He Promised to End Wars. The Explosions and Headlines Beg to Differ
Trump says he’s already ended eight wars — but as Gaza burns and Bogotá cries foul over a U.S. strike at sea, the self-proclaimed peacemaker shows no sign of ending his shakedown diplomacy
Colombia’s President has accused the United States of violating his nation’s sovereignty and killing a fisherman, after US president Donald Trump said that American forces had carried out another strike as part of his controversial military clamp down against “narcoterrorists.” “US government officials have committed a murder and violated our sovereignty in territorial waters,” Colombian leader Gustavo Petro said on Saturday in a statement on X. Petro identified the fisherman as Alejandro Carranza, adding that he had “no ties to the drug trade”. Carranza reportedly died in a September strike by US forces on his boat while he was fishing the Caribbean, as per a video testimony of his family members, which was shared by Petro on X. The President said that the Colombian boat was “adrift” and had its distress signal up because of an engine failure. “We await explanations from the US government,” Petro added. Colombia’s allegations come shortly after Trump confirmed a US strike in the Caribbean on Thursday on what he called “a drug-carrying submarine”. Trump gave no evidence. However, he shared a short video clip which appeared to show a semi-submersible vessel in the water before being struck by at least one projectile. Trump said that US intelligence confirmed that the vessel was “loaded up with mostly Fentanyl, and other illegal narcotics”. Four people were on board the vessel , two of whom died in the targeted strike. The US military conducted a helicopter rescue for the two remaining survivors of the strike. The individuals, who were the first to survive such US attacks, were taken into custody. On Saturday, Trump said the two survivors were being repatriated to their home countries, Ecuador and Colombia. Petro confirmed that the Colombian suspect had returned to his country and would face prosecution - DW
Amid a wave of U.S. military strikes in the Caribbean and plans for covert operations in Venezuela, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., is leading a bipartisan effort to force a vote to stop President Trump from unilaterally declaring war on the South American nation. Kaine, a longtime proponent of Congress’ powers to declare war, filed the resolution late Thursday, a move that will force the Senate to take up the legislation after a 10-day waiting period. Sens. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Rand Paul, R-Ky., co-sponsored the plan. Kaine said concerns about war in the Latin American region are growing. “The pace of the announcements, the authorization of covert activities and the military planning makes me think there’s some chance this could be imminent,” Kaine told reporters - NPR
The Israel Defense Forces says it has carried out air strikes on Rafah after an attack by Hamas on its troops in Gaza. At least eight people have been killed in Gaza in the past 24 hours as a result of direct Israeli targeting, the Hamas-run Ministry of Health says in an update. The IDF has called the alleged attack on its troops a “bold violation of the ceasefire. In response, Hamas says it is “unaware” of clashes in Rafah and says it is committed to the ceasefire - it also alleges that Israel “continues to breach the agreement.” The deal struck earlier this month required the IDF to withdraw from parts of Gaza, but allows the Israeli army to remain in certain areas, including Rafah. A statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he has held meetings with his defence minister and security chiefs, in which he instructed them to “act forcefully against terrorist targets in the Gaza Strip” - BBC
One of the biggest days of protest against the Trump administration’s policies happened on Saturday in cities around the U.S. The overriding theme of the marches was the accusation that President Trump is behaving more like a monarch than an elected official. It marked the second massive wave of protests organized by No Kings — a network of progressive organizations fighting against Trump’s agenda. Organizers said about 2,600 No Kings events were planned across nearly every state, and that it projected a bigger turnout than the 5 million it said attended its previous nationwide action in June. Energized by a slew of actions taken by the administration since the summer protests, the group cited widespread immigration detentions carried out by often-masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, the administration’s aggressive slashing of federal education resources and environmental protections, gerrymandering and other concerns. The protests were largely peaceful. Police in New York City and Washington, D.C., where rallies drew some of the day’s biggest crowds, said no protest-related arrests were made - NPR
In Trump 2.0, American policy influence has shifted from its previous channels — agency officials, top lawmakers and staffers on key congressional committees — to a new reality where change comes suddenly from the top. The president and a handful of lieutenants have seized full control over policies once considered the remit of Congress and experts at agencies, including hyper-specific issues like tariff rates, high-skilled visa fees and funding freezes. Trump’s gravitational pull has forced CEOs to act as their companies’ top lobbyists, plying the president with gifts and concessions to secure their policy priorities. “The C-suites of America are now getting a first-hand opportunity to bang their heads against the wall,” said Niki Christoff, a tech consultant with stints at Salesforce and Google. The new dynamic has transformed the business of Washington influence, shutting out many veteran lobbyists and excluding even longtime experts from the most important policy fights in Washington. With Congress and the agencies often sidelined, outside lobbying firms and in-house specialists — many with decades of policy experience and cross-party relationships — are declining in importance - Politico
Ukraine cannot win its war with Russia and should negotiate peace terms with the Kremlin, according to Britain’s most senior army officer. Field Marshal Lord Richards said Kyiv will not be able to drive Vladimir Putin’s soldiers out of Ukraine without the help of Nato forces – who won’t get involved on the ground. Lord Richards, who was promoted to the UK military’s most senior “five-star” rank earlier this year and led Nato forces during their troop surge in Afghanistan, said Ukraine’s allies have failed Kyiv. “What we have done in the case of Ukraine is encourage Ukraine to fight, but not given them the means to win,” the former chief of the defence staff told The Independent’s podcast World of Trouble. Reflecting on Ukraine’s chances of success against Russia, he said: “My view is that they would not win.” “Could not win, even with the right resources?” he was asked. “No,” he replied. Pressed further by The Independent, he was asked: “ Even with the right resources?” “No, they haven’t got the manpower,” the former commando said. The field marshal’s intervention came after Volodymyr Zelensky flew to Washington DC to meet Donald Trump to try to persuade him to give Ukraine Tomahawk cruise missiles. In his first long-form podcast interview, Lord Richards, the only British officer to have commanded massed US troops at war since 1945, said the outlook for Ukraine was not good. “Unless we were to go in with them – which we won’t do because Ukraine is not an existential issue for us. It clearly is for the Russians, by the way,” he said on World of Trouble. “We’ve decided because it’s not an existential issue, we will not go to war. We are, you can argue – and I absolutely accept it – in some sort of hybrid war [with Russia]. But that’s not the same as a shooting war in which our soldiers are dying in large numbers. “Despite our attraction for all they’ve achieved and our genuine affections for so many Ukrainians, I’m just still in this school that says this is not in our vital national interests. “My instinct is that the best Ukraine can do, and you already see President Zelensky, who’s an inspirational leader … the best they can do is a sort of a score draw.” - The Independent
Moscow carried out several attacks on Ukrainian cities and residential areas late on October 18, as Kyiv hit energy plants inside Russia, according to Russian regional officials. Kharkiv, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhya were among the cities hit by guided bombs dropped by Russian fighter jets, according to Ukraine’s air defense forces. Russian drones were also reported over the Chernihiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Ten people were injured in Dnipropetrovsk region, local authorities on the morning of October 19, while an energy facility was hit in Chernihiv region, causing a power outage for around 17,000 residents in the north of the country. Meawnhile, Ukrainian drones attacked a gas plant in Russia’s Orenburg, the local governor said on October 19, causing a fire to break out that emergency services are working to put out. Yevgeny Solntsev, the local governor, said on his official Telegram channel that none of the plant’s employees were hurt in the attack, but that the facility was partially damaged - RFE/RL
“My view is that they (the Ukrainians) would not win.” “Could not win, even with the right resources?” he was asked. “No,” he replied. Pressed further by The Independent, he was asked: “ Even with the right resources?” “No, they haven’t got the manpower” - snippet of interview with Britain’s most senior army officer, Field Marshal Lord Richards
In Odesa, tensions have reached a crescendo between President Volodymyr Zelensky and the city’s embattled mayor, Gennadiy Trukhanov. As an observer who’s been based in the southern Ukrainian port city for around three years, I unpack what’s really driving this rare public feud.
A major heist rocked The Louvre over the weekend when thieves scaled the iconic Paris museum with a basket lift and made off with priceless jewels in just seven minutes. According to Le Parisien, the thieves targeted the Apollo Gallery, using a freight elevator to reach the jewelry collection of Napoleon and Empress Eugénie. The outlet says nine pieces were stolen, including Eugénie’s crown which was later found broken outside the museum. France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez called it a “major robbery,” saying the crew entered from the outside using a basket lift and swiped gems of inestimable value. The job was “clearly carried out by a team that had done scouting,” Nuñez said, noting the panes were cut with a disc cutter. The Louvre, the world’s most visited museum, shut its doors “for exceptional reasons” after the break in. Images from the scene showed confused crowds as police sealed off the gates and surrounding streets near the palace complex. The Louvre has weathered infamous thefts before including the 1911 Mona Lisa heist that turned Da Vinci’s masterpiece into the world’s most famous painting. But Sunday’s smash and grab adds another chapter to its storied history - TMZ
The journals….
