Aceh deploys 3,000 civil servants to aid flood, landslide recovery

 The Aceh provincial government has deployed around 3,000 civil servants as volunteers to areas hit by recent flash floods and landslides, aiming to keep essential public services running as recovery efforts continue, officials 

“The deployment of these civil servants is part of our effort to ensure the public continues to receive basic services during these difficult times,” Aceh Regional Secretary M. Nasir told reporters in Banda Aceh.

The volunteers are tasked not only with supporting post-disaster repairs to damaged infrastructure, but also with ensuring that government services remain operational in affected communities.

Their work includes clearing debris and mud, restoring access to public facilities, and assisting health, education and social services for displaced residents. The civil servants have been assigned to the field for two days, from Dec. 29 to Dec. 30, 2025.

Nasir said that, as of late December, emergency conditions remain in several parts of Aceh, with floods, landslides and extreme weather continuing to disrupt daily life and basic services.

Beyond cleanup efforts, the volunteers are also helping coordinate health services, provide assistance to vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly, and strengthen local social services in hard-hit areas.

He stressed that the government’s presence at disaster sites is meant as a show of solidarity with affected communities, adding that deployments will be adjusted depending on developments and conditions on the ground.

Aceh is one of three provinces in Sumatra—along with North Sumatra and West Sumatra—struck by severe floods and landslides in late November 2025, following days of heavy rainfall.

According to Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), the disasters had claimed at least 1,140 lives as of Dec. 28, with 513 deaths recorded in Aceh alone, making it the worst-affected province.

Authorities say search, rescue and recovery operations are ongoing, while emergency aid and public service support remain a priority as thousands of residents continue to cope with the aftermath of the disasters.

Bulog says rice stocks secure for Sumatra disaster relief

 Indonesia’s state logistics agency Bulog said rice supplies across Sumatra are secure and sufficient to meet the needs of communities hit by recent natural disasters, as authorities step up emergency food assistance in the region.

Bulog President Director Ahmad Rizal Ramdhani said rice stockpiles in Aceh currently stand at around 97,000 tonnes, while North Sumatra holds about 25,000 tonnes and West Sumatra around 9,000 tonnes, providing a strong buffer for disaster response.

“Following the President’s directive, we have doubled our reserves for disaster relief support, particularly in the three provinces of Aceh, North Sumatra and West Sumatra,” Ahmad said on Sunday in Bandung, West Java.

He said the release of rice supplies is carried out based on formal requests from local governments, including governors, regents and mayors, to ensure there is no disruption to food availability in disaster-affected areas.

“For Sumatra, we are increasing stocks to up to three times the initial request from local authorities. If a region asks for 1,000 tonnes, we prepare up to 3,000 tonnes,” Ahmad said.

Bulog is also working closely with the Indonesian military, police and the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) to ensure smooth distribution, particularly to isolated areas cut off by floods or landslides.

A range of transport modes is being deployed, including aircraft, helicopters and naval vessels operated by the Indonesian Navy, to deliver rice and other essential supplies to affected communities.

“The quantities available are more than sufficient. The main challenge we face now is distribution, as some roads remain damaged and geographic conditions are difficult,” Ahmad said.

In several remote locations, he added, military personnel have been forced to use off-road motorcycles to transport rice and logistics to villages that cannot be reached by larger vehicles.

Bulog said aid distribution will continue in the coming days, as many residents in disaster-hit areas remain in need of food assistance and basic supplies.

Has Iran's Khamenei authorised small nuclear weapons? What we know so far

 The question of whether Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has authorised the development of nuclear weapons has taken on urgency following the devastating 12-day conflict with Israel in June.

Israeli and US strikes severely damaged Iran's nuclear facilities during the conflict that killed more than 1,000 Iranians and 29 Israelis, prompting intense speculation about Tehran's next move.

As of August, US intelligence continued to assess that Khamenei has not authorised a nuclear weapons programme.

"The intelligence community continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorised the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003," director of US National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told the Senate Intelligence Committee in March.

However, Gabbard noted that "in the past year, we have seen an erosion of a decades-long taboo in Iran on discussing nuclear weapons in public, likely emboldening nuclear weapons advocates within Iran's decision-making apparatus."

In October 2024, CIA Director William Burns said he was "reasonably confident" the US would be able to detect weaponisation work "relatively early on".

The exiled National Council of Resistance of Iran claimed in October 2024 that Khamenei ordered the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to "complete and accelerate the project of building nuclear bombs".

However, these claims have not been independently verified by international intelligence agencies or the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Iranian sources suggest decision made

ISPI, an Italian foreign policy think tank, reported this month that its sources in Tehran now indicate Khamenei made a decision in October to authorise development of compact warheads for ballistic missiles, though not to increase uranium enrichment beyond 60%.

According to ISPI's analysis, all sources consulted over the years had previously denied that any such decision had been taken.

The think tank said Khamenei had consistently blocked the final decision to move to 90% enrichment and begin developing miniaturised nuclear warheads, despite pressure from the Revolutionary Guards.

However, ISPI stated that the June conflict altered the calculation after it demonstrated that Iran's defensive systems were largely ineffective, with only its medium-range missile arsenal proving capable.

ISPI's analysis suggested Tehran concluded that nuclear weapons would be its only actual deterrent against Israel and the US, short of surrender. The think tank noted rumours are also circulating of an ultra-secret enrichment programme at undisclosed sites never reported to the IAEA.

These claims by ISPI's sources cannot be independently verified through official intelligence assessments or IAEA reports.

What are Iran's nuclear capabilities like?

What is verified is Iran's rapid advancement in uranium enrichment capabilities before the June conflict.

According to the IAEA, Iran possessed 441 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% as of 13 June 2025, just before the Israeli attacks began. This is the highest level of enrichment by any non-nuclear-weapon state.

Uranium enriched to 60% is technically close to the 90% needed for weapons-grade material.

A November 2024 US intelligence report stated Iran has enough fissile material that, if further enriched, would be sufficient for "more than a dozen nuclear weapons".

ISPI noted that moving from 60% to 90% enrichment would require only a few weeks, provided there are sufficient operational advanced centrifuges.

However, building compact warheads small enough for Iran's longest-range missiles presents a far more complex challenge.

What are the technical challenges?

While Iran could rapidly enrich uranium to weapons-grade levels, developing compact nuclear warheads is significantly more difficult.

ISPI cited Pakistan's experience, which conducted five nuclear tests in May 1998 followed by a compact warhead test two days later.

Pakistan managed to develop compact warheads without intermediate live tests, thanks to 24 simulated tests conducted from 1983 onwards, but this still required 15 years to reach a viable design.

ISPI suggested that if Khamenei has prioritised warhead development over enrichment, it may be because enriching fissile material now would leave Iran in an extremely exposed position.

However, enrichment and warhead development will eventually have to converge, as weapons-grade material is required even for simulated tests.

Meanwhile, North Korea has intensified cooperation with Iran on ballistic missiles and advanced designs, according to reports, although whether this extends to compact nuclear warheads remains impossible to verify.

The Iran-Israel conflict fundamentally altered the strategic calculus.

Israeli strikes on 13 June targeted Iran's main enrichment facilities at Natanz, killing nuclear scientists and damaging infrastructure.

The US joined the campaign on 22 June, striking three Iranian nuclear facilities, including the deeply buried Fordow site with bunker-buster bombs.

Iran fired over 550 ballistic missiles and more than 1,000 drones at Israel during the conflict, until a ceasefire took effect on 24 June.

Trump said the bombing of Tehran's facilities amounted to "obliteration," though official US sources said they had only delayed Iran's nuclear weapons development by a few months.

Calls for nuclear weapons continue

Iranian officials have publicly discussed reconsidering the country's nuclear weapons ban.

In October 2024, 39 members of Iran's parliament wrote to the Supreme National Security Council calling for a change in Iran's defence doctrine to include nuclear weapons.

Kamal Kharrazi, an adviser to Khamenei, said in November 2024 that Iran will "modify its nuclear doctrine" if "an existential threat arises".

Ali Shamkhani, a top adviser to Khamenei, said in October that Iran's earlier attacks against Israel "did not achieve the outcomes" sought by Tehran.

He openly mused about Iran pursuing a nuclear weapon, saying "now that it has become clear, Iran should have developed this capability for itself".

Iran has long cited a religious decree, or fatwa, issued by Khamenei banning the development and use of nuclear weapons.

The fatwa, first referenced in 2003 and formalised in subsequent years, declares that building, stockpiling and using nuclear weapons is forbidden under Islam.

However, analysts note that fatwas can be modified in response to changing circumstances, and discussions of revising the nuclear doctrine suggest that such a change may be under consideration.

What can IAEA do?

The IAEA has been unable to conduct inspections at Iran's most sensitive nuclear sites since the June strikes.

"We are only allowed to access sites that were not hit," IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said in mid-December.

"These other three sites — Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow — are even more significant, since they still contain substantial amounts of nuclear material and equipment, and we need to return there."

Intelligence assessments suggest Iran moved approximately 408 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium to secret locations, possibly in deeply buried facilities at Isfahan, before the US strikes.

Satellite imagery from the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security indicates that Iran has undertaken minimal cleanup at most damaged sites.

However, it has made efforts to access the Isfahan tunnel complex where enriched uranium may be stored.

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said in December that Iran appears to be attempting to rebuild Fordow, suggesting "they didn't get the full message" from the June strikes.

Arsenal have a big creativity problem with Eze and Odegaard

 It was a dramatic end to what should have been a straightforward night for Arsenal as they beat Crystal Palace on penalties to reach the Carabao Cup semi-finals.

Maxence Lacroix’s unfortunate own goal looked to have given Arsenal a late lead, but they were pegged back in stoppage time by Marc Guehi, whose goal forced penalties and thrust Kepa Arrizabalaga into the limelight.

The Arsenal goalkeeper was the hero on the night, saving low to his right from Lacroix’s spotkick, but Arsenal should have been out of sight long before Kepa was called into action.

The Spaniard’s save in the penalty shootout was his very first of the night, as Arsenal dominated for long periods with little reward against Palace.

Mikel Arteta made a number of changes for the visit of Palace, but it seemed as though it would be business as usual early on as Noni Madueke spurned a glorious opening after just three minutes.

It would be the first of several good openings Arsenal would waste, with the returning Gabriel Jesus also guilty of missing from close range in the first half.

Arteta is aware that his side have been getting away with not taking their chances in front of goal in recent weeks, and Arsenal’s wastefulness was punished emphatically when Guehi stole in from a free-kick to stab home a 95th-minute equaliser.

Speaking after the game, Arteta was less critical of his side’s lapse in concentration at the back and more concerned that they had kept Palace in the game by not capitalising on their dominance.

“We generated a lot, and yeah, the margin should have been much bigger,” Arteta said in his post-match press conference.

“After 94 minutes, they weren't, and when that happens, the teams have the quality to hurt you in any set-piece, and we conceded the goal, and that was emotionally tough to accept after the way the game went.”

Arsenal kept their cool from the penalty spot to seal a semi-final meeting with Chelsea, but Arteta will know that with Manchester City breathing down their necks in the race for the Premier League title, they cannot afford to be so profligate.

Recent nervy wins against Wolves and Everton have been marred by missed chances, and with the fixture list throwing up four successive games in which Arsenal dropped points last season, there is a pressing need for the Gunners to rediscover their form in front of goal.

“Sometimes you have to give credit to the opposition and the way they've done it, but I think the margin should have been much bigger. That should have been three or four, and then we're not worried about what happens in the last minutes.”

Arteta has called for Arsenal to continue what they are doing. He is not worried about the number of chances they are creating.

“I think what we have to do is continue to generate the chances that we do, and conceding nothing,” he said recently.

That said, in a game of increasingly fine margins, the fact Arsenal trail their rivals for chances created this season - they sit fourth behind Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool - is a cause for concern.

Midfielder Declan Rice is carrying the creative burden for Arsenal right now - the Englishman is enjoying a stellar campaign and is third for big chances created in the Premier League.

However, Arteta needs more from Martin Odegaard and Eberechi Eze, who have created five big chances combined this season. By contrast, City duo Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku have a combined 19 big chances created.

Odegaard’s injury issues provide some context to that statistic, but regardless, Arteta needs more from his creative players.

These are minor adjustments to a well-oiled Arsenal machine, on course to challenge on four fronts this season, but Arteta knows better than anyone that to ward off the interests of a resurgent City, the pursuit of perfection must continue in earnest.

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PSG: Dembélé overtakes Mbappé!

 Ousmane Dembélé has marked a symbolic turning point in his journey at Paris Saint-Germain. By converting his penalty against Vendée Fontenay (0–4), the French winger became PSG’s top scorer since the arrival of Luis Enrique.

Ousmane Dembélé is writing his name ever more firmly into PSG history. While Mbappé equals Cristiano Ronaldo at Real Madrid, “Dembouz” is achieving a similar feat in Paris.

Dembélé Becomes PSG’s New Offensive Benchmark

With 45 goals scored across all official competitions under Spanish coach Luis Enrique, Dembélé now moves ahead of Kylian Mbappé, who had remained the club’s offensive reference during the period with 44 goals.

This figure highlights the rise of the former Barcelona player, whose influence on the game and efficiency in front of goal have grown steadily over the months. Beyond the statistics, this record above all reflects the evolution of Dembélé’s role, now a cornerstone of the Parisian project and an undisputed attacking leader.

Moscow threatens retaliation over troops

 Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov has warned that Russia would retaliate if Europe sends troops to Ukraine or seizes frozen Russian assets for Kyiv. His remarks quickly sparked criticism from European leaders. The remarks came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with President Donald Trump and senior officials to discuss Ukraine’s reconstruction.

Zelenskyy wrote, “Together with our team, I held a productive discussion with the American side… In fact, this could be considered the first meeting of the group that will work on a document concerning the reconstruction and economic recovery of Ukraine.”

Lavrov said Moscow is not seeking wider war but is ready if it perceives escalation. European diplomats expressed concern over the risks of military deployments.

Lavrov said, “We will respond to any hostile steps, including the deployment of European military contingents in Ukraine and the expropriation of Russian assets. And we are already prepared for this response.”

German Government Chancellor Friedrich Merz said, “The main issue here is what territorial concessions Ukraine is prepared to make.” He added, “However, that is a question that must be answered primarily by the Ukrainian president and the Ukrainian people. We have also made that clear to President Trump.”

Ukrainian officials have emphasized that reconstruction depends on security guarantees and sustained international support.

Zelenskyy said, “As always, there will be no delays on our side. We are working to deliver results.” He added, “I thank President Trump and his team for their substantive work and support.”

Dan Bongino announces he's quitting moments after Trump praises him

 Deputy FBI Director and former MAGA podcaster Dan Bongino announced on Wednesday that he plans to leave the administration in January, which came moments after President Donald Trump praised him for his work.

"I will be leaving my position with the FBI in January," Bongino said in a post on X. "I want to thank President Trump, AG Bondi, and Director Patel for the opportunity to serve with purpose. Most importantly, I want to thank you, my fellow Americans, for the privilege to serve you."

His comments happened after Trump said during a press conference at Joint Base Andrews that Bongino was "doing a great job" in his role.

"I think he wants to go back to his show," Trump said.

Want more breaking political news? Click for the latest headlines at Raw Story.

Before joining the administration, Bongino hosted a right-wing podcast and radio show called "The Dan Bongino Show," where he was often one of Trump's fiercest supporters.

His tenure in the Trump administration has been marred by criticism over the FBI's handling of high-profile cases like the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk and the mass shooting at Brown University that left two students dead and injured nine others.

Glasner offers hope of Crystal Palace contract renewal

 Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner says talks over a potential new contract have been put on hold due to his side's hectic fixture list.

The Austrian, whose existing deal expires in the summer, continues to be linked with other clubs, including some of the Eagles' Premier League rivals.

Palace host Finnish champions KuPS in the Conference League on Thursday evening before travelling to Leeds for a top-flight match just 48 hours later and then playing away to Arsenal in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Tuesday.

Glasner insists ongoing speculation about his future is not a distraction and claims there is currently no time to hold detailed conversations with chairman Steve Parish because of the packed schedule.

He said: "When should I talk about my contract?

“And that's why we said, 'OK, let's push it backwards when we have time' because it's not between three meetings which take 10 minutes.

"We want to do it in a relaxed atmosphere, and right at the moment there is no relaxed atmosphere. That's why we pushed it back."

Palace have reportedly drawn up a list of potential replacements as Glasner, who led the club to FA Cup glory last term, enters the final six months of his deal.

"(There is) no time for distraction," said the 51-year-old, whose side have already played 26 games this season.

"I just mentioned the schedule, there's just no time and believe me I'm never thinking about my future right at the moment.

"It's not important right now. As soon as we will take a decision, number one the players will hear it and number two you (the media) will hear it."

Glasner intends to name completely different starting XIs for the matches against KuPS and Leeds.

The former Eintracht Frankfurt boss said he has only 16 senior players available and will hand opportunities to some of the club's academy players.

Attacking midfielder Daichi Kamada faces "at least eight to 10 weeks" on the sidelines with the hamstring issue he sustained during Sunday's 3-0 defeat to Manchester City.

PA

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Unknown source fires laser at US fighter jets landing at NATO ally base

 Authorities in Germany have launched a criminal probe into apparent laser attacks on U.S. Air Force (USAF) F-16 pilots approaching a NATO base in the west of the country earlier this month.

On three occasions, fighter jet pilots were approaching Spangdahlem Air Base “when unknown persons targeted the aircraft with a blue laser beam,” German police said in a statement

Two of the incidents happened on December 2, followed by a third a week later, on December 9. All pilots landed safely, police said.

Why It Matters

Pointing lasers at aircraft is illegal in many countries, including the United States. Fines issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the U.S. government’s civil aviation agency, for misusing lasers can run over $30,000.

Authorities in western Germany said these types of “laser attacks” could cause “severe impairment, temporary visual disturbances or eye injuries to pilots.” U.S. aircrew are issued with eye protection against lasers and the USAF has upgraded the eyewear in recent years.

What To Know

All the incidents happened between 8 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. while the pilots were several kilometers away from the air base, police said.

A spokesperson for the police in Trier, the German city south of the air base, told Newsweek on Monday they had no additional information to add on the case. Investigators have appealed for witnesses who can shed any light on the incidents.

Roughly 5,000 people are stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base, including the USAF’s 52nd Fighter Wing. The wing has been based at the site since the early 1970s.

The USAF has reported a “surge” in incidents involving lasers in recent years and the FAA said pilots had reported 12,840 laser strikes to the agency in 2024.

China in July rejected a German claim that one of Beijing’s warships had pointed a laser at a German reconnaissance aircraft flying over the Red Sea. In an unrelated incident in November, the U.K. said a ship believed to be a Russian intelligence vessel had pointed lasers at British pilots monitoring its presence close to U.K. waters.

What People Are Saying

“Such laser attacks can cause severe impairment, temporary visual disturbances or eye injuries to pilots and therefore pose a high risk,” Trier police said in a statement released on Friday.

“Our pilots are well-trained for these scenarios and report the laser source’s location to the U.S. law enforcement and German police, with whom we are fully cooperating,” Master Sgt. Alex Riedel, a spokesperson for the 52nd Wing, said in comments reported by Stars and Stripes on Friday. “Further details are pending investigation.”

“Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft in flight could be catastrophic for an affected aircrew and possibly for people on the ground,” the U.S. Air Force said in a report on its website.

Trump’s peace plan for Gaza looks increasingly wobbly

 As President Trump prepares to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later this month to advance his peace plan for Gaza, on-the-ground developments are reducing the odds that the plan’s all-important Phase II – which would ensure long-term peace and create a brighter future for Gazans – will be successfully implemented.

That’s because with its ceasefire with Israel, Hamas has reasserted control over the half of Gaza from which Israel has withdrawn (and where most Gazans live), imposing its autocratic rule while rebuilding its forces. Though Trump’s plan calls for an international force to disarm Hamas (and its fellow terrorists in Gaza) and deny it a future governing rule, no nation has committed its forces to the task.

The failure to dislodge Hamas would consign long-suffering Gazans to a bleak future of no political freedom and limited economic opportunity, and it would guarantee more bloodshed once Hamas regains the means to once again launch serious attacks on Israel.

Along with the ceasefire, Trump’s 20-part plan included an exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, Israel’s phased withdrawal from Gaza, a defanged Hamas with no future governing role, a demilitarized and terror-free Gaza, an International Stabilization Force (ISF) to train a new Palestinian police force, a technocratic Palestinian committee to govern under the supervision of an international Board of Peace until a reformed Palestinian Authority can take over, more humanitarian aid for Gazans, and economic redevelopment for Gaza.

The challenge to the plan’s success over the long term is rooted in its structure and the timing of its implementation.

Phase I, which revolved around the ceasefire, hostage-prisoner exchange, and Israeli withdrawal, is almost complete. But the process took two months, during which the seeds for problems in Phase II were planted.

“Since Israeli forces withdrew from parts of Gaza in October under a cease-fire agreement,” the New York Times reported in recent days, “Hamas has moved quickly to fill the void.” While running the “central organs” of Gaza’s government, Hamas has put its own police back on the street, publicly executed opponents, operated checkpoints, detained people, imposed fees on some costly items coming into Gaza, and replaced commanders who were killed during its war with Israel.

After two years of war, Hamas retains 20,000 fighters and more than half of its tunnel network, enabling it to hide its fighters and weapons. “Hamas is besieged,” a former official from Israel’s Shin Bet security agency said. “But if it continues controlling parts of Gaza and wants to rebuild its capacities, it will find a way to rebuild them.”

As the group has reasserted itself, its leaders have mocked any notion of discarding its weapons or ceding its power.

“Protecting the enterprise of the resistance and its weapons – this is our people’s right to self-defense,” Khaled Mashaal, a top Hamas official, declared in a keynote address to the Istanbul Pledge to Jerusalem Conference this month. “The resistance and its weapons are the honor and glory of the Islamic nation.”

Mashaal rejected “all forms of guardianship, mandate and re-occupation of the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and all of Palestine” – thus rejecting such outside entities as the ISF and Board of Peace to direct Gaza’s future. With the United Nations Security Council endorsing Trump’s plan, Mashaal said that Palestinian “rights” will be restored not “via the Security Council but through the recruitment office.”

The question now is which nations will contribute to the ISF and endorse the use of force to dislodge Hamas and such fellow terrorist organizations as Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) from Gaza.

At the moment, neither any Arab state nor any European government has committed to send troops or use force (though Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, and Pakistan expressed a “willingness to participate.” Perhaps that’s because Hamas and PIJ have vowed that were an ISF of some kind to try to carry out its mission in Gaza, they would regard it as a “foreign occupying force” that they would fight.

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Complicating matters further, long-time Hamas backers Turkey and Qatar are insisting that Israel withdraw from all of Gaza before Hamas disarms and, even worse, proposing options for Hamas to keep its weapons.

If an armed Hamas remains in Gaza, so too will Israel – as Netanyahu surely will tell Trump – further undermining the peace plan. As Netanyahu and other Israeli officials (such as Defense Minister Israel Katz) have made clear, if the ISF cannot disarm Hamas and demilitarize Gaza, Israel itself will.

Forceful Israeli action would raise the prospect of an all-too-predictable series of events: more war, more civilian death, more global condemnation of Israel, and more public pressure that eventually convinces Jerusalem to accept another ceasefire that neither frees Gazans nor protects Israel.

The international community has the means to prevent such a sickening redux. The question is whether it has the will.

Palestine Action activists 'likely to die in prison' during hunger strike

 Palestine Action activists who are staging a hunger strike in prison are likely to die without intervention, their lawyers have claimed.

In a letter sent by Imran Khan & Partners, seen by The Telegraph, the lawyers requested an immediate meeting with David Lammy, the Justice Secretary, over the “increasingly likely” scenario that one of their clients dies in prison.

The lawyers said five of the eight Palestine Action activists on hunger strike had been taken to hospital, with one defendant losing 10kg after 37 days without food.

In the letter, the lawyers wrote: “We note with genuine and significant concern the immediate and real risk that their deeply held conviction, in tandem with their deteriorating health, poses to their lives.

“We are concerned that, should this situation be allowed to continue without resolution, there is the real and increasingly likely potential that young British citizens will die in prison, having never even been convicted of an offence.”

Four of those on hunger strike were allegedly involved in the raid on a UK branch of Israel’s Elbit Systems Horizon facility near Bristol in August last year.

A court was told that the raid left a female security guard with a fractured spine. They will go on trial next May at the earliest.

The other four are accused of taking part in breaking into the Brize Norton RAF base in Oxfordshire in June before allegedly causing around £7m in damage by spraying two military planes in paint.

The protest began from complaints of alleged mistreatment in prison and a series of demands including that a defence firm with links to Israel be shut down and the ban on Palestine Action be lifted.

Three High Court judges are expected to rule on the lawfulness of the ban within weeks after the courts granted permission for Huda Ammori, the group’s founder, to challenge the decision to proscribe the group under anti-terror laws.

The lawyers claimed their clients had faced heavy restrictions on mail, calls and visits, citing UN special rapporteurs’ claims that the treatment by counter-terrorism police could amount to enforced disappearance.

Amy “Amu” Gardiner-Gibson, and Jon Cink, who are said to be 37 and 33 days into their hunger strikes respectively, have been remanded in HMP Bronzefield, in Surrey, over alleged involvement in the break-in at Brize Norton.

Lawyers claim Ms Gardiner-Gibson has lost more than 10kg in weight and suffers from deep exhaustion and muscle twitches, and has been offered a wheelchair.

Mr Cink is said to have barely slept and lost 10kg, experiencing deteriorating vision and with plummeting ketone levels in his blood deemed “life-threatening”.

Also accused of taking part in the RAF base raid are Lewie Chiaramello and Umer Khalid, who are on day 15 and day five respectively at HMP Bristol and HMP Wormwood Scrubs, London.

Qesser Zuhrah, also on Day 37 of his strike in HMP Bronzefield, is said to have lost “considerable weight” and now finds it difficult to walk, while her pulse never falls below 100bpm.

Heba Muraisi is reportedly struggling after catching a cold on day 34 of her 36-day strike at HMP Newhall.

Teuta Hoxha and Kamran Ahmed, at HMP Peterborough and on day 30 and 29 of their strikes, were both taken to hospital last month after experiencing headaches, dizziness, shortness of breath and low blood pressure.

‘Signs of memory loss’

The lawyers also said that taking instructions from clients on the state of their health was becoming increasingly difficult because “all are showing signs of memory loss”.

In a previous letter to NHS England, signed by 147 medical professionals, the hunger strikes were described as an “imminent risk to their health and life” and a “medical emergency”.

Ms Ammori has also described the activists’ condition as an “emergency”.

She wrote on social media: “Their health is severely deteriorating, with one described as ‘skeletal’. Each face up to two years on remand before trial and face harsher treatment as they are labelled as ‘terrorists’. This is an emergency.”

Jeremy Corbyn, the former Labour leader, echoed the sentiment, saying: “This is an emergency. They must be granted bail, now.”

A Ministry of Justice spokesman said: “The Deputy Prime Minister has responded to and will continue to respond to correspondence on this issue, and is being kept informed of the situation.”

“We continually assess prisoners’ wellbeing and will always take the appropriate action, including taking prisoners to hospital if they are assessed as needing treatment by a medical professional.”

IDF uproots hundreds of olive trees, razing groves in Palestinian West Bank village

 The Israeli military uprooted hundreds of olive trees in Qaryut, south of Nablus, in an area that, according to the village council, exceeds the boundaries set by an order citing "security measures" and signed by the IDF's West Bank commander.

The order, signed by Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth designated about 80 dunams (20 acres) of village land for uprooting, but according to the village council, soldiers uprooted trees on 150 dunams (37 acres) of land, only 13 dunams (3 acres) of which are defined as state land.

"The work reached the periphery of the houses and is also being carried out in Area B," the part of the West Bank under Palestinian civilian control but Israeli security control, the council said. "They are also destroying wells, not only the trees."

The order mandates the removal of "excess vegetation and to relocate the olive trees to an alternative location," but the IDF has not said where that site is.

Footage also shows that the olive trees were uprooted in such a way that their roots and branches have been destroyed, making it impossible to replant them. "The order talks about relocating, but all the trees have been destroyed by bulldozers," the council said

The uprooted trees remain on site, but the owners cannot reach them and attempt to rescue them. The council said the military threatened residents that "they would also destroy their houses" if anyone tried to approach the trees.

Under the terms of the order, the IDF is required to conduct a site visit with the property owners, and work can be carried out within seven days of the visit. The resident's appeals must be submitted within these seven days, but the village council said no site visit was held.

"We waited for the coordination notice, but two days ago we were surprised to see the bulldozers begin working over a very large area," a council source said. "The army didn't even honor its own order."

The Coordinator of Government Activities (COGAT) said that the order was issued on November 7 and sent to Palestinian Authority officials for the purpose of organizing a site visit by the landowners. "When no objections to the order were sent," COGAT said, "a site visit was not conducted."

However, the order states that objections must be submitted after the site visit. COGAT claimed in its response that site visits are usually carried out "only after the latter express their desire for it to the Palestinian liaison officers."

The uprooting, which began on Sunday and was still underway as of Tuesday, is being conducted by settlers guarded by soldiers, the village council claimed. "We see that this move aims to take over all of the lands west of the village."

"We are begging that they stop the work; they are destroying our lands and our lives," the council said. "They have strangled us from every direction, and for a very long time now, they have not allowed us to access our lands."

This is not the first time the IDF has violated its own procedures in Qaryut, according to the council. "For two years now, there's been a change in how these orders are enforced, and in the opportunity we're given to challenge them," the council said. "They're acting in violation of the very orders they issue, and in violation of the law and procedures."

The order was issued against the olive groves located between the western part of Qaryut and the "Hayovel" neighborhood of the nearby settlement Eli. The neighborhood was established in 1998 as an illegal outpost and was formally recognized in 2011.

A parcel of 189 dunams (47 acres) on which the settler neighborhood is located was declared state land, but development of the settlement was stalled as it is surrounded by cultivated Palestinian land, which, under the law, cannot be designated as state land.

In September, the IDF's Central Command ordered the expropriation of land for the purpose of paving a road encircling Eli and its neighborhoods, which would, in effect, enclose these Palestinian lands. Most of the road's route goes through Palestinian property, and includes the groves uprooted this week.

The IDF said the operation between the village of Qaryut and the settlement of Eli, carried out under a Civil Administration order on November 7, aimed to relocate olive trees and clear vegetation in line with local law. The military said the work was intended to "allow optimal operational control, and ensure an efficient deployment of forces."

The army added that a site-visit notice had been sent to the relevant Palestinian Authority officials, but no response was received. "Had the landowners responded to the notice, they would have been able to select an alternative site for relocating the trees, provided it was not within the boundaries of the security measures order or any other order," it said.

The military said the work was carried out in the approved site, as shown on the map attached to the order."

Maduro’s forces face renewed scrutiny as US tensions rise: ‘a fortress built on sand’

 As tensions rise between Washington and the Maduro regime, experts told Fox News Digital that Venezuela’s military may look formidable on paper but is hollowed out by years of corruption, decay and political control. While they say Venezuela cannot stop a determined U.S. strike, any broader operation would be far more complicated than the White House suggests.

Isaias Medina, an international lawyer and former Venezuelan diplomat who denounced his own government at the International Criminal Court, described Venezuela as a criminalized state dominated by narcotrafficking networks.

"Venezuela today resembles a fortress built on sand wrapped around a criminal regime," he said, adding that any hypothetical U.S. action would be "evicting a terrorist cartel that settled next door and not invading a country."

Medina warned that Venezuela’s dense civilian population — also victimized by the regime — demands extreme caution. "The only acceptable approach is overwhelming bias toward restraint and longer operational timelines, forgoing targets that cannot be struck cleanly."

He said the military’s capabilities look better on paper than reality, with equipment rusting from lack of maintenance and thousands of politically appointed generals disconnected from an estimated 100,000 lower-ranking troops who may abandon their posts under pressure.

Rear Adm. (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, senior director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation, told Fox News Digital that Venezuela’s most relevant threat lies in its air-naval systems — and even those could be quickly eliminated.

"You have to break this up," he said. "There’s an air-naval part, which is most likely what could impact our strike operations," including fighter jets, limited naval vessels and Russian-made surface-to-air missiles.

But Montgomery said the U.S. could quickly neutralize them. "Reasonably speaking, in the first day or two of a campaign plan, we can eliminate the air and maritime threat to U.S. forces," he said.

Any U.S. plan targeting cocaine production would begin with "simultaneous strikes on the airfields, the aircraft and the air defense weapon systems to ensure that they don’t respond to any U.S. attacks on other assets."

Asked whether Venezuela could retaliate after such strikes, Montgomery replied: "Not against an air campaign. No."

Montgomery stressed that while air defenses can be eliminated quickly, a ground operation would be a far different story. "They have a small professional military… 65 to 70,000 people, many of whom probably don’t want — they didn’t join the army to fight," he said. The country also maintains a massive militia, whose motivation would depend on loyalty to Maduro.

But geography and scale make a land operation a nightmare scenario. "Venezuela is probably twice the geographic size of California, 35 to 40 million citizens," Montgomery said. "This would be a terrifically challenging ground campaign, especially if it turned into a counterinsurgency."

He added bluntly: "Today, I would not do this. I do not recommend it."

Montgomery does support an air campaign which he believes will be more efficient than the current naval tactics. He cited his experience commanding U.S. Navy counter-drug operations: "Every one of these 21 ships could have been pulled over by a mix of Navy and Coast Guard assets and helicopters." But intelligence often proved unreliable.

Despite years of decay, Venezuela still possesses a large, uneven mix of military hardware. Analysts say it cannot stop a U.S. campaign but could complicate early phases.

Its inventory reportedly includes 92 T-72B tanks, 123 BMP-3 infantry vehicles, Russian Msta-S artillery, Smerch and Grad rocket systems, and an estimated 6–10 flyable Su-30MK2 jets. Air defenses include the S-300VM, Buk-M2E and Pechora-2M.

Venezuela’s deepening ties with Iran, Russia and China continue to worry U.S. officials.

Jorge Jraissati, president of the Economic Inclusion Group, said "numbers show only 20% of Venezuelans approve of this regime," warning that for more than a decade "there has been no respect for the will of the population" as Caracas aligns with "anti-Western regimes that destabilize the region."

Kellogg on ending the war: Donetsk Oblast and Zaporizhzhya nuclear plant are key sticking points

 Speaking at the Ronald Reagan National Defense Forum, Kellogg emphasized that “the last 10 meters are always the hardest.”

“If you’ve ever served in the military, you know the last 10 meters are the toughest. And I think we’re in the last 10 meters of this conflict [Russia’s war against Ukraine],” he said.

Kellogg believes that if the issues of control over Donbas and the Zaporizhzhya plant can be settled, the rest will “fall into place.”

He also acknowledged that resolving what he called this “unprecedented war” has been extremely difficult. He cited Russia’s withdrawal from Afghanistan after losing 18,000 troops, and the U.S. withdrawal from Vietnam after losing 58,000 service members.

“Ukraine and Russia together have lost over 2 million. Think about that — those are horrific numbers. That’s why we need to bring this conflict to an end,” Kellogg said.

On Nov. 23, Kellogg praised Washington’s peace plan to resolve the war.

The U.S.-backed peace plan for Ukraine

On Nov. 20, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was presented with a draft peace plan reportedly containing 28 provisions. It was developed under the direction of U.S. presidential envoy Stephen Vitkoff, who had also held consultations with Russia. Zelenskyy is expected to discuss the plan with Donald Trump in the coming days.

According to Axios, the plan’s proposals include Ukraine relinquishing claims to the non-occupied parts of Donetsk Oblast, downsizing its armed forces, freezing the front line in Zaporizhzhya and Kherson oblasts, lifting sanctions on Russia, implementing NATO-style security guarantees, redistributing frozen Russian assets, and creating a “Peace Council,” among other measures.

In a Nov. 21 address to Ukrainians, Zelenskyy said the country is under intense pressure and could soon face a difficult choice: sacrifice dignity or lose a key partner. He pledged to offer alternatives and work to ensure that U.S. proposals reflect Ukraine’s national interests.

Trump, for his part, confirmed he wants Zelenskyy to agree to the peace plan before Thanksgiving (Nov. 27). According to Reuters, the U.S. is threatening to cut off intelligence sharing and weapons deliveries if Ukraine rejects the plan.

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin later claimed he had also received the proposal through backchannels with the U.S. administration. He called it “a post-Alaska modernization” of earlier plans

Bloomberg reported that Kyiv’s major European allies rejected key elements of the proposal after phone calls with Zelenskyy. EU officials consider the plan a blueprint for Ukraine’s capitulation and are working on their own version of support.

Florian Wirtz reacts to first Liverpool goal being taken away in draw with Sunderland

 Florian Wirtz has really found his feet at Liverpool in his last couple of outings and it looked as though he'd announced it with a vital equalizer against Sunderland. But while the goal stood, it was officially credited as a Nordi Mukiele own goal.

Technically speaking, there can be no real complaints. Looking at the replay, Wirtz's skewed effort appears to be heading wide until it hits the Sunderland defender.

But it feels like a harsh verdict in spirit, with Wirtz doing everything to make the goal with his neat footwork, making just enough room to unleash a shot in a congested box. And while the identity of the scorer for Arne Slot's side would usually be a technicality, the big-money signing is still waiting on his first goal.

After Alexander Isak opened his league account last week, it would have been a real boost to see Wirtz off the mark as well. Aims and expectations for the season have already had to be adjusted after the hugely deflating start to the campaign, but settling those two into the side will be an important project for the long-term future.

But while the wait goes on for Wirtz, you'd actually say that he has made more of a mark than his fellow expensive arrival recently, even with Isak being the one to find the net. And publicly, at least, the German has played down the significance of having his first goal taken away.

"It doesn't matter today," Wirtz told Sky Sports after the match. "We draw, we wanted to win.

"That's what counts today. Unlucky.

"The last weeks were very difficult for us as a team, but we are on a good way to come back and we are giving everything to come back and win games. We wanted to win today.

"We want to be on the top table. We just have to continue, keep the hard work and the hopefully things will change."

It's certainly a glass-half-full kind of assessment. Many Liverpool fans will feel that the team was once again well off where it needs to be, and that this was two steps back after a tentative step forward.

But Sunderland's recent form offers some important context, with Arsenal also held to a draw less than a month ago. And it's something, at least, to see Liverpool rally to salvage a point from behind.

In any case, Wirtz himself is certainly a bright spark amid the disappointment. And while he isn't personally dwelling on the own-goal classification, Curtis Jones feels his teammate deserved a goal for his efforts.

"With Flo, a guy who wants the ball a lot, how much that he ran [was so impressive]," Jones said after the game. "And yeah, it's just a shame that it goes down as an own goal."

As long as Wirtz can continue on his current trajectory, the official first goal cannot be far away. But truth be told, Liverpool could do with the nine other outfield players getting onto his level.

Gary Neville makes Arsenal and Chelsea title claim

 Gary Neville believes Arsenal have already seen off one possible title rival, claiming Chelsea have ‘no chance’ of winning the Premier League.

Chelsea seemingly strengthened their title credentials by holding league leaders Arsenal to a 1-1 draw with ten man at the weekend.

But Enzo Maresca’s side suffered a significant setback on Wednesday night, losing 3-1 to Leeds United to slip nine points behind title favourites Arsenal.

Jaka Bijol gave Leeds the lead after just six minutes and the hosts doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time through Ao Tanaka.

Chelsea sensed a comeback when Pedro Neto got a goal back after the break but Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s 72nd-minute goal put the game to bed.

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While it was a huge win for relegation-battlers Leeds, who climbed three points above the drop zone, Chelsea’s defeat saw them slip to fourth in the Premier League.

Nine points now separates Premier League leaders Arsenal and Club World Cup winners Chelsea and Neville has ruled the Blues out of the title race.

‘I don’t think they can win the title. In fact, I don’t think they’ve got a chance,’ Manchester United legend and ex-England defender Neville said of Chelsea on Sky Sports.

‘Chelsea do have some gaping holes when you see title-winning teams. They will be in the top four or five, no problem, but when you talk about winning the league, they are short in goal, short at centre back and short up top.

‘Their centre forwards, centre backs and goalkeepers aren’t good enough to be title winners.

‘Chelsea’s team is well built, it’s got an incredible amount of talent, but the centre-backs tonight were poor in every way.

‘The goalkeeper [Robert Sanchez] is not good enough to be a title-winning goalkeeper, and then at centre-forward, they [Delap, Guiu] are good players, but they’re not at the levels that are required to win Chelsea a title.’

While Chelsea slipped up at Elland Road, Arsenal continued their brilliant title charge with a routine 2-0 win over Brentford.

Speaking after the Leeds defeat, Maresca admitted the hosts ‘deserved’ the win and urged his players to respond ahead of their trip to Bournemouth this week.

‘A very poor night, they [Leeds] deserved to win the game, they were better in all aspects,’ Maresca said. ‘We will try to analyse and learn from this game and focus o the next one.

‘It’s not about possession, in possession you need a purpose. Today they were better in all aspects. Congratulations to them.

‘After the goal we scored we had one or two clear chances, but the third goal killed the game completely, then it’s much more difficult.

‘It’s reality, its Premier League, you need to perform every game, no matter if you are at home or away or who the other team is.

‘It’s important to see where we are going to be in February or March, but most important is to understand what we did bad tonight and then try to improve.’

Chelsea goalscorer Neto, meanwhile, added: ‘They were better than us at everything.

‘It’s difficult to take, we have to learn from that but we have to clear our minds, it happens. We are already focused on Bournemouth.

‘Sometimes it happens, we had a bad day, they had more intensity, attitude, won the second balls and had more desire than us. We cannot take games for granted.

‘Of course it hurts, it’s the worst part in football, Sometimes you can lose and say you gave everything on the pitch, but toady we have to take some responsibility, all of us.

‘Sometimes it happens, we are human. We had a really good month, it’s just a bad day. We don’t have explanation for that. Everyone wants to win.’

The sacrifices Arne Slot made to finally get the best out of Florian Wirtz

 It was the day Liverpool went from bad to Wirtz, the most complete Premier League performance yet from their £115m playmaker in the 2-0 win at West Ham United supporting the idea that Arne Slot can salvage the season – and revive his reign – by building a team around the young German.

A genuine No 10

Florian Wirtz was signed by Liverpool to play “between the lines” and orchestrate the beat of every game. Crucially, the West Ham match was the first time he started in the No 10 position with Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister offering protection just behind him – Szoboszlai sacrificing his usual advanced position to occupy the right flank. Previously, using Wirtz in this zone left Liverpool looking unbalanced as he was one of the central midfield three. When he lost possession in games earlier this season, it was too easy for opponents to counter-attack as the familiar trio of last year was broken up. Equally, the connections between team-mates were previously non-existent.

The shape of the side was much better at the London Stadium, the interplay between Wirtz and the midfielders offering the first hints of developing relationships. It cannot be ignored that West Ham were accommodating opponents, allowing Wirtz to float and receive the ball with ease. Nevertheless, he looked more confident and effective, and should have finished with a goal and at least one assist.

When Liverpool were out of possession, they had more numbers surrounding the opposition to get it back. Interestingly, the headline figures surrounding Wirtz’s passes in the final third, and into the penalty area, were virtually identical to his season’s average, which his backers could use to suggest the quality has always been there. His wait for a Premier League assist also goes on. But that data does not reflect the improved speed, accuracy and physicality of his general display compared to other fixtures.

Occupying different spaces

Wirtz has a history in the Bundesliga and for his national team of adopting a starting position on the wing, drifting inside to attack from central positions. Slot has used him in this role already for Liverpool. However, that was not the plan when Liverpool bought him. The most significant change this weekend – certainly when compared to one of his less effective games away to Crystal Palace earlier this season – is how often he popped up in and around the left side, linking well with Cody Gakpo and Milos Kerkez.

It is surely no coincidence that Sunday was also comfortably Kerkez’s most impressive display since joining Liverpool, with Wirtz often finding him as Liverpool threatened West Ham’s right-hand side. The significant increase in potency from the left will again be linked to the fact that – unlike in previous games – Wirtz did not have to worry so much about helping so much on the right because Szoboszlai and the recalled Joe Gomez solidified what has become a problematic area of the pitch. Overall, Wirtz touched the ball on 52 occasions, his heat map close to radioactive as he was willing to take possession everywhere.

Pass master

Wirtz’s passing accuracy is undoubtedly one of his biggest assets. Of his 44 passes at West Ham, only two were unsuccessful. This success rate of 95 per cent is in stark contrast with ineffective performances at Brentford and Crystal Palace earlier this season, when the figure was 76 per cent and 84 per cent, respectively. Wirtz also passed fewer times in those defeats, despite being on the pitch the same length or longer.

Crucially, the only unsuccessful passes on Sunday were attempted final balls into the penalty area, both close to creating goals. Against Brentford in October, Wirtz surrendered possession 11 times, five of which were in his own half. The marked contrast is obvious as there was also a greater forward momentum when Wirtz linked with colleagues on Sunday. 

Naturally, a greater sample size will be required before declaring this a turning point. Wirtz has struggled against more combative opponents. Nevertheless, his effectiveness against a low-block defence bodes well and having come up with a winning formula to get the most from his star signing on this occasion, Slot has a blueprint to work with in upcoming games. If Wirtz sustains a strong run of form from here, there is no doubt this performance will be regarded as the first pebble in the pond.

What does it mean for Mohamed Salah?

Slot deserves applause for the tactical tweak, which was braver before kick-off than it looked at full-time. The Dutch coach was asked on Thursday what changes he could make to get more from his underperforming players. It was a question he threw back to the room, asking what his perceived critics thought he could try that he had not already. No one suggested leaving out Mohamed Salah was an obvious solution.

That is the kind of decision which can backfire terribly, especially given the pressure on Slot after three consecutive three-goal defeats. The Dutchman would be in a different world on Sunday night had Liverpool failed again with Salah benched for 90 minutes.

Now it has worked, the conundrum before Wednesday’s visit of Sunderland is whether to immediately recall the Egyptian. Will moving the in-form Szoboszlai from the disciplined role compromise Wirtz again? Omitting Salah once can be called necessary rotation. Doing so in successive games would send a tremor across the Liverpool world as the club accelerates the necessary transition from an era in which Salah has been the main man, to one in which Liverpool have bet on Wirtz being the symbol of another Anfield rebuild.

Maduro Reportedly Offered Free Elections In Exchange For Keeping Control Of The Armed Forces; Trump Said No

 Venezuela's authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro reportedly offered Donald Trump holding free elections in exchange for keeping control of the country's armed forces, but the latter refused the deal, according to a new report.

The Miami Herald detailed that the failed negotiation took place during the phone call between the two days ago. There, Maduro also asked for global amnesty "for any crimes he and his group had committed, and was rejected," the outlet said, citing a source.

The third sticking point between the parties was that Washington D.C. demanded Maduro resign immediately, to which Caracas refused.

There has not been any apparent progress since, and shortly after the administration officially designated the Cartel de los Soles, which the administration accuses Maduro and his top officials of leading, as a terrorist organization, paving the way for strikes inside Venezuela. And on Saturday, Trump said Venezuela's airspace should be considered "closed."

The Washington Post also noted that Turkey has risen as a potential destination should an off-ramp be agreed on. The outlet noted that noted that Caracas and Ankara have friendly ties, exchanging cabinet-level visits in recent years, and have a dynamic trade relationship.

As a result, and considering that Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan has a good relationship with Trump, some in Washington D.C. are actively contemplating the possibility.

"At the end of day, what are realistic and acceptable outcomes? Obviously, people are thinking about it, working on it," a person familiar with administration deliberations told the outlet. The person said such a deal could come with guarantees. Namely, assurances that Maduro wouldn't be extradited to the U.S.

In contrast, another report from this week noted that Maduro is reluctant to agree to any deal to leave power because he doesn't believe he would get lasting amnesty.

The Wall Street Journal noted that Maduro only feels safe among loyalists, and both him and his inner circle believe the Trump administration is bluffing with its military campaign off the country's coast.

The only way to oust him, they claim, would be physically sending troops to Venezuela, something they consider unlikely. "The calculation for Maduro is that he will always be safer here than anywhere else," Phil Gunson, analyst for the International Crisis Group, told the outlet.

Maduro, on his end, made his first public appearance in days on Sunday, ending speculation that he had fled the country.

Maduro, who typically appears on state television multiple times per week, had not been seen since Wednesday, when he posted a video driving around Caracas on Telegram. His absence fueled widespread rumors about his whereabouts, especially after flight-tracking data reviewed by CNN Brasil during the weekend showed a Venezuelan government jet flew to the Brazilian border and back.

He resurfaced at an annual specialty-coffee awards ceremony in eastern Caracas, where he awarded medals to producers and sampled different brews while delivering brief remarks that did not directly address the escalating crisis, as CNN reports. At the end of his appearance, he declared that Venezuela was "indestructible, untouchable, unbeatable" while discussing the country's economy.