If the president of the United States’ cognitive performance keeps you up at night, this one will keep you up till the weekend.
Catégorie oBox : OBOXMA
According to reports, the U.S. military has carried out at least 13 lethal strikes on vessels suspected of drug trafficking since early September, killing at least 57 people and leaving 3 survivors.
There are pressures that don’t announce themselves.
During his weeklong trip across Asia, Donald Trump expressed his wish to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, hoping to rekindle the dialogue that had stalled for years. But his overtures were met with silence from Pyongyang — and missile fire instead.
«I know Kim Jong Un very well. We get along very well. We really weren’t able to work out timing.»
On the eve of Trump’s arrival in South Korea, after wrapping up his visit to Japan, Kim oversaw a new series of missile tests—a move underscoring North Korea’s defiance and signalling that diplomatic engagement remains far from Pyongyang’s agenda.
«He’s been launching missiles for decades, right?»
-Donald Trump
Ahead of his Asia trip, Donald Trump reiterated his past rapport with the North Korean leader, saying:
«I got along great with Kim Jong Un. I liked him, he liked me. If he wants to meet, I’ll be in South Korea.»
Trump once again signaled a willingness to resume talks that have been stalled since 2019.
In another moment, speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One while flying from Japan to South Korea, Trump sought to downplay North Korea’s latest missile activity. Asked about Kim’s recent weapons tests, he responded casually: «He’s been launching missiles for decades, right?»
During his meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in the city of Gyeongju, Donald Trump reiterated his personal connection with the North Korean leader, emphasizing familiarity and mutual understanding despite the lack of direct contact during his trip.
«I know Kim Jong Un very well. We get along very well. We really weren’t able to work out timing,» Trump said at the start of the talks, framing the absence of a meeting as a matter of logistics rather than diplomacy — though Kim’s silence and the timing of the missile tests suggested he may have deliberately snubbed the American president.
During Trump’s visit to Gyeongju for the APEC Summit, thousands of South Koreans took to the streets holding placards reading «No Trump» to protest his presence.
The US military, under the command of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, launched coordinated strikes against four suspected drug-trafficking boats in the eastern Pacific Ocean on Monday, killing 14 people and leaving one survivor, according to CNN.
The operation marked one of the deadliest single-day actions in the Trump administration’s intensified campaign against maritime narcotics routes.
At the direction of Donald Trump
On X, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the operation, writing:
«Yesterday, at the direction of President Trump, the Department of War carried out three lethal kinetic strikes on four vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations (DTO) trafficking narcotics in the Eastern Pacific.»
Hegseth explained that US intelligence had been tracking the four vessels as they moved along established narco-trafficking routes in the region:
«The four vessels were known by our intelligence apparatus, transiting along known narco-trafficking routes, and carrying narcotics.»
«We will track them, we will network them, and then, we will hunt and kill them.»
-Pete Hegseth
One survivor
He went on to describe the details of the strikes, noting that they were conducted in three separate attacks targeting four boats:
«Eight male narco-terrorists were aboard the vessels during the first strike. Four male narco-terrorists were aboard the vessel during the second strike. Three male narco-terrorists were aboard the vessel during the third strike. A total of 14 narco-terrorists were killed during the three strikes, with one survivor. All strikes were in international waters with no U.S. forces harmed.»
«The Department has spent over TWO DECADES defending other homelands. Now, we’re defending our own.»
A search and rescue operation
According to Hegseth, the lone survivor was later subject to international rescue coordination efforts:
«Regarding the survivor, USSOUTHCOM immediately initiated Search and Rescue (SAR) standard protocols; Mexican SAR authorities accepted the case and assumed responsibility for coordinating the rescue.»
According to Reuters, Mexican naval authorities confirmed they had taken charge of coordinating the search and rescue operation following a request from U.S. forces, though it remained unclear whether the survivor had been successfully recovered.
13 lethal strikes
Hegseth concluded his statement on X with a forceful declaration framing the strikes as part of a broader shift in US military focus:
«The Department has spent over TWO DECADES defending other homelands. Now, we’re defending our own. These narco-terrorists have killed more Americans than Al-Qaeda, and they will be treated the same. We will track them, we will network them, and then, we will hunt and kill them.»
According to reports, the U.S. military has carried out at least 13 lethal strikes on vessels suspected of drug trafficking since early September, killing at least 57 people and leaving 3 survivors.
Human rights groups and legal experts have accused the Trump administration of potential war crimes and extrajudicial killings, citing the absence of congressional authorization, lack of transparency, and the targeting of civilians outside a recognized armed conflict
The Trump administration has dismissed all six members of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts after an unapproved demolition began inside the White House to create space for a new presidential ballroom.
His construction projects
The commission, an independent federal body responsible for advising on architecture and design in the capital, was reportedly not informed of the works, which included tearing down the entire East Wing — despite earlier assurances that the structure would remain untouched.
«It’s my favourite. It’s my favourite place. I love it.»
Donald Trump
The move follows a series of controversial architectural interventions by Trump, who has refused to answer to any oversight in his construction projects.
«On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as a member of the Commission of Fine Arts is terminated, effective immediately.»
Earlier this summer, he transformed the historic Rose Garden into a paved patio, stripping away its iconic image.
The mass firing underscores growing tensions between the administration’s push for grand, imperial-style projects and the legal protections meant to preserve Washington’s architectural heritage.
«We are preparing to appoint a new slate of members to the commission that are more aligned with President Trump’s ‘America First’ policies.»
More aligned with Trump’ policies
According to The Washington Post, members of the Commission of Fine Arts, commission established by Congress more than a century ago and advising the president, Congress, and local officials on design matters in Washington D.C., received an email stating:
«On behalf of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as a member of the Commission of Fine Arts is terminated, effective immediately.»
In a statement acknowledging the dismissals, the White House confirmed that the six commissioners, all appointed by Joe Biden and serving terms through 2028, were being replaced by figures more sympathetic to Trump’s agenda, saying:
«We are preparing to appoint a new slate of members to the commission that are more aligned with President Trump’s ‘America First’ policies.»
Presenting his plan to replace the East Wing with a new grand ballroom, Trump described his deep attachment to the White House, saying: «It’s my favourite. It’s my favourite place. I love it,» according to The Times.
Yet many are increasingly alarmed by what he might attempt next in his sweeping reconfiguration of the presidential residence, as more than three years remain in his second term — with critics drawing parallels between his unrestrained demolitions and the chaotic, unchecked style with which he governs the country.
Long-lasting consequences
The East Wing, which housed the First Lady’s offices, the White House Social Office, and several administrative and ceremonial spaces including the Family Theater, served as the logistical and protocol heart of the presidential residence — and many are reportedly in shock over its destruction.
According to Politico, a historian of First Ladies warned that the loss of the East Wing will have long-lasting consequences for both the institution and the preservation of White House history.
Trump mixes up cognitive exam with IQ test in a latest rant and wants AOC to pass it.
