is whether the drones were targeted to go into Poland specifically.”

Rubio said that if the drones were targeted at Poland, “if the evidence leads us there, then obviously that’ll be a highly escalatory move”.

“There are a number of other possibilities as well, but I think we’d like to have all the facts and consult with our allies before we make specific determinations,” he added.

The comments echo suggestions by US President Donald Trump that the Russian incursions into Polish airspace were a mistake.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, however, has dismissed that.

“We would also wish that the drone attack on Poland was a mistake. But it wasn’t. And we know it,” Tusk said on X on Friday.

Trump, meanwhile, said on Saturday that he was ready to impose major sanctions on Russia – just as soon as all NATO nations did the same thing and stopped buying Russian oil.

“I am ready to do major Sanctions on Russia when all NATO Nations have agreed, and started, to do the same thing, and when all NATO Nations STOP BUYING OIL FROM RUSSIA,” he said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

Trump has repeatedly threatened sanctions against Russia without following through.

Lakeland (LAKE -3.73%) reported fiscal second quarter 2026 earnings on September 3, 2025, posting record revenue of $52.5 million, up 36% year-over-year driven largely by fire services growth and recent acquisitions, and adjusted EBITDA of $5.1 million, up 90% year-over-year. Net income turned positive at $800,000 versus a $1.4 million loss in fiscal Q2 2025, but adjusted gross margin (non-GAAP) contracted to 37.4% from 41.1% a year prior due to tariffs and acquisition-related margin dilution. This analysis provides three actionable insights on strategic integration, margin management, and operational discipline taken from executive commentary and Q&A.

Acquisitions accelerate Lakeland’s revenue and market share

Recent deals, including Meridian, LHD, and Jolly, contributed $9 million of the $14 million total year-over-year revenue growth, with fire services products increasing by 113% year-over-year and comprising 47% of total revenue year-to-date. Lakeland’s exposure now spans the U.S., Europe, and Asia Pacific, and the company is actively engaged in multiple new M&A opportunities in the fire suit rental, decontamination, and services sector, especially within the United States.

“With the four recently completed acquisitions, which added product line extensions either made of new products and expanded our global footprint, We are well-positioned to grow our global head-to-toe buyer portfolio and generate long-term value for our shareholders.”
— Jim Jenkins, President, CEO, and Executive Chairman

These integrations enhance Lakeland’s competitive moat in consolidated fire and industrial protective markets by creating cross-selling opportunities and recurring revenue streams.

Tariffs and acquisition mix pressure Lakeland gross margins

Adjusted gross margin fell 370 basis points year-over-year to 37.4%, primarily due to lower acquired company margins, increased material costs, new tariffs, and inventory purchase accounting impacts, though it rose sequentially by 220 basis points, primarily due to a partial reversal of purchase price variance expense and some cost reductions. Tariff effects were prominent in Latin America and caused $3.6 million in year-over-year sales declines in that region, while U.S. and European revenues soared.

“Adjusted gross profit as a percentage of net sales in the second quarter was 37.4% versus 41.1% in the comparable year-ago period but increased 220 basis points sequentially from 35.2% in the first quarter. Our adjusted gross margin percentage decreased in the second quarter for fiscal 2026 compared to the same period last year. Primarily due to lower acquired company gross margins, increased material costs, and tariffs.”
— Jim Jenkins, President, CEO, and Executive Chairman

Lakeland’s near-term profitability will remain tied to its ability to offset input cost inflation and tariffs through price realization, operational efficiency, and a more favorable sales mix as newly acquired service businesses ramp up.

Lakeland ramps cost savings and working capital discipline

Operating expense reductions began contributing in the quarter, with adjusted OpEx declining 8.1% from Q1 to Q2 and identified savings of at least $1 million annualized to date for the remainder of the year; further cost initiatives are forecasted to yield an additional $3 million in annualized savings taking effect through the second half of the year. The company’s inventory balance increased 33% year-over-year to $90.2 million from $67.9 million, a key focus for improvement by optimizing working capital in line with demand and recent acquisition absorption.

“We have further identified and are executing initiatives expected to yield an additional $3 million in annualized savings. With the benefits anticipated to materialize in 2026. We believe these efforts will enable higher margins and build a more agile, and cost-effective Lakeland in the longer term.”
— Jim Jenkins, President, CEO, and Executive Chairman

Disciplined cost management and inventory optimization are vital for supporting margin recovery and EBITDA growth, strengthening Lakeland’s ability to self-fund continued M&A and platform reinvestment.

Looking Ahead

Management guided revenue to the lower end of the $210 million to $220 million range for fiscal 2026, with adjusted EBITDA excluding FX between $20 million and $24 million, reflecting Latin American sales weakness and tariff-driven uncertainty. The company expects sequential improvement in gross margin and adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) in the third quarter, and is targeting organic growth in the high single-digit to low double-digit range over the medium term. Over the next three to five years, Lakeland aims to expand EBITDA margin into the mid to high teens, driven by efficiency gains, strategic acquisition synergies, and a more profitable business mix.