Russia’s Military Spending Set to Reach Record $199 Billion in 2026

Russia is heading toward a record military bill of almost $200 billion in 2026, roughly 40% above its original plan, after Putin authorized nearly $60 billion in additional spending.

READ MORE

Kim Jong Un wished Putin “victory and glory” on his 74th birthday, reaffirming his “invariable support” for Putin and Russia and saying Russia would prevail in its “just and sacred war.”

Kim pledged to deepen North Korea’s strategic partnership with Russia and closed the message by saying, “I warmly embrace you, my dear comrade.”

Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton privately told donors that the Iran war and high gas and diesel prices are hurting his campaign, saying affordability is “by far our biggest problem.”

Paxton said diesel above $6 a gallon is driving up food and other costs, but stressed he has no control over the war or fuel prices.

Source: Axios

US Threatens UK and Europe With Sanctions Over Israeli Settlement Boycotts

US DoJ warned Britain, France, and Norway of possible retaliation over Israeli settlement boycotts, after Washington previously avoided condemning the measures.

READ MORE

NEW: Türkiye is sending defensive military support to Saudi Arabia to fight the Houthis — including air defense systems, drone operators, intelligence sharing, and help fine-tuning defensive measures, according to Reuters citing Turkish and US officials.

The support is bilateral for now since Türkiye's parliament hasn't ratified the Mecca Pact yet.

Officials say it will expand after ratification.

Turkish President Erdogan called Putin today, wished him happy birthday, congratulated his party's Duma election success, and stressed Türkiye's readiness to help launch direct Russia-Ukraine contacts.

He also raised the importance of Black Sea navigation safety.

Azerbaijan denied any connection to the arrest of Germany's former spy chief August Hanning, calling the reports "disinformation" and a "smear campaign" aimed at damaging Baku-Berlin relations.

Hanning, who led the BND from 1998 to 2005, was detained on suspicion of treason after allegedly buying classified documents and preparing an analysis for an unnamed foreign intelligence service.

Der Spiegel reported the foreign link was Azerbaijan.

Baku has lodged a formal protest with both the German Chancellor's Office and Foreign Ministry.

EU Plans to Cap Chinese Hybrid Car Imports to Narrow Trade Gap

Chinese brands account for a quarter of Europe’s hybrid sales, and Brussels is considering temporary import limits as it seeks to narrow its trade deficit with China.

READ MORE

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot:

Artificial intelligence tools multiply the possibilities for spreading, amplifying and even manufacturing information and narratives.

The question is no longer whether information is true or false, but what narrative other states want to forge about us. And this can happen very quickly.

When a hostile narrative spreads, every hour counts. They amplify, they distort, and they establish a perception that becomes dominant if no other perception comes to counterbalance it.

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot:

Listen to what is being said in Moscow: Europe is going to war and is losing its moral values.

Listen to what is being said across the Atlantic in MAGA circles: Europe is supposedly a decadent, backward, totalitarian civilization.

The reality is different; each of us knows that. And yet, through repetition, amplification and multiplication, these narratives can eventually reach us and plant doubt in our minds.

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot on high-school protests:

Pro-Russian accounts see in them the end of our democracy. Pro-Israeli accounts see them as the consequences of the recognition of Palestine.

Pro-Iranian accounts go so far as to compare these mobilizations with the "Woman, Life, Freedom" movement.

They are all trying to impose their own interpretation on our public debate and to tell the story of what is happening in our country in our place — and in our own language.

France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot:

The United States and China, through massive amounts of storytelling, make sure the whole world knows that they are at the cutting edge of technology.

Yet every day in France we see a completely different reality. So it is up to us to tell that story.

Yes, France is fully rooted in the 21st century and is projecting itself into the decades ahead. Yes, it innovates.

Saudi Aramco Explores New Markets for Kingdom’s Emerging Gas Surplus

The $100 billion Jafurah development could leave Saudi Arabia with a substantial gas surplus as Aramco assesses export routes and a potential gas business listing.

READ MORE

Abdul El-Sayed has distanced himself from streamer Hasan Piker, privately calling him to warn that his rhetoric was costing El-Sayed votes and asking him to stop.

Source: CNN

The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has adopted a more lenient approach to company examinations under the Trump administration, amid pressure on staff to avoid aggressive oversight.

More than half of spring inspections received expedited reviews, while examiners faced warnings against being too aggressive and threats to their jobs.

Around 70 companies were selected for examination this year — roughly half the usual number — raising concerns that serious consumer-protection violations could receive less scrutiny.

Source: Reuters

Trump wants to turn part of his West Palm Beach golf club into an official presidential retreat modeled on Camp David.

The proposal would give part of the county-owned property to the federal government, with Trump funding construction of presidential facilities for future presidents and foreign leaders. His private golf club would continue operating alongside it.

Palm Beach County is considering the plan, which Trump’s representatives say would not be completed until after he leaves office.

Source: WaPo

MI6 Concerned With Exposed Intel After German Spy Chief's Arrest

British agencies are assessing whether classified material or human sources were exposed after former German spy chief August Hanning was arrested on espionage and treason suspicions.

READ MORE

Syria is set to become a new route for Iraqi crude exports, allowing shipments to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.

Iraq has asked Syria to help export crude by trucking oil overland to a Mediterranean port, expanding an existing route already used for Iraqi fuel-oil shipments.

Source: Bloomberg

A senior Iranian official said Washington’s demands on Iran’s nuclear program are at odds with Tehran’s position, after JD Vance said Iran must significantly cut its uranium enrichment capacity to end the war.

The official said Iran’s right to enrich uranium is a “red line” and that Tehran would not show flexibility on it, though the details of enrichment could be discussed later.

Source: Reuters

Hezbollah has received $200 million from Iran to help Lebanese displaced by this year’s war with Israel, according to Reuters sources.

The group plans to pay $3,000 per family, prioritizing around 50,000 families from destroyed or inaccessible villages.

Source: Reuters