Trump Has A ‘Massive’ Midnight Meltdown In Flurry Of Social Media Posts
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Germany: Arrest made over Nord Stream pipeline explosions
Suspect, a Ukrainian national, was detained near Rimini, Italy, prosecutors said. The individual, identified only as Serhii K. in accordance with German privacy laws, was part of a group that planted explosives on the pipelines. Nord Stream 1 and 2 were among 23 pipelines that delivered Russian gas to Europe before the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. At the time of the attack, the pipelines were filled with gas but not operational, as part of early sanctions against Russia.
The suspect, a Ukrainian national, was detained near Rimini, Italy, prosecutors said. In a statement, they thanked their Italian counterparts and other international law enforcement agencies for their assistance.
Authorities said the individual, identified only as Serhii K. in accordance with German privacy laws, was part of a group that planted explosives on the pipelines and is believed to have helped coordinate the attack.
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Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig praised the “impressive success” that led to the overnight arrest, calling for the case to proceed until all the suspects had been detained.
What happened to the pipelines?
Danish authorities detected a series of underwater explosions on Sept. 26, 2022, near Nord Stream infrastructure. The suspected sabotage and resulting gas leaks rendered three pipelines inoperable.
Controversial even before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the pipelines became more so after Moscow launched its full-scale war in Ukraine in February 2022. At the time of the attack, the pipelines were filled with gas but not operational, as part of early sanctions against the Russian government.
Seen by both Russia and the West as an act of sabotage, no one has ever taken responsibility for explosions
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Nord Stream 1 and 2 were among 23 pipelines that delivered Russian gas to Europe before the invasion.
Who is the suspect?
Because the explosions occurred in Swedish and Danish waters on German-owned equipment, all three countries launched investigations.
In August 2024, German authorities concluded their initial investigation and issued an arrest warrant for the suspected ringleader, a Ukrainian national identified as Volodymyr Z. Officials said he had been living in Poland and had chartered a German yacht to carry out the attack.
The Ukrainian government has vehemently denied any involvement in the incident.
Edited by: Louis Oelofse
Teen inspired by Hitler to carry out mosque attack jailed for 10 years
The 17-year-old had planned to set fire to a Muslim centre in Greenock. He befriended the Imam and mapped out the building’s interior on his phone. Police found a German-manufactured Glock-type air pistol, ammunition, ball bearings, gas cartridges and aerosol cans in his rucksack. He was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday after pleading guilty to two charges of terrorism. The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced to 10 years in custody and eight years of supervision on licence upon release. He also had a list on his mobile phone of individuals who had inspired his political beliefs including Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik.
The 17-year-old had planned to set fire to a Muslim centre in Greenock after befriending the Imam and mapping out the building’s interior on his phone.
In January this year police officers apprehended the youth, who was carrying a camouflage military-style rucksack as he tried to gain entry to the building on Laird Street.
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Inside the bag they found a German-manufactured Glock-type air pistol, ammunition, ball bearings, gas cartridges and aerosol cans, prosecutors said.
READ MORE: Far-right movements thrive when mainstream voices ignore real tensions
He was sentenced at the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday after pleading guilty to two charges of terrorism, the Crown Office said.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced to 10 years in custody and eight years of supervision on licence upon release.
Prosecutors said the teenager admitted being in possession of documents likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism and engaging in the preparation of committing acts of terrorism.
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A search of the teenager’s home following his arrest found Adolf Hitler’s book Mein Kampf, a copy of the Quran, airsoft weapons, knives, masks and instructions and ingredients to manufacture explosives.
He also had a list on his mobile phone of individuals who had inspired his political beliefs including Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik, prosecutors said.
Sineidin Corrins, deputy procurator fiscal for specialist casework at the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: “This heinous plan to attack those within his own local community was prepared and driven by racial and religiously motivated hatred, and showed that he not only held Neo-Nazi beliefs but was about to act on them to cause pain and suffering.
“Fortunately, he was apprehended and this was prevented.
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“COPFS has a duty to keep the people of Scotland safe from harm and, working with police and other agencies, we are committed to ensuring that those involved in committing offences under terrorism legislation are brought to justice.”
‘A fast-moving and complicated inquiry’
Assistant chief constable Stuart Houston, of Police Scotland, said: “I want to pay tribute to the local officers who took swift action to protect the public and apprehended the youth, as the potential consequences of his actions could have been extremely serious and had a profound effect on the local community.
“This was a fast-moving and complicated inquiry, and officers carried out a diligent and thorough investigation to gather the evidence and brought him to court, which will now see him face the consequences of his intentions.
“Keeping our communities safe from acts of terrorism remains a priority for Police Scotland and its officers. I also want to express my gratitude to the partners who worked with us during this inquiry to ensure the achievement of this objective is realised.
“Anyone who has concerns about potential terrorist activity is urged to contact Police Scotland and there is confidential advice available at the ACT Early Counter Terrorism Policing website.”
Russia attacks important Ukrainian gas compressor station, sources say
Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities in recent weeks. Ukraine has faced a serious gas shortage since a series of devastating Russian missile strikes this year. Russia has repeatedly denied targeting civilians since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago. It says infrastructure such as energy systems are legitimate targets because they help Ukraine’s war effort.
The Ukrainian energy ministry later said that one of the country’s gas infrastructure facilities came under Russian attack overnight. It gave no more details, but said that the damage caused was being assessed.
“Yes, it affects gas injection,” one of the sources said.
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The Russian defence ministry said that its forces had carried out strikes overnight on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, among other targets.
Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities in recent weeks.
On Tuesday, Ukraine’s energy ministry said an overnight Russian attack had hit energy facilities in the central Ukrainian region of Poltava, causing large fires. Drones damaged a gas transport facility in the attack, it said.
Earlier this month, Russia also attacked a gas pumping station in Ukraine’s southern Odesa region used for importing LNG from the U.S. and Azerbaijan, undermining preparations for winter.
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Ukraine has faced a serious gas shortage since a series of devastating Russian missile strikes this year, which significantly reduced domestic production.
Russia has repeatedly denied targeting civilians since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago, but says infrastructure such as energy systems are legitimate targets because they help Ukraine’s war effort.
(Reporting by Pavel Polityuk, Editing by William Maclean, Aidan Lewis)
Trump Hosts Zelenskyy, Other European Leaders At The White House: Live Updates
Kristi Noem is looking into purchasing a fleet of planes that the agency could use for deportations, according to a report from NBC News. The cost for such a move could be between $2.4 billion and $12 billion if DHS were to purchase 30 passenger planes.
Currently, DHS charters planes for deportations and is typically using 8 to 12 planes at a time, Jason Houser, a former ICE Chief of Staff, told the outlet.
Under this arrangement, the Biden administration deported about 15,000 people a month, Houser said.
Noem’s proposal comes as the Trump administration has sought to ramp up deportations, and government-owned planes could play a role in enabling it to do so.
Were ICE to operate its own fleet, the agency could double the number of planes it uses and dramatically increase the number of people it deported, former officials said.
It would also mean that the agency would be responsible for staffing the planes with medics and security, as well as complying with Federal Aviation Administration regulations.
The cost for such a move could be between $2.4 billion and $12 billion if DHS were to purchase 30 passenger planes, NBC estimates.
But the massive boost in funding for ICE deportation efforts in Trump’s recently passed tax legislation could give Noem the resources she needs to proceed.
“We cannot confirm this reporting,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement.
UK targets Iranian oil magnate, four companies with asset freeze
The sanctions include an asset freeze on Iranian oil magnate Hossein Shamkhani. Britain said the network had facilitated hostile activity by the Iranian government. The sanctions freeze any UK-based assets and bar British businesses from dealing with the designated parties.
The sanctions include an asset freeze on Iranian oil magnate Hossein Shamkhani, and on four companies operating in the shipping, petrochemical and financial sectors, according to a government notice published online.
Britain said the network had facilitated hostile activity by the Iranian government, including efforts to destabilise the UK and other countries.
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Some of the companies were cited for acting on behalf of or at the direction of Shamkhani, who is accused of aiding Iran’s overseas operations. Shamkhani was also sanctioned by the United States last month.
The sanctions freeze any UK-based assets and bar British individuals and businesses from dealing with the designated parties.
(Reporting by Catarina Demony, writing by Sam Tabahriti)