Happy Tuesday Everyone! Today’s newsletter: 1,160 words…4.3 mins
🗞 Today’s Edition: The MiG That Almost Started WWIII, Terror Blast Rocks Delhi, Brussels Wants Its Own CIA (sort of), Veteran’s Day Commemorations, Riots At UC Berkeley, SoftBank Cashes Out of Nvidia… & much more!
📜THE HIGHLIGHT
One killer insight to stash in your back pocket
The Russian pilot who was allegedly approached by British and Ukrainian intelligence
💥Operation Kinzhal: The MiG That Almost Started WWIII
Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) claims it has thwarted a joint Ukrainian–British intelligence plot to hijack a MiG-31 fighter jet armed with a Kinzhal hypersonic missile—one of Moscow’s most advanced weapons.
🕵️♂️The Play: According to the FSB, Ukrainian military intelligence (GUR), with help from British operatives, tried to recruit a Russian pilot, offering $3 million and EU citizenship to defect and fly the jet toward NATO airspace in Constanța, Romania.
The alleged goal: Stage a false-flag provocation by having NATO air defenses shoot it down—sparking international chaos and an excuse to engage in a direct confrontation with Russia.
📞 The FSB released audio and photos it says prove the contact, including one bizarre exchange:
The pilot refused and told them he couldn't land the MiG‑31 by himself
They responded by saying they could teach him how to land it - online.
The plan allegedly included poisoning his commander’s oxygen mask or breaking the cockpit partition.
🧩 The OSINT group Bellingcat—labeled a “foreign agent” in Russia—was accused of assisting Ukrainian intelligence in the scheme, a charge it denies.
💣 The Response: After the plot fizzled, Moscow said it retaliated with Kinzhal strikes on Ukrainian intelligence hubs. Britain called the claims “pure fiction”, adding that the fabricated story was a pretext to strike Ukraine’s intelligence bases.
💡Bottom line: Whether or not the story is true, the takeaway’s clear: The shadow war just got a lot weirder—and deadlier. Because nothing says “escalation” like a DIY hypersonic hijack tutorial.
♟️THE CHESSBOARD
Geopolitics Decoded In 3 Moves
🚨Terror Blast Rocks Delhi’s Red Fort
A car explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort has been confirmed as a terror attack tied to a “white-collar” terror module operating out of Jammu and Kashmir.
The blast killed 9 people and injured 20
Involved a Hyundai owned by Dr. Umar Mohammad of Pulwama, believed to be part of the cell.
Authorities say ammonium nitrate was used in the bomb.
Investigators suspect the device detonated prematurely after two of Umar’s associates were arrested and 2,900 kg of explosives seized in Haryana.
The investigation involves multiple agencies, including NIA and Delhi Police. A suspect named Tariq is in custody.
💡Bottom line: The attack marks India’s deadliest urban terror strike in years—and security across Delhi is now on max alert.
🇪🇺 Brussels Wants Its Own CIA (Sort Of)
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen is pushing to create a new EU intelligence coordination unit.
A move aimed at reducing dependence on U.S. and British intel amid the Ukraine war and rising global threats.
The proposed unit would pool intel from national agencies and focus on analysis—not spying (she insists, wink wink)—working alongside the EU’s Intcen under the EEAS umbrella.
But resistance is building: France, Hungary, and other states warn it could duplicate efforts and erode sovereignty.
💡Bottom line: Europe wants more autonomy—but not everyone’s ready to share their secrets.
💉 WWI Disease Returns to Ukraine’s Trenches
A gas gangrene outbreak is hitting Ukrainian frontline troops, echoing the infections that ravaged WWI battlefields.
The deadly bacteria, Clostridium, thrives in oxygen-starved wounds—releasing toxins that rot tissue and kill within hours.
The cause: delays in evacuating the wounded as Russian drones hammer supply and medevac routes, leaving soldiers untreated in the mud.
Mortality can hit 100% without surgery, but frontline hospitals are overwhelmed.
💡Bottom line: The crisis is fueling amputations, drug-resistant infections, and biosecurity fears spreading beyond Ukraine.
🗽THE EMPIRE FILES
Political Drama From DC To NYC
Left: President Trump lays a wreath at the ‘Tomb of the Unknown Soldier’ at the Arlington National Cemetery; Right: King Charles lays a wreath at the Cenotaph
🌺 Honoring Service on Veterans Day 2025
The nation marked Veterans Day with solemn tributes across the U.S. and abroad. At Arlington National Cemetery, President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance led the wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, honoring America’s fallen.
Trump delivered remarks thanking veterans for their service and designating the day as “Victory Day” to commemorate historic U.S. military achievements.
In London, King Charles III and senior Royals took part in the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Cenotaph on Nov 9th, joined by military officials and veterans in tribute to those lost in war.
⚡In New York City, thousands of veterans and service members marched in the annual Veterans Day Parade, one of the largest in the country, celebrating sacrifice, duty, and national pride.
💥UC Berkeley Riot Erupts Outside TPUSA Memorial Event
Chaos engulfed UC Berkeley Monday night as hundreds of protesters clashed with police outside a Turning Point USA event honoring slain founder Charlie Kirk.
Organizers said the protesters, some linked to Antifa, threw tear gas, fireworks, and bottles, while riot police formed barricades to protect attendees.
Police made multiple arrests, including four students charged with felony vandalism.
The sold-out event, hosted by actor Rob Schneider and Dr. Frank Turek, went ahead despite the riots and then Schneider taunted the protesters with this:
Thank YOU, Antifa for welcoming us tonight at UC Berkeley. We Look forward to our thoughtful, teargas free discussion and debate.
⚡Campus officials emphasized student free speech rights while maintaining heightened security and the DOJ launched a review of Berkeley’s campus security response.
🤖 CODES & POWER
Tech Wars, Crypto Chaos, and AI’s Black Mirror Moments
💸 SoftBank Cashes Out of Nvidia for OpenAI Push
SoftBank sold its entire Nvidia stake for $5.83B in October, part of a broader plan to fund $22.5B into OpenAI and other AI ventures.
The sale included 32.1M shares, plus a partial T-Mobile stake for $9.17B.
Despite exiting Nvidia, SoftBank remains tied to the chipmaker through its AI projects, including the $500B Stargate data center initiative.
⚡Vision Fund gains and these stake sales helped double SoftBank’s Q2 profit, fueling its aggressive AI expansion.
🎙Threads Sets Sights on Podcasters
Meta’s Threads is rolling out new features aimed at podcasters, spotlighting shows in the feed with colorful links and thumbnails and adding dedicated profile space for podcast links.
The goal: become the go-to hub for podcast discussions, helping creators engage fans and track conversation analytics.
Threads won’t host podcasts itself but hopes to centralize listener interactions that are currently scattered across Reddit, X, Spotify, and YouTube.
⚡Next up: more discovery tools and fan-creator engagement features.
📺 FUN FACTS & TRIVIA
German Chocolate Cake Was Invented In Texas
The “German” part of German chocolate cake comes from a person’s name—and that person wasn’t even from Germany!!
German chocolate cake is named after Samuel German, who created a sweet baking chocolate for Baker's Chocolate Company in 1852. The cake itself was invented in 1957 when Mrs. George Clay, published a recipe using "Baker's German's Sweet Chocolate."
Over time, the possessive "German's" was dropped, leading to the common misconception that the cake originated in Germany.