🚨 Afghan national arrested in Texas after alleged bomb threat video — reports

An Afghan national was arrested on Tuesday after posting a video on TikTok indicating he was building a bomb with an intended target in the Fort Worth area, Fox News reported.

According to the outlet, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed the arrest of Mohammed Dawid Al-Okazi, who has been charged at the state level with making a terroristic threat.

Fox News noted that DHS said Al-Okazi entered the United States under Operation Allies Welcome, a program launched to resettle Afghans.

The incident is the second arrest of an Afghan national this week from the same program, Fox News added, following a separate case involving an individual accused of killing one National Guard member and injuring another near the White House.

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🔥 🇷🇺 US-made armored vehicle goes up in flames near Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk)

Tsentr battlegroup strikes hit their mark

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🚨📌 Europeans slam brakes on Flamingo missile buy for Ukraine over corruption scandal

The roughly $525,000 gathered in a Czech crowdfunding campaign remains in the initiative’s account and has not been transferred to Fire Point, the company that produces the pink-colored Flamingo missiles, writes Czech news portal iDNES.

The rethink comes after the missile’s manufacturer has been linked to Zelensky’s longtime friend, businessman Timur Mindich, who is at the heart of Ukraine’s massive corruption scandal.

According to Dalibor Dedek, the founder of the initiative, there were serious concerns that the money “might not go toward the product it was intended for.”

➖ Mindich claimed a 50% stake in Fire Point—a company that morphed from a modest film studio into a magnet for major military contracts, according to Ukrainian media reports citing its co-owner, Denys Shtilerman.

➖ Shtilerman described himself as the chief designer of the Flamingo missiles, which he promoted together with Zelensky.

➖ First reports about the Flamingo missile appeared this August, with Ukraine bragging that the pink cruise missile could strike targets up to 3,000 kilometers away.

➖ However, Martin Ondracek, one of the Czech initiative’s representatives who visited Ukraine, admitted that it is still not 100% certain that the missile can actually fly and accurately hit a target.

"If anyone comes out of this story looking like an idiot, it will be me—because I’m the one who was photographed next to the missile," Ondracek told the publication.

Fire Point has already been linked to a scandal, with Ukrainian media reporting that the firm leveraged its connections to secure military contracts, inflated the prices of components for drones, and has faced several criminal cases opened by the anti-corruption bureau.

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🚨 🇻🇪 Venezuela to introduce special travel measures amid US threats

🔊 "The US government is satisfying [Venezuelan opposition leader] Maria Machado's request trying to block Venezuela's airspace," VP Delcy Rodriguez said.

"In response to this aggression, President Nicolas Maduro has ordered a special plan for the return of Venezuelans stranded in other countries, as well as facilitating departure routes for those who need to travel outside our territory," she added.

Venezuela has activated all multilateral mechanisms in accordance with international law to "immediately stop this illegitimate and unlawful action," Rodriguez said.

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🇦🇪⚡️🇮🇱 UAE blasts Israel over Syria strikes

💬 "The UAE has strongly condemned the dangerous Israeli escalation in Syrian territory and the attacks targeting villages in Rif Dimashq Governorate, reaffirming its categorical rejection of any infringement on Syria's sovereignty and threats to its security and stability," the UAE Foreign Ministry said.

The ministry also called on the international community to act quickly to stop repeated attacks on Syria and prevent any escalation that could increase regional tensions or threaten peace and security.

👉 On Friday, Syria TV reported Israeli fighter jets began striking the village of Beit Jinn, located 50 kilometers (31 miles) from Damascus, and causing civilian casualties. The strikes reportedly followed an incident where a group of Israeli soldiers were carrying out a raid within the civilian Syrian community and were ambushed by locals.

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🇸🇦🇮🇷 Saudi tops head to Iran to talk Gaza, Syria

Saudi Deputy FM Saud bin Mohammed Al-Sati will travel to Iran for talks on bilateral relations and regional issues, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said as cited by WANA News Agency.

Al-Sati is also expected to meet with Iran’s FM Abbas Araghchi.

What's on the agenda?

🟠 Volatile Israel-Hamas ceasefire

🟠 Syria crisis

🟠 Situation in Lebanon

This engagement builds on ongoing contacts since the two countries formally restored diplomatic relations in April last year.

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🔸 Venezuela condemns 'colonialist threat' to its airspace

🔸 Iran condemns US closure of Venezuelan airspace

🔸 Saudi tops head to Iran to talk Gaza, Syria

🔸 Europeans slam brakes on Flamingo missile buy for Ukraine over corruption scandal

🔸 North Korean Air Force to receive new strategic assets

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