President Zelensky has officially dismissed Yermak.

Hezbollah Chief Naim Qassem:

The assassination of Tabatabai and his companions is a blatant attack and a clear crime.

We have the right to respond, and we will determine the timing for that.

Kremlin:

Witkoff will meet with Putin in the first half of the week; the exact date will be announced in due course.

A Russian intercontinental ballistic missile test at the Yasny range in the Orenburg region failed seconds after liftoff, exploding at an altitude of roughly 200–400 meters.

Russia's Medvedev:

Zelensky won’t be the one who signs the peace treaty.

Trump spoke by phone last week with Venezuelan President Maduro, discussing a possible meeting, though none is planned.

The call — which included Secretary of State Marco Rubio — came as the U.S. increases military and diplomatic pressure on Venezuela.

Source: NYT

Trump:

Any document signed by Sleepy Joe Biden with the Autopen, which was approximately 92% of them, is hereby terminated, and of no further force or effect.

Trump on Truth Social:

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to skip next week’s NATO foreign ministers meeting in Brussels.

Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau is set to attend instead.

NATO foreign ministers typically meet twice a year, and U.S. secretaries of state almost always attend.

Source: Reuters

Russia’s communications watchdog warned it may block WhatsApp completely if the Meta-owned messenger doesn’t comply with local laws requiring cooperation with law-enforcement investigations.

Moscow already restricted some WhatsApp and Telegram calls in August, accusing both of withholding information in fraud and terrorism cases.

Iran’s football federation says it will boycott next week’s World Cup draw in Washington after the U.S. allegedly denied visas to members of its delegation.

The federation told FIFA the move was political and asked FIFA President Gianni Infantino — who recently met Trump to push for faster “FIFA Pass” visa processing — to intervene.

Source: POLITICO

Trump posts about Honduras again.

Andriy Yermak told the New York Post he is heading to the war’s frontlines just hours after resigning.

Pete Hegseth:

We have only just begun to kill narco-terrorists.

Department of State:

The Department of State has IMMEDIATELY paused visa issuance for individuals traveling on Afghan passports.

Situation in Kyiv after Russian attacks.

A high-level Ukrainian delegation is traveling to the US for further talks on Trump’s proposed Ukraine peace plan.

The group — including National Security and Defense Council Secretary Rustem Umerov and First Deputy Foreign Minister Sergiy Kyslytsya — is expected to meet in Florida with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Source: Bloomberg

Dublin City Council says it will not take down Irish tricolour flags hung without permission by right-wing activists, arguing that removing them could be risky and “counterproductive.”

The flags have become a flashpoint in debates over immigration and national identity.

The council said it will instead work with community groups to promote understanding of the national flag.

Some activists have already removed a number of the flags themselves.

Supporters claim the flags are patriotic; opponents say they are meant to intimidate and signal anti-immigrant sentiment.

Source: Reuters