
Moscow fireworks mask Russia's collision course with the West
CNN
There were fireworks in the skies over Moscow Wednesday night, but not for the reasons one might expect.
February 23 marks Defender of the Fatherland Day in Russia, a holiday that officially honors those who have served in Russia's armed forces, but in practice is known as День мужчин, or Men's Day -- a sort of Valentine's Day for dudes.
So the fireworks were not in celebration of Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to recognize the sovereignty of two breakaway statelets in eastern Ukraine, the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics -- and the Russian government's declared aim to send troops to the separatist-held regions.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth risked compromising sensitive military information that could have endangered US troops through his use of Signal to discuss attack plans, a Pentagon watchdog said in an unclassified report released Thursday. It also details how Hegseth declined to cooperate with the probe.

Two top House lawmakers emerged divided along party lines after a private briefing with the military official who oversaw September’s attack on an alleged drug vessel that included a so-called double-tap strike that killed surviving crew members, with a top Democrat calling video of the incident that was shared as part of the briefing “one of the most troubling things” he has seen as a lawmaker.

Authorities in Colombia are dealing with increasingly sophisticated criminals, who use advanced tech to produce and conceal the drugs they hope to export around the world. But police and the military are fighting back, using AI to flag suspicious passengers, cargo and mail - alongside more conventional air and sea patrols. CNN’s Isa Soares gets an inside look at Bogotá’s war on drugs.

As lawmakers demand answers over reports that the US military carried out a follow-up strike that killed survivors during an attacked on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean, a career Navy SEAL who has spent most of his 30 years of military experience in special operations will be responsible for providing them.









