Evening Brief: Guard Troops Withdraw from Cities, Germany Lifts Ban on Arms Exports to Israel, Drone Strike Sets Turkish Tanker Ablaze

Over 130 Arrested in Charlotte Immigration Sweep as Governor Accuses Trump Administration of ‘Stoking Fear’ More than 130 people were arrested in a weekend immigration raid in Charlotte, North Carolina, as federal agents intensified enforcement under President Donald Trump’s crackdown on sanctuary cities, Homeland Security officials said Monday. The arrests, carried out by armed Border Patrol units, drew condemnation from Democratic Governor Josh Stein, who accused the administration of racial profiling and spreading fear in immigrant communities. Homeland Security said those detained had violated immigration laws, citing offenses ranging from gang activity to shoplifting, though it provided no breakdown of convictions. ASSAULT ON LAW ENFORCEMENT. Today, Border Patrol agents in Charlotte faced another vehicle ramming while in a parking lot. Agents were preparing for an operation, when a car jumped a curb to enter the parking lot and sped toward agents. The driver was warned to stop and back… https://t.co/KLETB57nkd — Homeland Security (@DHSgov) November 17, 2025 Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles called for calm and stressed that constitutional rights must be protected. The operation mirrors similar efforts in Chicago and Los Angeles that sparked lawsuits over excessive force. While local Republicans praised the action as upholding the rule of law, residents and business owners reported distress and fear in affected neighborhoods.   FEMA Acting Chief Resigns After Six Months Amid Turmoil and Criticism Acting Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator David Richardson resigned Monday after six months in the role, marking another leadership shake-up at the disaster agency during a year of staff departures and policy changes. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed his departure but gave no reason. Richardson, a former Marine with no prior emergency management experience, faced bipartisan criticism for his delayed response to July’s deadly Texas floods. Breaking news: David Richardson resigned as acting head of FEMA. Richardson was known for frequently being inaccessible, including during the early hours of the flood disaster in Texas over the Fourth of July weekend.https://t.co/UiT3slwgdE — The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) November 17, 2025 Richardson had pledged to advance President Donald Trump’s plan to shift more disaster recovery duties to states. His resignation follows internal unrest, funding cuts, and heightened oversight from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who requires approval for major FEMA expenditures. Chief of Staff Karen Evans will take over December 1 as the agency awaits recommendations from a White House review council on FEMA’s future.   Trump Approves F-35 Jet Sales to Saudi Arabia Ahead of Crown Prince’s Visit US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the US will sell advanced F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, confirming the deal a day before Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to Washington. The announcement fulfills one of the crown prince’s key requests as part of broader talks on US defense commitments to the kingdom. 🗣️ ‘I will say that we will be doing that. We’ll be selling F-35s (to Saudi Arabia)’ US President Donald Trump said he is considering approving sale of F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, just hours before Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is set to visit the White House… pic.twitter.com/xvTMmH78Uj — Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) November 17, 2025 The sale marks a major step in deepening military cooperation between the two allies, though it risks straining relations with Israel, whose military edge the US has long sought to protect. Concerns also persist in Washington that F-35 technology could be leaked to China, which maintains close ties with Saudi Arabia.   Israeli Settlers Torch West Bank Village as Netanyahu Condemns Surge in Violence Israeli settlers set fire to homes and vehicles Monday in the Palestinian village of al-Jab’a in the occupied West Bank, prompting condemnation from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and senior officials. Israeli troops and police were dispatched after the attack, which followed clashes earlier in the day between settlers and security forces over the demolition of an unauthorized outpost nearby. The assault marked the latest in a rise of settler attacks coinciding with the Palestinian olive harvest season and heightened tensions since the Israel-Hamas war began. The UN said it has recorded 2,660 settler-related incidents this year. 🏠 Illegal Israeli settlers raided a village near Bethlehem in occupied West Bank 🔥 Dozens set vehicles on fire and storm homes of Palestinians during the assault pic.twitter.com/RSqC8sThmu — Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) November 17, 2025 Netanyahu called the perpetrators “a handful of extremists” and vowed to address the violence personally.   UN Security Council to Vote on US Gaza Plan as Russia’s Position Remains Unclear The UN Security Council is set to vote Monday on a US-drafted resolution that would authorize an international stabilization force for Gaza and outline a potential path toward Palestinian statehood. The resolution backs President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan and calls for a transitional “Board of Peace,” led by Trump, to oversee Gaza until 2027. Russia has introduced a rival proposal emphasizing Palestinian sovereignty and could veto the US plan, though diplomats say Moscow may abstain due to pressure from Muslim-majority nations supporting the measure. The outcome is key to legitimizing the proposed multinational force, which would secure Gaza’s borders, oversee demilitarization, and coordinate aid efforts as Israeli forces withdraw under agreed milestones. The U.N. Security Council has voted 13-0, with both China and Russia abstaining, in favor of adopting a resolution authorizing the creation of a Board of Peace and an International Stabilization Force in the Gaza Strip, as outlined in U.S. President Donald J. Trump’s… pic.twitter.com/DHF8gNUhJC — OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) November 17, 2025 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected any steps toward Palestinian statehood, while Russia insists the Security Council must maintain control over implementing the ceasefire process.   Germany Lifts Ban on Arms Exports to Israel Following Gaza Ceasefire Germany will lift its restrictions on military exports to Israel starting November 24, ending a months-long pause imposed after Israel’s takeover of Gaza City during the war with Hamas. Government spokesman Sebastian Hille said the decision followed a “fundamentally stabilized” ceasefire in Gaza and reaffirmed expectations that all sides uphold the truce and allow humanitarian aid. The export ban, announced in August by Chancellor Friedrich Merz, marked a rare break in Berlin’s traditionally strong support for Israel. Germany has lifted its restrictions on arms exports to Israel. Berlin says the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has “stabilized,” allowing deliveries to Israel to resume. Israel’s foreign minister has praised the decision. pic.twitter.com/lbEdfh33db — DW Politics (@dw_politics) November 17, 2025 Once lifted, export approvals will return to case-by-case reviews under standard procedures. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar welcomed the move and urged other countries to follow Germany’s example.   US Soldier Arrested in Tanzania After Grenades Found in Vehicle Tanzanian police recently arrested US Army Sergeant Charles Onkuri Ongeta, a dual US-Kenyan citizen, after finding four hand grenades in his vehicle while he attempted to cross from Kenya into Tanzania. Authorities said the grenades were discovered in his Toyota Land Cruiser and violated Tanzanian laws banning possession of explosives. Police said they are continuing to collect evidence and question Ongeta to determine further legal action. 𝗧𝗮𝗻𝘇𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗨.𝗦. 𝗔𝗿𝗺𝘆 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝟰.𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀 November 17, 2025 𝘽𝙮 𝙏𝘽𝙄 𝙍𝙚𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙧 Dodoma The Tanzania Police Force said it has arrested a United States Army sergeant with four hand grenades while… pic.twitter.com/EGKSjlGDIW — Tanzania Business Insight (@TanzaniaInsight) November 17, 2025 The US Army Europe and Africa has not yet commented on the case.   Drone Strike Sets Turkish Tanker Ablaze in Odesa as Russia Pounds Ukrainian Ports A drone hit the Turkish-flagged tanker MT Orinda on Monday while it was unloading liquefied petroleum gas at Ukraine’s Izmail port, setting the vessel on fire and prompting crew evacuation, Turkish authorities said. The strike came a day after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a deal to import US liquefied natural gas (LNG) through Odesa starting in January. Ukrainian officials said Russian drones attacked Odesa overnight, damaging port and energy infrastructure and injuring one person. Romania evacuated residents near its border with Izmail due to the tanker’s cargo risk. Romania has ordered residents to evacuate from the village of Plauru near the Danube River on the border with Ukraine, as a fire burns aboard the Turkish-flagged liquid natural gas tanker, M/T ORINDA, following a Russian drone strike on the Ukrainian Port of Izmail. pic.twitter.com/nE3agLo0hM — OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) November 17, 2025 Elsewhere, Russian strikes killed three people in Balakliya and two in Nikopol, while Ukraine launched drone attacks that damaged an electricity substation in Russia’s Ulyanovsk region.   Ukraine Signs Deal to Buy Up to 100 Rafale Jets and Air Defense Systems from France Ukraine signed a letter of intent Monday to purchase up to 100 Rafale fighter jets, air defense systems, drones, and other military equipment from France over the next decade. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and French President Emmanuel Macron signed the agreement in Paris, describing it as a major step in strengthening Ukraine’s long-term defense capabilities. The deal includes eight SAMP/T air-defense systems, guided bombs, and drone interceptors, with initial deliveries expected within three years. Macron said France will supply new Rafales without affecting current military stocks or other export orders. Training Ukrainian pilots will take about three years. Zelensky: Ukraine set to acquire 100 Rafale jets. pic.twitter.com/3NClhcvCKJ — Open Source Intel (@Osint613) November 17, 2025 Zelenskyy’s Paris visit also included talks on deploying a multinational “coalition of the willing” force to Ukraine once a ceasefire is reached. The agreement follows Ukraine’s similar defense talks with Sweden and adds to Kyiv’s growing Western-backed air fleet.   US Admiral Says South Korean Nuclear Submarines Would Transform Regional Security Admiral Daryl Caudle, the US Navy’s chief of naval operations, said Monday that South Korea’s planned nuclear-powered submarines would significantly alter the security landscape on the Korean Peninsula but that the project remains years away. Speaking in Tokyo, Caudle called the effort “extremely nascent” despite Washington’s recent approval for Seoul to develop the vessels under US partnership. The submarines’ long-range and endurance capabilities would give South Korea a “fundamentally different level of capability,” Caudle said, adding that how they will be used in cooperation with the US and Japan is still unclear. He also reaffirmed that China remains the US Navy’s “pacing threat” and expressed both concern and admiration for Beijing’s rapid shipbuilding and the launch of its new carrier Fujian. Sailors are CNO’s top priority. During his visit to the Indo-Pacific, Adm. Daryl Caudle took time to speak with Sailors in Yokosuka, and he emphasized their important contribution to peace through strength. Watch the full video here: https://t.co/qDXJIBtXPc pic.twitter.com/eorkC9mlLJ — USNavyCNO (@USNavyCNO) November 17, 2025 Caudle, on a regional tour, visited South Korean shipyards to discuss joint naval projects and said he supports forging immediate shipbuilding agreements with allies to narrow the gap with China’s production capacity.   South Korea Offers Border Talks After Repeated North Korean Incursions South Korea on Monday proposed military talks with North Korea to clarify the border demarcation line and prevent accidental clashes following multiple incursions by North Korean troops. Seoul says its forces have fired warning shots several times after North Korean soldiers crossed the military demarcation line, though Pyongyang denies the violations and has issued threats in response. Deputy Defense Minister Kim Hong-Cheol said differing views on the border’s location, where many markers have been lost since the Korean War, likely caused the incidents. It remains unclear if North Korea will accept the offer, as it has rejected all dialogue since Kim Jong Un’s failed nuclear negotiations with Donald Trump in 2019. South Korea has offered its first military talks with North Korea in seven years, saying recent troop incursions make direct contact essential to prevent clashes, according to Kim Hong-cheol, deputy minister for national defense policy.#SouthKorea #NorthKorea pic.twitter.com/c66ItFtytZ — Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) November 17, 2025 Tensions have escalated since Kim declared South Korea a “permanent enemy” and ordered new fortifications along the heavily mined border.   Sources: News Agencies