Read more⬇️https://t.co/xeW1xCM3tK pic.twitter.com/cXJ5qgdziu
— Department of War 🇺🇸 (@DeptofWar) September 19, 2025
The change follows a Pentagon directive to eliminate permanent medical shaving profiles and return to pre-2020 grooming standards, amid concerns that long-term waivers had expanded beyond severe medical cases.
US, Vietnam Repatriate Possible Remains of Missing Airman
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) received possible remains of a US service member during a repatriation ceremony at Gia Lam Airfield in Hanoi on December 13.
The remains are believed to be associated with a US Air Force F-105 crash site in Vietnam’s Lao Cai Province and were handed over during the 171st such ceremony between the two countries.
Vietnamese recovery teams located the remains during joint field operations that continued despite a US government shutdown. US and Vietnamese forensic specialists examined the remains in Hanoi and determined they may belong to a US service member.
The remains will be transported to the DPAA laboratory in Hawaii for further identification.
🇻🇳 🇺🇸 The United States today held its 171st repatriation ceremony in Hà Nội to receive possible remains linked to an American service member missing in action during an air operation in the northern province of Yên Bái during the #VietnamWar.
📸 VNA/VNS Photos pic.twitter.com/BMyyARAttF
— Việt Nam News (@VietnamNewsVNS) December 13, 2025
US officials said the effort reflects decades of cooperation between Washington and Hanoi to account for Americans missing from the Vietnam War, from which 1,067 service members have now been identified.
South Korean Shipyard Wins First US Navy Repair Contract
South Korea’s HJ Shipbuilding & Construction has secured its first US Navy maintenance contract, marking a new step in maritime cooperation between Washington and Seoul.
The Busan-based shipbuilder will conduct a mid-term maintenance, repair, and overhaul availability on the dry cargo ship USNS Amelia Earhart (T-AKE-6), a 40,000-ton logistics vessel that supports US naval operations worldwide.
The deal follows US inspections of HJ Shipbuilding’s facilities and reflects the Navy’s push to expand shipbuilding and maintenance capacity through allied partnerships amid global shipyard backlogs.
US and South Korean leaders have prioritized deeper cooperation in the sector, with Seoul committing major investments in US shipbuilding and industry leaders on both sides pursuing joint strategies in naval construction and repair.
Zelenskyy Says US-Backed Peace Proposal Near Completion
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said negotiations with US officials on a framework to end Russia’s war in Ukraine could be finalized within days, after which American envoys would present the proposals to Moscow. He said talks in Berlin produced a workable draft, though major issues remain unresolved, especially the status of Ukrainian territory occupied by Russian forces.
US and European officials say there is broad agreement on security guarantees for Ukraine, including European-led forces to support Ukraine’s military and a US-led mechanism to monitor a ceasefire. Russia has signaled resistance, with the Kremlin rejecting any temporary truce and reiterating demands for territorial recognition.
2/ MORE: Ukrainian forces recently advanced in western Zaporizhia Oblast. Russian forces recently advanced in the Kostyantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area.
Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, December 15, 2025: https://t.co/phWOiW0UUL pic.twitter.com/BXnJjucTSm
— Institute for the Study of War (@TheStudyofWar) December 16, 2025
Zelenskyy said Ukraine will not accept Russian control over occupied regions and warned that a Russian rejection would prompt calls for tougher sanctions and expanded Western military support.
EU Races to Unlock Frozen Russian Assets to Fund Ukraine Loan
European Union envoys moved Tuesday to narrow divisions over a plan to use frozen Russian assets as collateral for a large loan to support Ukraine’s economic and military needs through 2027, ahead of a high-stakes leaders’ summit in Brussels.
Ukraine needs funding by early 2026 to help cover an estimated 135 billion euros ($157 billion) shortfall, and EU leaders face pressure to reach a decision quickly.
The proposal centers on roughly 210 billion euros ($247 billion) in Russian central bank assets frozen since Moscow’s 2022 invasion. One option would be to use the assets as collateral for a reparations-style loan, with Ukraine repaying only after sanctions are lifted and Russia agrees to pay war reparations.
The plan faces resistance from Belgium, where most of the assets are held, over legal and security risks, while other EU states warn that a delay risks undermining Ukraine’s stability.
The people of Ukraine deserve a prosperous, independent, and sovereign future, free from the threat of Russian aggression, and as part of the EU.
We are fully committed to work together on an agreement to end the war, ensuring lasting peace and protecting long-term Euro-Atlantic… pic.twitter.com/PPKwveW3qS
— António Costa (@eucopresident) December 15, 2025
European Council President António Costa has urged leaders to stay at the summit until a deal is reached.
Lithuania Arrests 21 in Balloon-Based Cigarette Smuggling Ring
Lithuanian authorities arrested 21 people accused of running a criminal network that smuggled cigarettes from Belarus into Lithuania using specially equipped weather balloons.
Prosecutors said the group operated with strict coordination, launching balloons under favorable conditions and tracking their movement by GPS to recovery points inside Lithuania. More than 140 officers carried out over 80 searches, seizing cigarettes with Belarusian excise stamps, tracking equipment, signal jammers, firearms, luxury vehicles, and property.
⚡️On Tuesday morning, Lithuanian criminal police and prosecutors conducted a large-scale operation, detaining 21 individuals suspected of smuggling from Belarus🇧🇾 into Lithuania 🇱🇹 using weather balloons and aiding another state in acting against Lithuania. pic.twitter.com/jdcmCC6b7k
— Auraja ‡ (@Twee_Papillon) December 16, 2025
The arrests follow Lithuania’s recent declaration of a national emergency after repeated balloon incursions disrupted airspace, forced airport closures, and heightened security concerns along the Belarus border.
The suspects face charges including participation in a criminal organization, smuggling, and aiding another state in actions against Lithuania.
Benin Jails Dozens Over Failed Coup Attempt
Beninese authorities jailed about 30 people, mostly soldiers, in connection with a failed coup attempt earlier this month, legal sources said Tuesday.
The suspects were placed in pretrial detention after appearing before a special court in Cotonou and face charges including treason, murder, and endangering state security.
The arrests follow a December 7 incident in which mutinous soldiers briefly claimed on television that Beninese President Patrice Talon had been deposed before loyalist forces, backed by Nigerian and French military support, quickly regained control.
Several suspects, including the alleged coup leader, remain at large.
Benin on Tuesday jailed around 30 people, most of them soldiers, accused of links to a thwarted coup attempt earlier this month, legal sources told AFP ➡️ https://t.co/NDXksrtD8p pic.twitter.com/HOraujjOwb
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) December 16, 2025
The case unfolds as Talon nears the end of his final term amid criticism over authoritarianism and ongoing security challenges in northern Benin.
M23 Rebels Agree to Withdraw From Eastern Congo City After US Request
The AFC/M23 armed group said it will withdraw its forces from the city of Uvira in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo following a request from US mediators.
The Rwanda-backed group seized the city last week near the Burundi border, raising concerns about the collapse of recent peace efforts and the risk of wider regional conflict.
In a statement, the group said the withdrawal aims to support ongoing peace processes and rebuild trust, calling for Uvira to be demilitarized and for a neutral force to monitor a ceasefire.
The Rwanda-backed M23 rebel said it will withdraw from eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s third-biggest city, under US pressure https://t.co/47qoA920fk
— Bloomberg (@business) December 16, 2025
The move follows a US-brokered road map signed by Congo and Rwanda in Washington and a separate ceasefire framework negotiated in Doha that has yet to take hold on the ground.
Hunger Crisis Deepens in Afghanistan as Aid Shrinks
More than 17 million people in Afghanistan are expected to face crisis levels of hunger through the winter, an increase of about 3 million from last year, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification and the United Nations World Food Program (WFP).
The agencies cited economic decline, drought, reduced international aid, and the return of more than 2.5 million Afghans from neighboring countries as key drivers of worsening food insecurity.
Nearly 4 million children are acutely malnourished, including about 1 million who require hospital treatment, while food assistance currently reaches just 2.7 percent of the population.
🚨 #Afghanistan’s #HungerCrisis is deepening:
17M people face acute hunger & 4M children are at risk of #malnutrition. Lives are on the line.
WFP urgently needs $468M to reach those most in need over the next 6 months.
Press Release: https://t.co/i75y7rvSTp pic.twitter.com/XnUZ4qIDAp
— WFP in Afghanistan (@WFP_Afghanistan) December 16, 2025
The UN warned the situation is especially severe as Afghanistan enters winter with minimal international food support, though conditions are expected to ease somewhat after the spring harvest.
Police Probe Philippines Trip in Bondi Beach Terror Attack
Australian police said the two gunmen behind the deadly attack on a Hanukkah event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach had traveled to the Philippines weeks before the assault and appeared to be inspired by Islamic State.
The attack, Australia’s worst mass shooting in nearly three decades, killed 16 people, including one of the alleged attackers, and is being investigated as terrorism targeting the Jewish community.
Authorities said the suspects, a father and son, visited Manila and Davao in November, though investigators have not confirmed links to militant groups or training abroad. Police found improvised explosive devices and ISIS-related flags in a vehicle linked to the younger suspect.
Authorities in the Philippines have confirmed the two gunmen in the Bondi Beach attack travelled to the Philippines on 1 November and left just before the end of the month. But how is this linked to ISIS?@alexrossiSKY reports ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/qgxWb9e9WD
— Sky News (@SkyNews) December 16, 2025
The shooting wounded at least 25 people and renewed scrutiny of gun licensing laws after officials confirmed the older suspect legally owned six firearms.
Sources: News Agencies
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Evening Brief: Pentagon to Review Vaccine-Related Discharges, M23 Rebels Agree to Withdraw From Eastern Congo, Hunger Crisis Deepens in Afghanistan
Pentagon reviews vaccine discharges, EU eyes Russian assets, M23 rebels to withdraw. Here’s what’s making headlines this Tuesday evening.
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