Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz ordered the IDF to raise its alert level in Gaza ahead of October 7, citing intelligence that Hamas may attempt attacks against Israeli forces.

Katz says that if Israeli forces are harmed, “Hamas and the population of Gaza will pay a heavy price, beyond all proportion.”

German Foreign Minister Wadephul:

It is not as if, when the Russians arrive, the Ukrainian flag simply comes down, the Russian flag goes up and life continues normally.

The Russians abduct children to Russia and simply take them away from their rightful parents. What a terrible act that alone is.

They rape, murder, torture and kill. All of this happens in the territories occupied by Russia.

German Foreign Minister Wadephul:

Can we allow someone to prevail simply because he is the aggressor and says: "I have the military means, I’m just going to go through with it"?

I think we must not allow that, because it naturally encourages imitation.

German Foreign Minister Wadephul:

Putin once said that, for him, the greatest catastrophe of the 20th century was the collapse of the Soviet Union.

If we take that as his view, then we have to say: if that was the greatest catastrophe, he probably wants to repair it.

There is clearly an ambition to restore what used to be the Soviet Union. That includes Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova and the Baltic states.

German Foreign Minister Wadephul:

We also have to be able to criticize the Israeli government.

But we have to separate that from holding every Jew responsible for the government.

German Foreign Minister Wadephul:

We have criticized certain forms of Israeli warfare. We have criticized, and continue to criticize, the fact that too little humanitarian aid is entering the Gaza Strip.

But once again, all this criticism of the Israeli government must not lead us to allow antisemitism in Germany again.

BIG: France and Germany sent a joint letter to von der Leyen demanding a new EU "kill switch" that could immediately cut a country off the single market over unfair trade practices — clearly aimed at China, though unnamed.

The tool would activate within days, not years, and could range from blocking a single product to excluding an entire country.

Germany's sign-on is the big shift: it went from protecting its China trade to co-authoring the toughest EU trade proposal yet.

The EU's goods deficit with China hit €360 billion last year.

Separately, the UK is reviewing but has not yet imposed tariffs on Chinese EVs, despite EU pressure to align.

German Foreign Minister Wadephul:

One must be prepared to defend one’s country. For me, that is part of patriotism, which I personally believe in and consider right.

This is my homeland. We only defend ourselves. But we must also be prepared to defend it.

U.S. envoy Massad Boulos attended an event in Egypt alongside Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, saying Washington remains committed to finding a political solution to Sudan’s war.

Sudan’s government said the encounter was casual and no talks were held.

It came less than two weeks after the U.S. withheld a visa for Burhan ahead of a UN appearance amid tensions over a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal.

Source: Reuters

Two commercial ships were hit by drones off Bulgaria, sinking one in the first reported attack on shipping in its economic zone.

The Togo-flagged Alfa Watan sank about 70 nautical miles off Bulgaria, with its crew still missing.

The second vessel, Able, caught fire and its 18 crew were rescued, some injured.

The origin of the drones remains unknown.

Germany’s AfD is considering softening its long-standing opposition to the EU and euro.

A strategy paper proposes renegotiating EU treaties to turn the bloc into a looser alliance of sovereign states, with national opt-outs on migration, fiscal policy and joint EU debt. If reforms fail, Germany should hold a referendum on EU membership.

Unlike the party’s current platform, the draft does not fundamentally oppose the euro. Any policy change would need approval at an AfD convention next year.

Source: Reuters

Saudi Arabia’s airports in Jazan and Najran were attacked Monday evening, injuring three people and causing limited damage, Saudi aviation authorities said.

Source: Reuters

Russia has been accused of using bizarre intimidation tactics against Finnish MPs, including breaking into homes and leaving faeces in toilets.

Around 20 Finnish lawmakers reported suspicious break-ins, often with no forced entry or theft.

Senior MP Ben Zyskowicz said the incidents could be a Russian intelligence tactic intended to show politicians they are being watched.

Source: The Telegraph

South Korea says Ukraine apologized over Zelensky’s disclosure that two North Korean POWs had been transferred to Seoul, but the apology was “insufficient.”

Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Ukraine had originally requested confidentiality to protect the soldiers and their families in North Korea.

Seoul is considering a firm diplomatic response, including possibly recalling its ambassador from Ukraine.

Former BND chief August Hanning has been arrested on suspicion of espionage and leaking state secrets.

German media reported that Hanning, who led Germany’s foreign intelligence agency from 1998 to 2005, allegedly received classified documents from an informant in exchange for money.

Federal prosecutors are reportedly investigating him for espionage against the state, disclosure of state secrets, attempted treason and acting as a secret service agent.

Bernie Sanders:

Well, maybe there should be a cognitive test for all members of the United States Congress.

Bernie Sanders:

I would suggest that whether you’re a conservative, progressive, or whatever you may be, do not trust what Donald Trump says.

Bernie Sanders:

I am so proud of what Mamdani is doing here in New York City, and what he is doing is giving hope not only to people in America but, by the way, all over the world.

JD Vance:

For a very long time, America’s enemies looked at Alaska — with your incredible natural resources, the incredible opportunity, the strategic opportunities of this state — and the enemy saw a territory that was undefended.

We changed that.

JD Vance:

I got to tell you, I was a senator for all of two years. It’s not that hard of a job. You show up. You fight for your people.

At a bare minimum, just show up and cast your vote.