Donetsk unveils a bust of the “son of the CIA deputy director” who died fighting for Russia

In occupied Donetsk, near School No. 115, a bust has been installed of Private Michael Gloss — allegedly the son of the CIA deputy director who fought on Russia’s side. A monument to his comrade, Corporal Ivan Kokovin, was placed beside it. Both were killed on April 4, 2024.

The plaque under Gloss’s bust reads: “A soldier is not a profession, but a calling. There is no foreign land for those who fight for justice.” It also states that he died “in a fierce battle for Chasiv Yar,” trying to help a wounded comrade.

At the bottom, there is an English inscription: “May the heroes be glorified!”

An American who fought for Russia… A specimen so rare they immediately cast him in bronze.

CUSTOMS COMPTROLLER GAMBO IYERE ALIYU WHO REJECTED $50,000 BRIBE TAKES HELM AT FOU ZONE A

The Federal Operations Unit (FOU) Zone A of the Nigeria Customs Service has witnessed a major transition as outgoing Comptroller , now Assistant Comptroller-General (ACG) Mohammed Salisu Shuaibu, formally handed over leadership to the new Customs Area Comptroller , Comptroller Gambo Iyere Aliyu. The handover ceremony, held on December 10, 2025, marked a notable moment for the Service’s anti-smuggling architecture as both senior officers outlined their visions for stronger enforcement and national economic protection.

In his valedictory remarks, ACG Shuaibu expressed deep gratitude to God and the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, MFR, dsm, fnipr,psc+ for the trust and support that enabled him to lead the Zone effectively. He described his seven-month tenure as both challenging and rewarding, noting that his mandate upon assumption of office on April 23, 2025 was to strengthen intelligence-driven operations within the Zone.

He reported remarkable achievements during his stewardship, driven by the resilience and professionalism of officers under his command. According to him, the Unit recorded 476 interceptions comprising 761 seizures valued at ₦10,051,812,208, including 23,000 bags of smuggled rice, 98 used vehicles, 2,350 kg of cannabis sativa, 1,820 jerry cans of PMS, 15 rifles, 4,841 rounds of ammunition, two industrial drones, 25 kg of methamphetamine, and four 50kg cylinders of explosives of Russian origin.He added that the Unit also transferred $20,000 in intercepted currencies to the EFCC, arrested 38 suspects, and handed over eight containers of expired pharmaceuticals valued at ₦7.5 billion. Beyond enforcement, the Unit recovered ₦419,202,458.85 from underpaid import duties through meticulous document checks and demand notices.

ACG Shuaibu called on officers to remain committed and extend full cooperation to his successor, expressing confidence that the structures he leaves behind will continue to thrive. He thanked his principal officers, patrol leaders, and the media for their support, describing his time at FOU Zone A as fulfilling and impactful.

In his response, Comptroller Gambo Iyere Aliyu expressed profound appreciation to the Comptroller-General and the NCS management team for the confidence reposed in him. He commended ACG Shuaibu for his exemplary leadership, pledging to consolidate the gains already recorded by the outgoing administration.

Comptroller Aliyu assured that he would uphold the vision of the Comptroller-General of Customs, focusing on enhanced intelligence-driven enforcement, strict discipline, strong stakeholder collaboration, and improved welfare for officers. Specifically, he will align with the Comptroller-General's goals of modernizing customs processes, strengthening anti-smuggling efforts, improving trade facilitation, and building capacity.

He highlighted the strategic importance of FOU Zone A as a frontline enforcement formation responsible for suppressing smuggling and safeguarding Nigeria’s economic interests. He emphasised that professionalism, accountability, and ethics would remain non-negotiable under his command, urging officers to uphold the core values of the Service.

According to him, operational activities will revolve around change management, compliance management, and reputational management—three pillars he considers essential for sustainable progress. Comptroller Aliyu also acknowledged the vital role of the media and pledged open, responsible engagement to ensure accurate dissemination of information.

BREAKING: A well-known Russian archaeologist has been detained in Poland at Ukraine’s request

According to investigators, after the annexation of Crimea, Aleksandr Butyagin led an archaeological expedition for the Hermitage Museum. He had no permits from Ukrainian authorities, yet he carried out excavations at a protected heritage site — the “Ancient City of Myrmekion” in Kerch.

The Russian citizen was only passing through Poland on his way from the Netherlands, where he had been giving a series of lectures.

After questioning him, the Warsaw District Prosecutor’s Office decided to place the “Hermitage representative” in temporary custody.

Butyagin will now spend at least 40 days not in a European hotel room, but on a prison bunk.

Remember, guys: not a word in Russian.” Russia wants to ban Call of Duty

Lawmakers are demanding an investigation into the Call of Duty series for alleged “Russophobia.”

The deputy head of the State Duma’s economic policy committee has asked Roskomnadzor to review the Modern Warfaregames and their remasters.

The trigger: complaints from deputies that Russian players have to shoot at Russian soldiers in the game, and that the only positive Russian characters are those cooperating with Western intelligence services.

MP Mikhail Delyagin said such gameplay is “unpleasant” for Russians and looks like “masochism.”

Russia has legalized outright lawlessness: Ukrainian homes will be taken over by colonizers

Mass property seizures in occupied territories are now officially legal.

Occupation authorities have been given the power to declare homes “ownerless” and hand them over to other people. The rule will remain in force until 2030.

There are no clear criteria, meaning it targets everyone — those who fled because of the war and even those who still live in their homes. This was reported by Ukraine’s Center for Countering Disinformation.

The seized apartments are set to be handed to occupants — Russian soldiers, security forces and officials being brought into the captured regions to accelerate their russification and change the demographic makeup.

Pornhub has released its 2025 statistics — and they shocked Russians

In a “traditional” and “orthodox” country where even the slightest hint of LGBT content is banned at the official level, the most popular category somehow turned out to be… transgender porn.

How is that possible?

Sentenced for friendly fire: up to 12 years in prison

Four men accused of killing American communist and propagandist Russell Bentley — who had fought in Donbas on the side of pro-Russian militants since 2014 — have been sentenced to up to 12 years.

In 2024, they tortured Bentley to death in Donetsk after mistaking him for a spy. Later, according to investigators, two of them blew up a car containing his body to destroy the evidence.

Bentley’s Russian widow said she does not consider the verdict fair. She noted that the sentences are far from the maximum and that the defendants showed no remorse and did not even offer condolences.

“I can’t bring my husband back,” she said, adding that she will never be able to accept the court’s decision.

The Russian Air Force accidentally dropped a 1,000-pound guided bomb on Belgorod, Russia, tonight, with a resident spotted driving past the cordoned-off site near a key electrical substation.

Germany Approves Voluntary Military Service for 18-Year-Olds Amid Rising Security Concerns

Germany’s parliament, the Bundestag, has voted to introduce voluntary military service, marking a major shift in the country’s defense policy following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The move is part of Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s plan to build Europe’s strongest conventional army.

Starting January 2026, all 18-year-olds will receive a mandatory questionnaire asking if they are interested in joining the armed forces. The form will be compulsory for men and voluntary for women. From July 2027, all 18-year-old men will undergo medical examinations to assess their fitness for possible military service.

The decision has sparked widespread opposition among students, with strikes planned in as many as 90 cities. Protesters argue that compulsory training promotes drill and obedience, offering little benefit while disrupting young people’s lives.

Currently, Germany’s armed forces, the Bundeswehr, have around 182,000 personnel, with plans to increase the number to 260,000 by the early 2030s, supplemented by 200,000 reservists. The government says that while service is voluntary, compulsory measures could be considered if too few volunteers come forward or if security thr+ats escalate.

Survivors Expose Brutal Atrocities by Russia’s Africa Corps in Mali as Refugees Demand Global Action

Survivors in Mauritania’s M’berra refugee camp are recounting harrowing stories of torture, executions, suffocation, and mass killings allegedly carried out by Russian mercenaries operating under the rebranded Africa Corps in Mali. Despite the transition from the Wagner Group to Africa Corps, testimonies reveal unchanged tactics marked by brutality and impunity. Dozens describe beatings, waterboarding, public executions, and large-scale operations designed to terrorise communities, raising urgent questions about Mali’s security partnership and the militarisation of governance across the Sahel. Analysts warn that outsourcing national security to unaccountable mercenary forces is deepening regional instability. Survivors now demand justice and global intervention as the human cost of Mali's geopolitical shift continues to mount.




#Mali

#AfricaCorps

#WagnerGroup

#SahelCrisis

#HumanRights

NEVER FORGET that Trump DECLINED Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro’s offer of a dominant stake in Venezuela’s oil, gold, and mineral wealth along with agreeing to cut ties with Russia and China.

Trump instead sent 10,000+ troops and 10% of the entire U.S. Navy to the region.

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday, taking a draft peace plan that Washington hopes can bring about an end to the war in Ukraine.

South African Radio Presenter Arrested for Allegedly Recruiting Fighters for Russia’s War in Ukraine



South African radio presenter Nonkululeko Mantula, 39, has been arrested for allegedly recruiting men to join the Russian army in the ongoing war in Ukraine. Police apprehended her along with four men she reportedly arranged to send to Russia, three of whom were detained at an airport before departure. Authorities said it is illegal for South Africans to enlist in a foreign army without government approval. Mantula, a presenter at SAFM, remains in custody as investigations widen, including a separate probe involving Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, daughter of former President Jacob Zuma, who is accused of deceiving 17 South African men into travelling to Russia under false pretences. The South African government has received distress calls from the recruits, who claim they were forced to fight and had their documents confiscated. Officials say they are working with international partners to repatriate the victims and warn citizens to be wary of misleading job and study offers linked to Russia.

BREAKING:

Ukraine is now targeting Russian commercial ships.

This morning Kiev attacked the Russian tanker Midvolga-2 which was carrying sunflower oil.

In the past few days Ukraine has attacked a total of 4 Russian commercial vessels.

Russian cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev has been removed from the Crew 12 mission just months before its scheduled launch to the ISS.

Artemyev was dismissed for violating ITAR export control regulations: he reportedly photographed SpaceX engines and other internal documents on his phone and took them off the base, The Insider reports.

Since 2019, Artemyev has been a deputy in the Moscow regional parliament and a member of Putin’s "United Russia" party.

Talks between the American and Ukrainian delegations in Florida produced "no progress" on the issue of territorial concessions.

According to ABC News, which cited a source familiar with the meeting, Russia is not ready to discuss a ceasefire, while Ukraine is not ready to make territorial concessions.

The parties also discussed frozen Russian assets, security guarantees for Ukraine, and the issue of holding elections in the country.

However, the source noted that there were no signs of any breakthrough on the most difficult issues.

BREAKING:

Russia ,China, Iran and Turkey will not support Venezuela against the US.

⚡️ Tanker attacked in the Black Sea: vessel traveling from Russia to Georgia hit off the Turkish coast

Turkey’s maritime authority reports that yet another tanker en route from Russia to Georgia came under attack 80 miles off the Turkish shore.

Incidents involving strikes on Russian or Russia-linked routes in the Black Sea have become more frequent in recent months. Turkey is increasing its monitoring efforts, while insurers are already pricing in new risks for anyone moving through this corridor.

Such strikes are turning into a tool of pressure — ensuring Russia has no safe zones and that every route becomes a liability. The more disruption hits Russian supply lines, the stronger the leverage international partners gain to push Moscow toward ending the war.

There are officially 1.25 million people living with HIV in Russia — roughly one in every hundred residents

These figures were reported by academician Vadim Pokrovsky from Rospotrebnadzor.

Around 1.5 million people become infected worldwide each year, including more than 50,000 in Russia. Since the start of the epidemic, HIV has taken roughly 40 million lives — more than the Spanish flu and COVID.

The virus spreads fastest where people do not control their sexual contacts and ignore basic safety.

Russia’s infection rate is three to five times higher than the European average. In the EU, access to therapy is nearly universal, while in Russia only 60–70% of those officially registered receive treatment.

Europe invests in prevention, testing, and accessible treatment, while Russia pretends the problem will resolve itself. As you can see, it hasn’t.

“Things are heating up!” A series of strikes across southern Russia