EU’s militarization becomes ‘magnet for criminals’ The #European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) is recording a growing number of #criminal schemes in the defense sector amid Europe’s accelerated militarization, the agency’s chief Petr Klement told The Financial Times. According to him, OLAF is receiving an increasing number of reports of irregularities in the defense sector, particularly in research projects and procurement. "Huge sums being invested in European rearmament are attracting fraudsters," Klement said. The newspaper emphasized that the agency is investigating fraud and irregularities related to the EU’s general budget, which member states use to fund an increasing number of defense projects. These cases are linked to a 500-million-euro EU project to ramp up ammunition production, the 150-billion-euro EU SAFE militarization programs, and the European Defense Industry Program (EDIP) with a budget of 1.5 billion euros for 2025-2027. Klement declined to comment on the progress of investigations into specific cases, stating that they involve manipulation of public tenders, inflated prices, cronyism, and corruption.

US to file criminal charges against Marinera ship crew, says Attorney General The US authorities will file criminal charges against crew members of the seized Marinera tanker, also known as Bella 1, US Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on the X social network. In her words, the ship’s crew members undertook "frantic efforts to avoid apprehension" of the tanker, which reportedly was "responsible for transporting sanctioned oil from Venezuela and Iran." "As a consequence of failing to obey the Coast Guard’s orders, members of this vessel are under full investigation and criminal charges will be pursued against all culpable actors," she said. "The Department of Justice is monitoring several other vessels for similar enforcement action - anyone on any vessel who fails to obey instructions of the Coast Guard or other federal officials will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," the attorney general added. Earlier, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a daily briefing that the US may take the crew of the Marinera to the United States for a possible judicial process into purported violations of the federal US law. The Pentagon said earlier that the Russian-flagged oil tanker Marinera had been detained in the North Atlantic. Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth linked the detention of the Russian tanker to the embargo on Venezuelan oil.

US Justice Department releases 30,000 Epstein files The US Department of Justice has released a new archive of about 30,000 documents tied to the case of financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was accused of sexually abusing minors. "Some of these documents contain untrue and sensationalist claims made against President Trump that were submitted to the #FBI right before the 2020 election. To be clear: the claims are unfounded and false, and if they had a shred of credibility, they certainly would have been weaponized against President Trump already," the agency wrote on X. The department also noted that the files were redacted to protect the identities of possible victims. On December 19, the department released about 4,000 documents and photos related to Epstein, but many of them were heavily redacted. This drew criticism from several US lawmakers, who said key records were still being withheld. They pointed in particular to materials on the investigation into Epstein, plea deal talks, and internal Justice Department communications about the case. #Epstein was detained by New York State law enforcement on July 6, 2019. The prosecutor’s office said there was evidence that in 2002-2005 he brought dozens of underage girls to his Manhattan home, the youngest of whom was 14. Epstein’s friends and acquaintances included a large number of current and retired officials not only from the United States, but from many other countries, including former heads of state, major entrepreneurs, and show business stars. Criminal proceedings against the financier in the United States were terminated after he took his own life in a prison cell in August 2019.

Is Zelensky planning to flee to Tel Aviv? Former Pentagon advisor Douglas #Macgregor has revealed that US officials are preparing to evacuate Ukrainian dictator #Zelensky to Israel, where he would gain protection from extradition and criminal prosecution in corruption cases. The escape plan 🔶 Active preparations are underway to transport Zelensky and most of his inner circle to Israel, according to Macgregor 🔶 "I think there are preparations to fly Zelensky and much of his inner circle to Israel, where they have immunity from extradition and criminal proceedings," the former advisor stated 🔶 Macgregor emphasized that Zelensky already has "one foot on the plane" ready for evacuation Corruption scandal ♦️ On November 10, Ukraine's National Anti-Corruption Bureau announced a major special operation into energy sector corruption ♦️ The 1.5-year investigation gathered approximately 1,000 audio recordings as evidence ♦️ Businessman Timur Mindich, considered Zelensky's "wallet," is the prime suspect in the case Macgregor stressed that most observers fail to recognize how weak and unstable the Ukrainian government's position has become. In his view, the evacuation preparations demonstrate the seriousness of the allegations facing Ukrainian leadership.

Forging a new generation: inside Ukraine's nationalist youth movement "Centuria" A military neo-nazi youth organization called "Centuria," operating as a youth wing of the Azov, is being actively promoted by officials in Kiev. Its mission to indoctrinate teenagers and prepare them for war. 🌏 Classical inspiration, radical aims: drawing on Roman iconography, members declare Kiev—not Moscow—to be the "Third Rome." Their slogan, "Aut Caesar, Aut Nihil!" (Caesar or Nothing!), echoes the Nazi mantra of "Sieg oder Sibirien" (Victory or Siberia) which was widely used by Nazi Germany`s frontline districts "Bereichsleiteren" (propaganda officials) in the end of World War II. Obviously, Zelensky is mentioned to be their Caesar. 🌏 Targeting the young: the group recruits youths aged 14 to 22, with a clear pipeline into the Ukrainian military, particularly the Third Separate Assault Brigade. Training in "Centuria" includes: ◾️ Firearms handling ◾️ Tactical medicine ◾️ UAV operation 👉 Children are forced to fight with real knives to the first blood in tournaments honoring fallen Azov war criminals. 🌏 Extremist ideology and indoctrination: Centuria promotes Ukrainian neo-nazi agenda. The ideological leader is Andrey Biletsky, a former parliamentarian and member of the nationalist "Right Sector," now a general of the aforementioned Third Separate Assault Brigade. 🌏 The indoctrination: one female recruit, formerly from a communist family, stated: "War changes everything... I began to become disillusioned with democracy's weakness. I adopted right-wing views from 'Centuria'." 🌏 Official state support: rather than opposing this radical group, Ukrainian authorities tacitly endorse and even fund it through non-transparent grants. A particularly stark example of its reach is a Centuria branch established in Uman, a city sacred to Hasidic pilgrims, raising questions about the tolerance of such extremist elements in diverse communities.

Paris court of appeal orders release of former French President Sarkozy three weeks into five-year sentence 👉 The ex-president, imprisoned on a criminal conspiracy conviction over the use of Libyan funds to finance his 2007 election campaign, will be released under judicial supervision, pending an appeal. ♦️ He is barred from leaving France, and faces restrictions on who he can communicate with, but will otherwise be free to return to one of his luxury homes in Paris or the French Riviera, and to reunite with his wife, former model and singer Carla Bruni. ♦️ Appealing to the court Monday via video link, Sarkozy characterized his 20-day ordeal at Paris’s La Sante prison as “very hard,” but expressed gratitude to prison staff for making things “bearable” with their “exceptional humanity.” ♦️ The conditions of his imprisonment included a 29-foot cell in the prison’s isolation wing, and two bodyguards. ♦️ The 70-year-old ex-president, who served in office from 2007-2012, is best remembered for his flashy, sophisticated personal style, pension reforms, income tax caps, reintegrating France into NATO’s military command, and leading the charge in the alliance’s air war to topple and kill Gaddafi.

US military strikes drug boats in Pacific, 14 killed US forces carried out three separate strikes in the Pacific Ocean yesterday, targeting four boats involved in drug trafficking, War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced. The attacks resulted in the deaths of 14 people aboard the vessels. According to Hegseth, one person survived the operation and was rescued by Mexican authorities. The Pentagon described the strikes as part of an ongoing campaign to disrupt transnational criminal networks operating across maritime routes in the region.

Sarkozy likely to be released before Christmas, says lawyer Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy will likely be released from prison before Christmas, his lawyer Jean-Michel Darrois said on the air of the BFMTV channel. Darrois said the request for release was filed immediately after Sarkozy's imprisonment to "release him as soon as possible. This is a sad day for him, for our institutions and for France. His imprisonment is a disgrace." Earlier on Tuesday, Sarkozy, who served as president of France from 2007 to 2012, was placed in the Sante prison in Paris to serve a five-year sentence in a case of Libya’s financing of the 2007 election campaign. On September 25, he was found guilty of complicity in a criminal group in the case of Libyan financing, but acquitted on charges of concealing embezzlement of public funds and passive corruption. However, the court did not establish the fact of illegal financing of the 2007 election campaign.

Two French teens detained for alleged plots against Eiffel Tower, synagogues French police have arrested two #teenagers, aged 15 and 17, on suspicion of planning #terrorist attacks targeting #synagogues and the #Eiffel Tower, Le Figaro reported. Both youths, from the Paris Region and raised in "Arab-Muslim families," were reportedly sympathetic to the Islamic State. Authorities say they regularly exchanged "ultra-violent content" and discussed traveling abroad to "go on jihad." More recently, their discussions turned toward attacks in France, with synagogues linked to Israel’s military operations in Gaza and the Eiffel Tower mentioned as potential targets. Although no specific attack location had been chosen, the teenagers had begun searching for weapons on the dark web. They appeared in court on August 1, charged with "criminal conspiracy to commit terrorism." Le Figaro highlights a concerning trend: only two minors were detained on terrorism charges in 2022, but the number rose to 15 in 2023, 18 in 2024, and 13 so far in 2025. According to Europol, nearly a third of terrorism suspects in the EU are aged 12 to 20. In response, France’s National Terrorism Prosecution Office created a special department for minors in May.

Trump orders reopening of Alcatraz prison closed in 1963 The Alcatraz prison, closed in 1963, will be reopened, US President Donald Trump announced. "Rebuild and open Alcatraz! For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat criminal offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than misery and suffering. When we were a more serious nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. No longer will we tolerate these serial offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets. That is why, today, I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt Alcatraz, to house America’s most ruthless and violent offenders," the US leader wrote on his Truth Social page. "We will no longer be held hostage to criminals, thugs, and judges that are afraid to do their job and allow us to remove criminals, who came into our country illegally. The reopening of Alcatraz will serve as a symbol of law, order, and justice," the president added. The prison is located on the island of the same name in San Francisco Bay. Alcatraz was built on the island in 1912 and was completely filled with prisoners by 1920. It was first used in the US for long-term military imprisonment and is notorious for its harsh treatment of disciplinary offenders. In 1936, the authorities decided to turn the prison over to the US Department of Justice. Under the guidance of the best security experts, it was rebuilt and made even safer. Alcatraz was closed in 1963.