The United States military has accused a 38-year-old active-duty soldier of using classified information to place bets on an online prediction platform and earning nearly $400,000. According to reports by Arab media, Genn Kinnard Van Dyke used the information to place 13 bets, including predictions about US involvement in Venezuela and the ouster of President Nicolas Maduro.
The US military claims that Van Dyke used confidential information from military operations to gain an advantage, which is a serious breach of public trust. Maduro was arrested by US special forces in a surprise operation in Caracas early last week.
Van Dyke has been charged with three counts of violating the law, including deception and illegal financial transactions, which carry a sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison. According to the investigation, Van Dyke created a secret account on the betting app in late December 2025 and placed big bets until early January 2026, when Maduro was arrested in Venezuela, making his bets successful.
After earning the money, Van Dyke allegedly transferred it to a cryptocurrency account abroad and tried to close his account. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard has released images of its naval operations in the Strait of Hormuz, while Lebanon’s economy remains in shambles after a wounded UN peacekeeper died.
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Lebanon has lost six personnel, with a wounded UN peacekeeper dying recently. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has vowed to maintain pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine. Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu underwent surgery for prostate growth in December 2024, which was publicly disclosed at the time.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has said that 34 ships have been returned from the Strait of Hormuz so far, while Switzerland has announced plans to reopen its embassy in Tehran. The Swiss government has stated that its embassy in Tehran will reopen gradually, starting from the capital city of Bern.
In a separate development, the Iranian National Security Committee has claimed that US President Donald Trump’s popularity has plummeted to 18%, indicating a weakening of his position. A private security company has been exposed for monitoring students and faculty, particularly those supporting Palestine, at 12 top British universities.
Iran has dismissed allegations of negotiating the development of “10 atomic bombs” as baseless. Italy’s Economy Minister, Giovanni Tria, has described Italy’s bid to host the 2026 World Cup as “shameful.” The escalating tensions between the US and Iran have led to a significant increase in oil prices in the global market.
The US and Iran may hold talks in Islamabad, where Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian is expected to attend. A 26-year-old Karachi resident, Saleem Asif, has made it to Forbes’ list of billionaires.
