Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[REGNUM] 18-year-old Senegalese footballer Toure was kidnapped and killed in Ghana.
Eighteen-year-old Senegalese footballer Cheikh Toure was kidnapped and murdered in Ghana. This was announced in a statement by Senegal's Ministry of African Integration and Foreign Affairs.
18-year-old Senegalese footballer Toure was kidnapped and killed in Ghana.
"An initial investigation by consular services has revealed that Toure, a young footballer from Senegal, is believed to have been the victim of fraud and extortion," the ministry noted.
The athlete's body was discovered on October 17 in Kumasi, Ghana's second-largest city, and was taken to the morgue. The cause of death is being determined. After the necessary procedures, the body will be transported to Senegal.
Touré allegedly fell into the hands of fake recruiters. The promising young goalkeeper was training at the Spirit Foot Academy in Dakar, Senegal, and hoped to undergo trials in Morocco. In Ghana, a group of armed men kidnapped Touré, who then demanded ransom from his family and threatened to kill him, BFMTV reported.
[DM] Major airports in the New York City area are experiencing delays due to volume, high winds and technical issues.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reports an 86-minute ground delay at JFK Airport caused by wind, along with a 30-minute departure delay over equipment problems. The advisory applies to arrivals until October 21 at 11:59pm ET, with maximum delays reaching nearly nine hours.
Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) is experiencing delays due to high volume and compacted demand. The FAA alert noted the advisory applies to arrivals until October 21 at 9:59pm, with maximum delays reaching 105 minutes, but are currently averaging 47 minutes. The notice also warned that staffing after 7pm will be 'slightly reduced.'
Thousands of air traffic controllers and TSA agents have called out of work amid the government shutdown, leaving many flights understaffed and adding to the delays. The FAA said late Sunday that air traffic control staffing issues were delaying travel at airports in Dallas, Chicago, Atlanta and Newark as a government shutdown became the third-longest in history.
Text taken from the Telegram channel of neinsider
[ColonelCassad] Death Penalty News.
Purges of the Generals in China. Li Jianping, former secretary of the Working Committee of the Communist Party of China in the Hohhot Economic and Technological Development Zone, was executed for corruption. Before his execution, Li Jianping met with close relatives.
The investigation found that the official embezzled more than 1.43 billion yuan (approximately $199 million). He received financial and material assets from others totaling 577 million yuan ($80 million), and misappropriated more than 1.05 billion yuan ($146 million) in state funds. This amounts to $426 million. The RD publishes a list of high-ranking PLA military officers prosecuted and under investigation. It is incomplete.
Currently, 45 generals are known to be under investigation, including former Defense Minister Li Shangfu. And also:
1. Former head of the Joint Logistics Department Dong Mingxiang
2. Deputy head of the Air Force Political Department Chen Hongyan
3. Former commander of the Shanxi Military Region Fang Wenping
4. Former head of the Political Department of the Shanxi Military Region Huang
Xianjun Jinan Military Region:
5. Former deputy chief of staff Zhang Qibao
Shenyang Military Region:
6. Former head of the Joint Logistics Department Wang Aiguo
7. Deputy commander of the Heilongjiang Military Region Zhang Daixin
Chengdu Military Region:
8. Deputy commander Yang Jinshan
9. Head of the Joint Logistics Department Zhu Heping
Nanjing Military Region:
10. Former commander of the Zhejiang Military Region Fu Yi
Deputy head of the Political Department Zhou Mingui
11. Deputy Political Commissar of Zhejiang Military Region Guo Zhenggang
Naval Forces:
12. Deputy Chief of Staff of the Northern Fleet Cheng Jie Air Force:
13. Former Political Commissar of the Guangzhou Military Region Air Force Wang Yufa
14. Chief of the Logistics Department of the Guangzhou Military Region Air Force Wang Shengyin
15. Deputy Chief of the Political Department of the Beijing Military Region Air Force Chen Hongyan
Second Artillery Corps:
16. Deputy Political Commissar Zhang Dongshui
17. Deputy Political Commissar Yu Daqing
18. Former Deputy Political Commissar of the Engineering University Wu Ruizhong
People's Police Force:
19. Former Chief Engineer of the Transportation Command Miao Guirong
20. Former Political Commissar Wang Xin
21. Former Commander Liu Zhangqi
22. Former Deputy Commander Qu Mutian
Military academies:
23. Deputy Director of the Nanjing Political Institute Dai Weimin
24. Head of the Political Department of the same institute Ma Xiandong
25. Deputy Political Commissar of the PLA University of Information Engineering Gao Xiaoyan
26. Deputy Director of the Political Department of the National Defense University Duan Tianjie
27. Former Director of the Research Department of the Academy of Military Sciences Huang Xin
INTERESTING FACT:
Those sentenced to death are given a reprieve. Two years. The authorities hope that during this time the defendant will return the stolen goods and hand over accomplices. Li Jianping did not realize this.
The "tiger hunt" - as the purge of the army is called - is Xi Jinping's attempt to revitalize the PLA before a possible war.
Capitalism works the same everywhere. In communist China or capitalist Russia.
WHY AREN'T GENERALS IN THE WEST JAILED? THEY DON'T STEAL?
In much larger quantities. But there, theft of budgets by high-ranking officials and generals is part of the system. Rare precedents are nothing more than the result of political infighting.
Since 2017, the Pentagon has been unable to account for 61% of its assets.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] US prosecutors have received court approval to remotely access Telegram servers as part of an investigation into the distribution of child sexual abuse materials.
According to documents published on Court Watch, the US Department of Justice has been authorized to send hidden requests to the messaging app's servers to obtain suspect data. This method, known as "remote access," is used to extract correspondence and account information.
US authorities were granted permission to directly interact with the company's foreign infrastructure. Despite the messenger's registration in Dubai, the authority recognized that data on US devices is subject to federal regulation. However, further access to the accounts will require a separate court order.
Telegram denied reports of US government access to its servers. A representative for the messaging app stated that it is impossible to obtain user messages due to server encryption. The company noted that it moderates malicious content and responds to legitimate requests, including disclosing the IP addresses and phone numbers of violators.
Ivan Kamenev, host of "Soloviev LIVE" and winner of the "New Media Workshop" award, stated that Telegram's understanding of digital freedom effectively hinders the investigation of serious crimes, including the distribution of child pornography, while the company cites user privacy protections.
"The irony doesn't end there—even when Telegram refuses to cooperate, it still selectively shares data when it's beneficial or safe to do so. Therefore, one shouldn't assume that Telegram is protecting anyone's privacy—it's protecting the opinions of certain people and their desire to play referee," Kamenev added.
Andrey Yarnykh, a member of the board of directors of the Russian Center for Information Technologies (ROCIT) and an information security expert, emphasized that the incident involving remote access to Telegram servers demonstrates why technological sovereignty and the creation of a secure digital environment are important to Russia.
"This precedent is a direct consequence of the legal regime in effect for countries party to the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime. The United States, a key signatory to this treaty, uses its provisions to conduct cross-border investigations, often without notifying the competent authorities of the country where the servers are physically located," the speaker concluded.
Trump and Albanese met at the White House for their first summit and Trump said the deal was negotiated over the past four or five months ahead of the announcement. Albanese said it's an $8.5 billion pipeline "that we have ready to go."
Reuters reported that, according to a copy of the agreement provided by the prime minister's office, the two countries agreed to each invest $1 billion over the next six months into mining and processing projects, as well as set a minimum price floor for critical minerals.
"In about a year from now, we'll have so much critical mineral and rare earths that you won't know what to do with them," Trump told reporters at the event.
As part of the agreement, Trump and Albanese agreed to cut permitting for mines, processing facilities and related operations to boost production of rare earths and critical minerals.
The deal also calls for cooperation between the U.S. and Australia on mapping geological resources, mineral recycling and efforts to stop the sale of critical mineral assets on national security grounds.
Australia is open to selling shares of its planned strategic reserve of critical minerals to allies including Britain, according to a Reuters report from last month. The move comes as Western governments are looking to reduce their reliance on China for rare earths and critical minerals.
The Council of the European Union has approved a plan to fully ban the import of Russian gas — both pipeline and liquefied natural gas (LNG). The full ban will take effect on January 1, 2028, according to the Council’s official… pic.twitter.com/BoH7w4WtsT
Imports of new Russian gas will already be prohibited starting January 1, 2026, though existing contracts will have a transition period: short-term contracts until June 2026, and long-term ones until early 2028.
The measure must now be approved by the European Parliament. If adopted, it will mark the first legally binding phase-out of Russian fuel in EU history.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited. by Arseniy Shvarev
[REGNUM] Following an unsuccessful visit to Donald Trump, Kyiv regime leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy allowed himself to critically assess Hungary's role in the negotiation process to resolve the Ukrainian crisis.
"We're talking about peace in Ukraine, not elections in Hungary. I don't believe a prime minister who blocks Ukraine everywhere is capable of doing anything positive for Ukrainians, or even anything balanced," Zelenskyy told reporters on Monday, October 20.
The Ukrainian side's reaction was easy to predict, but there's more to it than that. The upcoming summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Budapest, announced following telephone conversations on October 16, 2025, is an event that goes beyond the bounds of ordinary diplomacy.
Hungary's willingness to act as a platform for such significant negotiations on a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian conflict undoubtedly follows logically from the entire foreign policy activity of Viktor Orbán, the very same "prime minister who is blocking Ukraine everywhere."
But even Zelenskyy hasn't missed the fact that behind the willingness to host a Russian-American peace summit lies a complex, multi-layered strategy aimed primarily at addressing Orbán's domestic political challenges and strengthening his shaky position ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections.
This "Hungarian gambit" is a striking example of how national interests, the leader's personal ambitions, and geopolitical realities intertwine to form a unique scenario.
CHALLENGES FOR ORBAN
Since 2010, Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party have steadily consolidated their power in Hungary, transforming the country into what he calls an “illiberal democracy.”
This process has often been accompanied by criticism from the European Union regarding its compliance with democratic standards and the rule of law.
However, despite apparent stability and long-standing dominance, Hungary's domestic political situation is experiencing a period of turbulence. Orbán's "illiberal model," which has served as a model for many right-wing political forces across Europe, is beginning to falter due to the economic crisis. Voter discontent, influenced by the carefully calibrated information campaign of their main opponent, Péter Magyar, is growing.
Recent opinion polls show a significant decline in popularity for Fidesz and Orbán himself. The emergence of a new opposition leader, Péter Magyar, a former Fidesz insider and once prominent member of the ruling elite, has posed a serious challenge.
Magyar, who positions himself as an alternative to both Orbán and the traditional opposition, is, according to some reports, ahead of the ruling party by 15 points among decided voters.
This represents the most serious test for Orban in his 15 years in power.
The weakening of traditional media controls, which previously ensured Fidesz's information dominance, is creating unprecedented pressure on Orbán. His strategy of "geopolitical maneuvering" is becoming increasingly unsustainable, although it has achieved some success.
Under these circumstances, with less than six months remaining until the 2026 parliamentary elections, the Prime Minister desperately needs a powerful media outlet capable of diverting attention from domestic problems, consolidating the electorate, and presenting Hungary in a favorable light on the international stage, demonstrating its importance as a global player.
GEOPOLITICAL MANEUVER
As White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt revealed over the weekend, Budapest was chosen as the venue for the high-level Russian-American talks by the mother of a correspondent for the left-liberal publication Huffington Post.
But seriously, it is clear that this decision is the quintessence of Viktor Orbán’s long-standing strategy, which can be described as “balancing on the brink.”
Orbán consistently advocates for a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine, criticizes arms supplies to Kyiv, and blocks EU anti-Russian sanctions.
This position, which runs counter to the pan-European consensus, is now paying dividends, allowing Hungary to position itself as a unique mediator between East and West, and Orbán as an important actor on the international stage.
The key factor that made Budapest a possible venue for negotiations was Hungary's decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the spring of 2025.
The move, which freed the country from its obligations to comply with ICC warrants, including the arrest warrant for the Russian president, demonstrates Orbán's long-term strategy to create an independent foreign policy space.
In this space, Hungary can act without regard for international legal institutions that could hinder its diplomatic initiatives, and offer itself as a neutral territory for complex negotiations.
Hosting such a summit significantly enhances the international prestige of Hungary and Viktor Orbán personally. He gains the opportunity to present himself to his electorate and the international community as an influential statesman capable of influencing global processes and acting as a peacemaker.
It also allows Orbán to effectively deflect attention from the EU's constant criticism of democracy and the rule of law, shifting the focus to his role in resolving one of the biggest international crises.
HISTORICAL PARALLELS AND LESSONS
In addition to his personal dislike of Orbán, who, unlike most other Western leaders, refuses to view the world through the prism of Ukrainian interests, Zelensky also recalled that Budapest's alleged "negative historical experience" also speaks against it.
Indeed, Hungary's positioning as a neutral mediator in the face of confrontation between major powers has historical roots, reminiscent of the desire of small states to balance between blocs during the Cold War in order to ensure their own survival and influence.
In this context, it is worth recalling the Budapest Memorandum of 1994.
In Ukraine, a whole mythology has developed around this document. Allegedly, the country renounced its nuclear weapons in exchange for recognition of its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
In reality, the text of the memorandum places the emphasis differently. The official title of the document—"Memorandum on Security Assurances in Connection with Ukraine's Accession to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons"—already contains a sequence of events. Ukraine renounced nuclear weapons not by signing the "Budapest Memorandum," but by acceding to the relevant international treaty.
The former Soviet republic possessed no arsenal of its own. Elements of the Soviet nuclear triad were merely stationed on its territory. And the main instigator of this arsenal's elimination was Washington, rightly believing that effective control over weapons of mass destruction was impossible in a country like Ukraine.
The document was part of the security architecture that was reflected in the promises of Western leaders not to expand NATO eastward and in Ukraine's non-aligned status, as outlined in its declaration of sovereignty.
By the early 2000s, all these principles had lost their relevance.
As for the spirit and letter of the document signed by the leaders of Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom, the very first clause commits the signatories to "respect the independence, sovereignty, and existing borders of Ukraine." Anyone familiar with Ukraine's recent history is familiar with the countless instances of cynical interference in the country's internal affairs by the United States, and in recent years, by the United Kingdom as well.
These interventions have had far-reaching, destructive consequences both for Ukraine itself and for the entire international community. Neutralizing both these consequences and their fundamental causes is the core agenda of the Russian-American negotiations.
Of course, one can see a certain symbolism in the choice of the Hungarian capital for the meeting of the leaders of Russia and the United States.
Viktor Orbán recently declared that Hungary is the only country in Europe "following the path of peace." The essence of this path lies precisely in a fundamental rejection of confrontation with Russia and pragmatic cooperation with it.
Western leaders who persuaded a weakened Russia in the 1990s to sign the Budapest Memorandum verbally demonstrated their commitment to these very principles. However, subsequent steps by Western elites led the world to the current crisis.
Based on this, Budapest seems a very suitable place for the current US president to once again take the “path of peace” in relations with Russia.
RAISING THE STAKES
The Budapest summit is not just a diplomatic meeting, but a carefully thought-out political move by Viktor Orbán, demonstrating his political skill.
By exploiting Hungary's unique geopolitical position and his unorthodox foreign policy, Orbán aims to achieve a dual goal: to shore up his shaky domestic position amid economic crisis and growing discontent, and to enhance Hungary's international status.
With his popularity waning and elections approaching, Orbán is seeking to present himself as an indispensable leader capable of securing Hungary a significant place in the world and protecting its interests in a complex international environment, even if this means confrontation with traditional EU allies.
This move is a striking example of how domestic politics and a leader's personal ambitions can intertwine with larger geopolitics, creating complex and multi-layered cause-and-effect relationships.
The success of this strategy will depend not only on the outcome of the summit itself, but also on how effectively Orbán can convert foreign policy achievements into domestic support, convincing Hungarian voters of his indispensability and ability to lead the country through the turbulent waters of today.
#1
"We're talking about peace in Ukraine, not elections in Hungary. I don't believe a prime minister who blocks Ukraine everywhere is capable of doing anything positive for Ukrainians, or even anything balanced," Zelenskyy told reporters on Monday, October 20.
Says the man who canceled Ukrainian elections.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
10/21/2025 13:01 Comments ||
Top||
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[Regnum] Myanmar government troops have recaptured the KK Park slave call center, where foreign citizens were being held, from the opposition. This was reported on October 20 by the news portal Eleven Media.
The military operation took place in Karen State, near the border with Thailand. According to the publication, Tatmadaw (Myanmar's government armed forces) forces recaptured two military bases seized by the opposition in 2024 and occupied the KK Park complex, where foreign forced laborers were held.
"During the attack, Tatmadaw troops also occupied and cleared the infamous KK Park near the Myanmar-Thailand border," the Myanmar portal notes.
According to the resource, more than 50 clashes with anti-government forces occurred during the fighting. After clearing the compound, the bodies of ten dead, 16 weapons, ammunition, and 30 Starlink satellite receivers were discovered.
The military also reported the presence of 2,198 people in KK Park—1,645 men, 455 women, and 98 security guards. No documents confirming the legality of the complex's construction or land ownership were found. The fate of the center's employees, who, according to Russian diplomats, may include Russian citizens, remains unclear.
Posted by: badanov ||
10/21/2025 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Human Trafficking
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
