ICE says its Homeland Security Investigations unit will support US security operations for the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, working with the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service and host nation authorities to vet transnational criminal threats while keeping operations under Italian control; the move has drawn criticism from Italian politicians who say ICE should not operate in Italy, though ICE stresses it is not conducting immigration enforcement overseas.
Yevgeny Prigozhin and his Wagner forces have defied Russian President Putin by refusing to sign any agreement to operate under the Russian defense ministry, leading to the announcement that Wagner will no longer fight in Ukraine. Work is underway to construct a new base for Wagner in Belarus, while there are reports of detentions and investigations regarding the Wagner coup attempt. The Russian government is seeking to replace Wagner leadership in the Central African Republic, but it remains unclear how the transition will be managed. Wagner's revenue comes from corruption and Prigozhin's favored status as a provisioner for the Russian army. The situation raises questions about the Kremlin's stance on Wagner and its ability to control Prigozhin's operations. The Belarus base may be seen as a security force for Lukashenko, but it is risky to rely on a force that could turn against him. The failure to take firm action against Wagner has led to criticism of Putin and a reported purge within the Russian military and intelligence services. Prigozhin remains defiant and free to operate, but the success of Putin and Lukashenko's deal with him appears to be in doubt.
The United States Secret Service turned away the Muslim mayor of Prospect Park, New Jersey, Mohamed T. Khairullah, from the White House Eid reception despite an invitation to the East Room ceremony after his clearance for entry was not approved by Secret Service. The Secret Service did not provide any explanation for the decision, and the White House referred all questions on the incident to USSS. The move was called "an affront to the Muslim community" by the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ New Jersey chapter.
