Hyper Observer

Former CIA Director Robert Gates says the biggest national security risk posed by Cuba to the U.S. is "another Mariel evacuation… that has tens of thousands of Cubans heading to the United States out of desperation." "They have been involved in ways that have impacted our national security and our interests in their engagement in other countries for a long time," he tells @margbrennan, noting how Cuban security forces were in Venezuela protecting then-President Nicolás Maduro. "But, are they an imminent threat to the United States? Other than in these, if you will, peripheral ways, I think the main threat is, frankly, is collapse," he says.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe delivered a message from Trump to top Cuban officials that the US would engage only if Cuba makes fundamental changes. The news came the same day the US Department of Justice indicated it planned to indict Raul Castro reut.rs/4uvy1dP

Ukrainian drone attacks on the Russian city of Ryazan killed four people, including a child and damaged apartment buildings and an unnamed industrial enterprise, according to the regional governor reut.rs/4tDBhT1

Orban's media empire crumbles after Hungary election defeat reut.rs/3RalFsE reut.rs/3RalFsE

Russia and Ukraine swapped 205 prisoners of war each on Friday, part of an agreement linked to a three-day ceasefire earlier this month brokered by US President Donald Trump reut.rs/4wxdBCg

Mourners brought flowers and toys to a makeshift memorial near the rubble of a Kyiv apartment building where a Russian missile strike killed 24 people, including three children reut.rs/4tHcrS1

One of the largest air attacks of the full-scale war came right after the so-called “parade ceasefire.” Another reminder: Russia does not seek peace. Russia must be forced into peace.

Day 3 of Bolivia's general strike demanding the resignation of neoliberal President Rodrigo Paz. All major highways blocked by protesters. An indigenous long march is heading to the capital, as it passes through each town and village more people join.

Trump in Beijing - © Chappatte in Le Temps, Geneva 👉chappatte.com

#UkraineWar: 1:55 UPDT...Detals of massive Russian drone & missile attacks on 20 areas esp Kyiv...

Experimental plane Solar Impulse 2, which completed a historic round-the-world trip in 2016 without using jet fuel, crashed into the Gulf of Mexico recently, its owner reveals u.afp.com/SRQ4

🇱🇻 🇺🇦 Latvia's Prime Minister Evika Silina resigned on Thursday after a key party in her coalition withdrew support in a row over Ukrainian drones that strayed into the Baltic nation ➡️ u.afp.com/SRAu

🇮🇷 🇨🇳 Iranian media reported on Thursday that naval forces had allowed a group of Chinese ships to pass through the strategic Strait of Hormuz since the night before. Iran has largely blocked shipping through the strait since the outbreak of war with the US and Israel ➡️ u.afp.com/SRdY

#UkraineWar: 1:27...Russia pounded Kyiv & other oblasts w 1560+ drones over 2 days...

#Ukraine: 1:42 UPDT...Ex top Prez Zskyy aide #Yermak detained for money laundering...$3M bail required...

#UKPols: 1:19 UPDT...Labour Party candidates poised to test PM Starmer rule...

A ship anchored off the east coast of the United Arab Emirates has been seized and is heading toward Iranian territorial waters, the British military said. apnews.com/article/iran-u…

😁 Looks like after Operation “Spiderweb,” Russians have started fearing drones even 7,400 km away from Ukraine Satellite images of the Rybachy base in Kamchatka show anti-drone netting covering at least two Borei and Borei-A class nuclear submarines, according to Ukrainian Defense Ministry adviser Serhii Sternenko. Rybachy is the main base of Russia’s Pacific Fleet nuclear submarines. Each of these subs carries 16 Bulava intercontinental ballistic missiles. As a reminder, Ukraine’s SBU “Spiderweb” operation became one of the largest attacks on military infrastructure deep inside Russia, with drones simultaneously striking four strategic aviation airbases.

Iran claims it deployed small submarines to cause more chaos in Strait of Hormuz trib.al/owwpAkw

#Cuba: 3:50...Protests erupt as isla runs out of diesel & oil... youtu.be/wpgzs7Rl64A?si… via BBC...