The Baltic states are using “horror stories” about an alleged Russian threat to justify further NATO build-up and higher military spending, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. 

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Peskov was commenting on Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda’s claims that Moscow could be preparing “provocations” and limited attacks on critical infrastructure in Poland or the Baltic states. 

“This is the latest batch of horror stories, intended to continue brainwashing people and to prepare the population for further militarization,” Peskov said. 

Baltic leaders are deliberately “creating the image of an enemy” in the form of Russia to facilitate the expansion of NATO military infrastructure across the region “in all its forms,” he added. 

Nauseda told Lithuanian media this week that intelligence agencies had “received signals” about possible “kinetic operations” targeting critical infrastructure. He acknowledged, however, that the information did not indicate where or when such incidents might occur. 

Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics reportedly echoed the warning on Wednesday, citing information from “Lithuanian, Latvian and other NATO states” intelligence agencies about possible “various sabotage attempts to lower the security in our states.” 

Moscow has consistently denied harboring aggressive intentions toward the US-led military bloc, dismissing claims of a planned attack on NATO as “nonsense.” Kremlin officials have described such accusations as fearmongering aimed at inflating military budgets. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said that Russia has “no reason” to attack the EU or NATO unless it is attacked first. 

Russia has also repeatedly condemned NATO’s military build-up in Europe and the alliance’s increased activity near its western borders, warning that any deployment of nuclear capabilities closer to Russian territory would draw a response. 

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has created “an atmosphere of fear” through the “systematic” persecution of political opponents with the tacit backing of Western nations, a newly formed rights group has claimed, warning that any dissenting voice is now treated as an “enemy.”

Tensions have remained high since last month’s parliamentary election, in which Pashinyan’s pro-EU Civil Contract party won 49.74% of the vote, according to the Central Electoral Commission (CEC). At least seven opposition parties have petitioned the constitutional court to annul the results, alleging widespread electoral misconduct, while hundreds of protesters rallied outside the CEC headquarters.

On Monday, the Committee for the Protection of the Rights of Persons Subjected to Political Persecution – a watchdog established by lawyers, political activists, and several former officials – accused the government of waging a campaign to silence the opposition.

“Anyone who holds a different point of view is regarded by the authorities not as an opponent, but as an enemy,” said Armenia’s first ombudswoman, Larisa Alaverdyan, who joined the group. Committee members argued that Pashinyan has been able to pursue the crackdown because he has effectively received a “carte blanche” from his Western backers.

“In pursuit of their own interests, Western institutions are not merely turning a blind eye to Pashinyan’s actions – they are, in effect, encouraging them,” political analyst Yervand Bozoyan said, accusing foreign governments and international organizations of being “silently complicit in the destruction of democracy” in Armenia.

Following those remarks, prosecutors opened a criminal case against former President Robert Kocharyan, leader of the Armenia Alliance, the third-largest parliamentary party. Another opposition leader, Samvel Karapetyan, has remained in custody since last year on charges of plotting a coup, which he denies.

About a month before the election, Pashinyan hosted an EU-Armenia summit and a meeting of the European Political Community (EPC), an EU-led forum launched in 2022 after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict. He has also pledged to deepen Armenia’s integration with the EU, despite the country’s continued reliance on trade with Russia and Moscow’s warnings that adopting EU standards could damage the South Caucasus nation’s economy.

In March 2026, two years after the Crocus City Hall massacre in Moscow, a military court in Russia sentenced the perpetrators.

The terrorist attack on March 22, 2024 claimed the lives of 149 and injured 600 innocent civilians. Fifteen people, including the four Tajik citizens who carried out the attack and 11 facilitators, were given life sentences.

Islamic State Khurasan Province (ISKP) claimed responsibility and the attack’s operational signature was as striking as the death toll. Planning was conducted remotely from Herat, Afghanistan; coordination was carried out through encrypted digital channels, across international borders, and the entire enterprise operated seamlessly without a single face-to-face interaction between the architect and the executors. An earlier attack in January 2024 in Kerman, Iran followed the same template.

In 2024 and 2025, Pakistan, working with Iranian, Russian, and other international partners, conducted multiple intelligence-based operations that led to the neutralization and apprehension of numerous high-value ISKP targets from Pakistan-Afghanistan border areas.

The resulting investigations as reported in UNSC monitoring team reports, and Pakistan’s domestic media alerted the global counterterrorism architecture about the ISKP’s wherewithal in the cyber domain.

The investigations revealed that these incidents served as an announcement of a new era of ISKP embracing new technology; Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations have always found innovative ways to spread terror and have used drones, encrypted messaging, and other modern technology, but ISKP has mastered the cyber domain, using encrypted applications, the dark web, and cryptocurrencies.

ISKP’s evolution into the digital domain is not merely an operational nuance, nor is it restricted to incitement and recruitment. It is a structural reorganization conceived in four distinct but interlocking domains.

First, it constitutes the propagation of ideology, in which extremist narratives are published without geographical constraint. ISKP produces multilingual propaganda in Pashto, Darri, Russian, Uzbek, Farsi, Urdu, Malayalam, Bengali, and English through the publication of its Voice of Khurasan magazine. This publication is tailored to a specific audience, designed to exploit local grievances in tandem with the plight of the Palestinians.

Second, it functions as a recruitment ecosystem, inciting young people, connecting potential jihadists to established networks through social media, gaming platform chats, and specialist forums. The organization has learned to speak in the languages of digital youth culture and aesthetics, gaming, and viral content, embedding its ideological messages within formats designed for maximum algorithmic amplification and emotional resonance.

Third, it props up ISKP’s financial infrastructure, mobilizing resources through cryptocurrency and digital donation channels that bypass conventional financial monitoring. Cryptocurrency has revolutionized the financial architecture of terrorist fundraising. Despite the improvements in blockchain analytics, digital currencies remain the preferred means of cross-border fund transfer due to the anonymity provided by the method. ISKP has demonstrated increased institutional sophistication in this space, establishing dedicated wallets and structuring transactions to evade detection. The fundraising apparatus also leverages digital means to exploit Muslim suffering in conflict zones such as Gaza and frames financial contributions as a religious obligation. As Pakistan cracked down on ISKP media and external operation cells in 2025, ISKP issued a warning to stop crowdfunding transactions to their previously publicized Monero wallet barcode, as it was compromised.

Fourth, ISKP has achieved an operational integration in the cyber domain that enables attack planning, logistical coordination, execution, and the glorification of terrorist attacks across borders through secure channels and encrypted messaging applications. ISKP’s most significant digital innovation has been the transformation of jihadist training from a cumbersome physical model requiring travel to camps, face-to-face instruction, and geographic concentration of trainees, to a learning model accessible from anywhere with an internet connection. ISKP produces and disseminates detailed instructional manuals on weapons training, improvised explosives manufacturing, operational security, target selection, and tactical planning.

In recent years, ISKP has developed a qualitative edge in its existing digital playbook. It has started to integrate generative AI into its propaganda and recruitment architecture. After the Crocus City Hall attack, the ISKP media branch produced an AI-generated news bulletin, presenting the vicious attack as a strategic win and framing it in language geared toward attracting multiple regional audiences simultaneously. The ability of AI tools to simultaneously produce multilingual content to target multiple audiences in a short period of time is becoming a force multiplier for ISKP.

However, the most troubling use of AI is the AI-powered chatbots that have already demonstrated their effectiveness as a radicalization tool. In one widely cited case, a 19-year-old British-Indian man who attempted to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II in 2021 was radicalized in part through over 5,000 messages exchanged with an AI chatbot he created himself on the Replika platform and regarded as a sympathetic and encouraging companion.  

Meanwhile, the way ISKP is embracing AI, the creation of a radicalized chatbot trained by a senior ISKP ideologue on a strict Salafi interpretation of Islam and Takfiri ideology has the capacity to dehumanize the radicalization process, not only making counter-radicalization more challenging, but also making actual perpetrators anonymous and difficult to detect. This scenario would be a nightmare for global efforts to counter and prevent violent extremism.

ISKP’s evolution from a territorially ambitious organization into a digitally native transnational terrorism architecture is one of the most consequential developments in recent years. ISKP, under the leadership of Shahab al-Muhajir, has demonstrated that territorial defeat, while necessary, is insufficient to neutralize ISKP, as it has structured itself around virtual presence rather than physical geography. If the global counterterrorism architecture fails to become more integrated and efficient and/or becomes a victim of geopolitical contests, it will only help terrorist organizations that are adapting to new technologies in overdrive.

The real challenge is faced by developing countries that have limited wherewithal and experience in handling these types of threats in the technological domain, especially when developed countries hardly see it as their problem. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization and its counterterrorism department – the Regional Anti Terrorists Structure (RATS) – with Russia and China as its founding members, provide an ideal multilateral forum to share good practices in countering terrorism, and can develop institutionalized mechanisms to not only monitor terrorists, especially ISKP, but can also develop the means to counter them.

India will run short of the key infrastructure resources needed to power the explosive growth in data centers the country is witnessing, without smart planning, a technology industry analyst told RT India.

India has about 150 operational data centers, with over 100 on the way, driven by the country’s AI boom and cloud adoption.

Data centers guzzle water and power. However, both are in scarce supply in India’s biggest cities where the bulk of them are being built – Navi Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Noida – as well as Jamnagar, RT India reported.

In 2020, India’s data centers consumed around 375 megawatts (MW) of electricity, which jumped to 1,500 MW by 2025. By 2032, the figure is projected to hit 13.56 gigawatts, a 30-fold increase in just over a decade.

A 1 MW data center requires around 26 million liters of water for cooling. A 30 MW facility needs 780 million liters, and a 160 MW one needs as much as 4.2 billion liters of water.

Over half (59%) of Indian districts faced water scarcity in 2025, and 3% are facing absolute scarcity.

Globally, there is a scramble to put guardrails to protect the environment and minimize the potential burden on local communities from data centers.

“The amount of infrastructure required, the resources required to support these gigawatts of data centers by the end of 2030 is going to be unprecedented,” a technology industry analyst at Counterpoint Research in Mumbai, Neil Shah, told RT India.

He noted that India doesn’t have enough resources and hasn’t “even planned for this particular increase.”

In Mumbai, which is on course to be one of the country’s biggest AI data center hubs, an estimated one-third of the electricity will be consumed by data centers. There are 28 new data centers being built in the city alone.

“We still have grids shared with the public infrastructure as well as these upcoming AI data centers,” Shah pointed out.

He said that there has to be “dedicated power grids and supply” built for these structures.

At some point, smart planning for the “required type of electricity, whether it’s renewables or whether it’s nuclear,” will have to come into play, Shah noted.
The approvals for future projects should be templatized to incorporate clean energy standards, emphasizing renewable energy, “whether it is about water recycling… energy efficiency,” he said.

He cited the example of Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio as a template to be emulated. At its Jamnagar data facility, Reliance envisages that 50%-60% of the requirements would be met with smart renewables.

“The water recycling and everything is taken care of,” Shah pointed out.

Shah also suggested regular energy audits to scrutinize consumption patterns and separate billing standards for data center-scale electricity and water consumption.

The EU has agreed to stop granting temporary protection to newly arriving Ukrainians liable for military service while extending the scheme for others who fled the conflict with Russia, according to the Council of the European Union. The restriction will take effect in March 2027, while the broader protection scheme will remain in place until March 2028.

Kiev imposed a general mobilization shortly after the escalation of the conflict in February 2022, preventing nearly all military-age men from leaving the country. Despite the restrictions, many reached the EU, where adult men now make up around 27% of Ukrainians under temporary protection, according to bloc data.

Irish Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan, whose country currently holds the rotating presidency of the EU Council, said the extension “provides stability for those who found safety in the EU.” At the same time, he stressed that “we also want to make sure Ukraine can defend itself,” adding that this is why the temporary protection scheme “respects Ukraine’s legitimate needs.”

Ukrainian officials have repeatedly called for military-age men to return from abroad due to troop shortages. Vladimir Zelensky said in April that “our armed forces would certainly like them to come back because it is a matter of justice.”

The conscription crisis has prompted several of Kiev’s European backers to review their asylum laws. Earlier this year, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed to restrict protections for Ukrainians, arguing that young men were needed in their home country. Last month, the Czech government approved legislation tightening temporary protection rules, saying future EU discussions could also include limiting protections for military-age men as Ukraine faces mounting manpower shortages.

Moscow has accused Kiev and its Western backers of being willing to fight Russia “to the last Ukrainian.

A Russian company is planning to set up shop in India’s GIFT City, an international financial services center, to sell gold to Indians crazy for the yellow metal.

PJSC MGKL, the holding company of Russian pawnshop chain Mosgorlombard, said it will register at the financial center in the western Indian state of Gujarat to enter the capital market.

Mosgorlombard will start with installing automated terminals for the purchase and sale of gold and silver, Interfax reported.

The next step will be to set up a company in India to offer loans secured by gold.
Last year, Indian households held a staggering 34,000 tons of gold, CNBC reported, quoting Morgan Stanley, with some estimates valuing it at $5 trillion. The gold loan market in the country has outstanding portfolios of $225 billion.

Still only 10-12% of household gold is currently pledged, leaving massive room for growth for companies such as Mosgorlombard.

Mosgorlombard is a major pawnshop chain and resale platform that offers instant short-term loans against jewelry, furs, and electronics.

“Considering the scale and maturity of the gold-backed loans market in India, we expect strong demand for contactless acceptance of gold items,” MGKL CEO Aleksey Lazutin said in a statement.

MGKL also operates in the wholesale purchase and processing of precious metals. In April, Indian rating agency CareEdge Global gave a long-term local currency credit rating of B- to MGKL, with a stable outlook.

Entities in GIFT City, modeled on the lines of other global financial centers such as Singapore’s Marina Bay and Dubai’s DIFC, are allowed to transact in foreign currencies, make use of tax incentives, and tap India’s booming financial ecosystem.

The banking asset size of the center exceeds $100 billion.

The US has announced the end of its 23-year military presence in Iraq, as it shifts its focus to expanding the war against Iran.

US President Donald Trump and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi said at the White House on Tuesday that US forces will leave Iraq by September 30, ending a deployment that began with the 2003 invasion and the overthrow of then-Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and later continued under the banner of counterterrorism.

Around 2,000 US servicemen are believed to still be stationed in Iraq.

”We don’t think we need the military there anymore,” Trump said, arguing that Iraq’s security environment has changed after months of US-Israeli strikes “destabilized” Iran.

Al-Zaidi confirmed that US forces will be gone by the end of September and that “American companies will enter” instead.

Trump said the relationship with Iraq will now focus on investment and energy, citing the country’s oil reserves. He said the two countries are “going to be doing a lot of deals” and that the US is “going to be taking out a lot of oil.”

The US invaded Iraq in March 2003, claiming that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction and had links to terrorist groups. Although the weapons were never found, the US presence grew to more than 170,000 troops by 2007.

Critics argued that the Iraq invasion was launched on false pretenses, destabilized the country, helped create the conditions for the rise of IS, and was “largely about oil,” which former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan acknowledged in his memoirs.

Trump has been far more open about this than past administrations, and has argued that America should have “taken the oil” in Iraq, and that US forces in Syria would be “keeping the oil.”

Last week, Trump resumed military strikes on Iran and has refused to rule out a ground operation by allied forces and the potential capture of Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub, in order to “take the oil.”

The number of children arrested for sexual offenses in the UK reached a record high last year, a government-backed report has stated.

The Youth Endowment Fund (YEF), a charity researching youth violence prevention, said on Tuesday that 3,809 children were arrested for sexual offenses in 2024-25, up nearly a fifth from 3,225 a year earlier. The figure was 74% above the Covid pandemic low of 1,979 in 2020-21 and surpassed the previous record of 3,633 set in 2015-16.

Separate YEF research based on a survey of 11,000 children aged 13 to 17 found one in 25 teenagers had experienced physical or sexual abuse in a relationship. Among those in relationships, 15% reported being pressured into sex, physically assaulted, or having explicit images shared without their consent – equivalent to one pupil in a typical classroom, researchers said. They linked the rise in child sex offenses to the growing circulation of explicit images among minors.

The Guardian recently also reported a rise in cases of parents becoming victims of sexual abuse by their own children. Support group Pegs said that among 188 parents who sought help, 17% – predominantly mothers – reported experiencing sexual abuse by their child. Meanwhile, the National Analysis of Police Recorded Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Crimes Report found that more than half of 10- to 17-year-olds reported to police for sexual abuse targeted other children.

The issue returned to the spotlight in May during the widely debated trial of three boys, aged 14 and 15, convicted over two separate rapes of teenage girls in Hampshire last year. The boys filmed the assaults and shared some of the footage online.

More broadly, Britain has seen a sharp rise in child sexual abuse referrals involving both juvenile offenders and adult pedophiles. The National Crime Agency said earlier this year it now receives around 1,700 referrals each week, while police arrest about 1,000 suspected offenders every month.

The rise in child sex offenses adds to pressure on outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer over child protection. His government has introduced tougher online safety measures, including requiring tech giants to block explicit content on children’s phones and introducing a social media ban for under-16s, and updated sex education.

South African police have offered a reward of 50,000 rand (about $3,000) for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for killing a Ghanaian national in Cape Town.

Bashira Issaka, 35, was shot dead inside the premises of his container business on June 29 after being told to pay a protection fee, according to the South African Police Service (SAPS).

Police said investigators are pursuing all possible leads to identify and apprehend those responsible for the killing.

”The investigating officer is exploring all avenues in a bid to bring the perpetrators to book and reaches out to the community for assistance,” Mpendukana said.

Western Cape police are now appealing to members of the public who may have information about the murder to come forward, assuring potential informants that their identities will be protected.

The case is being investigated by Sergeant Donovan Peterson of the Provincial Serious and Violent Crimes unit.

First published by IOL

The EU has banned the purchase, import, and transfer of Sudanese gold in a move aimed at cutting off financial sources for the African country’s ongoing civil war, the bloc said on Monday.

The measure also prohibits the sale, supply, transfer, and export of mining chemicals, including mercury and cyanide, to Sudan.

“Gold has become a key source of revenue sustaining the conflict in Sudan,” the EU said in a statement, adding that the restriction “aims to reduce the resources available to those responsible for perpetuating the violence.”

Sudan is Africa’s fifth-largest gold producer, with 74.6 tons of output, according to the World Gold Council. Both the army and the paramilitary have sought control over gold-producing areas and trade networks amid the conflict.

A 2024 UN Panel of Experts report said more than 50% of Sudan’s gold production was smuggled out of the country, with illicit trade networks helping sustain the war economy.

Sudan’s war began after a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti.

The warring parties now operate competing administrations. The army-aligned transitional government operated from Port Sudan during much of the war and began restoring state institutions in Khartoum after retaking the capital in March 2025. In February 2025, a Sudanese political coalition announced the formation of a parallel government led by RSF chief Dagalo.

Last Sunday, a Sudanese court sentenced Dagalo and 15 other RSF figures to death in absentia over alleged war crimes and the killing of West Darfur Governor Khamis Abbakar.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned that regional oil and gas exports could be blocked completely in response to US attempts to control the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement on Tuesday, the IRGC accused Washington of acting like “pirates” by restricting energy flows in the region and warned that other export routes serving the US and its allies could be blocked in response.

“Regional oil and gas exports are either for everyone or for no one,” the statement said.

The warning came as the IRGC claimed a new strike on US military infrastructure in Bahrain, which hosts the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and serves as one of Washington’s main naval hubs in the Persian Gulf.

According to the IRGC, the fifth wave of Operation Nasr-2 targeted an NSA management center, a command-and-control center, large warehouses containing military parts and equipment, and fuel storage tanks belonging to the US Fifth Fleet.

The statement said the facilities had been “smashed and destroyed” in the early morning strike. The US military has not commented on the claim.

Washington has said its renewed strikes on Iran are aimed at protecting commercial shipping and freedom of navigation through the strait. US President Donald Trump has claimed that America is now “in control” of the waterway and will act as its “guardian.”

The US president has also threatened to escalate strikes against Iran, including attacks on power plants and bridges, unless Tehran returns to negotiations. In a Fox News interview on Tuesday, Trump refused to rule out a ground campaign, saying “other people” could carry it out, and again referred to Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub.

Kharg Island handles most of Iran’s crude exports and has been repeatedly cited by Trump as a possible target. Earlier this year, he said the US could seize the island “to take the oil.”

The EU and UK should abandon their ambitions to act as independent “middle powers” and accept their role as “vassals” under the US, Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev has said.  

Dmitriev made the remarks on X on Wednesday while commenting on a series of posts by US Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby.  

“The EU/UK’s faulty ‘middle power’ strategy started to freak out the US,” Dmitriev wrote. “EU/UK vassals should know their place.”  

The term “middle powers” generally refers to countries that wield significant economic, diplomatic, or regional influence but lack the military and political reach of global superpowers. The concept has recently gained traction among some Western leaders, including Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who said earlier this year that “the middle powers must act together” adding, “if we’re not at the table, we’re on the menu.”  

“There is a great deal of hubbub about a collective ‘middle powers’ strategy these days,” Colby wrote. “At DoW, we are not concerned that this is a serious possibility. Rather, we are more concerned that a few allies and partners will think it is and waste valuable time, money, and political capital on a distraction.”  

Colby said the strategy was based on a “faulty understanding of international relations,” arguing that middle powers lacked a coherent foundation for alignment. He also rejected suggestions that countries were distancing themselves from Washington and claimed the US was seeing an “upsurge” in demand for American military engagement.  

After returning to the White House last year, US President Donald Trump pushed NATO members to commit to spending 5% of GDP on defense by 2035, repeatedly accusing European allies of failing to share the bloc’s military burden. Divisions within NATO also deepened over Trump’s push to acquire Greenland and after several European members declined to support his military operation against Iran.   

Earlier this month, Dmitriev argued that EU and UK leaders were prolonging the Ukraine conflict to distract voters from mounting economic and political problems at home.

India and Russia will sign a pact to speed up operationalizing the Arctic shipping route as the countries take steps to achieve a targeted $100 billion in bilateral trade.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin posted on the official portal of regulatory legal acts on Tuesday that Rosatom’s proposal to develop cooperation in maritime cargo transportation along the Northern Sea Route (NSR) has been approved.

The Arctic route will provide India with alternative passages to ship commodities to markets in eastern and northern Europe, saving up to 40% in distance and about two weeks of travel time compared to traditional routes through the Suez Canal.

The uncertainty over the transit of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz after the Middle East conflict began late in February has impacted India, which is heavily dependent on energy imports.

The Arctic route pact would also be a significant boost to efforts by Russia and India to achieve the targeted $100 billion in bilateral trade by 2030.

🇷🇺🇮🇳 Russia Moves To Fast-Track Arctic Trade Route With India

Russia has authorized state nuclear giant Rosatom to sign an MoU with India to expand cooperation on cargo transport through the Northern Sea Route (NSR) - the shipping corridor that could emerge as an alternative to… pic.twitter.com/ByP8NnqUNP

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) July 15, 2026

Rosatom was instructed to sign the memorandum on behalf of the Russian government, Mishustin posted. Rosatom, which has assets in power engineering, machine building, and construction, is Russia’s designated operator and coordinator of the NSR.

The state-owned conglomerate also manages Russia’s unique fleet of nuclear-powered icebreakers, essential for keeping the Arctic shipping lane navigable.

In June, Aleksey Chekunkov, Russia’s minister for the development of the Far East and the Arctic, said India is considering increasing its use of the NSR in the wake of disruptions to seaborne trade in the Strait of Hormuz.

The outcomes of Putin’s trip also included the expansion of logistics links to develop the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), the Chennai–Vladivostok corridor – also known as the Eastern Maritime Corridor (EMC) – and the NSR.

Putin said that cooperation on the 3,500-mile NSR, the 4,500-mile INSTC, and the 6,450-mile EMC would accelerate under the new bilateral agreement.

Israel has approved more than $400 million to establish dozens of new settlements in the occupied West Bank, despite international condemnation of what critics describe as the de facto annexation of Palestinian territory.

The West Bank, which was captured by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War, is home to around 3 million Palestinians and more than 500,000 Israeli settlers. Along with East Jerusalem and Gaza, it is envisioned as the core of a future Palestinian state under the internationally backed two-state solution.

The Israeli government said on Tuesday that the security cabinet allocated 1.3 billion shekels ($431 million) to establish 34 new settlements in the West Bank. The decision was announced by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a West Bank settler who oversees civilian affairs in the territory and has pledged to prevent the creation of a Palestinian state.

Calling the decision “historic” and “a day of celebration for Israel and settlements,” Smotrich said another 1.075 billion shekels would soon be allocated to build roads serving the new communities.

Hamas condemned the plan as a “dangerous and criminal” step toward annexing the occupied territory, as cited by PressTV. The group accused Israel of seeking full control of the West Bank and urged Palestinians to intensify resistance, while calling on the UN and the international community to move beyond verbal condemnation and take practical steps to halt settlement expansion.

Israel has faced growing criticism over its West Bank settlement moves. While successive governments have stopped short of formally annexing the region, critics, including the UN, Arab states, and many Western allies, say the policy fragments Palestinian territory and further undermines the viability of a two-state solution.

The settlement drive has been accompanied by rising violence in the West Bank since the Gaza war began in 2023. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), at least 117 Palestinian communities have been completely or partially displaced by settler attacks, which have more than doubled from around 850 in 2022 to over 1,820 in 2025.

Israeli human rights group B’Tselem says Israeli military operations and settler attacks have killed more than 230 Palestinian children since 2023.

Russia will continue to support Sahel countries in their fight against terrorism by helping to strengthen their armed forces, training security personnel, and providing humanitarian assistance, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday.

Lavrov made the remarks during talks with Chadian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Sabre Fadoul. The two sides discussed regional security, including the situation in the Sahara-Sahel region and cooperation with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), comprising Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

“We intend to provide assistance to countries in the region on a bilateral basis, including by enhancing the combat readiness of national armed forces and training military and law enforcement personnel,” he said.

The foreign minister said Russia and its African partners are concerned about the growing threat from groups affiliated with Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) and Boko Haram spreading across the region. He also accused unnamed former colonial powers of attempting to undermine Russia’s ties with Sahel states, alleging that militants from Ukraine are being used alongside terrorist groups in destabilizing activities.

The Sahel has been embroiled in militant violence for over a decade, with factions linked to IS, Al-Qaeda, and Boko Haram carrying out attacks across Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and neighboring countries.

Chad has also remained a key frontline state in the fight against militant groups, with Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants repeatedly targeting its forces around the Lake Chad region. In 2021, longtime Chadian President Idriss Deby Itno was killed while visiting troops battling rebels in the country’s north. More recently, Boko Haram attacks have killed dozens of Chadian soldiers, including at least 23 troops in an assault on a military post in the Lake Chad area in May.

Fadoul thanked Russia for its support in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel, saying Chad appreciates its efforts, particularly toward the AES countries.

Fadoul said Chad intends to pursue and deepen its “historic and enduring” cooperation with Russia, describing bilateral ties as based on “trust, mutual respect and reciprocal interests.” The two sides are also set to sign an agreement exempting holders of diplomatic and service passports from visa requirements.

Russia is not the main threat facing Europe, Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has insisted, arguing that Italians are more directly endangered by illegal immigration.

Salvini, who also serves as the country’s transport minister and leads the Lega party, made the remarks in an interview published on Tuesday.

When asked whether Russia poses a threat to Europe, he rejected the notion, stating that “the threat that Italian citizens face every day is illegal and clandestine immigration, especially of an Islamic extremist origin.”

Salvini has long singled out illegal migration as one of the primary issues facing Italy and Europe, and has pushed for tougher border controls and restrictions on migrant rescue vessels operating in the Mediterranean.

His comments come amid years of disputes inside the EU over illegal migration, asylum rules, border security, and the bloc’s handling of arrivals from the Middle East and Africa. According to Eurostat, the EU received more than 8.5 million immigrants from outside the bloc in 2023 and 2024.

Salvini has also repeatedly criticized EU policy toward Russia and the Ukraine conflict. He has opposed talk of a direct military confrontation with Moscow, stressing that “we are not at war with Russia” and that “the best path forward is dialogue.”

He has accused several European leaders of obstructing peace efforts in Ukraine in order to distract from domestic problems and criticized sanctions on Moscow, saying they have hurt European economies. Salvini has also called for the EU to resume Russian energy imports to ease pressure on households and businesses.

Moscow has dismissed claims that it is preparing to attack European NATO members as “nonsense” and has accused the West of jeopardizing global security through “reckless militarization.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed earlier this year that Russia is part of Europe, not a threat to it, and described the portrayal of Russia as Europe’s main danger as “unreasonable” and “wrong.”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has also said Moscow does not seek war with Europe, but warned that Russia is ready if European states start one.

US President Donald Trump has pressed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to withdraw Israeli troops from Syria and begin redeploying forces from southern Lebanon, Axios has reported, citing US and Israeli officials.

The reported appeal is the latest sign of a widening rift between the two leaders, with Trump pressing Israel to scale back its military deployments while Netanyahu’s government continues to insist on maintaining them indefinitely.

According to Axios, Trump warned Netanyahu during a phone call on Thursday that Israel’s military presence in southern Syria risked further escalation.

“They don’t want you there. You should redeploy,” Trump reportedly told the Israeli leader. The president delivered a similar message regarding southern Lebanon, the outlet said.

It also comes amid Washington’s attempts to implement a US-backed framework agreement between Israel and Lebanon reached last month. Under the deal, Israel committed to withdraw its forces from two ‘pilot zones’ in southern Lebanon and allow the Lebanese army to deploy there. Israel has yet to begin the withdrawal.

Israel says its troop deployments in southern Syria and Lebanon are necessary to prevent cross-border attacks similar to the October 7, 2023 Hamas assault. Several senior members of Netanyahu’s government have called for an open-ended military presence, with some also advocating Jewish settlements in the occupied areas.

In a statement released after the call, Netanyahu’s office said the prime minister had stressed “the need for security zones along Israel’s borders.”

The Jerusalem Post, citing defense officials, reported on Tuesday that the Israeli military was surprised by the Axios account and stressed there had been “no change on the ground” in either Lebanon or Syria.

The White House declined to comment on the details of the call and did not dispute Axios’ account. Instead, a US official reaffirmed Washington’s support for Israel, telling the outlet that “there has been no greater friend to Israel and a fighter for peace than President Trump.”

Atlanta is tightening security ahead of Wednesday’s World Cup semifinal between England and Argentina, media outlets report.

Consultations took place between FIFA, the FBI, and local law enforcement amid concerns that the long-standing rivalry between the two nations could increase the risk of clashes between supporters. Atlanta Police have announced an expanded presence across the city, including around Mercedes-Benz Stadium, team hotels and popular fan gathering areas.

Officials have also introduced separate stadium entrances and designated fan zones for supporters of each team. While tickets have not been fully segregated, England’s and Argentina’s official allocations of around 8,000 seats each will be located at opposite ends of the stadium. The authorities expect tens of thousands of supporters from both countries to descend on Atlanta for the match.

No match better encapsulates that history than the teams’ quarterfinal at the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. Argentina captain Diego Maradona scored twice in a 2-1 victory, first sending the ball into the net in the infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal before producing one of the greatest individual strikes in football history, dribbling past five England players and goalkeeper Peter Shilton to score.

Maradona later said the opener was scored “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God.” His second goal is widely regarded as one of the finest ever scored at the tournament.

Wednesday’s semifinal also carries added significance because it could be Messi’s final meeting with England on football’s biggest stage. The Argentine captain, who led his country to the 2022 title, is seeking another appearance in the final as he wraps up one of the sport’s greatest careers.

Both camps have sought to ease tensions before kickoff. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni and England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford have urged supporters to focus on the game, stressing that the rivalry should remain on the field.

US Senator Jim Banks of Indiana introduced legislation on Monday aimed at limiting birthright citizenship by declaring illegal migrants “invaders,” reviving President Donald Trump’s effort weeks after a US Supreme Court ruling struck it down.

Soon after returning to office last year, Trump signed an executive order to deny automatic citizenship to children born in the US to parents who are in the country illegally or temporarily, as part of a broader immigration crackdown. In late June, the Supreme Court declared the president’s order unconstitutional.

“The Supreme Court’s birthright citizenship decision was an unprecedented assault on American sovereignty, and we must do whatever it takes to save our country,” Banks told Fox News Digital in an interview published on Monday.

The legislation aims to “ensure the millions of illegal aliens that invaded our country can’t continue to exploit our immigration system,” he added.

The bill would seek to codify Trump’s declaration that the US is under an “invasion” by illegal migrants and amend federal law to deny citizenship to their children under what Banks described as “a longstanding common law exception for children of foreign invaders.”

Since the start of his second term, Trump has pursued a sweeping immigration agenda, tightening border controls, expanding deportations, and seeking stricter voter registration requirements, while accusing Democrats of using immigration to “expand their voter base [and] cheat in elections.” Legal challenges to several of the administration’s immigration measures are still ongoing.

European NATO members are increasingly calling for a new nuclear strategy amid a military buildup frenzy under the pretext of the alleged ‘Russian threat’. The bloc’s members claim that spreading nuclear weapons across the continent will make them safer. Moscow has warned that this could lead to a catastrophic escalation.

A dozen NATO members, including those bordering Russia, have expressed a desire in recent months to either host nuclear weapons or take part in nuclear-sharing initiatives to varying degrees.

France has proposed the ‘forward deterrence initiative’, which would allow it to deploy its nuclear weapons to other European nations. Washington is also reportedly considering placing its nuclear weapons in more NATO countries, going beyond the bloc’s controversial nuclear sharing program.

‘We have to be feared’

In March, French President Emmanuel Macron suggested a new nuclear-sharing framework focused on European NATO members, calling it the ‘forward nuclear deterrence strategy’.

The president also announced that France would no longer disclose the size of its arsenal to ensure that its adversaries fear its potential, adding that “to be free, we have to be feared.” He also stated that France plans to increase its nuclear arsenal, which is currently just under 300 warheads, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

Macron’s vision of security included the idea that “if we had to use our arsenal, no state, however powerful, could shield itself from it, and no state, however vast, would recover from it.”

Parade of volunteers

The French president has seen no shortage of volunteers willing to take part in this vision, with nine NATO nations signing up for the initiative, according to Reuters.

Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, and the UK are already hosting US nuclear weapons, alongside Italy and Türkiye, as part of the NATO nuclear sharing program. The scheme, which the bloc claims is fully compliant with the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), allows non-nuclear NATO states to operate dual-capable aircraft.

Poland has long sought to join the club. Former President Andrzej Duda reportedly asked the US to deploy some of its nuclear arsenal to Poland as early as 2022. Last year, he made a similar request to the administration of President Donald Trump. Polish President Karol Nawrocki suggested in February that Warsaw should develop its own nuclear weapons program.

Finland and Lithuania have made changes in the law to make these deployments possible.

Germany has been vying for a leading role in what it describes as an EU-level nuclear weapons system. Last year, Jens Spahn, a senior lawmaker from Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s Christian Democratic Union party, said Germany should gain access to French and British nuclear weapons and kickstart the process of modernization.

Moscow is ‘too responsible’ to trigger WWIII

Russia has warned that Europe’s military buildup will only lead to an escalation of tensions, maintaining that it does not pose a threat to any NATO nation and does not have any plans to attack the bloc or any members unless attacked first.

Russian officials have warned that the new deterrence strategy could backfire, with Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov saying false slogans about strengthening security will lead to the opposite results.

Russia is “too big and too responsible” to trigger a third world war through nuclear escalation, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in an interview with the Swiss magazine Die Weltwoche last month. He added that “there are lots of crazy things in the heads of European politicians.”

President Vladimir Putin said in June that, although the Western nations no longer hide their preparations for war with Russia, they are still reluctant to attack it directly because “they understand that there will be retaliation.”

US President Donald Trump has refused to rule out a ground campaign in Iran, saying unspecified allied forces could seize key strategic sites like Kharg Island without the involvement of US troops, while threatening to expand the bombing campaign to include power plants and bridges.

In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, Trump said he would consider a ground operation “if I thought it was appropriate.”

“Sometimes you need a ground campaign, but we have other people who will do the ground campaign for us... But we have already hit Kharg Island twice, even three times. I said, ‘Hit everything but the oil!’”

The president also vowed to intensify the air campaign, saying US strikes will continue until he decides “it’s enough.”

“They’ll continue until I say it’s enough. Next week comes the power plants. Next week comes the bridges. We’re going to knock out all their power plants. We’re going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate.”

Trump warned that Iran “won’t have anybody left” unless it reaches a deal, claiming US officials relayed that message to Tehran “about an hour ago.”

More than 1,500 civilians have been killed in Iran since the US-Israeli bombing campaign began on February 28, according to the authorities. One of the deadliest incidents was the strike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school in Minab, which killed 168 people, mostly children. Open-source investigations by media outlets concluded that the school was likely hit during a US strike on a nearby IRGC naval base. Trump denied US responsibility but said last month that “mistakes are made” and “nobody did that on purpose.”

In many countries around the world, the number of children who do not attend school is rising. UNESCO has already recorded this alarming trend, and it demands an explanation.

UNESCO regularly collects and publishes information on progress toward one of the key Sustainable Development Goals: The universal inclusion of school-age children in primary and secondary education. In recent years, negative developments in this sphere were often linked by experts to the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath. But the latest Global Education Monitoring Report 2026 allows the picture to be clarified significantly: It appears that we are dealing not with temporary difficulties, but with a change in the global trend – and the turning point seems to have occurred before the pandemic.

While in the 1990s and 2000s, most countries recorded high growth rates in children’s participation in education, after 2015, these gains slowed almost everywhere. In a number of countries, the number of children not attending school has increased. Since this primarily concerned countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, it might have seemed like just another example of ordinary African difficulties: Tribal wars, corruption, and so on. Then the pandemic began, and everyone was sent home. But now ten years have passed, and it turns out that the share of children not going to school is not shrinking at all – on the contrary, it is growing, and on a global scale.

The UNESCO report, of course, says nothing about this new global trend and, following the statistical reports of governments, paints a picture of the steady development of primary and secondary education systems worldwide. At the same time, the report notes that in “the four most populous regions of the world (Europe and North America, East and Southeast Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Sub-Saharan Africa), growth in children’s participation in school education has stopped over the past ten years. And in a number of countries, the share of children not attending school has even increased somewhat after 2015.”

To understand what this means, we should first assess the scale and geography of the phenomenon. The best way to do this is to compare out-of-school rates for 2024 vs. 2015, as reported by UNESCO, and look at the countries where this growth was recorded.

At the same time, in 66 countries, the share of children who do not attend school has risen over the past decade. So the number of countries mentioned in the UNESCO report turns out to be very large indeed. Let’s now look at who they are.

The authors highlight the difficult situation in Sub-Saharan Africa. Yet of the aforementioned 66 countries, only 20 are in Africa. Incidentally, the situation south of the Maghreb is not so straightforward: For 20 countries with negative dynamics, there are 11 where the share of children not attending school has noticeably declined; in the remaining countries, there is no clear trend.

So, the historically reversed, regressive increase in the share of children not attending school is far from being an African phenomenon alone. On closer inspection, it becomes clear that the trend is not limited to the ‘underdeveloped periphery’. The example of Singapore is revealing – a beacon of globalization, a city-state with one of the highest standards of living and near-universal access to education. The idealized image of Singapore now needs revising, because over the past decade, a sharply growing share of children has appeared outside the school system: 5% of children do not attend primary school, 10% remain outside lower secondary education, and 14% are without upper secondary education.

Singapore is not the exception but the beginning of a list of developed countries where the share of children not attending school has risen. The list speaks for itself: The US, Canada, Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain, Finland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Estonia. Meanwhile, EU member states such as Romania and Bulgaria are, by this negative indicator, already comparable to African countries, including those south of the Maghreb.

The global share of children not attending school is also significantly increased by the new leaders of the global economy – India and China, home to around 3 billion people, the lion’s share of the world’s population. The growth of their vast economies is not accompanied by growing school participation in primary and secondary education. The same can be said of Mexico.

In short, if anyone has not yet guessed, we are dealing with a global counter-trend: The inclusion of children in primary and secondary education has stopped growing and has begun to decline.

It was always assumed that urbanization, despite its many downsides, had an overall beneficial effect on humanity because it promoted information exchange, individualization, enlightenment, and the development of science and technology. Much skepticism has accumulated regarding the social consequences of scientific and technological progress, but the imperative of mass education – and especially children’s education – survived even the excesses of postmodernism and until recently retained its force. The link between education and urbanization seemed beyond doubt.

And now, at the beginning of the 21st century, when the absolute majority of humanity has concentrated itself in large cities, something unimaginable is happening: Children’s participation in school education has stopped growing and has begun to reverse. And this is happening not on the margins, but in the hyper-urbanized core of a unified ‘world civilization’. How should we understand this?

Let us recall and combine several simple truths.

The philosopher Karl Popper correctly saw the cultural dominant of human development in the growing individualization of people, though he poorly calculated its consequences. Progressive individualism has led to the atomization of society. Sociologist Zygmunt Bauman called modern individualized humanity ‘liquid’, because as the wills of emancipated individuals collide, all institutions and concepts lose certainty and binding force. The result of concentrating atomized humanity in megacities has been the transformation of the city – historically the cradle of individualization – into a space of maximum ‘liquidity,’ that is, the epicenter of advancing chaos.

Today’s world civilization is a globalized world-system of capital accumulation. As Aristotle pointed out long ago, chrematistics – in other words, capitalism – destroys society because it denies the principle of reciprocity on which human coexistence rests. In other words, capitalism absolutizes and cultivates individualism as the psychological, mental, and behavioral prerequisite for its own reproduction and triumph – for the capitalization of all humanity. That is why capitalism consistently profanes and nullifies the traditional social bonds and supports of life – religion, peoplehood, nation, historical memory, family – thereby deepening the natural individualization of human beings and returning progressive humanity to a ‘natural state’ in which churches, courts, state hierarchies, and universities become merely specialized arenas of a war of all against all.

‘Free’ individuals, driven and set against one another by the logic of capital accumulation, having lost mutual trust and the habit of cooperation, can no longer realize alternative scenarios. Meanwhile, increasingly powerful and increasingly narrow elite circles, concentrating ever more resources, become fully unbound from the constraints of human society. Social responsibility, having lost its former binding force and become intolerably burdensome under conditions of shrinking profit, is simply cut away.

The existentially important quality of the human being lies not in consuming and transmitting ever-larger amounts of information, but in the ability to verify it. Information, like rare-earth ore, consists of vast heaps of slag and only hard-won grains of knowledge. Therefore, the intensification of information exchange maximizes inequality and social power. The lives of great masses of individuals become transparent to outside observation, control, and influence – while the centers of power remain informationally and physically closed. Under conditions of growing informational noise, knowledge becomes harder to verify, and therefore even less accessible and more elitist. Participating in the production and consumption of informational noise, the masses easily and imperceptibly lose the ability to verify information and to learn. The main risk group in the information society is children.

Why did growth in school participation stop in 2015, and why did the number of children not attending school begin to rise? Because eight years earlier, in 2007, a new era began: The release of the iPhone launched the mass spread of smartphones, providing constant connection to the internet and apps – that is, instant access to entertainment and remote communication. This caused a fundamental shift of attention and an explosive rise in time devoted to digital leisure. And then, seven years later, the first human generation raised with gadgets reached school age. After that, every year there were more children with gadgets – and at the same time, more children not attending school.

Incidentally, the children who do attend school are also children with gadgets, who at best part with them only during class hours. Field research shows that in countries where students spent a lot of time using gadgets for entertainment during the school day, test results fell sharply from 2012 to 2022. So non-attendance is only the most vivid negative effect of informatization from childhood, not the only one.

Unfortunately, it can be predicted with confidence that both school participation and levels of knowledge will continue to decline – and the longer this continues, the steeper the decline. For we are now passing yet another turning point and entering a new stage in humanity’s informatization: The expansion of AI has begun.

The famous visionary Klaus Schwab proclaimed the “age of intelligence.” Speaking in May at the University of Johannesburg, Schwab said:

“What is the Intelligent Age doing? It is replacing our cognitive capabilities by algorithm.”

“You no longer need to go to university. For any question that requires knowledge, you can ask Claude, ChatGPT, or wherever else. Knowledge surrounds us and is available for free.”

Schwab, with the straightforwardness of a salesman, presents us with the alienation of intellect from the human being and offers us to hand over “our cognitive abilities” in exchange for easy access to knowledge. Why think when you can instantly get the answer?

One should not overestimate the cognitive resilience and evolutionary stability of Homo sapiens, while sentimentally invoking the ‘thinking reed’. Let us look at things soberly: Schwab has made us an offer we may not be able to refuse.

What is especially striking is his use of the word ‘free’. Compare Schwab’s promise to African youth with a statement made in March by Sam Altman, the head of OpenAI, at the BlackRock infrastructure summit in Washington. With his target audience in mind, Altman was not offering propaganda, but a business model:

“We see a future where intelligence is a utility like electricity or water and people buy it from us on a meter.”

To make the prospect even more attractive to investors, Altman suggested a likely scenario of shortage in computing power, under which “the price gets really high.”

So knowledge will become more expensive. Informational garbage will grow in both volume and aggression. Most people’s ability to verify information will decline. AI will quickly become the dominant, and for many the only, source of knowledge and decisions. Easy access to ready-made answers will minimize the motivation to get an education. And if there is no longer any need to go to university, then there is all the less need to go to school – this is obvious. The withering away of mass schooling will happen faster than we can now imagine. The decline in children’s participation in education will preserve and deepen the apartheid between a rich, educated elite and a digitized mass.

By the end of the 20th century, the agenda of capitalist globalization included the erosion of historical nations. The withering away of mass schooling will finalize this process – nations will finally become shadows of the past. The roadmap for world civilization’s transition from humanism to transhumanism is perfectly clear. The question is whether nations with sufficient resources and sovereignty will be able to find an alternative path of development and preserve their social well-being.

The UK wasted billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money during the Covid-19 pandemic, a damning report from the official public inquiry has concluded. Years of inadequate planning and systemic failures left Britain unprepared for the global race to secure vital medical supplies, the investigation found.

Published on Tuesday, the fifth report by the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, chaired by former judge Baroness Heather Hallett, found that nearly £10 billion ($13.4 billion) of the approximately £14.9 billion spent on personal protective equipment (PPE) was wasted. Combined spending by the UK and the devolved administrations on PPE, ventilators, and testing equipment topped £42 billion between January 2020 and June 2022.

Britain was “simply not ready to compete” in the global race for vital medical supplies because those responsible were “caught off-guard, with inadequate and untested plans” for emergency procurement and distribution, Hallett said, adding that “the waste of taxpayers’ money was vast.”

The country entered the pandemic with its PPE stockpile “in a perilous state,” including large quantities of expired equipment, while emergency procurement and distribution plans had never been properly tested, according to the report. It also found that the country was too reliant on China for key medical supplies, leaving it vulnerable when governments around the world began competing for limited stocks.

Doctors, nurses, and care workers were left without adequate protective equipment, with some forced to use makeshift gear such as bin bags, shower caps, and supplies bought online, according to evidence cited by the inquiry.

The report also criticized the High Priority, or “VIP” lane, which fast-tracked offers from suppliers referred by ministers, MPs, peers and senior officials. Hallett called it a “misguided attempt at prioritization” that embedded unfairness and undermined public trust.

Earlier reports by the inquiry found that the authorities across the UK acted “too little, too late” during the pandemic and that delays in introducing restrictions contributed to thousands of additional deaths. They also described the cabinet of then Prime Minister Boris Johnson as having a “toxic and chaotic culture,” saying key decisions were often dominated or derailed by his inner circle.

France will grant Ukraine licenses to produce missiles and bombs on its soil, French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Monday.

Speaking at a ‘Coalition of the Willing’ summit in Paris, Macron said the agreements would allow Ukraine to manufacture Aster 30 interceptor missiles, AASM glide bombs and SCALP-EG cruise missiles under license.

“We have agreed on licensing agreements for new capabilities,” he told reporters, adding that the move “will allow us to produce these capabilities much more quickly with our Ukrainian partners and on Ukrainian soil.”

The AASM and SCALP-EG have already been supplied to Kiev and have been widely used by Ukrainian forces, including in strikes on Russian civilian targets, according to Moscow.

Macron also said additional Franco-Italian SAMP/T air defense batteries and Aster interceptors would be delivered to Ukraine in the coming weeks. He added that 16 Rafale fighter jets are expected to arrive in 2028-2029.

Nine participating countries also launched an Anti-Ballistic Missile Coalition aimed at building a European integrated air defense network using shared industrial capacity, amid shortages of US-made Patriot interceptors due to the Ukraine and Iran conflicts.

The Kremlin has repeatedly condemned the coalition as “a group of countries that doesn’t want peace [and] wants the war to continue.”

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said last month that NATO members were turning Ukraine into a “testing ground” for Western military technologies.

Several EU states reportedly began moving parts of their military production to Ukraine after the Russian Defense Ministry published what it said were the locations of European companies manufacturing drone components for Kiev. Moscow warned in March that European leaders were “dragging their countries into a war with Russia.”

The renewed hostilities between the US and Iran have once again disrupted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz after a brief period of relative normalization.

The escalation comes after Washington carried out several consecutive waves of strikes on Iranian targets, claiming that the attacks are meant to protect commercial shipping in the strait. Tehran has responded with strikes on US military facilities across the region and has declared the waterway closed.

It follows the collapse of a fragile understanding reached last month, under which the US agreed to lift its naval blockade while Iran was expected to help ensure safe passage for commercial vessels pending further negotiations. The two sides now accuse each other of violating the deal.

The waterway is the main sea route for oil and gas exports from the Gulf and carries around one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies, which has made it a major pressure point in the unprovoked US-Israeli war on Iran.

The Strait of Hormuz has once again been declared closed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) after the US resumed strikes on Iranian targets last week, accusing Tehran of attacking commercial ships transiting the waterway.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that the strikes are aimed at reducing Iran’s ability to threaten civilian vessels and commercial shipping. It said that American forces have hit Iranian air defenses, coastal radar sites, missile and drone facilities, small boats, and other military targets around the strait.

Iran has responded with strikes on US military facilities across the region, including bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, and Oman. Tehran says that the attacks are a lawful response to US strikes on Iranian territory.

What has Iran said?

Following the US claims of Iranian attacks on commercial vessels, Tehran said that it has the right to regulate traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and require ships to follow designated routes. It has warned that vessels attempting to pass without authorization or ignoring commands violate security procedures and may be treated as hostile.

Tehran has declared that the strait will remain closed until Washington ends its “illegal” military intervention in the region, and that no ship will be allowed to transit the waterway while US attacks continue.

Iranian servicemen will stand firm “until their last breath” and would not yield “even an inch” of the country’s rights in the key waterway, Iranian military spokesman Brig. Gen. Mohammad Akraminia has insisted.

Iranian officials have also framed the strikes on US bases in the Gulf as self-defense and have warned neighboring states not to allow their territory to be used for American attacks, saying countries that host US forces cannot expect to stay outside the conflict.

CENTCOM has said that American forces are prepared to keep the waterway open and prevent Iran from threatening commercial traffic, stating that the renewed strikes are aimed at protecting “freedom of navigation” through the strait.

US President Donald Trump has declared that Washington is now “in control” of the strait and will be “taking over” security in the Strait of Hormuz and act as its “guardian.”

He has also proposed charging a 20% fee on cargo moving through the waterway, because Washington should be reimbursed for its protection. The White House has not explained how such a fee would be calculated, collected, or enforced.

What has happened to shipping?

Several commercial vessels have reportedly been hit or threatened in or near the Strait of Hormuz since hostilities resumed.

The UAE said that two tankers were struck by Iranian cruise missiles in Omani territorial waters on the southern lane of the strait. One Indian crew member was killed and eight others were wounded, according to reports citing UAE and Indian officials.

Shipping data cited by Reuters showed tanker traffic through the strait falling to its lowest level in two months as companies reassessed the risks of using the route.

Insurers are also expected to raise premiums for ships entering the area, increasing costs even for vessels that are not directly attacked.

Oil prices eased after the US and Iran signed the June memorandum of understanding, which reduced fears of a full-scale disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. The latest escalation has reversed that trend.

Brent crude jumped nearly 10% on Monday, its biggest one-day gain since 2020, while US West Texas Intermediate rose more than 9%, according to market data. By Tuesday, Brent was trading around $86 a barrel and WTI above $80, their highest levels in about four weeks.

The latest spike remains below the levels seen during the earlier phase of the war, when prices briefly rose above $120 a barrel after traffic through Hormuz was heavily restricted. Analysts have warned that a sustained disruption in the strait could send oil back above $100 a barrel.

Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad said that the country’s exports are continuing “as usual” despite Washington’s decision to cancel a 60-day sanctions waiver. He said that Tehran has mechanisms to bypass US restrictions.

What has been the international response?

China has called for safe and free passage through the Strait of Hormuz to be restored, saying that the waterway is intended for international navigation. Beijing added that it is ready to maintain communication with relevant countries and the wider international community on the issue.

India has summoned Iran’s deputy ambassador after an Indian crew member was killed and several other Indians were wounded in the strike on the two UAE tankers. New Delhi said that it lodged a protest over attacks on ships passing near Oman’s shores.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva criticized Trump’s proposed 20% protection fee, saying that “in the old days, this was called piracy.” He accused the US president of trying to take advantage of a tragedy to make money.

Russia has warned that the renewed escalation is undermining chances for a settlement. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the fighting was damaging civilian infrastructure in Iran and civilian sites in Gulf states, and “closes the door that the memorandum appeared to have opened.” He added that Moscow views the latest developments as a violation of the US-Iran agreement reached last month.

Behind all the projected confidence, determination and unity that came out of the NATO summit in Ankara last week, a different picture emerges. A picture spiderwebbed with widening cracks.

Unity on paper, divergence in practice

The NATO alliance was never designed as a bloc whose governments would agree on every international issue. Today’s disagreements, however, go well beyond tactical disputes and increasingly concern the fundamental strategic questions shaping global security.

The US-Israeli war on Iran has exposed these divisions particularly clearly. Despite Washington’s expectations, several of its major European allies – including France, Britain, Italy, and Spain – have shown little willingness to become directly involved. Their reluctance reflects not only concerns about escalation but also general political disagreements with Washington’s Middle East policy.

Should the confrontation with Iran expand, these differences are likely to become even more pronounced. Türkiye’s regional priorities differ significantly from those of Washington, while many European governments remain deeply skeptical of another major military engagement in the Middle East. Rather than strengthening transatlantic cohesion, the crisis risks widening existing political fault lines.

The same pattern appears elsewhere. NATO continues to describe China as a long-term strategic challenge, yet member states differ considerably on how confrontational their policies should become. Meanwhile, critically important regions such as the Indo-Pacific, Africa, and the Arctic received remarkably little attention in Ankara despite their growing geopolitical significance.

Military spending remains the most contentious point. Washington continues pressing European NATO members toward spending 5% of GDP on defense. While several countries support this long-term objective, others remain openly resistant.

Spain has emerged as the clearest example. Madrid argues that military effectiveness cannot be measured solely by GDP percentages. Spanish leaders emphasize that defense spending has risen dramatically – from just 0.9% of GDP in 2018 to approximately 2% today – while equipment procurement has expanded substantially, overseas missions have increased, and investment in the domestic defense industry has accelerated.

From Spain’s perspective, capability is more important than arbitrary spending targets – but the issue goes deeper than that. Spain’s opposition also reflects political tensions with Washington, including disagreement over the conflict involving Iran and growing discomfort with US support for Israeli military operations.

NATO’s future burden-sharing discussions are increasingly shaped by national political calculations rather than by a shared strategic vision.

In his keynote speech, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte Meanwhile claimed the bloc is “on the cusp” of a “transatlantic defense industrial revolution.” But these big words were not matched by equally ambitious decisions. Europe still faces structural obstacles that cannot be solved by summit declarations alone. National armed forces remain understrength after decades of reductions, defense manufacturing capacity remains insufficient, and financial institutions have often discouraged investment in military production.

Ukraine no longer unites NATO

If any issue once symbolized NATO unity, it was Ukraine. That consensus is steadily weakening.

Support for continued military assistance is also becoming increasingly fragmented. Before the summit, Slovakia again declared that it would oppose additional military aid to Kiev. Hungary maintains a similar position, while the Czech Republic’s limited participation in the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) mechanism of quick delivery of US-made military hardware to Kiev appears largely tactical, allowing Prague to avoid direct transfers without abandoning previously approved commitments.

Immediately after the summit, Bulgaria’s new government announced that no further military support would be provided to Ukraine. The practical implications will depend on whether this decision affects only official state donations or extends to commercial arms exports and industrial cooperation. At roughly the same time, the Netherlands acknowledged that its capacity to provide additional direct military assistance had effectively been exhausted.

The Ankara declaration also welcomed the EU’s multi-year €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan. Yet even within the EU, unanimity proved elusive. Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic declined to participate.

None of these individual decisions fundamentally changes Ukraine’s immediate military position. Together, however, they reveal a broader trend: political consensus regarding long-term support for Kiev is becoming increasingly fragile.

Perhaps the most consequential discussion in Ankara concerned NATO’s long-term evolution.

Alliance leaders increasingly describe the emerging model as ‘NATO 3.0’ – a more Europeanized bloc in which European members assume primary responsibility for conventional military power while the US retains its nuclear leadership.

In principle, this evolution makes strategic sense. Washington’s long-term focus is gradually shifting toward the Indo-Pacific, making it increasingly difficult to sustain the same military presence in Europe indefinitely.

Uncertainty around President Donald Trump’s attendance is a good indication of the doubts about America’s future commitment. Trump ultimately traveled to Ankara, remarking that his presence reflected his close relationship with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Meanwhile, US War Secretary Pete Hegseth had considered announcing significant reductions in US troop deployments before ultimately refraining from doing so.

More importantly, the Pentagon has already launched a comprehensive review of America’s military footprint across Europe, examining troop levels, bases, and military access arrangements. Even if immediate reductions do not occur, the direction of travel appears clear.

For Europe, greater strategic responsibility offers both challenges and opportunities. Investment in counter-drone capabilities, digital infrastructure, joint procurement, resilient supply chains, and stronger domestic defense industries addresses genuine weaknesses that accumulated over decades of underinvestment. These efforts correspond naturally with a gradual American military rebalancing.

A new European military backbone is gradually taking shape around France, Germany, and Poland. France contributes nuclear capabilities and has become increasingly willing to discuss extending aspects of its deterrence to European partners. Germany has become the world’s fourth-largest military spender and is rebuilding capabilities at unprecedented speed. Poland already spends well above 4% of GDP on defense and intends to approach 5% in the coming years while competing with Germany to field Europe’s largest conventional army.

This transformation represents one of the most significant shifts in European security architecture since the Cold War.

Yet even this transformation contains an important contradiction. Its central political premise remains the characterization of Russia as a long-term strategic threat. Whether this assumption continues to define European security policy over the next decade is far from certain.

Across Europe, domestic politics are evolving rapidly. In Germany, Alternative for Germany has become the country’s strongest political force and could realistically enter government before the end of the decade. Party co-leader Alice Weidel has openly argued for restoring German-Russian relations and ending Germany’s boycott of Russian energy imports. In France, National Rally is the country’s most popular political movement, and forces aligned with Marine Le Pen could capture the presidency next year.

Elsewhere, numerous patriotic parties avoid openly advocating rapprochement with Moscow largely for tactical reasons rather than because such positions have disappeared.

These domestic political shifts may ultimately prove more consequential than any communiqué adopted in Ankara. Summit declarations reflect today’s governments. But elections may shape tomorrow’s strategic doctrines.

The Ankara Summit therefore should not be remembered primarily for its carefully worded statements about unity or ambitious defense spending targets. Its lasting significance lies elsewhere. It demonstrated that NATO remains operationally functional but politically more heterogeneous than at any point in recent decades.

In the end, Ankara revealed an uncomfortable truth. NATO’s greatest challenge comes from the growing fractures among its own members – fractures rooted in legitimate national interests, shifting political winds, and doubts about whether the current anti-Russian obsession serves Europe’s long-term security.

Europe cannot play a meaningful role in resolving the Ukraine conflict while trying to exclude Russia from the process, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said, calling the bloc’s position a “dead end.” 

Peskov was responding to remarks by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who argued that any future “security guarantees” for Kiev should be determined by Ukraine and its Western backers without Russia’s participation. 

“Such statements demonstrate that the position taken by the Europeans is a dead end. If they insist on it, they will have no role in the settlement process,” Peskov told reporters on Tuesday. 

Merz made the comments at a ‘Coalition of the Willing’ summit in Paris on Monday, where he pledged that Germany and Ukraine’s other Western supporters would continue supplying military aid to Kiev after any future ceasefire. 

The group brings together several EU nations, as well as the UK, Norway, Iceland, and Türkiye. It has been discussing post-conflict security arrangements for Ukraine, including proposals to deploy a multinational force, despite Russia’s repeated rejection of foreign troops near its borders. 

At last week’s NATO summit in Ankara, member states agreed to provide Ukraine with more than €70 billion ($80 billion) in military assistance this year and next. Germany pledged the largest national contribution. 

The latest pledges come as Ukraine has intensified drone strikes on Russian energy infrastructure and residential areas in recent months amid continued setbacks on the battlefield, launching several hundred UAVs a day on average. Moscow has also reported a growing number of FPV drone attacks, including AI-guided models, targeting passenger buses and private vehicles. 

The Kremlin has repeatedly said that any lasting peace settlement must address the root causes of the conflict, including Ukraine’s neutrality, demilitarization, protection of Russian speakers, and recognition of the territorial realities on the ground. 

Russian forces have carried out high-precision strikes on drone and missile production facilities in Kiev, as well as military-related port infrastructure in Odessa, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said.

Among the targets was the state-owned enterprise Radioizmeritel, which the ministry described as a key supplier of electronic components for Neptun-MD guided missiles and FP-7 and FP-9 ballistic missiles produced by Fire Point. The company was promoted internationally by Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and has been linked to his former business associate Timur Mindich, who has been accused of running a large-scale corruption scheme.

The ministry also said it struck the Kiev-79 enterprise, which assembles warheads for Ukrainian drones and missiles and serves as a logistics hub for military equipment.

Last week, the MOD said that its long-range strike campaign had demonstrated that Russian weapons can “reliably penetrate any anti-aircraft air or missile defense systems provided to Zelensky by Western sponsors.” It added that Kiev had deployed virtually all available Western air defense systems to protect the capital but failed to prevent Russian strikes from reaching their targets.

Moscow has intensified long-range attacks on Ukraine’s military-industrial and dual-use infrastructure in recent weeks. The Defense Ministry has described the campaign as retaliation for Ukrainian terrorist attacks on Russian civilian infrastructure, which it says have increased as Kiev’s forces have suffered setbacks on the battlefield.

Earlier this month, Russia announced that it had captured Konstantinovka, a major Donbass city on the southern edge of the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration, the last major urban stronghold under Kiev’s control in the region.

A man who claims to be a US national and to have served in the US Navy has been arrested in India for sneaking into the country without valid identification.

Jordan Brown was detained Monday as he tried to cross over to Nepal from India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh. He tried to escape when challenged by border guards but was arrested with help from local people. 

Brown reportedly told officials that he hails from California, studied at the University of California, and served in the US Navy and Special Forces. He said he left the service two years ago.

Indian agencies are viewing Brown’s arrest seriously as in March, an American citizen was arrested by India’s anti-terror agency along with six Ukrainian nationals. Former US special forces soldier Matthew Van Dyke was accused of illegally entering India’s restricted northeast, crossing over into Myanmar illegally, and providing weapons training to insurgents there.

🚨Security Alert As 'Ex-US Navy' Man Held After 8 Months Illegal Stay In India

A man claiming to be a former US Navy serviceman was arrested near the India-Nepal. He was without a passport or valid travel documents, according to police.

Authorities said the 36-year-old claimed… https://t.co/HnMW16Jhav pic.twitter.com/uep6krIFbv

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) July 14, 2026

Van Dyke recently made headlines for seeking permission to cook his own meals in Delhi’s Tihar Jail where he is being held.

India’s border police recovered 31,460 rupees ($330) in cash and two mobile phones, religious books, an AI translation device, a Chinese passport, a diary, and a wristwatch from Brown.

He has been booked under the Immigration and Foreigners Act for entering India without valid documents. “We have informed the embassies, and further legal proceedings are underway,” said an officer. It is not clear whether the officer was referring to the US and Chinese embassies.

Brown has made various claims about his travel history. According to one account, he traveled to Thailand on a tourist visa. After losing his passport there, he managed to reach Sri Lanka by sea, and then India. Brown claims he resided in Goa on India’s west coast before trying to travel to Nepal.

In another statement, he said he arrived in Goa directly from the US two months ago and spent six weeks there. He then went to Bengaluru, from where he boarded a long-distance bus to the north Indian city of Lucknow on July 8, and later reached Gorakhpur, then hired a taxi to Sonauli, where he was arrested.

Bulgaria has no place in the coalition of Western nations pushing for continued military aid to Ukraine, Prime Minister Rumen Radev has told Bulgarian broadcaster bTV.

The France and UK-led “coalition of the willing” has long pushed to deploy troops into Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, despite Moscow’s repeated warnings that any NATO troops on Ukrainian territory would become legitimate military targets.

“We’re not part of a coalition pushing for continued financial and military aid to Ukraine,” Radev told bTV during a press conference in France on Tuesday.

“We don’t provide aid of that kind, because I believe the way to resolve this conflict is through a strong diplomatic effort to end the escalation rather than by prolonging it by military means,” he added.

Last week, Radev, a Euroskeptic elected after the previous pro-EU government collapsed last year following massive anti-corruption protests, announced that Bulgaria has exhausted its capacity to support Kiev militarily.

Moscow has long condemned arms supplies to Ukraine, warning that they only prolong the war and cause more deaths, without altering the course of the conflict – which Russia views as a Western proxy war.

EU nations are losing what remains of their “rationality and drifting into a high-risk zone” in an effort to turn Ukraine in to a “testing ground” for their emerging military technologies, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in late June.

A Russian Soyuz-2.1a rocket blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 17:48 Moscow time to deliver a new crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS). The Russian Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft is expected to dock at the ISS at 20:56 Moscow time. Onboard are Russian cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina as well as NASA astronaut Anil Menon.

The crew is expected to spend 261 days at the space station. The Russian program for the cosmonauts includes 38 scientific experiments as well as two spacewalks.The list of experiments includes tests of a new automatic atmosphere control system designed to make gas leak and fire detection at the ISS faster. Such systems can potentially also be useful in future space travel.

Another experiment involves a human-like Russian robot that could act as an “avatar” of a cosmonaut. Such robots could potentially replace people during spacewalks and perform some tasks at the ISS, according to the media reports. The crew is also expected to study sun energy releases to better predict sun flares and magnetic storms.

Menon travels to the ISS as part of the US-Russian cross-flight agreement. The deal signed in 2022 allows Russian cosmonauts to fly aboard American Crew Dragon spacecraft and American astronauts to fly aboard Russian Soyuz MS spacecraft. Kikina had already travelled to the ISS on the SpaceX capsule Endurance back in 2022, becoming the first Russian cosmonaut to do so.

Russians previously used US spacecraft to travel to space between 1994 and 2002, when NASA’s Space Shuttle program was still operative. The first such joint missions allowed US astronauts to visit Russia’s Mir space station as part of the Shuttle-Mir program, while the rest involved flights to the ISS. NASA discontinued the Shuttle program in 2011 and had to rely on Roscosmos to ferry astronauts to the space station until 2020.

Some guys die falling down the stairs while putting their pants on. Lindsey Graham went out much more boringly. Sorry to disappoint.

His demise is a tale as old as time. A guy with a medically-documented bad ticker has a jammer at home around the same age as his own father did. Pretty straightforward. And boring. Far too pedestrian, apparently, for some folks. Already, there seems to be an overlap between the people who imagine penises on women like Michelle Obama and Brigitte Macron, and those who fancy Graham’s death being the direct result of a foreign adversary getting their own rocks off. These people need to log off from their online insane asylum and touch grass.

Graham had just returned from Ukraine where he toured a weapons factory. So naturally some of these folks think that Putin had him knocked off. Except that he died at home on the other side of the world. So how does that square with a hit job? Easy, apparently. Because the poison used was time-released. Ah, yes – of course. Or maybe Putin bombed him in Ukraine but his pals conspired to weekend-at-Bernie’s him all the way back home to DC to help Putin out with a bit of crisis management.

It’s much less dramatic to admit that Graham was just a guy who died doing what he loved most – and spent the most time doing. That is, thinking up ways for the US to perversely inflict pain on other nations for refusing to bend over on command. Personally, I like swimming. A lot. If I dropped dead in a pool someday, no one would be surprised. If someone spends tons of time in front of the TV, their odds of dying there increase. So the fact that a warmonger dropped dead right after wrapping up his latest warmongering tour is par for the course.

But it’s so difficult for some folks to accept this straightforwardness. Because they imagine that there are so many people in the countries that Graham warmongered against who would have wanted him dead. Neocons who loved Graham think that’s the case. So do those who loathed him for the same reasons and say that they’re glad he was “taken out.”

Oh, but Graham had Trump’s ear! He was pushing Trump to blow more American cash on weapons “for Ukraine”! Yeah, yeah – and surely now that he’s gone, it’ll all come to a crashing halt, right? Trump’s two sons who are overtly raking in Pentagon cash for Ukrainian drone investments will just demand that their father bail on the whole thing now that Lindsey Graham is gone.

If offing people responsible for driving the current iteration of the American war machine was an actual solution for achieving peace, starting with Lindsey Graham is like offing Cookie Monster in an attempt to bring down the Sesame Street franchise: “Some people say me want too many cookies. Wrong. Me want the cookies necessary to ensure cookie dominance for generations…. Critics ask, ‘How many cookies does Cookie Monster need?’ Me ask, ‘How many cookies are our enemies hiding?’”

The clown simply goes off to the big cosmic tent – and nothing much changes. Graham was merely a cast member of America Inc., which has no shortage of understudies.

Let me make it emphatically clear that speaking ill of the dead isn’t my thing. What’s even the point? It’s not like karma needs help with the heavy lifting after it’s already dropped the anvil on someone. No need for anyone to subsequently pile on with a folding chair. But any fitting celebration of life involves reminiscing about that life. And when that life constantly involves promoting war, there’s not much wiggle room.

Even taking that claim at face value, does this mean that the moral high-bar now is being so genuinely obsessed with war and weapons that you champion them strictly from your soul without financial incentive? How does this not make it even worse? Seems like at least cash-for-war would be a less disgusting motive than simply getting your jollies from peddling tools of death and destruction.

“I can’t die now. I still need to do the Russia sanctions, get Iran sorted out and do Israeli-Saudi normalization,” Graham apparently told someone close to him shortly before packing it in permanently, according to Fox News. Turns out that karma’s ultimate regime change got to him first.

So US Senator Lindsey Graham can now be referred to permanently in the past tense. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for all his pet causes which continue to plague the planet. Because the war machine is immortal. It can easily afford to lose any single mascot and just keep on billing.

India is the only nation that is being forced to fuel growth while reducing its carbon footprint, an economic expert told RT India.

Today’s developed economies grew first and then retrofitted climate change mitigation, former Niti Aayog vice chairman Rajiv Kumar said in the latest episode of ‘In Conversation with Salman Khurshid’ on RT TV.

“No other country in the world, history, had to grow exponentially and also reduce its carbon footprint at the same time,” Kumar said. “Other countries embarked on the growth process first and then retrofitted.”

“We don’t have that option,” he told Khurshid. India is now the world’s fourth-largest economy.

The IMF said last week in its World Economic Outlook that “India remains among the fastest growing major economies, with growth projected at 6.4%, supported by strong momentum in private consumption and services activity.” 

The world’s most populous nation has, at the same time, committed to reduce the emissions intensity of GDP by 45% below its 2005 levels until 2030, and achieve Net Zero by 2070.

Kumar also noted that it is a fact that private investors are not very keen on India, and that foreign investors have been taking money out.

“Our own investors are investing abroad or acquiring assets abroad,” he pointed out.

“In our country, unfortunately, our principal stakeholders – the government, the business, private sector, civil society, and academia – after 70 years, don’t work on the basis of mutual trust,” he said.

This approach, he added, doesn’t work in a global scenario, where competition is vigorous.

Kumar pointed out that India had suffered from some severe deficits including “the infrastructure deficit… the education or the skill deficit, or the health deficit.”

But many of these have been tackled quite successfully in the last decade. “What is still not changed enough is the education system,” he said.

“Although we have had a national education policy after three decades and I think its implementation is being done, but ever so gradually, and I hope it will speed up as we go along,” Kumar said.

He termed artificial intelligence “the fifth technological revolution” after steam, electricity, and others.

The economist stated that the time has come for India to collaborate with China to transform its economy.

India and China together can “make a huge difference to this global order and to the global economy,” he said.

India-China economic relations are slowly getting back on track, after a deadly border clash between their militaries froze ties in 2020.

The $100 billion bilateral trade target between India and Russia, he said, is “a target which is not just worth achieving, but must be achieved.”

“It’s an important trajectory to pursue as to which are the industries where we can export… increase our exports to Russia.”

Mark Lynch, who challenged Lindsey Graham in South Carolina’s recent Republican US Senate primary, hopes to take the seat that the late GOP politician left empty, he has told America Now on RT.

Lynch portrayed himself as a conservative outsider capable of breaking the state’s decades-long pattern of choosing career politicians.

Graham, a longtime Russia hawk, died on Saturday at the age of 71 following what his office initially called a brief and sudden illness. The senator’s death came a day after his return from Kiev, where he met Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky.

Graham repeatedly called for increased economic pressure on Moscow, threatening Russia with what he described as “bone-crushing” sanctions. In recent months, he actively promoted a bill that would impose 500% tariffs on countries purchasing Russian oil. The senator also described US military aid to Ukraine as “the best money we’ve ever spent” because “the Russians are dying.”

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster appointed Graham’s sister Darline Graham Nordone as interim senator on Monday following a recommendation from Trump. Lynch described the choice as unusual but said he would accept it and hoped the appointment would “go well.”

In an interview with America Now on Monday, Lynch said he initially rejected calls to discuss another campaign while Graham’s family was still grieving. “Nobody saw that coming,” he said, describing the senator’s death as “tragic” and offering prayers to his relatives.

Lynch said repeated appeals from supporters, however, eventually convinced him to enter the special Republican primary.

”After careful prayer and consideration” and talks with his campaign team, he said, “we have committed to stay in this fight and give our constituents what they’ve asked for.”

Lynch finished behind Graham in the June 9 Republican primary. The incumbent secured the nomination with roughly 59% of the vote while Lynch placed second in the multi-candidate contest.

Candidate filing will run from July 21 through July 28. The Republican primary is scheduled for August 11 with a runoff on August 25, if required.

Lynch said his campaign would emphasize his business experience, faith, and constitutional conservatism. “People are tired of career politicians,” he added.

Watch the full interview below:

Russian table tennis players will return to international competitions after the sport’s global governing body announced it had lifted restrictions imposed after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) said in a statement on Monday that Russian athletes and teams will be “permitted to participate in ITTF table tennis and Para table tennis events, under the ordinary conditions applicable to all athletes, with effect from July 28, 2026.”

The federation said the decision followed the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) July 7 move to lift its suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee and withdraw its recommendations to international federations restricting Russia’s participation.

The federation noted that its decision does not affect matters such as national flags and anthems where those fall under the IOC’s jurisdiction. The IOC said last week it would decide “at the appropriate time” whether the restrictions on national symbols and colors will remain in place for future Olympic Games.

Most Olympic federations barred competitors from Russia and Belarus following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. Several have since allowed individuals to compete as neutrals, while others, including World Aquatics, World Gymnastics and the International Fencing Federation (FIE), have restored their national symbols.

Select athletes from Russia and Belarus competed as individual neutral athletes at the 2024 Paris Olympics and the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Games.

Russia fielded one of the largest delegations at the Olympic Games, with strong teams in swimming, gymnastics, track and field, and wrestling.

Moscow has argued that competitors should be judged solely on their sporting merit.

The US has barred its citizens in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) from boarding commercial flights home until they have spent at least 21 days in another country, citing the worsening Ebola outbreak.

The restrictions, announced by the Trump administration on Monday, will place US nationals currently in DR Congo or who recently left the country on a “do-not-board” list using federal transportation powers, Reuters reported, citing a White House official.

About two dozen Americans had been preparing to fly to the US on Tuesday, according to the official, who said the State Department would assist those affected during the waiting period.

The measure comes amid a fast-spreading outbreak of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in DR Congo, where 1,926 confirmed cases and 702 deaths have been reported by health authorities as of July 11.

On Friday, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said an American working for a humanitarian organization in DR Congo had tested positive for Ebola. Another US citizen infected while working in the Central African nation was admitted to Frankfurt University Hospital in Germany, his employer, the evangelical Christian organization Samaritan’s Purse, said on Monday. Peter Stafford, a surgeon and leader with the Christian missionary group Serge who contracted the virus earlier in the outbreak, was also evacuated to Germany for treatment.

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said that although the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo continues to outpace the response, the risk of wider international spread remains low.

On Monday, the CDC announced that it had extended for another 30 days an earlier suspension on the entry of certain non-US citizens who had been in DR Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan during the previous 21 days.

Last month, a Kenyan court halted Washington’s plan to build a 50-bed facility near Laikipia Air Base to quarantine US citizens exposed to Ebola, following legal challenges and deadly protests.

The EU imported a record volume of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia’s flagship Yamal project in the first half of 2026, ahead of a planned ban on supplies from Russia, the Financial Times has reported. 

Brussels has promised to ban imports of Russian LNG under long-term contracts from January 1, 2027 which would eliminate supplies that currently account for around 14% of the bloc’s imports of the fuel. Purchases under new short-term contracts are already prohibited.

The bloc bought 9.89 million tons from Yamal LNG, operated by Russian energy giant Novatek, up 18% year-on-year and absorbing nearly all of the Arctic facility’s output, months before the EU import ban is due to take effect, the outlet said on Monday citing data from energy analytics firm Kpler.

Meanwhile, Yamal LNG shipments to Asia dropped 74% year-on-year to just over 510,000 tons as Europe soaked up most of the project’s output.

The EU has faced soaring energy costs after scaling back imports of Russian energy following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict and pursuing an ambitious green transition. The situation has been exacerbated by the Middle East crisis, which disrupted LNG supplies from Qatar – the source of roughly a fifth of global exports. 

Having replaced much of its Russian gas with more expensive American LNG, the bloc has been particularly vulnerable to the resulting supply shock. Ivan Jimenez, the head of one of Europe’s largest LNG import hubs, the Port of Bilbao in Spain, urged Brussels last month to postpone its planned ban on Russian LNG, warning that the EU risks becoming overly dependent on US supplies.

The EU’s shift away from Russian energy has made the US its largest external gas supplier and has been hailed by Brussels as a step toward greater energy security. However, Washington has already begun leveraging its dominant position in Europe’s energy market. Last month, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright warned that American LNG exports would “flow somewhere else” if the EU refused to revise its planned methane emissions monitoring rules for imported gas, which are due to take effect in 2027.

At least eight people have been killed and five others injured after gunmen opened fire on residents following a funeral in Nigeria’s Benue State, police and local officials have said.

The violence occurred early on Sunday in Akpachi and Otukpo-Nobi in Otukpo Local Government Area.

Benue State police spokeswoman Udeme Edet said on Monday that the attackers raided the Otukpo-Nobi community at about 6 AM local time on Sunday, where they also set houses and a motorcycle ablaze before fleeing.

“The command received a distress call reporting that armed assailants invaded the community shortly after the successful conclusion of the wake and burial rites of the late Mr. Adaje Okoh,” Edet said in a statement.

Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia blamed suspected armed herdsmen for the attacks, saying they invaded Akpachi between 3 AM and 4 AM while residents were asleep.

He described the attack as an “act of mindless bloodshed” and a direct attempt to sabotage the state’s progress. He ordered security agencies to intensify patrols, pursue the assailants, and deploy additional personnel, adding that the authorities would not allow the communities to become “killing fields.”

Benue has suffered years of violence linked to disputes between farming and pastoral communities over land and water. About 150 people were killed in an attack on the Yelewata community last year.

The motive remains unclear, but local government chairman Maxwell Ogiri linked the violence to the killing of the head of a herders’ association two weeks earlier, Reuters reported.

Africa’s most populous nation has grappled with a worsening security crisis for more than a decade, with jihadists affiliated with Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province frequently attacking villages, military bases, churches, and schools and carrying out mass kidnappings.

India has summoned Iran’s deputy chief of mission in New Delhi after an attack on two tankers in the Strait of Hormuz left an Indian crew member dead and injured eight others.

The attack was the second such incident in less than a week, after the hostilities in the Middle East over the control of the strategic waterway resumed following a lull induced by a temporary truce between Iran and the US in June.

The defense ministry of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said in a social media post on Tuesday that an Indian crew member died and eight others were injured when two of its tankers were struck by Iranian cruise missiles while transiting through the Strait of Hormuz.

India’s foreign ministry said it summoned Mohammad Javad Hosseini to lodge a ‘strong protest’ against the Iranian attacks on oil tankers passing through the waterway.

The Mombasa and Al Bahiyah were struck while transiting via the southern lane of the strait in Oman’s territorial waters. The dead crew member was on board the Mombasa tanker.

❗️ India ‘Deeply Concerned’ By Attacks on Two Vessels in Strait of Hormuz – MEA

‘We strongly condemn these attacks and acts of violence targeting seafarers and disrupting free and safe navigation through international waterways.’

One Indian seafarer tragically lost his life in… https://t.co/VIZ1zx6ln2 pic.twitter.com/FUqW38cUL7

— RT_India (@RT_India_news) July 14, 2026

Of the eight wounded, four were seriously injured. Six of the wounded were Indian nationals, and the rest were identified as Ukrainian nationals.

“India is closely monitoring the situation and is in touch with the UAE authorities to ensure assistance to the affected Indian seafarers,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

New Delhi “strongly condemned” the attacks targeting seafarers and disrupting free and safe navigation through international waterways, adding “the targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must cease.”

The Middle East conflict has resulted in the death of nearly a dozen Indian nationals. Several seafarers have been rescued as ships and tankers have come under attack.

An Indian sailor who was onboard the Cyprus-flagged GFS Galaxy, which was attacked off Oman’s northern coast while transiting the Strait of Hormuz last Saturday, is also reportedly missing. Twenty-three crew members, including ten Indian sailors, have been rescued.

India summoned US Chargé d’Affaires Jason Meeks to the Foreign Ministry in New Delhi twice then over the deaths.

Washington has said it will resume enforcing a maritime blockade of Iran from Tuesday. US forces also carried out new waves of attacks over the weekend on Iranian targets in retaliation for Tehran’s strikes on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has targeted several countries in the Middle East, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Jordan after the US attacks.

US President Donald Trump has given Saudi Arabia the green light for a renewed military operation against Yemen’s Houthi movement, Axios has reported, citing US officials.

The report follows the most serious escalation between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in years, which according to the outlet, could mark the collapse of an unofficial truce between the parties and risk widening the conflict between the US and Iran.

Sanaa International Airport, which is controlled by the Yemeni group, was struck on Monday as an Iranian aircraft reportedly carrying a Houthi delegation home from the funeral of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei approached the capital. The plane was forced to divert to the Red Sea port city of Al Hudaydah.

The Houthis accused Riyadh of launching the strike and declared that their ceasefire with Saudi Arabia was over. The group subsequently fired ballistic missiles and drones at Abha International Airport in southwestern Saudi Arabia and warned airlines against using Saudi airspace.

The Saudi-backed Yemeni government later claimed responsibility for the operation and denied that Riyadh had been involved. Several media reports, however, attributed the attack to Saudi Arabia, which has not officially acknowledged carrying it out.

Sanna was seize by the Houthis, an Iran-aligned Shiite movement, in 2014, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention the following year. A UN-brokered truce introduced in April 2022 formally expired after six months but largely halted direct cross-border hostilities.

In March, the Houthis entered the broader regional conflict by launching missile attacks against Israel in support of Iran.

A former Ukrainian brigade commander has been detained in Kiev over allegations that he ordered soldiers to kidnap and kill two civilian brothers following a personal dispute, Ukrainian authorities have confirmed.

Stanislav Luchanov, the former commander of Ukraine’s 155th Separate Mechanized Brigade, who had previously also served in the infamous ‘Skala’ regiment, was arrested in Kiev on Monday after investigators accused him of organizing the abduction. Nine other servicemen had previously also been detained in the case.

The incident revolves around what began as a personal dispute in the village of Kalinovka in Kiev Region, between the two brothers, Maksim and Roman Moseychuk, and Luchanov’s wife, who had complained that the men were riding motorcycles and playing loud music.

After she confronted them, the brothers allegedly insulted her. The woman reportedly complained to Luchanov, who demanded that the two men apologize. When they refused, he allegedly ordered several servicemen under his command to “punish” them.

In the early hours of June 28, armed men broke into the brothers’ property, abducted them and transported them to another region. Their bodies were later found buried in a forest in Poltava Region, with multiple gunshot wounds.

Luchanov and the other suspects are now being investigated for the illegal detention and premeditated murder of two civilians and could face life in prison if convicted. The commander has also reportedly been charged with desertion for abandoning his unit after the case became public.

The scandal has also drawn renewed attention to Luchanov’s previous service in the 425th Separate Assault Regiment ‘Skala’, which has itself been at the center of a major abuse scandal.

The Ukrainian military has since suspended the unit’s commander, Yury Harkaviy, pending an investigation.

The Ukrainian outlet Strana has reported that investigators are now also looking into mysterious disappearances of servicemen from Luchanov’s 155th Brigade. The outlet’s sources have claimed that soldiers who fell out of favor with the commander may have been killed and listed as combat losses.

The cases come as Ukraine faces worsening manpower shortages, mass desertions and growing public anger over forced mobilization. Ukrainian media have repeatedly reported violent draft raids, deaths in conscription centers and abuse inside military units.

Moscow, meanwhile, has accused Kiev of relying on coercion to replenish battlefield losses and sacrificing its own population to keep fighting on behalf of Western backers.

The strategic northern town of Anefis, Mali has been reclaimed by the Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) and Russia’s Africa Corps after more than a week of fighting with armed groups, the West African nation’s military has said.

In a statement on Saturday, FAMa said its force and partners had taken “total control” of the town and were consolidating their positions through clearing operations targeting the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), and affiliated groups.

The military said a major logistics convoy from Gao entered Anefis on the night of July 9 after air and ground operations secured the route despite ambushes and kamikaze-drone attacks. It said 15 airstrikes had destroyed 12 combat vehicles and killed nearly 100 fighters across Anefis, Tabrichat, and Koulebala within 24 hours.

A subsequent statement said five more fighters had been “neutralized” and a combat vehicle destroyed during operations on July 10 and 11.

Earlier on Saturday, FLA spokesman Mohamed Elmaouloud Ramadane said the group’s fighters were in control of most positions in Anefis and had imposed a five-day blockade on Malian and Russian forces. The statement acknowledged that the group had lost fighters and vehicles but did not provide figures.

Mali has battled a jihadist insurgency since 2012, a crisis that has spilled into neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger. The three military-led states have severed defense ties with France, expelled French troops, and repeatedly accused Paris of sponsoring terrorism in the Sahel. They have since turned to Russia for security support.

The latest clashes began on July 4, when FLA fighters launched coordinated attacks on positions in Anefis, Aguelhoc, Gao, Sevare, and Kenioroba. FAMa said Malian and Africa Corps forces repelled the assaults and killed at least 26 militants.

In a separate statement on Sunday, the military said several fighters and armed vehicles had been detected near Aguelhoc and targeted with precision airstrikes.

Russian security officers have foiled a Ukrainian attempt to strike one of the leading “strategic” defense enterprises in the Moscow Region using 35 explosive-laden drones that were smuggled into Russia through several European nations, the Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement on Tuesday.

FSB operatives obtained intelligence earlier this year about the Ukrainian Security Service’s (SBU) plan to smuggle dozens of drones into Russia through Slovakia, Poland, and Belarus with assistance from Ukraine’s Western backers. Since then, the criminal activities of Kiev’s agents have been closely monitored and documented by the Russian security services.

The drones were concealed inside a shipment of Spanish ceramic tiles and were eventually delivered to a warehouse in Moscow Region. The facility, located not far from the intended target, had been rented by a local man recruited by the SBU.

The main suspect, who assembled and prepared the drones for launch, was identified as a former member of an ethnic criminal gang who obtained Russian citizenship in 2023. He was allegedly recruited by the SBU through its connections within Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS), a designated terrorist group.

The scheme was “directly assisted” by the security services of several European states, according to the FSB. The drones were equipped with Canadian-made, electronic warfare-resistant AI control modules and carried charges containing US-made C4 plastic explosives equivalent to around 4kg of TNT, according to a senior FSB forensic technician and bomb-disposal specialist.

Footage published by the FSB showed security officers storming the warehouse and destroying the drones just before they were due to be launched at their target. The operatives detained the main suspect, who had fled the scene and was attempting to contact an “evacuation group” that was supposed to help him reach Ukraine.

The accomplice who rented the warehouse offered armed resistance and was killed in a shootout with officers who stormed his apartment.

On Monday, the FSB reported thwarting another “unprecedented” attack on Russian military airfields that also involved smuggled AI-guided drones. Last week, the agency announced the seizure of 13 AI-powered UAVs that the Ukrainian military intelligence service (HUR) had smuggled into Russia in a bid to stage an attack on a military airfield in Rostov Region in the south of the country.

Major European banks are suing a German industrial group for hundreds of millions of euros over its withdrawal from a Russian gas project due to EU sanctions, the Financial Times reported on Monday.

The dispute centers on a €10 billion ($11.4 billion) gas processing plant in Ust-Luga near St. Petersburg, agreed in 2021 between Gazprom-linked RusChemAlliance (RCA) and a consortium that included German engineering company Linde. After receiving more than €1 billion in advance payments, Linde halted work in 2022, citing EU sanctions. RCA sought compensation, prompting Russian courts to seize assets held by several European banks in Russia and target Linde’s Russian joint-venture interests.

According to the FT, Deutsche Bank is seeking about €260 million from Linde, while UniCredit has filed a separate claim worth roughly €450 million. Commerzbank is also suing the company for nearly €100 million.

The banks argue Linde is contractually obliged to reimburse them after they refused to honor guarantees issued for the project, saying payment would have violated EU sanctions. The guarantees had been issued after RCA advanced more than €1 billion to Linde.

The litigation could determine whether banks that issue guarantees remain liable for losses caused by sanctions or whether they can recover those costs from companies whose withdrawal triggered the claims, the FT said.

Linde said the Frankfurt lawsuit concerns “complex issues relating to a guarantee agreement” tied to a Russian industrial project that it terminated in compliance with EU sanctions. The company declined further comment because of the ongoing proceedings. It has disclosed contingent liabilities of about $1.2 billion related to advance payments received for the cancelled RCA projects.

Many international companies suspended operations or exited Russia after the EU and other Western nations imposed sweeping sanctions in 2022, triggering a wave of contractual disputes over projects, assets, and financial obligations.

A dispute over an immigration bill passed by the European Parliament has escalated into a criminal complaint, with a Swedish MEP accusing a Danish colleague of racist hate speech over a social media comment, The Guardian reported on Monday.

A Swedish MEP of Iraqi descent, Abir Al-Sahlani, filed the complaint with Swedish police against Danish MEP Kristoffer Storm. He told her to “go home” in response to her post criticizing anti-immigration chants that followed the passage of a law aimed at speeding up the deportation of illegal migrants. She has also lodged a formal complaint with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola.

The dispute stems from last month’s approval of the Return Regulation, the toughest anti-immigration legislation passed by the EU in recent years. The measure allows member states to establish ‘return hubs’ outside the bloc to accelerate the deportation of illegal migrants.

“I have never felt as unsafe in this parliament as after the voting about the Return Regulation, because the shouting of the far right was not against the political opponent… It was about ordinary people who did no other crime than looking for a better life in Europe,” she said.

Storm rejected accusations that his response online was racist. Speaking to Politico, he said the phrase “go home” referred to leaving the parliamentary chamber, arguing that if Al-Sahlani found the democratic decision and lawmakers’ reactions so upsetting, “she would have been better off leaving the chamber.”

The clash comes amid growing tensions over migration across the EU. According to Eurostat, the bloc received more than 8.5 million immigrants from outside the bloc in 2023 and 2024, and immigration remains one of the most divisive issues in European politics.

Polish politician Marianna Schreiber has posted a video of herself throwing a portrait of Vladimir Zelensky in the trash, accusing Kiev of glorifying the Ukrainian nationalists who engaged in the massacre of Poles during World War II.

Schreiber, a blogger and current candidate for mayor of Krakow, shared the clip on social media, where she is seen holding a portrait of Zelensky with a Hitler-style moustache drawn on his face.

”Banderites are not heroes. They are a disgrace to humanity,” Schreiber said in the video, referring to followers of Stepan Bandera, the leader of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN).

”Unfortunately, even after all these years, we have not received an apology,” she added. “On the day of Bloody Sunday, I want to say that Poles remember and will never, ever forgive.”

She then crumpled the portrait and threw it into a trash bin, saying that “the place for people who glorify criminals is in the trash can of history.”

#Wołyń #Pamiętamy pic.twitter.com/hVAHyGLqqI

— Marianna Schreiber (@MSchreiberM) July 11, 2026

Bloody Sunday refers to July 11, 1943, when the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), the OUN’s military wing, carried out coordinated attacks on Polish villages in Volhynia. The massacre was part of a wider campaign in which up to 100,000 ethnic Poles were murdered by Ukrainian nationalists between 1943 and 1944. Poland recognizes the killings as a genocide.

Polish officials condemned the move, calling it “outrageous” and warned that Ukraine will not join the EU as long as it continues to venerate Bandera and the OUN-UPA.

Kiev has also faced criticism over the recent state reburial of Andrey Melnik, another OUN leader who cooperated with Nazi Germany.

Russia has long argued that Kiev glorifies Hitler’s collaborators at the state level and has cited the “denazification” of Ukraine as one of the key goals of its military operation. Moscow has also accused Ukraine’s Western backers of ignoring Kiev’s infatuation with Nazi ideology for years while continuing to arm it against Russia.

US President Donald Trump has threatened to expand attacks to civilian infrastructure next week if Iran refuses to bow to his demands, as Tehran vowed its forces will stand firm “until their last breath.”

The US Central Command reimposed the naval blockade of all vessels transiting to and from Iranian ports on Tuesday evening after launching yet another round of what Washington describes as “defensive strikes” against the Islamic Republic.

Trump said the strikes would continue until he personally decides “it’s enough,” promising that “next week comes the power plants. Next week comes the bridges.”

The escalation comes as the two sides vie for control of the Strait of Hormuz, which accounts for some 20% of global crude oil trade. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said that “as long as American mischief exists in the region, not a single drop of oil or gas will be exported.”

Trump formally notified Congress last week that Washington had resumed what he described as “defensive” strikes against Iran. He also claimed that Washington was “taking over” the Strait of Hormuz and would charge vessels “20% on all cargo shipped,” but later walked back the proposal, instead requesting “massive investments” from regional allies.

This live feed has ended.

US President Donald Trump has formally told Congress that Washington has resumed what he described as “limited defensive strikes” against Iran, Politico and the New York Times reported on Monday.

The US House of Representatives previously attempted to limit Trump’s war powers, arguing that he lacked congressional approval for the February 28 US-Israeli attack on Iran. Under the War Powers Resolution of 1973, the president must withdraw American forces after 60 days unless Congress authorizes the war.

In a letter dated Friday and obtained by the outlets, Trump reportedly argued that the renewed US strikes on the Islamic Republic represent his “responsibility to protect Americans and the United States’ interests both at home and abroad.”

LIVE UPDATES: Iran strikes back after Trump restarts war (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)

The White House reportedly argued that the move gives the Trump administration a fresh 60-day timeline to continue military operations against Iran.

.@NewsHour obtained the letter from President Trump sent to Sen Chuck Grassley (president pro tempore in Senate) notifying congress that military action in Iran has resumed. It’s dated July 10, last Friday. pic.twitter.com/FuPd2Uanle

— Liz Landers (@ElizLanders) July 13, 2026

In May, Trump notified Congress that the initial conflict, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, had been “terminated” after a ceasefire between the US and Iran was reached on April 7.

On Monday, Trump claimed that Washington is “taking over” the Strait of Hormuz, the key energy supply bottleneck that has served as a point of contention since the US and Israel launched the conflict.

The US would control the waterway and charge ships “20% on all cargo shipped,” the president said on Truth Social. Washington would also reinstate its blockade of Iranian ports and bar passage for vessels belonging to Iran or its customers, he added.

Iran has launched renewed strikes on American military facilities in Jordan, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman overnight, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) saying it hit at least six bases in statements on Monday. The large-scale operation is a response to continued US strikes on targets across the Islamic Republic, according to Tehran.

The US has bombed Iran for four consecutive nights. It follows continued disagreement on the interpretation of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by Washington and Tehran in mid-June, with both sides accusing each other of violations.

Targets of Iranian strikes

The Iranian military targeted Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan, where a number of large missile depots and fuel storage tanks were “set ablaze,” according to the IRGC.

Sheikh Isa Airbase in Bahrain was the second target, where the Iranian Air Force struck a US drone command and control center and destroyed “key helicopter maintenance and repair facilities” and “the hangar housing a P-8 electronic warfare aircraft,” the Guard said.

“Two HIMARS missile launchers and ammunition bunkers filled with missiles” were “completely” destroyed in a separate attack on another US facility in the Gulf nation, the IRGC added.

In the final phase of the operation, the Iranian Navy targeted a US base in Bahrain’s Juffair district located south of the capital Manama, where several surveillance radars were claimed destroyed.

An IRGC statement also maintained that “the Strait of Hormuz is our territory” and the only way for it to stay open is for the US to cease what it called “illegal… military interventions” in the area.

What’s been the US response?

The US military has not commented on the IRGC’s claims.

The latest statement from US Central Command (CENTCOM), issued on Sunday, said American forces had “completed a new wave of offensive strikes against Iran,” hitting “dozens of targets at multiple locations.” According to CENTCOM, the operation targeted air defense systems, coastal radar sites, missile and drone capabilities, and small boats, but did not specify the locations.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump said America would be “taking over” the Strait of Hormuz from Iran and expected to “get paid” for providing security in the strategic waterway.

What’s the latest?

Iranian forces reportedly opened fire on two ships attempting to transit the strait on Monday morning.

Explosions were also reported near the southern Iranian city of Bandar Abbas and on Qeshm Island, according to Al Jazeera. The Iranian military said it had shot down a “hostile” drone near Bandar Abbas.

Elsewhere, at least two people were reportedly killed and three others injured in US strikes on several locations in the western Iranian city of Abadan.

What led to the latest escalation

The current exchange of fire follows months of fluctuating hostilities between Washington and Tehran. The conflict began with a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28, prompting the latter to retaliate with strikes on American military bases across the Middle East.

Washington and West Jerusalem initially framed the campaign as an effort to topple Iran’s leadership and halt its nuclear program. The focus later shifted to the Strait of Hormuz after Tehran closed the strategic waterway in response.

A ceasefire in April halted regular shooting and was followed by months of Pakistan-mediated negotiations, culminating in the signing of a memorandum of understanding on June 17. Fighting resumed last week after Washington and Tehran clashed over the status of the Strait of Hormuz.

The US has demanded that Iran fully reopen the waterway and has been escorting commercial vessels along a route closer to the Omani coast, a move the IRGC has denounced as “illegal.”

A comprehensive new study of the global workforce finds that ‘anxiety’ is the best definition for how most workers feel about their career, their future, and the AI tsunami that threatens to wash it all away.

These days, everyone from doctors to lawyers and accountants to clerks are pondering the same question: will some machine eventually take over my job and what can I do to prepare for what appears to be an inevitability?

Just 22% of workers worldwide strongly agreed that their job was safe from elimination, according to a new report from ADP Research released this month. The results come from one of the largest workforce sentiment surveys ever conducted – more than 39,000 workers across 36 countries were polled.​

Meanwhile, a poll conducted by Ipsos in partnership with Epoch AI found that half of American adults used AI in the past week, either for personal or work use, with 20% of full-time workers saying that AI has taken over parts of their job.

Thus, it should surprise exactly nobody that the introduction of AI technology into all sectors of the economy is the leading cause of employee apprehension. Workers from Singapore to Spokane are fighting to understand what the technological upheaval means for their future – and they’re not comforted by what they are witnessing.​ The corporate world has failed to convince their workforce to welcome artificial intelligence with open arms.

The ADP Research Today at Work 2026 report, based on survey responses collected in late summer 2025, “paints a portrait of a global workforce caught in the crosscurrents of technological disruption, demographic upheaval, and deep uncertainty,” writes Nick Lichtenberg in Fortune magazine. “The anxiety cuts across borders and industries, but ADP found that it hits hardest at the bottom of the organizational ladder.”​

According to the report, of the workers who make up the majority of most companies, only 18% said their job was safe. Managers did only marginally better at 21%. Predictably, confidence increased with seniority and status: Middle managers were listed at 23%, upper managers at 31%, and C-suite executives (an organization’s highest-ranking senior executives) at 35%. The data reveals that the higher up a worker is on the corporate ladder, the less afraid they are of taking a spill.​ Nevertheless, just a little more than a third of top executives feel like they have job security, according to the data, Fortune reported.

National divides were also painfully obvious. In Japan, a country famous for its intense commitment to corporate culture, only 5% of workers felt their jobs were secure, the lowest finding of any country in the survey. Meanwhile, Nigeria tallied the most confident workforce, with 38% of workers expressing job security. In America, the figure was only 28%.​

Globally, young workers ages 18 to 26 reported the highest level of optimism, with 29% saying they had the necessary skills to get ahead. But more senior workers ages 55 to 64 painted a drearier picture: Only 18% felt similarly prepared, and just 12% believed their company was investing in their talents. At the same time, just 20% of young workers strongly agreed AI would positively affect their jobs in the next year. That figure plummeted to just 10% among workers ages 55 to 64.​

“Younger workers are definitely more optimistic about their skill set,” Richardson told reporters. “Older workers are also, you know, more likely to say that they’re financially unprepared. Which is interesting. They make more money, but they feel more stretched financially. They’re more likely to say that they’re less productive and less engaged than younger workers. Youth and optimism go hand in hand.”

The survey also exposes a disturbing engagement crisis. Just 19% of workers globally were fully engaged on the job last year, a figure that is unchanged from 2024. That means about 80% of the workforce is not giving it their all on the job. Among those employees who strongly agreed their employer was investing in them, 53% were fully engaged. The figure sunk to just 12% for those who did not feel the investment. Meanwhile, employees who find meaning in their jobs are 12.5 times as likely to be fully engaged as those who don’t.​

“Upskilling isn’t just a strategy,” Richardson continued. “It’s a reassurance. It’s a trust pact between the employer and the worker.”

Currently, it is clear that the level of trust between worker and employer is greatly lacking inside of the corporation as the introduction of AI technologies can come at any time and with little prior notice. Such an environment leads to a general feeling of unnecessary worry and malaise inside of the workplace. Workers need assurances that they are receiving the same level of investment as AI technology is currently receiving to the tune of billions of dollars per year. That will make facing an AI future a less unsettling prospect for everyone.

Iraq may gradually be turned into a platform for the US to exert pressure on Iran. This doesn’t mean that Baghdad will be directly involved in the conflict; rather, Iraq may be used as a political, intelligence, logistical, and border corridor as part of a broader anti-Iran strategy currently being developed by the US and Israel.

The latest events in Baghdad point to the likelihood of this scenario. In late June, Iraqi security forces blocked the entrances to the ‘Green Zone’ – a fortified area in Baghdad where key government institutions and foreign diplomatic missions are located – and carried out a series of raids. Several political figures were detained, some of whom, according to media reports, are associated with the bloc of former Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.

Officially, this is being presented as an anti-corruption campaign. But in Iraq – and generally, in the Middle East – anti-corruption cases are rarely just about corruption. Very often, they are driven by a power struggle, external influence, control over security forces, and an attempt to alter the balance within the elites.

Notably, this is happening after a shift in the political configuration of Iraq. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, a businessman and political newcomer, was presented as a compromise figure after a protracted crisis within the Coordination Framework (a council of major Shiite parties). His emergence on the political scene was the result of complex bargaining between domestic and foreign players.

Herein lies the main question: Is Iraq being prepared for war against Iran? Probably not. Iraq is viewed as a platform for pressuring Iran, not as an independent participant in the war. These are fundamentally different things. Iraqi territory may be used for intelligence operations, pressure, logistics, special operations, work with the Kurdish factor, and control over border areas. However, this does not mean that the US will decide to launch a full-scale ground invasion of Iran. Currently, this option appears too risky and costly.

Nevertheless, Iraq is a very sensitive direction for Tehran. Factors like the shared border, US infrastructure, the weakness of certain state institutions, the autonomous Kurdistan region, competition between the elites, and the presence of armed groups make Iraq a convenient space for applying hybrid pressure. Instead of a direct strike via the Persian Gulf, the US may employ a more gradual approach, for example, by creating new flashpoints around Iran without declaring a major war. 

We may particularly note the incident that occurred last week near the city of Piranshahr in Iran’s West Azerbaijan Province. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the elimination of five terrorists who infiltrated the country through the mountainous border regions to commit acts of sabotage. 

Geography plays a key role in this matter. Piranshahr is located very close to the border with Iraq. Nearby is the Tamarchin Border Terminal, through which cargo flows from Iraq to Iran and further along regional routes. This is more than just a trading hub. It’s a sensitive area where border issues, logistics, the ethnical factor, and security issues converge.

In this situation, the Kurdish factor could become one of the key tools used against Iran. Firstly, it is a well-known fact that the Kurds are used by the US and Israel. Moreover, the border zone between Iran and Iraq has long been home to armed groups, historical contradictions, a complex ethnopolitical situation, and external influence. This is precisely why the clashes near Piranshahr cannot be viewed separately from the political processes in Baghdad. On the one hand, Iraq is witnessing a purge of political figures associated with previous pro-Iranian forces. On the other hand, the Kurdish border is becoming more active. Together, this creates a feeling that a network of pressure is being formed around Iran; Iraq, Kurdistan, the Persian Gulf, intelligence agencies, sanctions, infrastructure threats, and internal destabilization efforts are all part of it. 

At the same time, a full-scale ground invasion of Iran remains unrealistic. Iran cannot be quickly suppressed by means of a ground invasion because of its vast territory, difficult terrain, powerful security apparatus, significant mobilization resources, missile potential, and a network of allied structures in the region. Any attempt to use Iraq as a staging ground for a direct invasion would almost inevitably lead to retaliatory strikes against US military facilities in Iraq, the energy infrastructure of the Gulf states, and the logistics of US allies.

In other words, Iraq looks less like an independent participant in a future war and more like a convenient platform for pressuring Iran; it could be used for political reorientation, intelligence and logistics, work with the Kurdish forces and armed groups, and limited operations against Tehran.

This scenario appears more likely as of today. The US may hesitate to launch a full-scale ground war against Iran, but it could very well use Iraq as a territory for gradually weakening Iranian influence. The events in Baghdad and Piranshahr demonstrate that preparations for a new war against Iran are proceeding quietly and systematically.

A deadly blaze swept through a bar in Bangkok, Thailand, late on Sunday, leaving at least 28 people dead and dozens more critically injured, the authorities have reported.

According to eyewitness accounts the fire originated near the bar’s music stage and quickly spread, with many customers getting lost in the smoke and becoming trapped in the bathrooms in the ensuing panic.

At least 71 people were injured, with 25 remaining in critical condition, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration reported on Monday.

“When the power went out – for instance, at the restroom entrance – visibility dropped to zero. Everyone tried to exit, but the restroom had no windows; it was a dead end,” Thai national police chief Kittharath Punpetch said in a press briefing on Monday.

Thai police have begun focusing their forensic investigation on the area above the venue’s music stage as they work to determine what caused the deadly fire, he added.

The police will investigate the owners for negligence amid reports that the emergency exits were blocked, he said.

Terrifying video from the night of the incident shows a plume of fire shooting out of the bar’s front entrance, as customers run out surrounded by the flames.

Harrowing footage from inside the bar shows people choking on smoke as they run out of the darkened venue.

The Chatuchak District Office has issued an order closing the establishment for 30 days while the investigation takes place.

The bodies of 15 tourists who drowned in a speedboat accident in Vietnam on Saturday afternoon have been returned to India.

The vessel was ferrying 32 Indian tourists and four Vietnamese crew members when it capsized, shortly after departing Hon May Rut Ngoai island, authorities said.

The bodies were flown from Ho Chi Minh City to Mumbai on Monday, the Indian embassy in Vietnam posted on X. The embassy said earlier that 16 survivors had been discharged from a local hospital and were returning to India. All the deceased were from the south of the country.

The mortal remains of the 15 Indian nationals have departed from Ho Chi Minh City to Mumbai by Vietnam Airlines flight VN 979 and will arrive at 2130 hours local time.

The State Governments of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu will coordinate transportation of mortal remains…

— India in Vietnam (@AmbHanoi) July 13, 2026

The boat overturned within minutes of departure when a large wave hit it, AP reported. The boat swerved in rough waters before it capsized. Rescue teams arrived within five minutes and pulled survivors from the water.

One survivor, who is in critical condition, has been transferred to Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City for specialized treatment.

The tourist group was on a trip organized by a smartphone manufacturer for its employees, distributors, and retail partners.

The accident occurred about 6 miles south of Phu Quoc, Vietnam’s largest island and one of its most popular beach destinations, which attracts millions of domestic and foreign tourists each year.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that any Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory will be met with significantly stronger retaliation. 

Putin made the remarks on Monday while addressing the ‘All for Victory!’ forum organized by the All-Russian People’s Front, where he discussed the Ukraine conflict and Moscow’s response to Western backing for Kiev. 

“Our response will always mirror any strike on Russian territory. We will respond in kind – only several times more powerfully,” Putin said. “The enemy will feel it. They already do, I hope. And they will feel it even more in the future.” 

Russia’s strength lies in its ability to overcome “every difficulty and every challenge,” while the “Russophobic” part of the collective West continues to wage a campaign against the country, Putin said. 

Despite the pressure, Russia is “developing its economy, strengthening its financial system, modernizing its Armed Forces and expanding its defense industry,” he said, adding that these efforts are already changing “the situation on the battlefield.” 

“Our fighters are advancing,” Putin said. “That is why there is no doubt we will achieve victory.” 

In late June, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky announced a 40-day pressure campaign, combining long-range strikes and clandestine operations aimed at inflicting economic damage on Russia. 

Moscow has condemned the attacks as indiscriminate acts of terrorism intended to distract from Ukraine’s battlefield setbacks, responding with an expanded campaign of long-range strikes. 

India’s private sector players are increasingly taking up hardware and equipment manufacturing as the country ramps up defense production, seeking to reduce its reliance on costly imports, RT India reports.

India’s annual defense production surged to an all-time high of $18.64 billion in the financial year (FY) 2025-26. This is a 15.6% increase on the previous financial year’s $16.13 billion, and a 110% surge since FY 2020-21, when the figure was $8.86 billion.

The private sector’s share of this ramp-up is noteworthy, considering defense production has traditionally been a preserve of India’s public sector. The private sector contributed nearly a fourth, or 24%, of the total production in FY25-26, up from 22% in FY 2024-25, official figures show.

India was the second largest arms importer globally in the 2021-2025 period, with a 8.2% share. Russia is India’s primary supplier, accounting for 40% of its arms imports.

From cutting-edge drones to deep-tech supply chains, and precision electronics to autonomous systems, private players are now producing a whole gamut of defense equipment for the Indian military.

Indigenous innovation is also steadily becoming a key pillar of military modernization in line with the country’s Make-in-India initiative.

Considering that high-value programs such as the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft stealth fighter project are reportedly being offered to private firms to bid for, the intent becomes clear, former vice chief of the Indian Army, Lt. Gen. Philip Campose, told RT.

An example of this private sector bounce is Botlab Dynamics, an IIT Delhi startup, which has expanded into military technology through its defense vertical Vyod.

Its flagship platform, the Atri Nano Drone, weighs around 250 grams and offers real-time situational awareness on the battleground with a 2-km range, 30 minutes of endurance, thermal imaging, and encrypted live video.

The drones, which can aid troops to identify threats without exposing themselves to danger, take just seconds to deploy.

The Indian Navy and Army have such surveillance drones in operation. Behind every drone lies an extensive supply chain of small businesses and specialized manufacturers across India, RT reported.

Amid India’s renewed push for military modernization following last year’s brief clash with Pakistan, the role of these deep tech start-ups is becoming more important than ever for the country.

Ukraine’s ambassador to the US, Olga Stefanishyna, is expected to leave her post as she faces a corruption probe over a cut-price Kiev apartment purchase, the Financial Times has reported.

The development comes as Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky launches a sweeping government reshuffle following his meeting with US President Donald Trump at last month’s NATO summit, less than a year after a previous cabinet shake-up. Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko is set to step down and according to media reports is expected to replace Stefanishyna in Washington.

A June 2025 investigation by Ukrainian outlet Hromadske alleged that Stefanishyna’s mother, Nadezhda Kravets, purchased a 100-square-meter apartment in Kiev’s Lvivska Ploshcha residential complex in the fall of 2022 for just 3.04 million hryvnias (around $83,000). Comparable units from the developer were selling for about 12 million hryvnias ($300,000) at the time, according to the outlet.

Hromadske also reported that the Lvivska Ploshcha apartment was absent from Stefanishyna’s asset declaration. She did disclose another 74-square-meter apartment owned by her mother in Kiev, but journalists said they found no trace of that property in the state real estate registry. The outlet noted that the database only became fully operational in the early 2010s and does not include all older records.

Stefanishyna later denied any wrongdoing in an interview with investigative outlet Bihus.info, saying her parents had invested in the apartment in 2019, when units were selling for about 29,000 hryvnias (around $1,100) per square meter. 

Prior to her Washington assignment, Stefanishyna served as Ukraine’s deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration and as minister of justice.

The reshuffle comes as Kiev faces mounting military and economic pressure alongside a series of high-profile corruption scandals. Last November, Western-backed anti-corruption agencies uncovered an alleged $100 million graft scheme at state energy giant Energoatom involving businessman Timur Mindich – known in Ukrainian media as “Zelensky’s wallet” – along with former Energy Minister German Galushchenko and former Deputy Prime Minister Aleksey Chernyshov.

The United States has just marked a major anniversary, 250 years since it declared independence from Great Britain and, in theory, this should be a moment of national pride with another historical milestone passed, another reason for flags, fireworks, and speeches about destiny.

But the mood is not especially festive.

Two weeks before the anniversary, Reuters published a poll that captured the depth of American anxiety – and the numbers were grim. More than two-thirds (70%) of Americans no longer consider their country the greatest nation on Earth, while 64% believe American democracy is in danger. And 38% don’t believe the United States will survive another 250 years as a single country.

The answers split sharply along party lines, with Republicans still clinging more strongly to the idea of the exceptional country of prosperity and divine favor. Among Democrats, the mood is much darker and pessimism has become almost a worldview as the United States has arrived at its 250th anniversary in the middle of a profound crisis of belief.

In some ways, this resembles the crisis Soviet society experienced in the final years of the USSR. Of course, America never had an official state ideology in the Soviet sense and nobody in Washington promised to build communism at breakneck speed, but the US did have its own coherent vision of the future which it called the American Dream.

The first serious cracks appeared among millennials, the generation born between 1981 and 1996. Their parents got rich, bought homes, built savings, and traveled abroad, but they inherited student debt, unaffordable housing, unstable work, and the strange feeling that no matter how hard they run, the finish line keeps moving further away.

Older Americans told them the answer was simply to work as hard as they did, but younger Americans could see the numbers and how with comparable effort, earlier generations ended up far wealthier. 

So the old formula no longer worked and that undermined the idea of labor as an absolute virtue. If hard work no longer guarantees a decent life, then what remains? Freedom?

Americans are formally free in that they elect presidents and congressmen. Yet Congress is filled with elderly politicians who seem determined to change nothing and who often leave public life only when nature finally intervenes. Presidents speak beautifully on campaign trails, but once inside the White House, they usually follow the same old path so while the faces change, the machine remains and freedom, too, begins to look hollow.

Well, American society has developed two sharply different answers. The conservative right believes America can be saved by a return to pragmatism with a freer market, support for major entrepreneurs, ruthless efficiency in public spending, and a foreign policy less constrained by old ideological sermons about democracy and human rights. In this view, America must stop trying to lecture the world and start taking care of itself.

The progressive left believes the opposite, that the pillars of liberal democracy mustn’t be abandoned, but that the economy needs radical restructuring. National wealth, they say, must be distributed more fairly and big business, especially in the technology sector, is viewed with deep suspicion. The new villains are “tech feudal lords,” billionaires whose power appears to rival that of the state itself.

Both camps agree on one thing, that the current order is exhausted, but they simply disagree on what should come next.

Donald Trump was supposed to test the right-wing answer in practice and his supporters expected a revolution in a break with the old elite, a new economic nationalism, a government that would stop apologizing and start acting because he promised all of that.

But Trump’s presidency has shown the limits of his movement in that there’s not much of a system and Trump doesn’t think in historical categories, but in terms of Trump. If it were up to him, Washington would be filled not with a new national doctrine, but with golden ballrooms and monuments to his own greatness.

So now disillusioned by the right, America is glancing left, although the country doesn’t yet trust the left nationally. But locally, especially in big cities, voters are increasingly willing to experiment, with Zohran Mamdani, the openly socialist mayor of New York, an obvious example. This is no accident as the largest cities are where the contradictions of modern America are most visible in terms of housing costs, inequality, migration, crime, decaying infrastructure, and anger at remote elites.

If socialist policies succeed at city level, their supporters will soon claim they are ready for higher office.

And what will their opponents do then? They could accept defeat or they may decide that their America can no longer live under the same roof as the other America, which is the real question behind the anniversary. Not whether the United States has had a remarkable 250 years, because it has, but the question is whether it still has a common future.

Perhaps America will find a new compromise and perhaps it will reinvent itself again, as it has done before, but perhaps its two political tribes have already begun traveling in different historical directions.

If, over the next 250 years, US history follows that road toward a civilized or uncivilized split, it won’t be because Americans lacked flags or speeches, it will be because the country’s old promise stopped convincing its own people.

This article was first published by the online newspaper Gazeta.ru and was translated and edited by the RT team

Germany will fund the purchase of 50,000 attack drones for the Ukrainian military, Reuters has reported, citing informed sources.

Ukraine has intensified its drone attacks on energy infrastructure and residential areas inside Russia in recent months amid continued setbacks on the front line, targeting the country with several hundred UAVs per day on average. Among other things, there has been an increase in incidents where FPV drones, including AI-guided models, have hit passenger buses and private vehicles.

On Wednesday, at least 11 civilians were killed and a dozen others wounded in drone strikes across Russia, according to local authorities. Moscow has responded to these attacks by launching large-scale missile and UAV raids against military-related targets in Ukraine.

The drone order made by the German government involves low-cost Shrike first-person-view UAVs, Reuters said in an article on Sunday.

Auterion CEO Lorenz Meier told the agency that the contract for the Shrike drones was worth about €90 million ($103 million) and that it had been bankrolled by “a European country.” Some of the UAVs have already been supplied to Kiev, and the rest are expected by the end of 2026, he said.

According to Meier, Auterion is providing software to at least 100,000 drones from various manufacturers this year, which are paid for by several Western governments and intended to be delivered to Ukraine. This includes a $50 million Pentagon contract for 33,000 UAVs that have already been supplied to Kiev, he added.

SkyFall confirmed Germany’s involvement in the deal when contacted by Reuters, but refrained from providing any further details. The defense ministries in Berlin and Kiev declined to comment.

Germany has been the biggest supporter of Ukraine in the EU since the escalation between Moscow and Kiev in February 2022, with the amount of military aid provided by Berlin amounting to some €55.5 billion ($63.4 billion), according to government data.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said last week that “it is high time Berlin put an end to the aggressive war [it is waging against Russia] by proxy of the Kiev regime.”

Slovakia was not the only NATO state that refused to participate in the bloc’s latest military aid package for Ukraine, the country’s president, Peter Pellegrini, has said.

During the summit in Ankara, Türkiye last week, NATO members pledged to provide Kiev with €70 billion ($80 billion) in military equipment, training, and other assistance this year and to sustain at least the same level of financial support in 2027.

In an interview with broadcaster TA3 on Sunday, Pellegrini rejected claims that Bratislava was alone in declining to contribute to the package during the gathering in the Turkish capital.

“That is simply not the case. The Hungarian Prime Minister [Peter Magyar] spoke clearly on this matter, stating that Hungary would not provide any military or financial aid to Ukraine. The Czech Prime Minister [Andrej Babis] expressed the exact same position right at the negotiating table and there were other prime ministers, who also will not participate in those 70 billion,” he said.

Overall, Pellegrini described the NATO summit as “constructive,” but expressed regret that it focused on boosting military aid to Kiev and strengthening its air defenses and the ability to hit targets deep inside Russia, while “very little, if any, time has been devoted to when and how to start diplomatic negotiations.” 

“There is no purely military solution to this conflict. If this continues, it will be a war of attrition for several years, in which thousands of innocent people and tens of thousands of soldiers will be dying every month,” Pellegrini said.

After Robert Fico returned as Slovak prime minister in October 2023, Bratislava halted military supplies to Kiev. It also consistently criticized EU sanctions against Russia and called for a diplomatic solution to the Ukraine conflict.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova last week described the NATO summit as “humiliating” for Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky.

“He once again rolled out his usual wish list, begging for missile and air defense systems… while touting Ukrainian military’s terrorist capabilities. NATO members offered no meaningful response to these appeals,” Zakharova argued.

US President Donald Trump has claimed that America is “taking over” the Strait of Hormuz from Iran, and will act as the “guardian angel” of the key waterway “and get paid for it.” Tehran has earlier declared the strait closed, blaming “hostile actions” by US forces.

Speaking by phone to ‘Fox & Friends’ on Monday, Trump said Iran was getting its “ass kicked” in the war against the US, asserting that the country’s navy, air force and missile capabilities had been “virtually annihilated” and listing senior Iranian leaders he said had been killed. 

He added that US troops were continuing to carry out strikes against Iranian targets after he declared a ceasefire with Tehran to be “over” this past weekend.

“We’re taking over the strait. They’ve got nothing,” Trump said, arguing that Washington should have dealt with what he called the Iran threat “47 years ago.” He accused successive US presidents of having been “tapped along” by Tehran without taking decisive action.

Control of the Strait of Hormuz – a vital route for global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments – has emerged as a major flashpoint in the Middle East conflict, which was triggered by a surprise joint US Israeli attack on Iran on February 28 which cost the life of the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several members of his immediate family.

1/
Due to recent hostile actions by the US forces, passage through the #Strait_of_Hormuz is currently unfeasible. As soon as stability and calm are restored, all applications will be reviewed in accordance with the scheduled timeline, and the permitting process will resume.

— PGSA | نهاد مدیریت آبراه خلیج فارس (@PGSA_IRAN) July 13, 2026

Tehran has formally declared the strait closed, blaming “hostile actions” by US forces in a post on X on Monday by Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority, which said passage would only resume once “stability and calm” are restored.

Regular exchanges of strikes stopped after a ceasefire in April, which led to the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on June 17. Hostilities have since resumed as the sides clashed over the interpretation of the MoU and the status of the strait. The US continued striking targets in Iran early on Monday, marking the fourth consecutive night of bombardment. Iran responded by firing missiles and drones at US military sites in Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman.

Under the MoU, Iran pledged to use “its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge” during the 60 day period and to negotiate with Oman over “the future administration and maritime services” in the strait. Tehran has maintained that it has the right to regulate traffic, collect tolls and require ships to use a designated route. 

Washington has demanded that Iran declare the strait fully open and has been guiding vessels along a route closer to the Omani coast, which Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has denounced as “illegal.”

South African police have arrested a British citizen wanted in the UK over the alleged murders of his wife and two young daughters, saying he was found with an illegal firearm in Johannesburg.

The 45-year-old suspect, Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, who is of Zimbabwean origin, was due to make his first appearance at the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday, according to South African Police Service (SAPS) national spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe. She said Tshuma would appear before the court on two separate matters: extradition proceedings to the UK and a charge of possessing an illegal firearm in South Africa.

Mathe confirmed that South Africa had received a provisional extradition request from Interpol Manchester through Interpol Pretoria, outlining the allegations against Tshuma relating to the deaths of his wife and two daughters. ”We will be awaiting a full extradition request within 40 days that will include the UK case docket, as well as supporting evidence,” Mathe said, adding that the second matter before the court relates to the illegal firearm allegedly found in Tshuma’s possession.

Mathe stressed SAPS had worked closely with UK authorities through Interpol throughout the investigation. ”We are all Interpol member countries. We share intelligence, we share information, and we assist each other with cross-border and international investigations,” she said.

Asked whether Tshuma had been harboured or assisted while in South Africa, Mathe said investigators had found no evidence to suggest that he had been protected. ”Absolutely not. He was not harboured. We worked closely with different stakeholders, including his family, to apprehend him,” she said.

The three victims were found at the family’s home in Great Denham, near Bedford, after police forced entry on Monday following concerns that they had not been seen for several days.

Acting National Commissioner Lt Gen Puleng Dimpane praised the officers involved in the operation, describing the arrest as an example of effective cooperation between specialised SAPS units and international law enforcement partners.

According to Sky News, Tshuma left the UK on Saturday, two days before the bodies were discovered, flying from London Heathrow Airport to Zimbabwe on a British passport. Police later released CCTV images of him at the airport as part of efforts to trace his whereabouts. ITV News reported that Tshuma owns and operates a property business, Nexus Trove Holdings, from his home in Great Denham. The company’s latest filings show it held assets of just over £1 million (about R24 million) at the end of 2024.

First published by IOL

Russia has no intention of providing proof to the Baltic states over claims that they allowed Ukrainian drones to use their airspace for attacks on Russian territory, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia last week issued a joint demarche after Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said Moscow had “verified data” showing that Baltic states had provided air corridors for Ukrainian drones attacking Russian civilian infrastructure.

The three countries said the accusations were “completely unfounded” and denied opening their airspace for the strikes.

Responding to the demarche on Monday, Peskov stated that Russia’s military and special services “see where things fly from and how they fly.”

“This is well known to everyone, and we are not going to prove anything to anyone here,” he said, adding that Moscow is closely tracking the sources of threats to Russian border areas and regions deeper inside the country.

Russia has repeatedly noted that Ukrainian drones have crossed or crashed in Baltic airspace while targeting Russian territory. Moscow has argued that such routes would require either the consent of the countries involved or a failure of their air defenses.

Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said in June that Tallinn was “not happy” about Ukrainian drones entering its airspace, but added that Estonia was not telling Kiev to stop because the incidents were part of the conflict with Russia.

Moscow has accused the Baltic states of playing with fire by allowing their territory to be used for hostile actions. Russian officials have warned that if neighboring countries knowingly help facilitate Ukrainian drone strikes, Moscow would consider them complicit in the attacks and would have the right to self-defense under the UN Charter.

Nigerian security forces have rescued dozens of schoolchildren and teachers abducted nearly two months ago, when gunmen attacked three schools in the southwestern state of Oyo, the West African nation’s authorities have confirmed.

The military, police, and intelligence agencies completed the operation on Friday, during which eight suspected militants were arrested and an unspecified number were killed, according to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu.

“This successful military operation has ended the siege and standoff of over 50 days and has brought relief to the entire nation and the affected families in particular,” Tinubu said in a statement.

In a separate statement, the Nigerian Army said 44 students and teachers had been freed following an intelligence-led operation in the Old Oyo National Park and other parts of the country.

The military said multiple arrests disrupted the kidnappers’ leadership, informant network, hideouts, and supply routes, forcing the group to release the hostages unconditionally. It added that security personnel suffered casualties during the operation, but did not provide details.

The gunmen reportedly entered the communities wearing military-style uniforms and took the captives into the Old Oyo National Park, a vast forest reserve extending toward neighboring Kwara State. The federal government later deployed a special rescue team and approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards in Oyo.

On Friday, President Tinubu vowed to “get justice for these children and their teachers and for the family of Mr. Oyedokun, who the terrorists gruesomely murdered.”

In Borno State alone, at least 76 students were abducted by armed groups in Askira-Uba Local Government Area between mid-May and June. Last month, suspected ISWAP militants kidnapped at least 36 students and a staff member from Government Day Secondary School in Lassa. On May 15, armed assailants also seized more than 40 students from the Primary and Junior Government Day Secondary School in the Mussa-Biri community, according to officials.

Russian and Chinese warships have conducted live-fire drills in the Yellow Sea as part of the annual Joint Sea naval exercises, the Russian Pacific Fleet announced on Monday.

The sea phase of the drills involved vessels from Russia’s Pacific Fleet and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy. The crews practiced countering modern threats, including simulated attacks by drones and unmanned boats.

Over several days, ships from the joint detachment, which included guided missile cruisers, submarines, destroyers, and rescue vessels, used naval artillery and shipboard machine guns to repel a mock attack by unmanned aerial and surface systems. Electronic warfare systems were also used to suppress a simulated mass attack.

The crews also practiced joint maneuvering, anti-submarine warfare, engaging simulated enemy surface vessels, and search-and-rescue operations, according to the Pacific Fleet.

The Joint Sea-2026 exercises began on July 6. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov previously stated that the drills are not directed against any country, and that military cooperation between Moscow and Beijing contributes to regional security.

Russia and China have expanded military cooperation alongside closer political and economic ties in recent years. Moscow and Beijing have described their relationship as a comprehensive strategic partnership, while repeatedly stressing that it is not directed against third countries.

An Indian sailor is missing after an attack on a commercial shipping vessel in the Strait of Hormuz area on Saturday.

The Cyprus-flagged GFS Galaxy was attacked off Oman’s northern coast while transiting the Strait of Hormuz as the shaky ceasefire between Iran and the US unravelled. Search operations are continuing for the missing sailor, while 23 crew members were rescued and given medical aid.

“Of the 11 Indian nationals on board, ten have been rescued so far, while one Indian National is reportedly missing,” India’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. New Delhi condemned the attack, saying the targeting of civilian shipping and infrastructure in the region must end.

In June, three Indian sailors died when US forces enforcing a naval blockade of Iran fired on their vessel, the MT Settebello.

The deaths led to domestic pressure on the Modi government to raise the issue with the Trump administration, with India twice summoning US Chargé d’Affaires Jason Meeks to the Foreign Ministry in New Delhi.

Our statement on the attack on a commercial vessel off the coast of Oman ⬇️

🔗 https://t.co/JtqdfO6iJ0 pic.twitter.com/V6jD6zJOtx

— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) July 12, 2026

The GFS Galaxy, a container ship, issued a distress call after it was hit, which reportedly happened about 44 nautical miles off Musandam Governorate, Oman’s Maritime Security Center said in a social media post on Sunday.

The UK Maritime Trade Operation had earlier reported a fire on board a container ship. Authorities later said the crew abandoned the vessel and evacuated into a lifeboat.

India’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson termed the continued attacks on commercial shipping in the region “worrisome.” The ministry said New Delhi is coordinating with Omani authorities on the search and rescue operation.

The US on Sunday said it carried out fresh waves of attacks on Iranian targets in retaliation for Tehran’s strikes on a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran responded with a barrage of airstrikes targeting several countries in the Middle East, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Jordan.

The first time I saw Boris Johnson, he was dangling in mid-air in a safety helmet, Union Jack flags fluttering above him and his polished shoes tucked awkwardly beneath him. He looked like Mr. Bean after being accidentally ejected from an aircraft.

I couldn’t believe that this was the new prime minister of Britain, so I checked other photographs, assuming it might be Photoshop. But it wasn’t, and there he was, sitting in the same office once occupied by Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher.

That image has stayed with me because it captured something larger and made me ask what’s happened to Britain’s political elite, and to Western Europe’s more broadly?

Britain has changed prime minister repeatedly in recent years, and each new arrival has seemed more insubstantial than the last and compared with the major figures of the past, many of today’s leaders look lightweight and strangely unprepared for the seriousness of the offices they hold.

Elsewhere in Western Europe, the picture is no better, such as Emmanuel Macron who looks the part in a well-cut suit, but appearances only go so far. The photographs from his youth, the theatrical poses and the carefully managed presidential image all speak to a politics increasingly dominated by presentation, while even scenes from his marriage, such as the now-famous footage of Brigitte Macron appearing to strike him on a government aircraft, would have been almost unimaginable in the eras of François Mitterrand or Valéry Giscard d’Estaing.

Russia Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s contempt for them is therefore understandable given he’s a career diplomat formed in a different political culture, one in which statecraft was supposed to involve discipline and a sense of consequence. Faced with Western Europe’s current political class, he sometimes sounds like a man struggling not to say what he really thinks.

The problem is that these leaders may be transient, but the consequences of their decisions are not and while governments change, the submarines, cruise missiles, armies, tanks and aircraft remain and so do the strategic commitments, sanctions regimes, broken relationships and accumulated risks created by politicians who may be gone within a few years.

So why has the quality of Western Europe’s political leadership declined so sharply? One major reason is economic as over the past three decades, the business world has become far more attractive to ambitious and capable young people than public service. A vice president responsible for government relations at a large corporation can earn €1.5 million a year, often with bonuses, stock options and a generous severance package and politics can’t compete with that.

An English friend once told me that a former schoolmate of his might one day become prime minister and this wasn’t fantasy. The man had attended an elite school, had been politically active from a young age and was moving through the expected stages of a serious political career.

Then business intervened as he was offered a position so lucrative that the uncertain prospect of becoming prime minister no longer seemed especially attractive and, thus, his political career faded, not because he lacked ability, but because the private sector valued that ability more highly.

Yet Kissinger didn’t fully address another part of the problem, which is the American role in selecting and shaping much of Europe’s political class.

A notable number of European leaders have studied in the United States, attended American-funded programs or received support from US-linked foundations early in their careers and these institutions don’t simply identify talented young people, but they help shape their worldview.

This isn’t necessarily a matter of direct recruitment by intelligence services, because that’s a more difficult and unreliable process. The method is subtler, as young politicians are introduced to networks and encouraged to adopt a particular understanding of international affairs.

The result is a loyalty filter and independent-minded people rarely flourish in such systems. Those who advance are often the most adaptable and the most willing to repeat the approved language. In other words, the process doesn’t necessarily select the strongest candidates, but it selects the easiest to shape.

There are occasional mistakes, particularly in Poland where American institutions sometimes underestimate the ability of Polish politicians to imitate the language expected of them while retaining deeply nationalist instincts. Washington is wary of genuine Polish independence, but its candidate pool is limited, so compromises are made.

Republicans have traditionally relied on industrial and corporate networks, while Democrats have been supported by finance, arts, law, and media. A promising politician may spend several years in business, earn enough to become financially secure, and then return to public life with a house, and investments, but in Europe, the mechanism is almost the reverse.

Public pressure is constantly applied to reduce politicians’ salaries and privileges as the argument is always that they should cost less and appear more ordinary. Meanwhile, corporations offer increasingly extraordinary rewards to anyone with intelligence and connections so the predictable result is reverse selection.

The most capable people leave, while the ambitious ones move into business, consulting, finance, or lobbying and those who remain are often ideologues, careerists, eccentrics, or mediocrities with nowhere more attractive to go.

This process is now difficult to stop and the prestige of political office has fallen too far, while the rewards available in the corporate world have become too large and too obvious.

Much of Europe is therefore left with leaders who often lack competence and historical perspective and while they occupy powerful offices, many seem unable to understand the scale of the responsibilities they have inherited.

The danger isn’t merely that they look ridiculous, it’s is that they govern states possessing vast economic and military power and when weak people inherit powerful machinery, the consequences can be anything but trivial.

This article was first published by the online newspaper Gazeta.ru and was translated and edited by the RT team

Algeria and Mali have announced the restoration of diplomatic relations after a yearlong rift that erupted when Algiers shot down a Malian military drone near their shared border.

Malian government spokesperson Issa Ousmane Coulibaly said on Friday that the West African nation would allow its ambassador to return to Algiers as part of measures aimed at the “renewal of relations of cooperation and friendship” with Algeria.

Bamako has also decided to reopen its national airspace to all civilian and military aircraft originating from or destined for Algeria, Coulibaly said in a statement.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune confirmed on Saturday that the country’s ambassador would return to Mali.

Tebboune said the decision reflected his “steadfast and resolute commitment to restoring Algerian-Malian relations to their natural historical trajectory, based on mutual respect,” according to a statement published by state news agency APS.

Relations between the two African nations deteriorated in April 2025 after Algeria said it had shot down a Malian surveillance drone for allegedly violating its airspace. Bamako rejected the accusation and said the aircraft was destroyed over Mali.

The diplomatic fallout extended to Mali’s Alliance of Sahel States (AES) partners, Niger and Burkina Faso, which also recalled their ambassadors from Algeria during the dispute.

Algeria, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, all former French colonies, have troubled relations with France due to alleged interference. The AES countries have accused Paris of failing to respect their sovereignty and supporting the militants behind a longstanding jihadist insurgency in the Sahel.

Algeria’s ties with Paris have also been strained by historical grievances, France’s position on Western Sahara and migration disputes.

Russian security officers have thwarted a major plot by the Ukrainian intelligence agencies to smuggle AI-guided drones inside the country and use them to target a key defense industry enterprise and military airfields, the Federal Security Service (FSB) has said.

The failed operation, which was “unprecedented in scale and the level of threat,” had been prepared by Ukrainian spies with the direct involvement of their Western handlers, the agency said in a statement on Monday.

The FSB operatives were able to obtain information about plans by the Ukrainian intelligence agencies to deliver explosive-laden FPV drones and mobile ground control stations for them to Russia’s Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, it said.

All of the criminal actions of Kiev’s agents were then closely monitored and documented by the Russian special services, the FSB said.

The drone parts had been placed in containers and flown into Russia using fixed-wing UAVs and balloons, it said.

The drones parts ended up being delivered to areas adjacent to the Ukrainka airfield in Amur Region in Russia’s Far East and Shagol airfield in Chelyabinsk Region in the Urals, the FSB said. The UAVs had been assembled and prepared for deployment in garages rented by the suspects, it added.

The agency said that at that moment “the perpetrators and accomplices involved in the terrorist plots were detained.”

The operatives seized a total of 24 FPV drones, which carried explosive charges equivalent to more than 1 kg of TNT and were equipped with British, US, Canadian, and Swedish-manufactured, electronic warfare-resistant AI control modules, it said.

They also confiscated two mobile ground control stations, which were fitted with self-destruct charges, and communication devices used by the Ukrainians agent to contact their handlers, the FSB said.

Europe recorded more than 10,000 excess deaths last month which have been attributed to the ongoing heatwave, Reuters reported on Sunday, citing official mortality data.

Western Europe experienced its hottest June on record, with temperatures exceeding 40°C in parts of Germany, France, and Spain. Germany recorded a new national high of 41.7°C after breaking temperature records on three consecutive days, while France logged its hottest day ever, with temperatures reaching 43.8°C.

The prolonged heatwave has fueled wildfires, disrupted transport and infrastructure, and contributed to a rise in heat-related illnesses and drowning deaths across the region.

Figures published by EuroMOMO, a mortality monitoring network backed by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), showed that more than 9,000 of the excess deaths occurred among people aged 65 and older.

“It is difficult to explain this high excess mortality by anything but the extreme heat,” he added.

The EuroMOMO data are based on national mortality statistics from 27 European countries for the week of June 22-28, when the heatwave peaked across much of Western Europe. Researchers told Reuters there were no other known major factors, such as Covid-19 outbreaks, that could explain the spike to 10,650 excess deaths.

Around 2,700 excess deaths were separately reported in England and Wales during May and June, according to estimates by Imperial College London, the Met Office, and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, as cited by Sky News.

France, Belgium, and the Netherlands recorded 3,700 excess deaths last month, Reuters reported.

Extreme heat can kill by causing heat stroke or exacerbating cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, with older people among the most vulnerable.

Henri Kluge, the World Health Organization’s regional director for Europe, warned last week that European countries must prepare for “more deadly weeks,” as another heatwave was already forming over the Atlantic.

At least 11 civilians have been killed and more than ten others injured in Ukrainian drone attacks across Russian regions overnight, local authorities have reported. Over 340 UAVs were intercepted overnight, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

In Moscow Region, three people were killed in the settlement of Pionersky after a drone came down in a residential area. Three others were also injured, and five private homes caught fire.

The deadliest attacks were reported in Energodar, the city that hosts the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant. Seven civilians were killed and four others injured there on Sunday, Rosatom head Aleksey Likhachev said. A Ukrainian drone struck a bus stop in the morning, killing four people and injuring four others, one of them seriously.

Also on Sunday, an FPV drone hit a civilian car at the entrance to the city, killing all three people inside. According to local officials, Ukrainian UAVs then remained in the area after the attack, hampering emergency response efforts.

The Defense Ministry in Moscow reported on Monday morning that Russian air defense systems had intercepted a total of 342 Ukrainian drones since Sunday evening across multiple regions, including near the capital.

At least 300 people were evacuated from a Paris suburb after weapons were found in a vehicle near a synagogue.

The suspicious vehicle was discovered on Saturday evening in the busy suburb of Sarcelles, north of the capital, which is home to one of the country’s largest Jewish communities. Police established a security cordon around the area, which includes a cinema and several restaurants, and evacuated nearby premises.

AFP, citing police sources, said officers recovered an assault rifle and a handgun from the stolen vehicle. Bomb disposal experts found no explosives.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez described the rifle as a “military-grade weapon,” adding that it had been found near a synagogue in the Val-d’Oise department.

The French National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation into suspected participation in a “terrorist criminal organization” and preparations for a violent attack.

France, home to Europe’s largest Jewish population, has recorded a sharp rise in anti-Semitic incidents since the start of the Gaza War in October 2023.

The country recorded 1,320 anti-Semitic acts last year, triple the number recorded three years earlier. Such incidents accounted for more than half of all anti-religious offenses, despite Jews making up less than 1% of the French population.

In August 2024, an explosion outside a synagogue in the southern city of La Grande-Motte injured a police officer after two vehicles and the building’s doors were set on fire. A suspect was later arrested following a large-scale manhunt.

Speaking on Sunday at the unveiling of a statue honoring Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish army officer falsely convicted of treason in late 19th-century France, French President Emmanuel Macron warned of the resurgence of the “demons of anti-Semitism.”

Iran has warned that Arab states in the Middle East are legitimate targets for retaliatory strikes because they host US military bases.

The US continued striking targets in Iran early on Monday local time, marking the fourth consecutive night of bombardment. On Sunday, Iran responded by firing missiles and drones at US military sites in Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman.

In a statement carried by the media outlet ISNA late on Sunday, the Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the “barbaric” US attacks and accused the Gulf monarchies of turning their countries into “an arena for its illegal and criminal war against the Iranian nation.”

“The neighboring countries are obliged under international law to prevent the aggressor from using their territory and facilities to carry out military aggression against Iran,” the ministry added.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei responded by arguing that Iran’s actions were justified. “Iran does not ‘attack.’ Iran’s strikes on US military bases and assets stationed in the southern Persian Gulf constitute a legitimate and lawful exercise of its inherent right to self-defense under international law,” he wrote on X on Sunday.

The war began with a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28. Regular exchanges of strikes stopped after a ceasefire in April, which led to the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on June 17.

Hostilities resumed recently as the sides disagreed over the interpretation of the MoU and the status of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran declared closed to shipping in response to the US and Israeli strikes.

The US has launched a fourth round of strikes against Iran this week in response to attacks on commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

The move has put further strain on the memorandum of understanding (MoU) the two countries signed on June 17. Since then, both sides have accused each other of violating the accord.

“At 5 p.m. ET today, US Central Command forces began launching additional strikes against Iran to continue degrading its ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The Commander in Chief has directed the strikes to hold Iranian forces accountable,” CENTCOM said in a statement on X on Sunday. 

CENTCOM said several hours later that US forces had struck dozens of military targets, including air defense systems, radar sites, drone and missile facilities, and naval vessels.

Iranian media reported explosions in the southern part of the country, including in the port cities of Bandar Abbas, Sirik, and Jask, as well as on Qeshm Island.  Officials said at least eight towns were struck in Khuzestan, a coastal province bordering Iraq. The Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the strikes as “war crimes,” according to the state outlet Press TV.

In response, Iran launched missiles at Bahrain, triggering air raid sirens. Smoke was reportedly seen rising from the headquarters of the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet and Isa Air Base.

🇮🇷🇧🇭 Reports of heavy explosions in Bahrain

Source: Middle East Spectator, @TabzLIVE on TG / Writer: Oliver pic.twitter.com/3mwRwX6ZTy

— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) July 13, 2026

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claimed to have “completely destroyed” a Patriot air defense system at Ali Al Salem Air Base and a radar system at Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait.

The IRGC said on Saturday that it would keep the strategic Strait of Hormuz closed to all shipping until the US ends its “illegal interventions” in the region.

CENTCOM said US forces had struck more than 300 military targets over the previous three nights. On Sunday, Iran responded by launching missiles at five Gulf Arab states that host American bases.

The US and Iran have clashed over the interpretation of the MoU’s provisions regarding the Strait of Hormuz, which handles around a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil and LNG trade.

Under the agreement, Iran pledged to use “its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge” for 60 days and negotiate with Oman over “the future administration and maritime services” in the strait. Iran has insisted that it has the right to regulate traffic and collect tolls, saying ships must pass through a designated route.

The US, meanwhile, has demanded that Iran declare the strait fully open and has guided vessels along a route near the Omani coast, which the IRGC has denounced as “illegal.”

A US federal judge on Friday awarded Hunter Biden $1.7 million in damages in a defamation suit against Patrick Byrne, former Overstock.com CEO and outspoken backer of US President Donald Trump. 

The lawsuit had been dragging on since 2023, when Biden brought Byrne to court over repeated claims that he sought an $800 million bribe from Iran during his father’s presidency. Byrne alleged that in exchange for the massive payout, Biden promised to get some $8 billion in Iranian funds unfrozen and to ensure a softer stance in nuclear talks with Tehran.

While Byrne has insisted he believed the allegations to be genuine, he failed to “provide to this court, throughout the course of litigation, any documentary evidence that could allow a reasonable person to believe the story to be true,” the judge said in his ruling. Moreover, the court found “ample evidence” indicating the defendant knew the claims were false but spread them nonetheless.

The claims disseminated by the defendant “went far beyond mere negligence,” and the former CEO acted with “intentional misrepresentation” and “conscious disregard,” continuing to spread the claims even after he was sued by Hunter and encouraging social media users to propagate them further. 

“The evidence is clear and convincing that [Byrne] has engaged in intentional misrepresentation with conscious disregard towards [Biden’s] rights,” the judge wrote in the ruling, which awarded Hunter $1.7 million in punitive damages.

Over the past years, Biden has been embroiled in assorted legal troubles and claims to have racked up a massive debt primarily stemming from court fees, even despite his father granting him a pardon for convictions on federal gun and tax charges in the last days of his presidency. Byrne is no stranger to controversy either, being one of the central figures of the scandal involving Russian gun activist Maria Butina, with whom he admitted to having an intimate relationship. Butina was ultimately convicted of “conspiring to act as an unregistered foreign agent” and expelled to Russia after serving a prison term. 

The affair prompted Byrne to step down from his executive role in 2019, with the businessman focusing primarily on political activism ever since. He has strongly supported US President Trump, including by backing the allegations that the latter was cheated out of the 2020 election win, as well as bankrolling legal efforts to challenge the outcome.

The Trump administration has served several New York Times journalists with subpoenas after the newspaper ran an article questioning the safety of the Air Force One jet donated by Qatar last year. The outlet has in turn accused the White House of attempting to suppress the freedom of the press.

On Thursday, the Times published an article claiming that the new presidential plane – dubbed by the media a “flying palace” and valued at around $400 million – lacks standard security features, including anti-missile defenses. Trump used it to travel to the NATO summit in Türkiye earlier this week.

However, the paper cited anonymous officials as saying that security flaws were the reason the US president abruptly swapped the new airplane for the old Air Force One on his return flight on Wednesday. The decision was supposedly made at the urging of the Secret Service.

According to the newspaper, shortly before the article was published, a senior FBI official reached out, asking that the piece be spiked on national security grounds. The official also reportedly pressed the newspaper to divulge its sources.

The paper described the development as an “extraordinary escalation in President Trump’s efforts to threaten and intimidate independent news organizations.” The writs reportedly were issued by US Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton “in regard to an alleged violation of federal criminal law.”

“The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects,” NYT lawyer David McCraw stated.

Trump has repeatedly branded mainstream media outlets “crooked” and accused them of displaying bias against his administration.

The donation of the Boeing 747-8 to the US government by the Qatari royal family was announced last May. Commentators at the time noted that it could be the most expensive gift ever given to Washington by a foreign government.

Trump defended the move, however, writing on his Truth Social platform that “it is a ‘gift from a Nation’ to the US government ‘NOT TO ME’.”

In a statement last month, the US Air Force acknowledged that the “collective team made trades on some of the less commonly used mission sets” when clearing the Qatari-donated plane for operation.

Meanwhile, the US Air Force’s contract with Boeing for two new Air Force One jets has been plagued by delays and cost overruns. Originally scheduled for delivery in 2024, the customized 747-8 aircraft are now expected to arrive as late as 2028.

Lindsey Graham is dead. And if we were to apply the old Spartan and then Roman adage “about the dead, nothing but the good,” then this is where this text would have to end. 

Some readers may find this shocking or unkind. But it is a fact that there is no way to write about the intriguingly sudden end of the long-term US senator from South Carolina in a ‘balanced’ manner and stay honest.

Graham was an almost cartoonishly evil man and since he was also very powerful, his moral depravity made a big difference to the lives of all too many. Downplaying that fact out of misplaced piety would be perverse; it would mean to disrespect the many victims of perfidious and brutal US and, in fact, Israeli policies of vicious violence and outrageous injustice that Graham promoted with every fiber of his being for his whole political life.

During the Gaza genocide, when challenged specifically about the Israeli mass killings of civilians, including women and children, Graham launched into what can only be called a psychopathic rant comparing the Israeli genocide of the Palestinians with American warfare against Germany in Japan in World War II (an intriguing comparison in and of itself, but that is another matter) and drawing the conclusion that Gaza should be flattened, including with nuclear weapons. Gaza has been flattened, and to his dying day, Graham never showed an ounce of compassion for those slaughtered by his Israeli friends and did everything he could to support that slaughter.

Speaking of Graham’s obvious subservience to Israel, the senator was, unsurprisingly, also a great fan of going to war with Iran, tirelessly calling for attacking it as violently as possible. He spread the Orwellian lies that Iran was about to pose a nuclear threat to the US and that its ballistic missile arsenal was a tool of reckless aggression, all to produce domestic support for yet another criminal American war. Himself addicted to hiding his foul character behind a bigoted and utterly fake Christian piety, Graham compared Iran’s leaders to Hitler and called them “religious Nazis,” thereby not merely offending brave men towering above him in moral and intellectual terms, but also helping to drum up propaganda for murdering them.  

It is an irony of history or, maybe, divine justice that he lived just long enough to see the US follow his insane and corrupt advice and suffer a geopolitically catastrophic defeat for it. 

Yet Graham was a monster long before the Gaza Genocide and the US-Israeli war against Iran. He was obsessed with brutalizing as many other countries and societies as possible. He could not see an opportunity for a war and not do his worst to make it happen. Graham’s record of warmongering is so extensive that it is hard to reproduce it in its entirety. Just shortly before his end, he had been calling for more US violence in Cuba, Lebanon, Nigeria, Venezuela, and Yemen – apart, obviously, from his eternal compulsion to scream for, in effect, more dead Palestinians and Iranians.

There is no other way of putting it. Lindsey Graham was an infernally bad man. And he was a revolting man: his viciousness was glaringly obvious. Graham was not a complicated case, a conflicted character, a man of light and dark. He was among the closest to pure, unadulterated, and shamelessly brazen evil many of us will ever lay eyes on. 

That is why it is telling – but not surprising – to see who is lining up to let us know how much they’ll miss him, that they were buddies with him, or what a wonderful person he was. Apart from Netanyahu, for instance, German chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO’s Trump bellboy Mark Rutte, Ukraine’s authoritarian leader Vladimir Zelensky, and, of course, AIPAC.

What these often abject condolences show is not merely the moral failure – polite term – of those who offer them. There is a more general and, in its way, worse point: Horrible as Graham was, he was also representative of the elites of the US and the West. Normal people would be ashamed to be seen with Graham, dead or alive; Western elites are boasting of their intimacy with him. 

Graham was explicit in displaying his genuine, sick joy in inflicting pain and misery on as much of the world as he could. Indeed, one way to describe him would be as an openly, enthusiastically sadistic imperialist. Graham was a depraved pervert of power who let it all hang out. But apart from his lack of filter, he was not an exception but typical. 

Graham was the ugly and all too realistic face of much of the West and its leaders in Washington. He is gone, everyone and everything else is still in place. 

Russian air defenses have shot down more than 60 Ukrainian drones approaching Moscow, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has said. Officials described the assault as one of Kiev’s largest attempted UAV raids on the Russian capital in recent years.

Sobyanin posted a string of updates on Telegram on Sunday as Russian air defenses continued to intercept incoming UAVs, with the number of drones downed near Moscow rising from 50 to more than 60 by the end of the day.

“Most of these drones were intercepted by air defense systems at long range before reaching the area,” Sobyanin said earlier, adding that around 300 UAVs had targeted the Moscow Region over the previous 24 hours. According to the mayor, only 45 drones were intercepted on direct approach to the city itself, with the majority destroyed farther from the capital.

The attacks also disrupted air traffic around the capital. Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) temporarily restricted operations at Moscow’s Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports, saying the measures were introduced to ensure flight safety.

The assault is the latest in a series of intensified Ukrainian long-range attacks. In late June, Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky announced the launch of a 40-day pressure campaign involving long-range strikes and clandestine operations, with the stated goal of damaging the Russian economy. The announcement was followed by an uptick in attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure, maritime traffic believed to be carrying Russian oil, and assorted civilian sites.

The bulk of the Russian strikes have been focused on the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, with multiple military plants, drone assembly and storage facilities, and weaponry stockpiles targeted over the past weeks.

Iranian drone strikes have destroyed a number of US HIMARS missile launcher systems in Kuwait, Fars news agency has reported. The outlet also said that three American officers were killed and several others wounded – a claim US Central Command (CENTCOM) has denied.

On Sunday, Axios journalist Barak Ravid reported, citing an unnamed US official, that Washington had carried out “a few strikes on missile and air defense systems,” as well as on Iranian Navy small boats, at several locations around the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s Press TV reported multiple explosions near Qeshm Island, sharing footage appearing to show smoke rising over the area. Qeshm is Iran’s largest island in the Persian Gulf and reportedly a key site for the country’s coastal defenses, radar systems, and naval assets.

BREAKING: Iran has just launched a large-scale surprise attack on Kuwait, with three ballistic missiles directly impacting US ATACMS ground-to-ground missile systems. Massive plumes of smoke rising. pic.twitter.com/jDliRlAAhp

— The Hormuz Letter (@HormuzLetter) July 12, 2026

Later in the day, Fars reported that Iranian forces had used drones to destroy the HIMARS launchers in Kuwait, which it said had been readied to fire on Iranian territory. The agency also said three ballistic missiles were fired toward Kuwait’s Al Mina area and a site housing a US ATACMS missile system, adding that US military assets in Bahrain, Qatar, Jordan, and Oman had also been targeted throughout the day.

Kuwait’s military confirmed that the country had come under attack but made no mention of the HIMARS claim or any American casualties, without pinning the blame on Iran. It said that three land border posts in the country’s north had been struck in a “criminal aggressive attack” that caused “material damage,” while a hostile drone hit an offshore drilling platform operated by the Kuwait Oil Company, injuring one worker.

The Russian military has conducted strikes on the Ukrainian port of Chernomorsk, in Odessa Region, hitting several moored vessels, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said.

The strikes were aimed at “diminishing the adversary’s capabilities to transport weaponry and military hardware in the Black Sea operational zone,” the ministry said in a statement on Sunday. At least four vessels were hit, including a ro-ro ferry, a bulker, a patrol boat, and a fishing vessel converted into a sea drone carrier, according to the ministry.

All the targets were hit by turbojet Geran-4 ‘Seeker’ drones, the MOD noted. The ‘Seeker’ variant of Russian UAVs is believed to be fitted with an AI-powered machine vision system, enabling such drones to search for, identify, and lock onto targets without input from their operators.

Footage released by the military was captured by the kamikaze drones on approach to their targets. The extent of damage sustained by the affected vessels was not immediately known, with no surveillance drone footage readily available.

All the drones involved in the attack appeared to have locked onto the superstructure of the vessels they targeted, the video suggests.

On Friday, the Defense Ministry said that Russian troops maintain the capability to penetrate any anti-aircraft defenses supplied to Kiev by its Western sponsors and “reliably hit any targets throughout Ukraine.” The ministry specifically singled out continuing strikes on “the Ukrainian seaport facilities, as well as against various vessels delivering weapons and military equipment to the [Vladimir] Zelensky regime.”

The European Commission is officially recommending the termination of the EU’s €2 million ($2.28 million) grant to the Venice Biennale over the reopening of Russia’s pavilion. The country returned to one of the world’s most prestigious art festivals this year for the first time since 2022 despite Brussels’ sanctions and pressure on Italian authorities to exclude it.

The announcement was made by Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the EU Commission for Democracy, on Saturday, who cited “a thorough assessment of the replies from the Biennale to justify the re-opening of Russia’s pavilion.”

“Culture in Europe – funded with taxpayers’ money – should promote and safeguard democratic values,” she wrote on X, claiming that Russia does not adhere to this standard.

Russia’s cultural exchange chief, Mikhail Shvydkoy, said that the pavilion would host “more than 50 young musicians, poets, and philosophers from Russia and other countries.” The show, titled “The Tree Is Rooted in the Sky”, he said, “is further proof that Russian culture is not isolated, and that attempts to ‘cancel’ it – undertaken for the past four years by Western political elites – have not succeeded.”

Ukraine separately imposed sanctions on individuals linked to running the pavilion, with activists, including members of the banned Russian punk group Pussy Riot, staging protests in Venice. The pavilion remained open during the preview days but closed for the remainder of the event, with organizers citing EU sanctions.

Biennale President Pietrangelo Buttafuoco refused to back down, accusing critics of censorship and narcissism. “The Biennale is not a court; it is a garden of peace. We cannot shut it down; we cannot boycott as an automatic response. We must discuss. We may disagree, and we do so forcefully,” he said in May.

Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini also criticized the EU’s push to defund the Biennale, saying that threats against Italian cultural institutions are “truly embarrassing.”

Shvydkoy branded the EU pressure as “disgraceful,” adding that “claims by the European establishment about being open to dialogue with Russia are empty.” He also accused Brussels of “blatant interference in Italian domestic politics.” 

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova argued that the EU is relapsing into “anti-culture, a condition that the West has been suffering from in recent years.”

Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky has announced a government reshuffle, with Prime Minister Yulia Sviridenko confirming the imminent overhaul of the cabinet.

In a post on his Telegram channel on Sunday, Zelensky wrote that “personnel changes will begin in Ukraine to ensure the implementation of the updated political strategy.” He added that he had discussed upcoming changes to the cabinet with Sviridenko.

The incumbent prime minister has confirmed that she is stepping down to take on another role in the new government.

Sviridenko and her cabinet were sworn in last July, replacing that of Denis Shmigal.

The latest reshuffle comes amid a quickly deteriorating situation for Ukrainian forces on the front line, compounded by deepening economic problems and a major corruption scandal involving Zelensky’s inner circle. The $100 million graft scheme uncovered by Western-backed anti-corruption agencies last November at Ukraine’s state-run energy giant, Energoatom, allegedly involved businessman Timur Mindich, dubbed “Zelensky’s wallet” by Ukrainian media, as well as former Energy Minister German Galushchenko and former Deputy Prime Minister Aleksey Chernyshov.

The probe has led to the resignation of several high-ranking officials, including Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andrey Yermak.

Ukrainian media has quoted MP Yaroslav Zheleznyak as claiming that Sviridenko could be appointed the country’s ambassador to the US, replacing Olga Stefanishina.

According to the media outlet Strana, Sergey Koretsky, chairman of the board at Naftogaz, the state-run oil and gas company, is being billed as the most likely successor to Sviridenko as prime minister. Zheleznyak speculated that Koretsky has a 99% chance of heading a new cabinet, with the decision all but finalized.

Koretsky is described by local media as a close associate of disgraced Ukrainian-Israeli businessman Timur Mindich, who fled to Israel amid the corruption scandal at the state-run energy giant, Energoatom.

Other contenders for the post of prime minister reportedly include Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov, former Prime Minister Denis Shmigal, and Kharkov mayor Igor Terekhov.

Local media, citing MP Zheleznyak, also claimed that personnel changes are imminent at helm of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) as well as the State Bureau of Investigation.

Commenting on the upcoming government reshuffle in Ukraine, Russian ambassador-at-large Rodion Miroshnik told TASS that Zelensky had taken the step “under pressure from external forces and it is dictated by the need to mop up the personnel legacy of his [former chief of staff] Yermak, who has come to symbolize corruption.”

The EU and NATO are reluctant to hand over new, bigger tranches of financial aid to those with ties to the former senior official, previously dubbed by some as Ukraine’s grey cardinal, according to the Russian diplomat.

Yermak was forced to resign last November after investigators from the Western-backed National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) raided his properties in connection with a probe into the kickback scheme at Energoatom.

Zelensky’s former chief of staff has since been charged in a separate money-laundering case.

Iran will not allow the US to violate the terms of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with impunity, Tehran’s top negotiator Mohammad Ghalibaf has said.

On Saturday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed to all shipping until the US ends its “illegal interventions” in the region. The move follows the third wave of American strikes against Iran this week.

Tehran allowed traffic through the key waterway, which accounts for some 20% global crude trade, as part of the MoU, which was signed by the sides on June 17 in order to extend the ceasefire and allow for more time to reach the final settlement of the conflict.

In a post on X on Sunday, Ghalibaf, who is also the speaker of the Iranian parliament, warned the US that “the era of one-sided deals is OVER.”

“We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking,” he wrote.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said earlier that it launched its latest bombardment of Iran after Tehran “blatantly” attacked the Cyprus-flagged container ship GFS Galaxy in the strait.

The IRGC maintains that it targets such commercial vessels because they are traversing the waterway via a shipping lane near the Omani coast, which was “illegally designating” by Washington, instead of taking the route mapped out by Tehran.

Iran later retaliated for the US strikes by hitting the American military facilities in Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman with drones and missiles, according to the IRGC.

Among other things, a command center and hangars housing US MQ-9 Reaper drones at Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan and a refueling facility for US aircraft carriers at the port of Duqm in Oman were struck, it said.

Western Europe is not being conquered by foreign armies. It is being dismantled by its own political elites. While millions of Europeans watch their countries change beyond recognition, the ruling class continues to celebrate the very policies driving that transformation.

The numbers alone should set off alarm bells across every EU capital.

According to demographic data compiled by Berlin’s Rockwool Foundation, the European Union’s foreign-born population has surged from around 40 million people in 2010 to approximately 64 million in 2025. Out of the EU’s total population of roughly 451 million, around 15% are now of non-EU origin. Even more astonishing, 7.3 million immigrants were added between 2023 and 2025 alone.

It is one of the fastest demographic transformations ever experienced.

The demographic revolution nobody voted for

The impact is concentrated overwhelmingly in Western Europe. Germany remains the primary destination, with its foreign-born population growing from around 10 million in 2010 to nearly 18 million today – already exceeding one-fifth of the country’s population. Similar proportions now exist in Spain, Belgium, Austria, and Sweden. Meanwhile, countries such as Poland remain at only around 2.6%, compared with the EU average of approximately 14%.

If anyone wants to see where Brussels intends to take the entire continent, they need only look at Spain.

On June 30, the application period closed for one of the largest legalization programs in modern European history. Hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants living and working in Spain became eligible to obtain legal status. The final number could ultimately exceed one million people.

Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the measure “an act of justice and a necessity.” Unable to secure parliamentary approval, his government amended immigration law by decree after previous attempts had stalled. He argues that Spain would lose 19% of its GDP by 2050 if migration were significantly reduced, while claiming that nearly half of Spain’s economic growth since 2022 has been driven by immigration.

Western Europe’s governing class increasingly speaks as if civilization can be measured solely by GDP.

Economic growth matters. But so do social cohesion, public trust, cultural continuity, and national identity. A nation is more than an economy. It is a shared history and a sense of belonging that cannot simply be imported.

Meanwhile, activist NGOs continue assisting illegal migrants in reaching Europe and navigating legalization procedures. Their supporters call it humanitarian work. The reality is different: a transnational political infrastructure that weakens national sovereignty, undermines border enforcement, and encourages further migration into Europe.

The price Europeans pay every day

The consequences are no longer abstract. Across Western Europe, citizens wake up almost daily to reports of knife attacks, gang violence, sexual assaults, riots, organized crime, and terrorist plots. These realities have become impossible to ignore.

Europe has also witnessed a deeply troubling resurgence of antisemitism. Jewish communities across the continent have reported sharp increases in antisemitic incidents, intimidation and threats, leaving many Europeans wondering how a continent that vowed “never again” now finds itself confronting hatred once more.

Yet citizens who raise these concerns are too often branded right-wing extremists instead of being heard.

Now another frontier is opening. France has begun debating whether non-EU foreign residents should be granted the right to vote and stand in municipal elections. Such a proposal would affect roughly six million people. Among others, Sweden, Finland and Luxembourg already permit many non-EU residents to vote in local or regional elections.

Mass immigration is no longer simply changing demographics. It is reshaping politics, culture, and ultimately the future character of European societies.

A wind of change in Brussels?

In June, the EU adopted its toughest migration line to date, seeking to increase deportations and establish detention centers outside the EU. Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Greece are already negotiating return hubs with third countries, largely in Africa, following Italy’s agreement with Albania.

When Brussels begins embracing policies it condemned only a short time ago, it is effectively admitting that the previous model has failed.

But these measures barely scratch the surface. Stopping tomorrow’s illegal arrivals does not undo decades of uncontrolled migration. It does not solve failed integration. It does not dismantle parallel societies. And it certainly does not restore public confidence that governments still control their own borders.

Whatever one thinks of the concept, its growing political momentum reflects a profound loss of confidence in the migration policies that have dominated Europe for the past decade.

‘Great Replacement’ as a matter of fact

Following the Remigration Summit in Porto this May, activists launched the Save Europe Act, the first patriotic European Citizens’ Initiative dedicated to stopping migration, strengthening Europe’s borders and protecting the ethnocultural identity of European nations.

The campaign has received support from figures including former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, VOX leader Santiago Abascal, Romania’s George Simion, Reconquête leader Éric Zemmour, and politicians associated with AfD, FPÖ and other patriotic movements. Millions of Europeans are demanding a fundamentally different course.

One of the central arguments advanced by these leaders is that the ‘Great Replacement’ is not a conspiracy theory but an observable demographic trend – and a political project.

The pressure coming from Donald Trump’s America has become one of the few external forces encouraging European leaders to rediscover the importance of borders, sovereignty and national identity.

Western Europe increasingly resembles a post-European political project, while much of Central and Eastern Europe continues to resist that trajectory, remaining more culturally homogeneous and more determined to preserve their historical identity.

The rest of the world understands this instinctively. China protects its borders. Japan protects its borders. India protects its borders. The Gulf states protect their borders. Every serious state recognizes that controlling migration is an essential attribute of sovereignty and security. Europeans should stop apologizing for expecting the same.

Equal partnerships instead of paternalism

At the same time, defending Europe’s borders should not mean turning away from the rest of the world. Europe should fundamentally rethink its relationships with Africa, Asia, and other regions. Instead of exporting liberal ideology, political social engineering and woke agendas, European governments should concentrate on helping partner countries tackle the objective drivers of migration: economic underdevelopment, insecurity, weak institutions, and the lack of opportunities that force millions to seek a future elsewhere.

Such cooperation should be based on mutual respect, not paternalism. Stronger African and Asian nations benefit everyone. Helping people build prosperous and secure lives in their own countries is more sustainable than encouraging the permanent loss of their youngest and most ambitious generations through mass migration. Europe should be a partner in development, not a magnet for demographic displacement.

The choice before Europe is therefore larger than immigration policy alone. It is a choice between a continent that governs itself and one that drifts wherever demographic and political currents carry it.

The demographic clock is ticking. Every year the numbers grow larger. Every year the political class asks Europeans to accept another exception, another amnesty, another compromise, another surrender.

There comes a moment when every civilization must decide whether it still possesses the confidence to preserve and develop itself. Europe is rapidly approaching that moment.

The US government has made its first payments to American personnel affected by the unexplained health condition known as ‘Havana Syndrome,’ the Pentagon has said.

The victims of the mysterious malaise have already received almost $3 million in compensation under the Havana Act of 2021, the Department of War said in a statement on Friday.

The department’s “commitment to mitigating non-kinetic threats remains absolute,” the statement read. The Pentagon will continue to improve care for those affected by ‘Havana Syndrome’ and “adapt to a dynamic operational environment,” it added.

The health condition got its name due to being first identified among US embassy staff in the Cuban capital, Havana, in 2016. According to the victims, its symptoms included headaches, dizziness, nausea, hearing loss, memory issues and difficulty concentrating.

Reports of American diplomats experiencing ‘Havana Syndrome’ have since emerged in China, Russia, Australia, the US itself and dozens of other countries, with over 1,500 cases registered globally.

There has been speculation about the malaise being the result of the deployment of an unknown microwave or electronic weapon. But a paper by the US National Intelligence Council last year said that most American spy agencies “assess that it is ‘very unlikely’ a foreign adversary is responsible” for the cases of the ‘Havana Syndrome.’

In 2024, The Insider, Der Spiegel and CBS’s 60 Minutes published a joint report, linking the health condition to the activities of a Russian intelligence unit.

At the time, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denounced the article as “nothing more than baseless, unsubstantiated allegation by the media.”

Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina has died at the age of 71, according to his official account on X.

Graham passed away on Saturday evening “from a brief and sudden illness,” a statement, published by the senator’s office on Sunday, read.

“Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” it added.

Emergency services responded to a call for “cardiac arrest” at Graham’s Capitol Hill residence on Saturday night, NBC reported after obtaining the police scanner audio. The broadcaster also said that it has seen photos of paramedics carrying a person on a stretcher from the senator’s home to an ambulance.

Graham’s death comes a day after his return from Kiev, where he met with Vladimir Zelensky on Friday. The lawmaker, who was a strong advocate of US military assistance to Ukraine and a harsh critic of Russia, has visited the Ukrainian capital at least ten times in recent years.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump described the senator as “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known... He was always working, and was a true American Patriot.”

Zelensky said in a post on X that he was “deeply saddened” by the passing of Graham, who he called “a staunch advocate for bipartisan... support for Ukraine.”

“We remained in constant dialogue, and I will miss our conversations. We met twice in just the past week,” he wrote, adding that in recent weeks the senator had been working on “stronger sanctions against Russia.”

Graham, who was first elected to the Senate in 2002, has made name for himself over the years as one of the most prominent warhawks in Washington.

He famoulsy called for the asasination of Russian President Vladimir Putin after the esclatation of the Ukraine coflict in February 2022.

During an appearance on Fox News, the senator cited historic examples of plots to kill famous political leaders, including Julius Caesar and Adolf Hitler. “Is there a Brutus in Russia? Is there a more successful Colonel Stauffenberg in the Russian military? The only way this … ends, my friend, is for somebody in Russia to take this guy out,” Graham said, referring to Putin.

During his trip to Kiev the following year, the senator described the US military aid being sent to Ukraine as “the best money we’ve ever spent” because “the Russians are dying.”

Speaking about Graham last year, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the lawmaker was part of “the group of the most inveterate Russophobes” in the West. The senator had been on Russia’s list of extremists and terrorists since 2023.

US Congressman Ro Khanna has said that armed Israeli settlers detained him during his visit to a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank, claiming that Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops sided with the settlers rather than helping his delegation.

Khanna, a progressive Democrat from California, has often criticized Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians and accused the US ally of committing genocide in Gaza, an allegation West Jerusalem denies.

According to the Hindu congressman, the incident occurred on Wednesday during a three-day fact-finding trip to examine the impact of the Israeli occupation on Palestinian communities.

He said masked Israeli settlers carrying US-made M4 rifles surrounded the van carrying him and his team as they visited the abandoned Palestinian village of Khirbet Zanuta, where they were inspecting a school that Khanna said had been destroyed by Israeli settlers.

“They block off the road. And then they call the IDF and the IDF is on their side, not on the side of the Americans,” Khanna said. The son of Indian immigrants, Khanna said the disturbing encounter made him “acutely aware of being brown.”

“I saw the arrogance in the eyes of those settlers, 21- and 22-year-olds with guns, laughing that they had detained us, the arrogance of those young IDF soldiers that my tax dollars are funding,” Khanna said, adding that the settlers and the soldiers had created “a toxic culture of oppression.”

Khanna, however, accused the Israeli government of “lying to cover up” for the troops and called for their arrest.

The incident came shortly after four Israeli settlers were arrested over an attack on a CNN crew and other journalists near the West Bank village of Sinjil, according to Israeli police. The reporters had been covering the first anniversary of the killing of Saif Musallet, a Palestinian American who was allegedly beaten to death by settlers in July 2025.

Israeli settlements on Palestinian land are illegal under international law. The UN has repeatedly condemned Israel for allowing the settlements to expand.

Politicians, journalists, and activists critical of Israel have been barred from entering the country or visiting the West Bank. In 2019, Israel blocked visits by US Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. Last month, Palestinian American activist Linda Sarsour was prevented from traveling to Israel.

American journalist Tucker Carlson said earlier this year that he had been briefly detained and questioned at Ben Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv after interviewing US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. Israeli authorities said he had been subjected to routine security checks.

Two people were killed and at least six others were injured in a mass shooting at the Salsa on St. Clair street festival in Toronto, Canada, on Saturday evening.

Police received reports of an active shooter shortly after 8 PM and cordoned off the area. The suspects remain at large.

“A large police presence remains in the area as officers continue their investigation. Please continue to avoid the area and follow directions from emergency personnel,” police said.

Videos from the scene show people running for cover after gunshots rang out.

People RUNNING OFF after Mass Shooting in Toronto’s Salsa on St. Clair Festival 😳 https://t.co/hr4ChzLq5d pic.twitter.com/VdyfrTfJiL

— RTN (@RTNToronto) July 12, 2026

Another video shows paramedics treating the victims.

#BREAKING: Bystanders are left in shock after a shooting during a festival in Toronto left two people dead and three others injured. 🤕🚨#Toronto #Canada #BreakingNews https://t.co/7fbknyd9f0 pic.twitter.com/PBr46OpJCD

— The Globe & News (@TheGlobeNewt) July 12, 2026

Frank Barredo, deputy chief of police, later told a news conference that “this seemed to be an exchange of gunfire between two individuals targeting each other.” He added that two firearms had been recovered from the scene.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said she was “disgusted and angered” by the shooting. “This was a reckless, despicable act of violence at a crowded festival,” she said.

Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has vowed to avenge his father and predecessor, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli airstrikes on his compound in Tehran on February 28.

Khamenei made the statement after his father was laid to rest at the Imam Reza Shrine in his hometown of Mashhad on Thursday. More than 43 million people attended weeklong funeral ceremonies across Iran and Iraq, according to Iranian state media. Some mourners carried placards calling for the killing of US President Donald Trump, chanted “Death to America,” and threw stones at a billboard depicting Trump with a bullet aimed at his head. 

“We pledge that we will take revenge for the pure blood of the martyred leader and all the martyrs of these two wars from the criminal and disgraced killers,” Khamenei said in a statement read on state television on Saturday.

“Revenge is the demand of our nation and must certainly be carried out. Soon, the free people of the world will carry out a part of this divine mission,” the statement added.

Trump threatened on Friday to “completely decimate and destroy all areas of Iran” if Tehran attempted to assassinate him. Several US media outlets reported this week that Israel had warned Washington of what it described as a new Iranian plot against Trump.

The US and Israel killed dozens of senior Iranian officials and military commanders during the first weeks of their bombing campaign. Trump recently argued that the ceasefire, first reached in April, was effectively “over” as the two sides clashed over the interpretation of the memorandum of understanding signed on June 17.

The US carried out a third round of strikes against Iran this week in response to continued attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran blamed the US for the “incidents,” accusing Washington of “illegally designating” a shipping route near the Omani coast. Tehran has insisted that all ships use the route designated by Iran.

The US has launched a third wave of strikes against Iran this week, shortly after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said the strategic Strait of Hormuz would remain closed to all shipping indefinitely.

The resumption of hostilities has put the memorandum of understanding (MoU) the two countries signed on June 17 under even more strain. The agreement was intended to pave the way for a lasting ceasefire and allow more time to negotiate a peace settlement.

In a statement on Saturday evening local time, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the new strikes were launched after the IRGC had “blatantly” attacked the Cyprus-flagged container ship GFS Galaxy, causing a fire in its engine room. One crew member is missing, CENTCOM said.

“The United States is imposing a heavy cost by continuing to degrade Iran’s ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the strait,” the US military added.

CENTCOM said US forces struck around 140 targets, including missile and drone sites, ammunition depots, and radar installations.

Iranian broadcaster Press TV reported strikes in the south of the country, including on the ports of Chabahar, Bushehr, and Sirik, which were also hit earlier this week. Air defenses were reportedly activated over Tehran.

Iran has responded by firing missiles at the Gulf states, with air raid alerts reported in Qatar, the UAE, and Bahrain. The IRGC said it had “destroyed” a command center and hangars housing US MQ-9 Reaper drones at Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan. The IRGC added that it had targeted a support and refueling facility for US aircraft carriers at the port of Duqm in Oman.

Shortly before the US attacks began, the IRGC Navy said it would keep the Strait of Hormuz closed to all shipping until the US ended its “illegal interventions” in the region. It also vowed to strike US bases in response to “any further aggression.”

The US, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar demanded that Iran stop targeting tankers after three ships were hit by projectiles earlier this week. In a statement on Saturday, the IRGC blamed the US for the “incidents,” accusing Washington of “illegally designating” a shipping lane near the Omani coast.

The US has used the lane to guide vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, which handles around a quarter of global seaborne oil and LNG trade.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has declared that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed to shipping until the US ends what it called its “illegal” interference in the region.

The statement came as the US reportedly pressed Iranian negotiators to declare the strait fully open to commercial shipping following talks with mediators in Oman on Saturday.

“The Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until further notice and until the end of US intervention in the region. No ship will be permitted to transit the waterway,” the IRGC Navy said.

“If the enemy uses the incident it itself caused as a pretext to make another mistake and launch a new act of aggression against us, it will be met with a forceful response, and enemy bases in the region will be targeted,” the Navy added.

The US carried out strikes on Iran on Wednesday and Thursday after several tankers were hit by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz. While Tehran did not publicly claim responsibility for the attacks, it had previously said that all ships transiting the waterway must follow IRGC instructions and use a designated shipping lane.

A Ukrainian drone struck a passenger bus in Starobeshevo in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) on Saturday, injuring nine people, regional head Denis Pushilin said.

Pushilin added that a civilian truck driver was killed and six other people were injured in attacks on highways across the DPR throughout the day. Another man was injured in a drone strike in Makeevka, he said.

Four people were injured in Ukrainian drone attacks in Russia’s Belgorod Region. One of the victims was a 13-year-old boy who sustained shrapnel wounds while riding a bicycle, local emergency services said.

Kiev has stepped up attacks on trucks and refineries in recent weeks, creating fuel shortages in Crimea and across western Russia. Strikes on the power grid have also caused blackouts on the Black Sea peninsula, which Ukraine claims as its own territory.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said earlier this month that although the attacks on energy infrastructure had caused disruptions, they would not stop the advance of the Russian army on the front line. Last week, Russia captured Konstantinovka, one of the last strongholds held by Ukraine in the DPR.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Aleksandr Novak said this week that the authorities would bolster air defenses and send additional fuel supplies to the regions hardest hit by the shortages.

The European Union has stooped to using dubious procedural loopholes usually employed by regimes in the developing world to pass controversial legislation, Pavel Durov has argued.

The Telegram co-founder was referring to the contentious regulation that allows tech companies to scan their users’ messages, ostensibly to detect child sexual abuse material.

In a post on X on Friday, the entrepreneur wrote: “Once typical of banana republics, such tricks are now used by the EU to pass surveillance laws.”

Durov’s comment came shortly after the European Parliament voted on Thursday to revive what critics have dubbed ‘Chat Control’ legislation. Temporary guidelines greenlighting snooping had originally lapsed in April after MEPs had failed to find common ground amid an outcry over privacy concerns.

However, Parliament President Roberta Metsola asked EU leaders to restart talks on the regulation, with the European Council granting her request, meaning that the proposal was again put to a plenary vote in the bloc’s legislature.

According to the Euractiv media outlet, four EU commissioners also put pressure on lawmakers to pass the legislation.

The center-right European People’s Party (EPP), of which Metsola is a member, arranged for the vote to be subject to a rarely-invoked legislative procedure, which requires an absolute majority of at least 361 MEPs to axe or amend a proposal. The vote was held the day before summer recess, when full attendance was highly unlikely. As a result, the scheme was passed despite opposition from most present lawmakers.

Commenting on the development, Rand Hammoud from Europe’s Center for Democracy and Technology denounced what he characterized as “highly politicized procedural efforts” to ram the proposal through.

“When the largest group uses its political weight to force another vote on a mass-scanning measure that already failed, that should concern anyone who cares about institutional integrity,” he told Euractiv.

“It is impressive to see the European Parliament being backstabbed by its own president,” Simeon de Brouwer from the civil society network Edri concurred, as quoted by the media outlet. He warned that the ‘Chat Control’ law allows tech companies to “snoop without a warrant, with little to no oversight, and with no legal basis, on millions of conversations.”

Meanwhile, a broader ‘Chat Control 2.0.’ framework is reportedly being prepared that would force tech companies to snoop on end-to-end encrypted communications, which are currently exempt from scans.

Poland has commemorated the anniversary of the Volhynia massacre, a large-scale ethnic cleansing operation perpetrated by Ukrainian Nazi collaborators during World War II and a hot-button topic that sparked a recent diplomatic clash between Warsaw and Kiev.

Multiple events were held across Poland on Saturday to honor the victims of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), the armed wing of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN). The commemoration is tied to events of July 11, 1943, also known as Bloody Sunday, which marked the height of the massacre when nearly 100 Polish-populated towns across Volhynia were attacked. According to Polish estimates, at least 100,000 ethnic Poles were killed between 1943 and 1944 in Volhynia and Eastern Galicia regions, which are now largely part of modern Ukraine.

The commemorations were attended by top Polish officials, with President Karol Nawrocki making an appearance at a ceremony in the village of Radruz, one of the targets of the OUN-UPA militants. 

The president pledged to take further action against the Ukrainian nationalist ideology, arguing in favor of outlawing the red-and-black flag of the OUN-UPA. The banner has been widely used by present-day Ukrainian nationalists, as well as incorporated into emblems of multiple units within the country’s military. 

“We do not want to see it in Poland – and I will do everything to ensure that it is not present in Poland. I believe that the Polish parliament will pass the relevant law,” he said, comparing the flag to Nazi Germany memorabilia. 

“It is the same as the ‘Blut und Boden’ (‘Blood and Soil’) flag. That is what it meant, and behind it lay – and still lies – the entire ideology of Ukrainian nationalists who killed Polish women and children,” he stressed.

Footage from the village of Domostawa, the home to a contemporary monument honoring the Volhynia massacre victims, shows dozens of people attending the solemn gathering. Unveiled in 2024, the monument has drawn some controversy over its brutal depiction of a child impaled on a pitchfork, somewhat resembling the Ukrainian heraldic trident.

The Volhynia massacre has remained an unresolved issue between Kiev and Warsaw. While Poland recognizes the massacre as genocide, Ukraine celebrates its perpetrators as ‘freedom fighters’ and national heroes. The tensions reignited last month when Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky named one of Ukraine’s commando units after “heroes of the UPA,” prompting Nawrocki to strip him of Poland’s highest honor. Several Ukrainian officials responded to the move by returning decorations received from Warsaw.

The Volhynia issue has already done a lot of damage to ties between Poland and Ukraine and is bound to spark a conflict within Poland itself in the future, leader of the Front party and former Polish MP, Krzysztof Tolwinski, told RT.

“The only thing is the outcome of this little war is a foregone conclusion – Russia will bring Ukraine back to normal and restore order there. Those who fought will never make peace with Russians; this is why they will end up on Polish territory. And this is when an internal conflict will begin, a real inevitable one,” Tolwinski stated.

Civilians from the recently-liberated Donbass city of Konstantinovka have shared their harrowing stories of abuse at the hands of Ukrainian troops exclusively with RT’s Roman Kosarev. By contrast, Russian forces helped evacuees to navigate their way to safety, at times risking life and limb.

The Russian military announced last Friday that its forces had seized the heavily fortified Ukrainian stronghold, which is part of the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk-Konstantinovka agglomeration in the northwest of Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR). Commenting on the development, President Vladimir Putin said that Konstantinovka is the “key to liberating the entire” region.

On Saturday, RT correspondent Kosarev visited the city of Gorlovka, where several temporary accommodation centers for refugees from the locality had been set up. He spoke with some of the civilians who had managed to make it out of Konstantinovka alive and reached Russian positions.

Ukrainian troops viewed residents who remained in the city as potential traitors, with men also living in constant dread of being forcibly mobilized, RT’s correspondent heard. Kiev’s forces would strike houses where civilians were holed up with kamikaze drones, according to the refugees’ testimonies.

Cases of pillage were also an everyday occurrence in Konstantinovka, with Ukrainian military personnel taking pretty much anything they wanted from any house, the survivors recounted.

Refugees also expressed gratitude to Russian service members, who took personal risks to help evacuate them from the danger zone. Drones proved particularly useful in guiding civilians toward relatively safer positions, where they were greeted by Russian troops.

Watch the full report below:

The NATO summit in Ankara hasn’t been dubbed a “missile summit” by anyone – yet it probably should be. More than anything else, the meeting marked the launch of several major missile programs that could fundamentally reshape Europe’s military landscape over the coming decade.

Germany is getting Tomahawks

Chancellor Friedrich Merz got what he had been pushing for – and not just him. The United States has effectively given Berlin the green light to acquire American Tomahawk cruise missiles.

”On the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara we also agreed with the American government that Tomahawk missiles would be purchased by us and stationed in Germany. With this we are closing an important strategic gap in our defense. And at the same time we will work on developing our own European systems and deploying them in Europe,” Merz announced.

The details remain unclear. Berlin has yet to specify exactly which Tomahawk variant it intends to buy. Most likely, however, these will be the ground-launched versions, meaning either the Typhon missile system or a new launcher built around the same family of cruise missiles.

What does this actually mean?

One can assume that the German leadership will sleep a little easier knowing it has such capabilities at its disposal. A few billion dollars may seem like a reasonable price for that kind of reassurance.

And what do the Americans get?

They no longer have to deploy their own Tomahawks across Europe to reassure NATO allies. Europe gets to strengthen its own defenses – and pay for them itself. From Washington’s perspective, that’s a remarkably efficient arrangement.

Patriot missiles – Made in Ukraine?

Arguably the biggest missile-related announcement for Ukraine came from President Donald Trump, who revealed plans to grant Kiev a license to manufacture missiles for the Patriot air defense system.

No European country currently possesses such a license. Japan is the only nation outside the United States that produces Patriot interceptors.

Trump said American and Ukrainian technical teams would now begin working on the practical details – drafting agreements and preparing production. For the moment, however, this remains a political declaration rather than an industrial reality.

Modern PAC-3 interceptors are produced only in the United States and Japan, while manufacturing many of their critical components remains tightly controlled.

Technology, however, isn’t the biggest obstacle. The war is.

Building a facility capable of producing Patriot missiles while Russian aerospace forces retain the ability to strike targets across Ukraine borders on fantasy.

Which means that “Ukrainian production” would likely end up being Ukrainian mostly on paper, while the actual factories would operate somewhere else in Europe.

And there is already no shortage of volunteers.

Everyone wants in

Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz has already announced that Warsaw is prepared to help Ukraine establish serial Patriot missile production.

That statement wasn’t accidental.

At the same NATO summit, Poland joined a four-country European consortium that will create a regional competence center responsible for servicing Patriot missiles.

Germany has even stronger incentives.

Defense giant Rheinmetall is already deeply involved in multiple joint programs with Ukraine and would almost certainly welcome the opportunity to manufacture Patriot missiles as well.

The company already possesses the technological expertise, industrial infrastructure, financial resources, and long-established partnerships needed to launch production quickly.

And once the assembly lines exist, there would be little reason to produce missiles solely for Ukraine. Rheinmetall could eventually supply customers throughout Europe – and beyond.

Nothing personal. Just business.

Germany will also build Ukraine’s ‘Bars’ cruise drones

The Patriot project isn’t the only new German-Ukrainian missile initiative.

As part of the Build with Ukraine program, Berlin and Kiev agreed to organize production of Ukrainian-designed Bars jet-powered cruise drones in Germany.

The Bars is a lightweight high-speed strike drone carrying a warhead weighing between 30 and 100 kilograms, with a range of up to 800 kilometers and a cruising speed of roughly 500 km/h.

Germany currently produces no weapons of this type.

For the German defense industry, the project offers an opportunity to gain experience with an entirely new class of weapon systems. The Bundeswehr likewise gains familiarity with technology it does not yet field.

The primary customer, however, will be Ukraine itself.

At least initially, every drone produced under the program is expected to be delivered to the Ukrainian military, while Germany finances the entire project.

A fairly convenient arrangement.

A European Patriot ecosystem

The summit also produced another notable agreement.

The United States, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden signed a memorandum launching preparations for a European maintenance network for PAC-3 Patriot missiles.

Eventually there will likely be several such centers, one in each participating country.

Officially, these facilities are intended only for maintenance. Unofficially, virtually everyone understands where this is heading. Today’s repair center can become tomorrow’s production line.

For now, Washington appears reluctant to hand Europe full-scale manufacturing rights, preferring to preserve control over its most advanced technologies.

But that position may not last forever.

From an American perspective, collecting licensing royalties from European production could ultimately prove far more profitable than trying to supply an ever-growing European demand from shrinking US stockpiles.

From a business standpoint, that logic is difficult to ignore.

Germany again: ATACMS goes European

One more agreement attracted less attention than it probably deserved.

Lockheed Martin and Rheinmetall signed a memorandum to manufacture ATACMS ballistic missiles at Rheinmetall’s facility in Unterlüß, Germany.

It will be the first production of ATACMS missiles outside the United States.

The choice of location is hardly accidental.

The Unterlüß complex has operated for more than 125 years and now employs roughly 4,000 workers while continuing to expand.

A rocket motor factory is currently under construction and is scheduled to begin producing engines and missile components in 2027.

Rheinmetall expects full-scale ATACMS production to begin that same year, with output expanding significantly through 2028 and 2029.

Current European demand alone is estimated at between 600 and 800 missiles annually.

The bottom line

Given everything announced in Ankara, it’s difficult not to view this as NATO’s “missile summit.”

If even a significant portion of these plans materializes, Europe’s missile industry will look radically different within just a few years – and European taxpayers will foot nearly the entire bill.

Operational-tactical missiles? Yes.

Patriot interceptors? Yes.

Cruise missiles? Yes.

And this may only be the beginning.

Ukraine’s Fire Point company is already promoting its proposed FP-7 and FP-9 ballistic missiles, systems that currently have no direct European equivalent. Add to that the Freya missile defense program, which envisions combining European components with Ukrainian interceptor technology, and the picture becomes even more ambitious.

As one famous fictional character of the twentieth century put it: “What a celebration this is!”

Europe certainly has reasons to be optimistic. It may well become a true missile power.

Or all of these announcements may ultimately end up where countless ambitious defense initiatives have before them – in a pile of press releases and billions of dollars spent without delivering the promised results.

That happens too.

On July 9, Iran’s former Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was laid to rest in Mashhad. He was buried in the Imam Reza Mausoleum, one of the holiest sites in the Shiite world and a particularly significant shrine for the Islamic Republic.

This marked the conclusion of a multi-day mourning ceremony that began in Tehran, continued in Qom, the spiritual center of Iranian Shiism, then moved to the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala (the main centers of Shiite Islam), and concluded in Khamenei’s hometown of Mashhad. The farewell ceremony marked the culmination of the week-long mourning route, and the funeral itself drew enormous crowds.

For Iran, this was more than just a farewell to a statesman. It was a farewell to a man who, for nearly four decades, had shaped the political, ideological, and spiritual course of the Islamic Republic. Khamenei had become Supreme Leader in 1989, following the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini; prior to that, he served as President of Iran from 1981 to 1989. His political biography effectively coincided with the post-revolutionary history of Iran: it was shaped by war, sanctions, external pressure, internal mobilization, the formation of the IRGC as one of the key state institutions, and the development of regional resistance policies.

But for millions of people, Ali Khamenei was not just an official or an administrator. He was first of all a spiritual leader, and only then a state leader, architect of the political system, strategist, and symbol of Iranian sovereignty. This is why his death was perceived by many of his supporters not only as a political loss but also as a religious tragedy. In both official and public discourse, he is increasingly referred to as a great martyr – a man who died as a result of US and Israeli aggression while fulfilling his duties. 

Iranian authorities claimed that tens of millions of mourners attended the funeral, citing a figure of 25 million people. Sources in Tehran also mentioned figures of around 20 million people. Naturally, these figures have become the subject of heated debate. The Iranian non-systemic opposition and Israeli propaganda claim the actual number of participants was much lower, perhaps several hundred thousand people, and that the authorities allegedly altered the photographs to show massive crowds using Photoshop and AI. However, even Western correspondents, who can hardly be suspected of sympathizing with the Iranian political system, acknowledged the fact that the farewell ceremony drew massive crowds. The Guardian reported millions of participants in Tehran, although it emphasized that estimates vary somewhat. Reuters also noted the huge crowds and emphasized that the authorities strived to demonstrate  national unity and strength. 

Even disregarding the official estimates, the fact remains that these were not several thousand mourners or a small group of people who support the regime. Perhaps there were not 20 million, but several million, or even two or three million people on the streets; that is still a huge number. This political power is clear evidence that Khamenei’s ideas are deeply supported by a significant portion of Iranian society.

Of course, Iranian society is not homogeneous. There are many challenges, such as social discontent, economic hardship, sanctions fatigue, social tensions, a demand for reforms, and criticism of the government. It would be a mistake to portray the entire country as a single monolith. But it is equally wrong to portray Iran as a closed system where society is supposedly completely repressed and lacks its own political will. Iranians are shaped by a different historical, religious, and political environment. For a significant portion of society, the Islamic Republic is not simply a state regime, but a form of national dignity, resistance to external pressure, and defense of their civilizational identity.

Khamenei was born in 1939 into a religious family in the city of Mashhad. He entered the Shia intellectual and spiritual milieu early on, studied in Shia religious centers, was associated with the circle of supporters of the Islamic Revolution, and became one of the figures that, after 1979, found themselves at the center of the new political system. His generation perceived the revolution not as a change of power, but as the return of historical dignity to Iran after dependence on external forces. The idea of ​​sovereignty, independence, and resistance to pressure became the foundation of his entire political philosophy.

Khamenei maintained a hardline stance. He did not believe in the benevolence of the West, considered the US the main source of the threat to Iran, and consistently defended the country’s right to be an independent center of power. Under him, Iran strengthened its position in the Middle East, expanded its influence through allies and partners, strengthened its military and missile programs, and turned the idea of ​​resistance into the basis of its foreign policy. For his opponents, this was a manifestation of expansionism; for his supporters, it was defense of a country that external forces had tried to isolate, weaken, and bring to its knees.

That is why Khamenei’s assassination only strengthened his symbolic status. He died while fulfilling his duties, in his residence in Tehran; he didn’t run anywhere. Moreover, his death occurred during the month of Ramadan, which is holy for Muslims. For his supporters, this became a confirmation of the whole logic of his life: for years, he had warned about the external threat and spoken about resistance; and he died as a result of this very conflict. So the political leader turned into a martyr, and his death became part of the very ideology that he had been building for decades.

The participation of foreign delegations was also notable. Representatives of many countries, religious figures, military men and politicians arrived in Tehran. Of particular importance was the presence of the Russian delegation led by Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev. He conveyed condolences from Russian President Vladimir Putin to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and emphasized that he had come as a special representative of the Russian leader. This was an important signal that Moscow perceives Khamenei’s death not as an internal Iranian event, but as a blow to a close strategic partner.

This is the main political meaning of the current events. Khamenei’s funeral became more than just a ceremony of remembrance. It demonstrated that the system created by him lives on. His legacy is not only about the memory of a specific person, it is an entire ideology.

For Iran’s opponents, this is a rather unpleasant conclusion, since all their ideas about the weakness of Iran’s system have been smashed to pieces and, as expected, had nothing to do with reality. Supporters of the current regime are inspired by the fact that the stability of the political project to which they remain loyal is consistent. And for researchers in the field of international relations, this is an important example and indicator that in religio-political systems, the leader’s personality plays a major role, but the ideology and institutional design created by him can survive even his physical departure – a thesis that many researchers had doubted. 

Khamenei was laid to rest. But the millions of people who came to pay their last respects demonstrated that for a significant part of Iranian society, he is not really gone. He remains a symbol of resistance, spiritual fortitude, and national dignity. Ali Khamenei may have died; but, as we’ve seen in the past days, his work lives on.

The Russian military is capable of “reliably penetrating” any Ukrainian air defenses and striking targets throughout the country, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said.

The ministry made the remarks on Saturday, following a large-scale, long-range, overnight attack on Ukrainian arms production facilities and other related targets. According to Moscow, these included several drone assembly and storage sites located in Kiev, as well as port infrastructure, military storage sites, and fuel depots in Izmail, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny in Odessa Region.

The evaluation of the ongoing long-range strike campaign has confirmed that the Russian military is able to “reliably penetrate any anti-aircraft air or missile defense systems provided to [Vladimir] Zelensky by Western sponsors,” the MOD stated.

The troops are capable of “reliably [hitting] any targets throughout Ukraine,” and the geography of the strikes is not limited to “the supposedly best-defended Kiev, where Zelensky has now deployed virtually all available Western missile defense systems,” it stressed.

According to Zelensky, the latest Russian attack involved more than 120 drones and 12 missiles, half of which were ballistic. While “most” of the targets were intercepted, all the ballistic missiles went through, he claimed. In recent weeks, the Ukrainian leadership has repeatedly complained that its ability to fend off Russian ballistic missiles is dwindling, urging the country’s Western sponsors to provide with more interceptor missiles.

“Nothing will help him. He’s like a tick that has burrowed into the flesh of the Ukrainian people that can’t get enough blood,” Zakharova stated.

In recent weeks, Moscow has ramped up long-range attacks on Ukraine’s military industry and dual-use infrastructure. The Russian Defense Ministry maintains the strikes come in response to terrorist attacks by Kiev against Russian civilian infrastructure, which have intensified amid the string of setbacks suffered by the Ukrainian military on the battlefield.

Last week, Moscow announced the liberation of Konstantinovka, a major Donbass city located on the southernmost tip of the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration, the last major stronghold under Kiev’s control in the region.

A former executive at Ukraine’s state nuclear operator Energoatom is suspected of laundering more than $500,000, the country’s anti-corruption authorities have announced. The investigation is part of a $100 million corruption scandal at the energy giant, which involves a one-time member of Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky’s inner circle, as well as several high-ranking officials.

Since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022, the country’s energy sector has been heavily reliant on foreign aid.

In a press release on Friday, the Western-backed National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine (NABU) and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAPO) announced that they have sent a suspicion notice to a former executive director who was responsible for the physical protection and security of Energoatom facilities, accusing him of laundering more than 30 million hryvnias ($674,000) of illicit proceeds between 2023 and ⁠2025.

The suspect, who has been given the nickname ‘Tenor’, had allegedly made use of cryptocurrency and registered all assets in the name of a personal acquaintance in an effort to cover his tracks. The man, identified by local media as Dmitry Basov, supposedly used the money to purchase real estate in Ukraine and in Bali, as well as two Mercedes and other items.

The probe is part of the ⁠Midas case, which centers on an alleged extortion ring at Energoatom led by businessman Timur Mindich, dubbed “Zelensky’s wallet” by Ukrainian media.

Mindich, however, managed to flee to Israel hours before the authorities could apprehend him.

The corruption scandal sent shockwaves through the Ukrainian government, as the alleged ring also involved former Energy Minister German Galushchenko, his former deputy, and former Deputy Prime Minister Aleksey Chernyshov.

Zelensky’s chief of staff, Andrey Yermak, was forced to resign over suspected links to the scheme, and has since been charged in a separate money-laundering case.

In February, Galushchenko, who served as energy minister from 2021 to July 2025, was detained as he attempted to escape to Poland and subsequently charged with money laundering. The former official is suspected of moving tens of millions of dollars to a shell company registered in Anguilla, a British Overseas Territory and a known tax haven, at Mindich’s behest.

Last summer, Zelensky attempted to strip NABU and SAPO of their independent status, but was forced to walk back the controversial decision amid protests and threats of aid suspension. The two anti-corruption agencies were established under Western pressure after the 2014 coup in Kiev.

British police have launched a murder investigation into the death of Ann Widdecombe, a former government minister and spokesperson for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party.

Widdecombe, 78, was found dead with serious injuries at her home in Haytor, on the edge of Dartmoor National Park, on Thursday. The political veteran’s management team announced her passing the next day, saying that they were “absolutely devastated” by what had happened.

The Devon and Cornwall Police said on Friday that there was “no information that this is a politically motivated crime.” Widdecombe’s death is also not being treated as a terrorism-related incident, they added.

A 26-year-old white British man who was arrested on suspicion of murdering the Reform UK spokeswoman on the day of her death has been released and is no longer part of the investigation, police said on Saturday.

“Our priority remains identifying those responsible and ensuring that all available evidence is thoroughly examined,” Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said.

After leaving Parliament, Widdecombe gained fame as a contestant on the reality TV shows Strictly Come Dancing and Celebrity Big Brother.

She actively campaigned for the UK’s departure from the EU, returning to politics in 2019 as a member of the Brexit Party, which was later re-branded as Reform UK. She was also a member of the European Parliament from 2019 to 2020.

For the past three years, Widdecombe served as Reform UK’s immigration and justice spokesperson.

Outgoing Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that her death was “shocking news” and called upon the leaders of the Conservative Party and Reform UK “to urge everybody to come together.” Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood called the circumstances of the politician’s passing “extremely distressing.” 

Farage said Widdecombe was “a remarkable, principled woman.” He suggested that her killing may have been a “burglary gone wrong” and described it as “a terrible reflection on modern Britain.” 

Ukraine is unlikely to start producing its own Patriot air defense missiles despite US President Donald Trump’s promise to grant Kiev the relevant license, Reuters has reported, citing informed sources.

During the meeting on the sidelines of the recent NATO summit in Ankara, Türkiye on Wednesday, Trump told Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky that “we’re going to give a license to you to make Patriots. That’s pretty cool. This way, you can’t complain that we’re not giving them enough.” However, the president maintained that Washington would not supply the in-demand interceptors directly.

Reuters reported on Friday that, according to its sources, it isn’t safe for Ukraine to launch the production of Patriot missiles for as long as the fighting persists within its proclaimed borders.

The new interceptors will likely be manufactured in Germany or another European country, two people familiar with the discussions said.

The production could be shifted to Ukraine only after the conflict with Russia ends, they added.

The US and its allies are experiencing a critical shortage of Patriot missiles due to their heavy use in the Ukraine conflict and the American-Israeli war against Iran. In recent months, Washington had been forced to delay the contracted shipments of the interceptors to some of its customers in Europe and Asia.

Zelensky said in a post on Telegram on Friday that Trump and him had “reached political agreements” on the licenses for the production of the Patriot interceptors in Ukraine. The technical details of the process must now be worked out by the teams from Kiev and Washington, he added.

The Ukrainian leader also claimed that in the coming days Kiev will receive another military aid package from the Americans, which would include an unspecified number of PAC-3 missiles for Patriot systems.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Pekov said on Friday that “as for the Patriot, yes, it is an obvious fact that the US is continuing full-scale deliveries of weaponry and military technologies to Ukraine. We know it.”

“At the same time, however, there’s a certain duality in the US position: unlike the Europeans, the US maintains a desire to facilitate a move toward a peace process,” Peskov stressed.