Evening Brief: US Army Football Player from Burning Car, Maduro Warns of Armed Resistance, Putin Links Peace in Ukraine to Halting NATO Expansion

· Guy D. McCardle

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the Shanghai Cooperation Council (SCO) members session in Tianjin, China. (Screenshot/X)

Evening rundown for Monday, September 1, 2025.

 

US Army Football Player and Father Rescue Man from Burning Car Near West Point

US Army sophomore safety Larry Pickett Jr. and his father, Larry Pickett Sr., pulled a man from a crashed car moments before it caught fire near West Point early Sunday.

Video recorded by Pickett Jr.’s sister showed the pair dragging the driver away from the wreck as sparking power lines surrounded the vehicle.

The Picketts, in town for Pickett Jr.’s season opener, discovered the crash while returning to campus from a family dinner.

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and West Point officials praised Pickett Jr. for embodying the values of duty, honor, and courage, calling his actions heroic and selfless.

The rescued man survived, and the Picketts remained with him until emergency responders arrived.

 

North Carolina Firefighter Shot While Responding to Alarm, Suspect Arrested

A firefighter in Ellerbe, North Carolina, was shot Monday morning while responding to a fire alarm, according to local authorities.

The firefighter, struck by gunfire upon arrival, was airlifted to a trauma center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Deputies arrested a suspect at the scene, who now faces charges including two counts of assault on emergency personnel with a firearm and one count of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or inflict serious injury.

The State Bureau of Investigation is assisting and has not released details on a possible motive.

 

One Dead, Three Injured in Midair Collision at Colorado Airport

A Cessna 172 and an Extra Flugzeugbau EA300 collided Sunday morning while attempting to land at Fort Morgan Municipal Airport in northeastern Colorado, authorities said.

Both planes, carrying two people each, crashed and caught fire. One person died at the scene, another was hospitalized, and two suffered minor injuries.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are investigating the cause of the crash.

Fort Morgan, where the accident occurred, is about 80 miles northeast of Denver.

 

Maduro Warns of Armed Resistance as US Boosts Naval Presence Near Venezuela

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said Monday he would “declare a republic in arms” if US forces attacked, as Washington increased its military presence in the Caribbean to target drug cartels.

The US Navy has deployed guided-missile destroyers and a cruiser, with three amphibious assault ships carrying over 4,000 sailors and Marines set to arrive this week. While the US has not signaled plans for a land incursion, Venezuela has mobilized troops along its coast and border with Colombia and called on civilians to join militias.

Maduro condemned the buildup as an “unjustifiable” threat and warned any attack would destabilize the region.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil argued the US narrative on drug trafficking was false, citing United Nations data showing most Colombian cocaine leaves via the Pacific.

Maduro, whose contested 2024 reelection is not recognized by several countries, accused US leaders of pursuing regime change and warned that military action would “stain” President Donald Trump’s hands with blood.

 

Armored Vehicle Accident in Haiti Kills Two, Injures Eight Kenyan Police Officers

An accident involving two armored vehicles on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, left two people dead and eight Kenyan police officers injured Sunday, officials said.

One of the fatalities was a member of the UN-backed mission fighting gangs, while the other was a civilian. Three of the injured officers were in serious condition and flown to the Dominican Republic for treatment.

The crash occurred on the Kenscoff-Pétion-Ville route when a vehicle towing a disabled armored unit broke down.

The incident raises the Kenyan police death toll in Haiti to three since the mission began, with one officer previously killed in a gang attack and another still missing and presumed dead.

 

Israeli Strikes Kill 31 in Gaza as International Scholars Accuse Israel of Atrocities

Israeli strikes across Gaza on Monday killed at least 31 people, including women and children, as the military intensified its offensive in Gaza City, health officials said.

The attacks came amid growing famine conditions and mass displacement in the territory.

Gaza’s Health Ministry reports over 63,000 Palestinians killed since the war began, though Israel disputes the figures and blames Hamas for civilian deaths.

The International Association of Genocide Scholars passed a resolution accusing Israel of committing genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, an allegation Israel rejects as false and politically motivated.

The conflict stems from Hamas’ October 7, 2023, assault that killed 1,200 in Israel and left 251 taken hostage, with 48 captives still in Gaza.

Meanwhile, anger over government policy surfaced at the funerals of two recovered hostages, where mourners criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for prolonging the war.

Separately, a flotilla of 20 boats carrying activists, including Greta Thunberg, set sail from Barcelona in an effort to challenge Israel’s blockade of Gaza, though past attempts have all been intercepted.

 

Iraq Reopens Rebuilt al-Nuri Mosque in Mosul Eight Years After ISIS Destruction

Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani on Monday led the reopening of the al-Nuri Grand Mosque and its leaning minaret in Mosul’s Old City, eight years after Islamic State (IS) militants destroyed the historic site.

The mosque, where IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared the group’s “caliphate” in 2014, was blown up by the militants in 2017 as Iraqi forces closed in.

UNESCO oversaw the $115 million reconstruction using salvaged materials and traditional techniques, with major funding from the United Arab Emirates and the European Union. The project also included restoring war-damaged churches to preserve Mosul’s multi-faith heritage.

Sudani called the reconstruction a symbol of Iraqis’ resilience and commitment to cultural preservation.

The initiative could serve as a model for rebuilding cultural sites in other post-war regions, including Syria.

 

Lebanon and Syria Form Committees to Address Prisoners, Missing Persons, and Border Disputes

Lebanon and Syria agreed Monday to establish two committees to address the fate of nearly 2,000 Syrians held in Lebanese prisons, locate Lebanese nationals missing in Syria, and settle their unmarked border.

The announcement followed a visit to Beirut by a Syrian delegation, the first since President Bashar Assad’s ouster in December.

Syrian interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa seeks to reset ties with Lebanon and prepare for future visits by senior Syrian officials. Talks with Lebanese Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri covered detained Syrians (many jailed without trial), missing Lebanese, smuggling along the shared border, and the presence of 1.5 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

Syria also raised the review of old bilateral agreements, while Lebanon pushed for new frameworks.

The move signals a possible thaw in relations long strained by Syria’s past domination of Lebanon and Hezbollah’s involvement in Syria’s conflict.

 

UK to Evacuate Sick Children and Students from Gaza for Treatment and Study

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said Monday that the United Kingdom will evacuate critically ill and injured children from Gaza to receive specialist care in British hospitals, with the first patients expected in the coming weeks.

He also confirmed support for Palestinian students with UK scholarships, while Home Secretary Yvette Cooper noted expedited visas for students and their families.

Lammy announced an additional 15 million pounds ($20 million) in medical aid and condemned Israel for blocking sufficient humanitarian access, calling the crisis a “manmade famine.”

The UK is working with the World Health Organization (WHO) in Egypt to treat evacuees and funds field hospitals in Gaza.

Other European countries, including Italy, have carried out similar evacuations.

 

EU Chief’s Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Jamming in Bulgaria

A plane carrying European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen experienced GPS jamming while preparing to land in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, on Sunday, according to Brussels and Bulgarian authorities.

The European Commission confirmed the disruption on Monday press brief and said Moscow was suspected of being behind the interference, though it remains unclear if the flight was directly targeted.

The aircraft landed safely using terrestrial navigation methods, and local reports suggested pilots resorted to paper maps. The incident occurred during von der Leyen’s tour of European Union frontline states vulnerable to Russian hybrid threats.

The European Commission noted similar jamming and spoofing activities have been frequent in the region and said it has sanctioned companies linked to such operations.

 

Ukraine Urges NATO for Patriot Systems and Long-Range Missiles After Deadly Strikes

Ukrainian officials met with NATO representatives Monday to discuss recent Russian attacks and pressed for stronger air defenses and long-range weapons, the Foreign Ministry said.

Kyiv specifically requested Patriot missile systems and additional munitions, along with long-range missiles.

NATO members condemned last week’s Russian drone and missile strikes, which killed 25 people in Kyiv and caused significant damage to homes and infrastructure.

 

Putin Links Peace in Ukraine to Halting NATO Expansion at SCO Summit

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday that sustainable peace in Ukraine requires addressing NATO’s eastward enlargement, speaking after meetings with China’s Xi Jinping and India’s Narendra Modi at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin.

Putin argued the West’s efforts to draw Ukraine into NATO created the crisis and called for a “fair balance in the security sphere,” a reference to Russia’s demands on European security. He cited “understandings” reached with US President Donald Trump during August talks in Alaska as opening a path to peace, discussions he said he shared with Xi and would expand on in bilateral meetings.

Ukraine and its allies describe Russia’s 2022 invasion as an imperial-style land grab, while Moscow frames it as resistance to Western encroachment.

China and India, major buyers of Russian oil, have both positioned themselves as mediators but show no sign of curbing energy ties with Moscow.

 

China’s Xi Pushes Development Bank, Energy Platform as SCO Expands Role Against US Influence

At the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Tianjin on Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced plans to accelerate the creation of a development bank, launch an international energy cooperation platform, and extend $1.4 billion in loans over three years to member states.

Xi also offered SCO members access to China’s BeiDou satellite system as an alternative to US-controlled GPS.

Russian President Vladimir Putin backed the initiatives, saying the SCO could help create a more equal global governance system.

The summit, attended by leaders from Russia, India, and other member states, marked Laos joining as a partner, bringing the group’s total members and partners to 27.

Xi urged rejection of “Cold War thinking” and called for a multipolar world order.

While China promotes the SCO as a counterweight to US influence, analysts note its effectiveness may remain limited, with past activities focused on security cooperation and counterterrorism exercises.

 

Funding Cuts Hamper Afghanistan’s Earthquake Response as Death Toll Tops 800

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan overnight, killing at least 800 people and injuring more than 2,800, officials said Monday.

The response has been severely hampered by shrinking international aid, led by US funding cuts, which have forced dozens of clinics to close and grounded a humanitarian helicopter service.

The Taliban government and aid agencies face the challenge of assisting thousands with a fraction of the resources available in past crises. Humanitarian funding for Afghanistan has dropped to $767 million this year, down from $3.8 billion in 2022, as donor nations redirect resources to other emergencies and protest Taliban restrictions on women’s rights.

Officials warned that the weakened health system is struggling to handle quake victims and called for urgent international support in a country where half the population already needs humanitarian aid.

 

Sources: News Agencies