Europe is sounding the alarm ever more loudly about what many policymakers now view as a broad Chinese shadow war. Over the past two years, at least thirty agents and operatives working for Beijing have been exposed in Europe and its immediate vicinity, while German lawmakers speak of a Chinese security apparatus employing up to 800,000 spies.
On Friday, Russia carried out a deadly attack on a drone demonstration near Kyiv, killing ten people, according to Ukrainian sources. In total, at least fifteen people were killed that day in Russian attacks on Ukraine, while approximately one hundred people were injured in the strike on a military demonstration for the defense sector.
The dismissed Ukrainian defense chief, Mykhailo Fedorov, has received a surprising job offer from Italy. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto has asked him to come to Rome as an advisor, after personally calling Fedorov the day after his dismissal.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance has become a father for the fourth time. President Donald Trump’s right-hand man announced the news himself on X, where he reported that he and his wife Usha have welcomed a baby boy: Alec Neel.
On Friday evening, a striking fireball was visible in the sky in various parts of the Netherlands. This led to remarkable images and reactions on social media. The light phenomenon was reported from Amsterdam, Utrecht, Groningen, Emmen, Vlieland, and Zwolle, among other places.
A Canadian woman of Chinese descent who was interning at SHAPE in Bergen was placed under arrest on Friday on suspicion of espionage and participation in a criminal organization. The federal prosecutor’s office confirms that the case involves “espionage on behalf of a third country,” but is not yet willing to disclose which country is involved.
In Zaporizhzhia, the number of people injured following Wednesday evening’s Russian airstrike has risen to 25, including six children. According to regional military administrator Ivan Fedorov, one of the victims was even a three-month-old baby.
Oprah Winfrey has surprised her fans with a striking revelation: her official first name isn’t Oprah, but Orpah. On the podcast "Baby, This Is Keke Palmer", the 72-year-old host explained that the well-known spelling resulted from a simple mix-up of letters.
Zzzzzz, some striking news is coming out of Japan.
A 27-year-old man from Belgium caused quite a stir in North Brabant. His reckless driving endangered the lives of many people on public roads. Fortunately, he was stopped before an accident occurred.