Illegal 3D-Printed Revolvers Gifted by FBI Director to New Zealand Officials Destroyed
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel gifted senior New Zealand security and government officials 3D-printed Maverick PG22 revolvers during his July visit to open the FBI’s first standalone office in the country, documents obtained and reported by The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The plastic pistols, modeled on Nerf toy guns but capable of being made operable, were deemed illegal under New Zealand’s strict firearms laws and later destroyed.
Police emails revealed that the guns could be made functional using basic tools, leading to their classification as firearms. All five recipients, including New Zealand’s police and intelligence chiefs and two cabinet ministers, voluntarily surrendered the gifts.
Authorities denied a request to retain one for testing, citing safety and security concerns.
New Zealand’s tight gun controls, strengthened after the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks, prohibit possession of such weapons without a special permit.
Police refused to release photos of the guns, saying doing so could harm relations with the United States.
A Republican Official Considered Resigning Over Trump Administration’s Ukraine Peace Proposal
Representative Don Bacon, a Nebraska Republican and strong supporter of Ukraine, told Axios he considered resigning after learning of the Trump administration’s proposed 28-point Russia-Ukraine peace plan, which he called the “Witkoff Ukrainian surrender plan.”
The proposal would recognize Russian control of occupied Ukrainian regions, limit Ukraine’s military, and bar it from joining NATO.
Bacon said he was “so angry” about the plan that he briefly thought about stepping down but decided to serve out his term, citing his duty to constituents. His resignation would have further reduced the GOP’s narrow 219-213 House majority.
Nebraska Republican Rep. Don Bacon has told Axios that he was so appalled by the Trump Administration’s proposed peace plan to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which he dubbed the “Witkoff Ukrainian Surrender Plan” after Trump’s Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, that he considered… pic.twitter.com/wuHGMtrY0q
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) November 25, 2025
The White House has not commented on the proposal, which has drawn bipartisan criticism from lawmakers who see it as undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Russian Strikes Kill Six in Kyiv as Ukraine Drone Attack Hits Southern Russia
Russian missile and drone strikes killed at least six people in Kyiv on Tuesday, hitting residential and energy facilities and cutting off power and heat in parts of the city, Ukrainian officials said.
Fires broke out in multiple districts, including Dniprovskyi and Svyatoshynyi, where four people died and three were injured.
Additional strikes damaged energy and port infrastructure in Odesa, wounding six, including two children.
🔴 Russian forces have been conducting a massive missile and drone attack against Kyiv all night.
Preliminarily, two people were killed, and seven were injured, according to local authorities. The attack is still ongoing. pic.twitter.com/bC6O6z8uUa
— UNITED24 Media (@United24media) November 25, 2025
In southern Russia, a Ukrainian drone attack killed three people and injured eight in the Rostov region’s Taganrog city, damaging homes and public buildings, local authorities said.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it destroyed 249 Ukrainian drones overnight across several regions and Crimea.
The escalation followed peace discussions between US and Ukrainian representatives in Geneva and a separate meeting between US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Russian officials in Abu Dhabi, as Washington seeks to revive negotiations to end the war.
US Army Secretary Holds Secret Talks With Russia in Abu Dhabi as Trump Pushes Ukraine Peace Deal
US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll met Russian officials in Abu Dhabi for unannounced talks aimed at advancing President Donald Trump’s push to end the war in Ukraine, a US official confirmed.
Driscoll, serving as a lead negotiator, was also expected to meet Ukrainian representatives as part of ongoing efforts to refine a proposed peace framework.
US army secretary Dan Driscoll is holding talks in Abu Dhabi with Ukraine’s military intelligence chief and a Russian delegation as Washington pushes for a deal to end the Kremlin’s war. https://t.co/Yh3voE3mPs pic.twitter.com/BfBZTRtIx5
— Financial Times (@FT) November 25, 2025
The 28-point US peace proposal, which would require Ukraine to cede territory, limit its military, and abandon NATO ambitions, has drawn backlash from Kyiv and Western allies. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said some “correct” changes had been made but that sensitive issues would be discussed directly with Trump.
The Kremlin welcomed the US initiative as a potential basis for talks.
French President Emmanuel Macron warned that any peace deal should not amount to a “capitulation” and insisted Ukraine must decide its own territorial terms.
Taliban Accuses Pakistan of Deadly Airstrikes That Killed 10 Civilians in Eastern Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s Taliban government accused Pakistan of carrying out overnight airstrikes in the eastern provinces of Khost, Kunar, and Paktika, killing 10 civilians, including nine children, and injuring four others.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid called the attacks a violation of Afghan sovereignty and warned of a possible response. Pakistan has not commented on the allegations.
The strikes come amid worsening cross-border tensions following previous drone attacks that Kabul blamed on Pakistan. A Qatar- and Turkey-brokered ceasefire from October remained in effect Tuesday despite the incident, while Iran has offered to mediate between the two countries.
🇵🇰🇦🇫 Pakistani forces conducted airstrikes in Khost, Kunar, and Paktika provinces, eastern Afghanistan, killing at least 10 civilians, according to the Afghan Taliban.#Taliban #Afghanistan #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/Sr8GFLkRNe
— TheWarPolitics (@TheWarPolitics0) November 25, 2025
The escalation followed a militant assault in Pakistan’s Peshawar that killed three officers, which Islamabad blamed on the Pakistani Taliban, a group allied with the Afghan Taliban.
Pakistan’s military also announced the killing of 22 militants in an operation near the Afghan border, accusing them of being foreign-backed.
Relations between the two neighbors have further deteriorated, with border closures halting trade and civilian movement since October.
China Launches Shenzhou 22 to Replace Damaged Spacecraft and Secure Astronaut Return
China launched the Shenzhou 22 spacecraft on Tuesday to serve as a return vehicle for three astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station after a damaged capsule left them without an emergency exit.
The spacecraft will be used in 2026 by the crew that arrived at Tiangong on November 1.
Earlier this month, astronauts from the Shenzhou 20 mission experienced a nine-day delay returning to Earth when their capsule’s window was damaged. They eventually landed safely using the Shenzhou 21 craft, leaving the replacement crew temporarily without a backup vehicle.
The damaged Shenzhou 20 will later be retrieved and inspected after being deemed unsafe for crew transport.
China launched the Shenzhou-22 spaceship from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Tuesday: Xinhua (Video: CCTV News) pic.twitter.com/HfUjXu5PTP
— Global Times (@globaltimesnews) November 25, 2025
The Tiangong station, built by China after being excluded from the International Space Station, has hosted astronauts since 2021 and serves as the centerpiece of Beijing’s expanding space program.
Taiwan Denies Cooperation With South Korea on US Semiconductor Tariff Talks
Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai said Tuesday that Taipei is not working with South Korea on issues related to US President Donald Trump’s proposed semiconductor tariffs, clarifying that Taiwan is holding direct talks only with Washington.
Cho told lawmakers he had “no information” about any bilateral coordination despite South Korea’s trade minister suggesting possible cooperation a day earlier.
He added that Taiwan aims to strengthen supply chain partnerships with other countries while continuing discussions with the US to reduce existing 20 percent tariffs on non-chip exports. Cho described competition between Taiwan and South Korea in advanced technology sectors as “benign.”
Taiwan’s TSMC and South Korea’s Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix dominate global chip production.
Sources: News Agencies
Morning Brief: Justice Department Moves to Unseal Epstein Files, Ukraine Drone Strike Hits South Russia, China Launches Replacement Spacecraft
US Justice Department moves to unseal Epstein files, Russia hits Kyiv, and more. Here’s your Tuesday morning rundown, November 25, 2025.
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