On August 23, 1939, Hitler and Stalin signed a non-aggression pact, known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. What no one knew at the time was that the pact included a secret agreement through which Hitler and Stalin allied to divide Eastern Europe between them. The first country to be split between the Nazis and the communists was Poland, with the western half going to Hitler and the eastern half to Stalin. The Baltic states and parts of Romania were also divided, as was Finland, paving the way for the Winter War of 1939—the Soviet invasion of Finland. Between August 1939 and June 1941, Stalin sent Hitler tons of raw materials, essential for the Nazi war effort against France and Britain. The pact between the Nazis and communists ended on June 22, 1941, when Hitler broke the alliance with Stalin by invading the Soviet Union with nearly 4 million soldiers as part of Operation Barbarossa, the largest military offensive in history.

This is Karim Maamar, a boy from Gaza living with Fanconi syndrome—a genetic disorder that damages the kidneys, liver, and intestines, preventing the body from absorbing nutrients. His photo is now being used by the UK’s Daily Mirror to depict a starving child.

U.S. Soldiers from the 372nd Military Police Battalion of the D.C. National Guard patrolled the area around Nationals Park during a baseball game as part of Joint Task Force–D.C. (JTF-DC), in support of President Trump’s D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force.

On Wednesday, August 20, a federal jury found Jinchao “Patrick” Wei, a 25-year-old U.S. Navy machinist mate, guilty on six charges, including conspiracy to commit espionage, espionage, and the unlawful export and conspiracy to export technical data on defense articles in violation of the Arms Export Control Act and International Traffic in Arms Regulations. The case stems from Wei’s August 2023 arrest by the FBI, after investigators discovered he had shared extensive details and photos of the USS Essex (LHD-2)—including its weapons systems—with a Chinese intelligence officer posing on social media as a naval enthusiast working for a shipbuilding firm in China. Wei received $12,000 over about 18 months in exchange for the information. He is scheduled to be sentenced on December 1.

Nicolás Maduro: “You may have a Venezuelan ID card, but your soul is dead if you do not feel Bolívar, this flag, and the homeland above any differences. This is not a time for political differences or colors (…) No one will touch Venezuela.”

The Department of Justice has released redacted audio and written transcripts from last month’s nine-hour interviews between Deputy U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche and Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex offender and close associate of Jeffrey Epstein.

Senior Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi stated: “Netanyahu is the main obstacle to reaching any deal to end the war. He is deliberately stalling in his response to mediators, blocking the release of hostages, and hindering all international efforts and initiatives.”

U.S. President Donald J. Trump plans to sign an executive order on Thursday that would seek to criminalize certain actions related to burning the American Flag, according to NewsNation. The order would direct Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice to review cases where someone burned an American Flag and determine whether charges can be brought under existing laws such as public nuisance, disorderly conduct or potential environmental violations, but would not criminalize the actual burning of the American Flag, which would violate the First Amendment of the Constitution.

Hebrew Media: The Defense Minister is currently holding a hearing to approve plans to attack Gaza.

The U.S. Navy has ordered three Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers—the USS Sampson (DDG-102), USS Gravely (DDG-107), and USS Jason Dunham (DDG-109)—to the waters off Venezuela, where they are expected to arrive within 36 hours. The destroyers will join a naval task force recently deployed to the southern Caribbean, which includes the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and several P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, in an operation aimed at countering drug trafficking by Latin American cartels.