Politics Ekaterina Bazanova , Yuri Matsarsky October 8, 2025 The escalation of the US conflict with Venezuela threatens to escalate into a real war. A group of influential White House employees is urging the US President to deal with Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, and Donald Trump does not seem to mind getting involved in a military adventure. At the end of August, Washington sent a navy and several thousand marines to the shores of Venezuela.

A representative office of a company was registered in Vladivostok, which is allegedly associated with the North Korean Red Star Technology Exchange Company, the developer of the DPRK’s own operating system. NK News reports this. The company is called Bulgunbyol Technology Trading Company (translated from Korean as “Red Star”), and in the Russian SPARK register it is listed as “Pulnpel Technical Foreign Trade Company”.

Several thousand flights in the United States have been delayed or canceled over the past few days, according to data from the FlightAware service. Disruptions in air traffic are due to a shortage of air traffic controllers: amid the government shutdown, which has lasted for a week, they are not receiving salaries, and some are taking sick leave en masse.

In Novosibirsk, the Integrated Center for Social Adaptation of Disabled Persons (CCSAI) has suspended its work due to future modernization and repairs. The authorities propose to temporarily transfer children to the Olesya, Nadezhda and Zarya centers, but Novosibirsk residents fear that the center will no longer be opened in the usual format, and there will not be enough places for everyone in other institutions.

Speaking today at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that recent drone incidents and violations of EU airspace are proof that Europe is already embroiled in a hybrid war being waged by Russia. She believes this threat must be countered with measures that go beyond traditional military defense. “This is not random harassment,” von der Leyen explained.

The German government has approved amendments to the Federal Police Act (Bundespolizeigesetz), which, among other things, allow federal police officers to use special technical means to protect themselves from unidentified drones. In addition, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt (CDU/CSU) announced the creation of a special unit in the federal police to combat drones and a special coordination center on this issue.

The US Department of Justice says it has arrested a man suspected of deliberate arson that sparked a fire in a Los Angeles suburb earlier this year. The fire destroyed more than 6 thousand residential buildings, killing 12 people. The suspect is 29-year-old Florida resident Jonathan Rinderknecht. He worked in Los Angeles as an Uber driver. Investigators say he started the fire on a hiking trail in Pacific Palisades around midnight on Jan. 1.

The German manufacturer of building materials Knauf reported that it could not sell its business in Russia: the deal did not take place due to the termination of negotiations on the part of the potential buyer. “Knauf remains committed to its plans to withdraw its business from Russia.

Most EU countries supported the proposal of the European Commission and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to use €140 billion of Russian assets frozen in Euroclear for a loan to Ukraine. However, Belgium, which has jurisdiction over Euroclear, remains the main obstacle, requiring it to share legal and financial risks with other states. The Financial Times writes about this, citing sources.

State Duma deputies in the first reading approved a bill that will make all budget-funded places in medical universities targeted. This follows from a database of documents from the lower house of parliament. According to the initiative, all state-funded students will be required to enter into an agreement on targeted training. After training, graduates are required to work for three years in government organizations.

Ambassadors of the European Union countries on Wednesday, October 8, agreed on the details of a plan to abandon Russian oil and gas by January 2028, Reuters reports , citing diplomats. The project will be presented at the EU ministerial meeting on October 20. According to the agency's sources, almost all EU countries expressed support for the plan.

Private oil refineries in Taiwan are ready to stop purchasing Russian naphtha if the European Union asks for it, said the Republic's Minister of Economy Kung Ming-hsin. “We will respect and comply with EU and G7 norms. As far as I understand, next year the EU may refuse further purchases. If the EU announces a cessation of purchases next year, they [Taiwanese refineries] will no longer purchase anything,” Reuters quoted the minister as saying.

The German Parliament (Bundestag), at a meeting on Wednesday, October 8, supported amendments to the German migration legislation, which will abolish the possibility of obtaining a passport under an accelerated procedure in three years. The German publication Welt writes about this.

The European Parliament on Wednesday approved its position for negotiations with member states on new rules designed to “restore the balance of power in the agri-food supply chain,” which would include changing the labeling of plant-based products with “meat” names. 532 deputies voted for the document, 78 were against, and 25 abstained.

A representative of the Prosecutor General's Office at a meeting in the Ostankino Court of Moscow accused the ex-judge of the Supreme Court and Chairman of the Council of Judges of the Russian Federation Viktor Momotov of using his status to cover up the activities of a chain of hotels where sex services were provided. TASS and the RBC publication write about this with reference to their correspondents from the courtroom, where the process of confiscating Momotov’s property is underway.