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Caribbean
Haiti
30 November 2025 Haiti is in the grip of a security crisis as gangs battle for control of territory in the capital and beyond while continuing to expand their criminal activities. It is feared that gangs are increasingly working with international organized crime networks to traffic drugs. 1,045 kilograms of cocaine was seized in July 2025 near Haiti’s Île de la Tortue off the north coast of the Caribbean nation in a maritime operation by Haitian authorities, believed to have originated in South America and was destined for distribution across the Caribbean and the US. Just two weeks later, 426 kg of cannabis were confiscated in Petite-Anse, near Cap-Haïtien again in the north of the country. The traffickers involved in the cocaine shipment were Bahamian and Jamaican nationals. There have been additional seizures wider afield. Two Haitian nationals were arrested in Jamaica, also in July, with over 1,350 kg of cannabis. The seizures have underlined the island nation’s pivotal role in trafficking routes linking South America, the Caribbean and the United States of America. There is also recent evidence received by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) of drugs being shipped to Europe. In August 2025, Belgian authorities seized 1,156 kg of cocaine in the port of Antwerp in a container originating from Haiti. The largest gangs have entrenched themselves along strategic corridors in and out of the capital Port-au-Prince as well as along the border with neighbouring Dominican Republic controlling key transit routes for drugs as well as other contraband, including arms. Intelligence from Jamaica also links firearms seizures to a guns-for-drugs trade involving Haitian gangs. Île de la Tortue, suitable as a logistics and storage platform for illicit shipments has considerable size, it is remoteness, and its geographical position provides direct maritime access to the Bahamas and Jamaica, as well as the Turks and Caicos Islands. The seizures of drugs both in Haitian waters and in Europe indicate sophisticated, coordinated and established trafficking routes that require a robust regional response by law enforcement agencies. ’Newly established drug routes are also overlapping with migrant smuggling operations, in which Haitian nationals are increasingly involved’. UNODC is reinforcing border security, strengthening maritime control, advancing intelligence-led policing and addressing the corruption and financial crime that allow trafficking networks to operate. A nationwide border-management initiative designed to increase interdiction capacity at ports, airports and land borders has been launched at the request of the Haitian authorities. At sea, UNODC’s Global Maritime Crime Programme is focused on strengthening the Haitian Coast Guard. On land, UNODC is strengthening the ability of law enforcement to carry out intelligence-led operations against organized criminal groups involved in migrant smuggling, trafficking in persons and overlapping criminal activities. Exchange of information between Haiti and regional partners has also been stepped up. Specialized tribunals are being launched which are capable of handling cases involving financial crime, money laundering, gang-related offences and other sensitive criminal matters, with the objective of reducing impunity and restoring confidence in the justice system. (Source: The United Nations Office in Geneva)
North America
Canada
2 December 2025 The European Union and Canada announced an agreement allowing Ottawa to join a €150 billion European defence financing programme called Security Action for Europe (SAFE). (Source: Brussels Signal - Belgium)
United States
Dec 05, 2025 President Trump met with the leaders of both the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda yesterday, where those two leaders signed an agreement that will signal the beginning of the end of a long-running conflict in Africa. The peace deal also involves precious minerals access for the United States. The peace agreement cemented yesterday calls for a peaceful resolution of disputes, disarmament, provisions for refugees and ending support for armed groups. It also calls for the launching of an economic framework that would expand the trade of critical minerals. The United States signed bilateral agreements on that measure with both countries. But despite the new deals, violence has continued on the ground. (Source: Scripps News - U.S.)
05.12.25 The US plans to expand the number of countries covered by its travel ban to more than 30, US Homeland Security Secretary Noem said in an interview on Fox News yesterday. Trump signed a proclamation in June banning the citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States and restricting those from seven others, saying it was needed to protect against foreign terrorists and other security threats. The bans apply to both immigrants and non-immigrants, such as tourists, students and business travellers. ’If they don't have a stable government there, if they don't have a country that can sustain itself and tell us who those individuals are and help us vet them, why should we allow people from that country to come here to the United States?" Noem said. (Source: The Telegraph – India / Reuters - United Kingdom)
12/3/2025 Soros changed criminal justice in America. Ads came from an independent political committee bankrolled by a billionaire - in this case, the former hedge fund manager and liberal 'philanthropist' Soros, who set out a decade ago to elect district attorneys who would steer drug offenders and juveniles toward rehabilitation instead of prison, oppose cash bail for minor crimes, and crack down on police misconduct. Over the past decade, the Soros-backed Justice & Public Safety PAC and affiliated committees have built a cost-effective and winning record. These entities spent roughly one-fifth of Musk’s $294 million investment in the 2024 election, spreading that money across at least 62 primary and general election races and winning 77 percent of the time. These district attorneys command extraordinary authority to pick and choose who enters the criminal justice system and for how long. Downballot races have turned into big-money brawls that polls and political science show have eroded public faith in government. Some prosecutors who face better-funded Soros-backed contenders bow out, leaving voters with fewer choices. And while voters can hold candidates accountable for misleading attacks on their opponents, billionaires like Soros do not have to answer to the electorate. When heavy-handed billionaires equate democracy with their personal ideology and drop a ton of money picking candidates and destroying others while the rest of us are left as bystanders, that’s not democracy, said Clements, CEO of American Promise, a nonprofit that advocates stronger campaign finance regulations. 'It’s leading us to disaster because of the level of toxicity and take-no-prisoners warfare. The damage is systematic.' Soros ranks fifth among the top billionaire political donors in the last 10 years, having given more than $321 million to federal and state candidates and committees. In Florida, Gov. DeSantis (R) went so far as to suspend two Soros-backed Democratic prosecutors in a two-year period as part of a crusade against what he described as'woke' ideology. And in Texas, where Soros has boosted about half a dozen prosecutors, Attorney General Paxton has promoted a campaign against 'rogue district attorneys.' A group funded by Musk that tried to dislodge one Soros-backed district attorney in Texas last year sent out mailers featuring a bloodied teddy bear and accusing him of 'filling Austin’s streets with pedophiles & killers.' Amid the backlash by conservatives seeking to tie Soros-backed prosecutors to rising crime, some failed to win second terms. At the end of last year, Musk appeared to be planning a broad counterattack against Soros-supported prosecutors, but his plans for the 2026 elections are unclear. (Source: MSN / The Washington Post = U.S.)
3 December 2025 The United States has imposed a sweeping freeze on immigration processing for applicants from 19 non-European countries, suspending decisions on green cards, citizenship, asylum and other immigration benefits. The directive, issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), applies to all applications regardless of when they were filed, including those near approval. This reassessment may require new background checks, additional documentation or fresh interviews, even for people who have lived legally in the U.S. for years. (Source: Outlook - India)
Tue, Dec 2, 2025 US President Trump has threatened military strikes on Colombia amid rising tensions over drug trafficking. Speaking at the White House, he said: "If they come in through a certain country, any country ... I hear Colombia is making cocaine ... anybody doing that and selling it into our country is subject to attack." The US President held a security meeting yesterday. (Source: Express - United Kingdom)
December 2, 2025 Trump told Maduro in a phone call earlier this week to quit and offered safe passage for him and his family, a deal that expired Friday without Maduro accepting the offer. According to Reuters, Maduro requested full legal amnesty to leave Venezuela, an end to U.S. sanctions and his case before the International Criminal Court and sanction relief for over 100 Venezuelan officials accused of abuse or corruption. He reportedly wanted his vice president to lead an interim government if he stepped down. Trump rejected the demands. (Source: Miami Herald / Newsweek - U.S.)
(Sunday), November 30, 2025 White House gives Maduro ultimatum as U.S. moves toward land operations. A phone call between the White House and Caracas aimed at defusing the crisis carried a blunt message for strongman Maduro: You can save yourself and those closest to you, but you must leave the country now. The call - which The New York Times reported took place last week, quickly reached an impasse. The two sides’ positions were far apart. One source said the cal stalled over three issues. „Maduro asked for global amnesty for any crimes he and his group had committed, and that was rejected.” „They asked to retain control of the armed forces - similar to what happened in Nicaragua in ’91 with Chamorro. In return, they would allow free elections.” The administration rejected that proposal as well. The third sticking point: Safe passage would be guaranteed for Maduro, his wife Cilia and his son only if he agreed to resign right away. Caracas refused. The call - initially brokered by Brazil, Qatar, and Turkey - has not been repeated. The conversation unfolded amid growing signs that the Trump administration is preparing a more assertive phase of operations targeting Venezuela’s so-called Cartel de los Soles, which Washington says is headed by Maduro and other top officials. On Thursday, President Trump announced that U.S. military actions - until now focused on sinking speedboats suspected of carrying drugs in the Caribbean - would soon expand onto Venezuelan territory. Speaking to service members during a Thanksgiving call, he said the U.S. Armed Forces would very soon begin land-based operations to disrupt what he described as Venezuelan drug-trafficking networks. After Trump’s announcement on Saturday that Venezuelan airspace should be considered closed in its entirety, the Maduro government attempted to place another call to Washington but received no response. Addressing on Truth Social “Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers,' Trump offered no operational details but warned that the directive required immediate attention. Washington has moved to expand its legal authority. The State Department formally designated the Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, placing Maduro, Interior Minister Cabello, and Defense Minister López in the same legal category as leaders of al-Qaeda and isis. The designation, published in the Federal Register, is seen as a tool that grants the administration new latitude to undertake military action without additional congressional approval. Because U.S. officials argue the cartel operates from within the Venezuelan state, the designation effectively treats the Maduro government as part of a terrorist network. Experts note the move could allow the administration to invoke the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force, the legal basis for most U.S. counterterrorism operations over the past two decades. Trump has suggested it could clear the way for strikes on Venezuelan assets and infrastructure. He has also said he remains open to negotiations. Caracas denounced the move, calling it a false pretext for foreign intervention and insisting the cartel is an American invention. For more than two months, American naval and air assets have surged into the Caribbean near Venezuela’s borders, including the Nov. 16 arrival of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier. At least 10 additional warships, a nuclear submarine and F-35 fighter jets are also deployed. The level of firepower far exceeds typical interdiction activity. (Source: Miami Herald - U.S.)
(Sunday, 30 November 2025) The White House has launched on Friday a tracker designed to call out media offenders every week. The site is listing news sites, reporters, and stories it claims misled the public. Each story is explained and categorized under labels such as lie, omission of context, or left-wing lunacy. (Source: DW /Germany/; "The Associated Press /U.S./ contributed")
Global
December 01 2025 ’Sales by the world's top 100 arms makers reached a record $679 billion last year’. It's mostly driven by Europe. The wars in Ukraine and Gaza boosted demand, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Many European countries are also now looking to expand and modernise their own militaries, which will present a new source of demand. ’The United States is home to 39 of the world's top 100 arms makers’, including the top three: Lockheed Martin, RTX (formerly Raytheon Technologies) and Northrop Grumman. U.S. arms makers saw their combined revenues rise 3.8 percent to reach $334 billion in 2024, nearly half of the world's total. ’The 26 of the top 100 arms maker which are based in Europe’ saw aggregate revenues grow by 13 percent to $151 billion. ’The sharpest increase of all the top 100: Czech company Czechoslovak Group’ saw revenue spike by 193 percent - reaching $3.6 billion. ’The company benefitted from the Czech Ammunition Initiative which provides artillery shells for Ukraine’. European arms makers are also facing difficulties: sourcing materials looks to become more challenging. Airbus and France's Safran sourced half of their titanium from Russia before 2022 and have had to find new suppliers. Chinese export restrictions on critical minerals have led companies - such as France's Thales and Germany's Rheinmetall - to warn of higher costs as they restructure supply chains. ’Two Russian arms makers are also among the top 100’, Rostec and United Shipbuilding Corporation, and they saw combined revenue rise by 23 percent to $31.2 billion, despite a shortfall of components due to international sanctions. The report noted that the Russian arms industry is struggling to find enough skilled labour to support the projected rates of production needed to sustain Russia's war aims. The overall revenues of the ’23 companies based in Asia and Oceania’ went down - their combined revenues dropped 1.2 percent to $130 billion. The overall drop there was the result of by a larger drop among Chinese arms makers. A host of corruption allegations in Chinese arms procurement led to major arms contracts being postponed or cancelled in 2024. The drop deepened uncertainty around China's efforts to modernise its military. ’Japanese and South Korean weapons makers saw their revenues increase’, also driven by European demand. ’Nine of the top 100 arms companies were based in the Middle East’, with combined revenues of $31 billion. ’The three Israeli arms companies’ in the ranking accounted for more than half of that. Their combined revenues grew by 16 percent to $16.2 billion. SIPRI researcher Karim noted in a statement that the growing backlash over Israel's actions in Gaza seems to have had little impact on interest in Israeli weapons. (Source: Hurriyet Daily News - Turkey)
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