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Morning Brief: US Warship Docks in Trinidad, Two Arrested Over Louvre Crown Jewel Heist, Putin Touts New Nuclear Missile

BY Guy D. McCardle

US tensions rise near Venezuela as Trump lands in Japan for key talks. Here’s your Monday morning rundown, October 27, 2025.

Russia tests the 9M730 Burevestnik, a nuclear-powered cruise missile. (@BRICSinfo/X)

Good morning — it’s Monday, October 27, 2025. The week begins with a tense US destroyer visit to Trinidad amid rising friction with Venezuela, Trump landing in Japan for high-stakes talks with new PM Sanae Takaichi, and a US Navy jet and helicopter crash in the South China Sea. Meanwhile, Trump vows to “solve” the Afghanistan-Pakistan crisis, France arrests suspects in the $102 million Louvre jewel heist, and Russia’s drone assault on Kyiv kills three as Putin boasts a new nuclear missile test.

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US Warship Docks in Trinidad as Tensions Rise With Venezuela

The USS Gravely (DDG-107), a guided missile destroyer, arrived Sunday in Trinidad and Tobago’s capital as part of US-led military exercises, heightening tensions with neighboring Venezuela.

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The visit follows the deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) to the region.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro condemned the US naval movements as a provocation aimed at sparking conflict, while Washington said the exercises focus on countering transnational crime and strengthening security cooperation.

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Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar welcomed the ship’s presence, but local activists criticized it as a threat to regional peace.

The warship will remain docked until Thursday for joint training, amid concerns from Caracas that the drills represent a “serious threat” to the Caribbean.

 

Trump Arrives in Japan as PM Takaichi Seeks to Ease Trade Tensions and Build Ties

US President Donald Trump arrived in Japan on Monday for talks with new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who is aiming to strengthen personal ties with the US leader to ease trade tensions.

Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister, has floated a symbolic plan to buy Ford F-150 trucks and expand imports of US goods such as soybeans and natural gas.

The meeting marks her first major diplomatic test since taking office last week with a fragile coalition.

Trump praised Takaichi’s gestures and her ties to former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, a longtime ally.

The two leaders are expected to discuss trade, security, and coordination ahead of Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week in South Korea.

Japan is working to meet its $550 billion US investment pledge while seeking favorable terms for Japanese companies.

Trump will also meet Emperor Naruhito and deliver a speech aboard the USS George Washington (CVN-73) before departing for South Korea.

 

Fighter Jet, Helicopter From USS Nimitz Crash in South China Sea

A US Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet and an MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter operating from the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) crashed into the South China Sea within 30 minutes of each other on Sunday, the Navy’s Pacific Fleet said.

All five crew members, two from the jet and three from the helicopter, were rescued and are in stable condition.

The causes of the crashes are under investigation.

The Nimitz was returning to its home port in Washington state after a deployment to the Middle East in response to Houthi attacks on commercial ships.

The incident follows a series of recent Navy aviation mishaps, including multiple crashes involving aircraft from the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), though none have resulted in fatalities.

 

Trump Says He Will ‘Solve’ Afghanistan-Pakistan Crisis as Peace Talks Continue in Istanbul

President Trump pledged Sunday to resolve the escalating Afghanistan-Pakistan border crisis “very quickly,” as peace talks between the two nations entered a second day in Istanbul.

The talks aim to turn a fragile ceasefire reached earlier this month in Doha into a lasting agreement after deadly clashes that killed dozens and strained relations.

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government of harboring militants who attack across the border, while Kabul accuses Islamabad of violating its territory.

Despite ongoing negotiations, Pakistan’s army reported killing 25 militants in border skirmishes Sunday, losing five soldiers.

Afghan state media said Kabul’s delegation submitted a draft agreement calling for mutual respect of territorial sovereignty and a joint mechanism to monitor ceasefire violations.

Trump’s remarks, made during the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, signaled renewed US involvement in the dispute, which has fueled instability in a region still grappling with militant activity.

 

Two Arrested Over $102 Million Louvre Crown Jewel Heist in Paris

French authorities arrested two suspects in connection with the theft of crown jewels worth 88 million euros ($102 million) from the Louvre museum, a week after the high-profile heist stunned the world.

Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau confirmed the arrests late Saturday, saying one suspect was detained at Charles de Gaulle Airport while preparing to board a flight to Algeria.

Both men, in their 30s and known to police, were identified through forensic evidence, including DNA traces collected from the scene. The thieves used a basket lift to scale the Louvre, forced entry through a window, smashed display cases, and escaped in under eight minutes with eight historic pieces linked to 19th-century French royalty and nobility.

One damaged crown was recovered near the museum. Over 100 investigators are working to recover the remaining jewels.

French officials called the theft one of the most serious cultural crimes in recent memory, comparable in national impact to the 2019 Notre Dame fire.

 

Russian Drone Attack on Kyiv Kills Three, Injures Dozens as Putin Touts New Nuclear Missile

Russia launched a massive overnight drone assault on Kyiv early Sunday, killing three people and wounding at least 29 others, including seven children.

Fires broke out in two apartment buildings in the city’s Desnianskyi district after drones struck residential areas, prompting evacuations.

Ukraine’s Air Force said it intercepted 90 of the 101 drones launched, but debris caused further damage across the capital.

The attack followed deadly strikes the previous day and renewed President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s appeals for stronger Western air defense support.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed it targeted military and energy infrastructure but did not acknowledge civilian deaths.

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a successful test of a new atomic-powered missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads, underscoring Moscow’s nuclear brinkmanship amid stalled peace talks with the US.

A planned Trump-Putin summit on Ukraine has been postponed, though the Kremlin said it remains committed to dialogue.

 

Hamas Expands Search for Hostage Bodies as Egypt Aids Recovery Under Gaza Ceasefire

Hamas said Sunday it has widened its search in Gaza for the remains of Israeli hostages, a day after Egypt sent recovery teams and heavy machinery to assist.

Under the US-brokered ceasefire, Hamas must return the bodies of all Israeli captives in exchange for 15 Palestinian bodies per return. So far, Hamas has handed over 15 remains, while Israel has transferred 195 Palestinian bodies.

US President Donald Trump warned he is closely monitoring the next 48 hours to ensure further returns.

The recovery process has been slowed by extensive war damage in Gaza.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces struck Gaza’s Nuseirat refugee camp late Saturday, claiming to target Islamic Jihad militants. Hamas condemned the strike as a ceasefire violation and accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of undermining peace efforts.

The conflict, which began with Hamas’s October 2023 attack, has killed more than 68,500 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

US and Israeli officials continue to coordinate at a joint operations center overseeing ceasefire enforcement and reconstruction planning.

 

PKK Begins Withdrawal From Turkey to Iraq in Move Toward Disarmament and Peace

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) announced Sunday that it has begun withdrawing its fighters from Turkey to northern Iraq as part of a renewed peace effort with the Turkish government.

Speaking from Iraq, senior PKK official Sabri Ok said the move, approved by imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan, aims to prevent clashes and advance the group’s decision to disband and renounce armed struggle.

The PKK called on Ankara to adopt legal and political reforms to support the process.

Turkish officials welcomed the announcement as a key step toward a “terror-free Turkey,” while warning against potential provocations.

The withdrawal comes ahead of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s planned meeting with Kurdish legislators and the ongoing work of a parliamentary committee tasked with drafting reforms.

The PKK’s four-decade insurgency has claimed tens of thousands of lives, and previous peace efforts collapsed in 2015.

 

China Holds Bomber Drills Near Taiwan Ahead of Trump-Xi Meeting

China conducted “confrontation drills” near Taiwan involving H-6K nuclear-capable bombers and J-10 fighters, state media reported Sunday, just days before Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping meet in South Korea.

The report said the exercises tested air blockade and precision strike capabilities around Taiwan but gave no date. Taiwan’s defense ministry condemned the announcement as an intimidation tactic and urged citizens to remain calm.

The drills come amid heightened rhetoric over Taiwan’s sovereignty and growing tensions between Beijing and Taipei’s new government under President Lai Ching-te.

Lai reiterated that peace must rest on strength, citing increased defense spending.

China maintains that Taiwan is part of its territory and has rejected Lai’s offers of talks, while calling for “peaceful reunification.”

The United States, which supports Taiwan’s defense under US law, said through Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Taipei should not worry about the upcoming Trump-Xi meeting.

 

Sources: News Agencies

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