Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
Gaza mediators present updated offer, hope for ceasefire and hostage deal soon Slovenia declares two Israeli ministers persona non grata Iran is moving to rearm its militia allies New assessment finds site at focus of U.S. strikes in Iran badly damaged Europeans warn Iran of UN sanctions unless concrete progress on nuclear talks EU agrees 18th sanctions package against Russia Israeli Druze diplomat Sawsan Natour-Hasson: Syria's Forgotten Minority—Why the Druze Deserve Our Protection and Attention Syrian forces prepare to redeploy to Sweida city despite Israeli warnings WSJ Editorial: A violent week for the Syrian experiment US designates Pakistani group's offshoot as 'terrorist' organization over Kashmir attack Taiwan’s annual military drill moves out of the shadows—and into everyday life France ends permanent troop presence in SenegalIn The News
Israel
Israel has demanded the U.N. Human Rights Council scrap a commission investigating rights violations in the Palestinian territories and Israel, accusing the body of bias, in a letter seen by Reuters. – Reuters
Slovenia declared two far-right Israeli cabinet ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, persona non grata on Thursday, the first European Union country to do so, Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said. – Reuters
The head of an Israeli parliamentary committee told the Finance Ministry on Thursday to come up with a compensation plan by next week for Israelis stranded abroad during last month’s war with Iran or the panel would impose one. – Reuters
Israeli authorities have charged a soldier with spying for Iran in exchange for money, the police and security agency Shin Bet said in a statement on Thursday. – Reuters
The United States did not support recent Israeli strikes on Syria, the State Department said on Thursday, adding that Washington made clear its displeasure after tensions escalated and worked quickly to stop it. – Reuters
The departure of two ultra-Orthodox parties from Israel’s government leaves Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu politically weakened just as he seeks a ceasefire in Gaza, military dominance in southern Syria and influence over US policy toward Iran. – Bloomberg
Qatar, Egypt and the U.S. presented Israel and Hamas with an updated Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal proposal on Wednesday, two sources with direct knowledge tell Axios. – Axios
A new study by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) alleges that major U.S. and European news outlets served as uncritical megaphones for Hamas-linked narratives during the war with Israel in Gaza, amplifying claims that ultimately undermined a U.S.-backed food relief operation while shielding the terrorist group from scrutiny. – Fox News
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country “deeply regrets that a stray ammunition” hit Gaza’s only Catholic Church, killing three people sheltering there. “Every innocent life lost is a tragedy. We share the grief of the families and the faithful,” he said in a statement. – BBC
The Israel Defense Forces said Thursday that it managed to return dozens of Druze who had crossed from Israel into Syria the previous day, aiming to reach their embattled brethren, adding that several dozen remained inside Syria, mostly in the Hader area, a Druze town just over the border. – Agence France-Presse
Tahani Abu Samhan, 33, a teacher from the Beduin village of Abu Talul, located about 10 km. from Beersheba, was indicted on Thursday for spying for Iran, on charges of contact with a foreign agent and passing on information to the enemy. She was arrested on June 29 by the Israel Police and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), and her arrest was extended once. – Jerusalem Post
In a strongly worded letter to Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee voiced his dissatisfaction with Israel’s refusal to grant collective entry visas to numerous Christian organizations, according to a report by N12 on Thursday. – Jerusalem Post
Editorial: If the US still considers Shaara a future Abraham Accords partner, it could cause a rift between Washington and Jerusalem, which has been rightfully wary of jumping into bed with the new Syrian regime. That will surely be dealt with in diplomatic circles, but now with the knowledge that Israel’s warnings in the past to Shaara about protecting the Druze in Syria were not just empty threats. The decisive action in Syria this week is an example to the rest of the world that it is possible to intervene when a massacre or genocide is taking place. In this instance, we are indeed a light unto the nations. – Jerusalem Post
Iran
Iran suffered a significant setback when Israel killed top military leaders and the U.S. struck its nuclear facilities, but a pattern of high-value weapons seizures shows Tehran is making new efforts to arm its militia allies across the Middle East. – Wall Street Journal
Iran’s deeply buried nuclear enrichment plant at Fordo was badly damaged, and potentially destroyed, by the 12 massive bombs that U.S. Air Force B-2 bombers dropped on it last month, according to a new American intelligence assessment. – New York Times
France, Britain and Germany told Iran on Thursday that they wanted Tehran to resume diplomacy immediately over its nuclear programme and warned if there were no concrete steps by the end of the summer they would restore U.N. sanctions. – Reuters
In late October 2022, as protests over 22-year-old Mahsa Amini’s death in police custody swept across Iran, Rezgar Beigzadeh Babamiri, a father of three, was racing through alleyways in the city of Bukan, in western Iran, carrying medical supplies to secret clinics where doctors treated injured demonstrators in defiance of the state – The Guardian
The family of a 19-year-old Franco-German cyclist arrested in Iran while on a Europe-to-Asia bike trip said on Thursday he was innocent and demanded proof he was alive from Iranian authorities. – Agence France-Presse
Russia and Ukraine
Russia said more than 100 Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow and various parts of the country on Thursday, less than two weeks after President Trump asked Ukraine’s leader, Volodymyr Zelensky, whether Kyiv could strike the Russian capital and St. Petersburg, the country’s second-largest city. – Wall Street Journal
Russian lawmakers passed controversial legislation Thursday that would dramatically expand the government’s ability to punish internet users — not for sharing forbidden content but for simply looking it up. – Washington Post
Ukraine will let foreign arms companies test out their latest weapons on the front line of its war against Russia’s invasion, Kyiv’s state-backed arms investment and procurement group Brave1 said on Thursday. – Reuters
Czech-arranged shipments of artillery ammunition to Ukraine are rising this year, proving partners’ trust in a government programme matching donations from NATO partners with offers to sell ammunition, the Czech Defence Ministry said on Thursday. – Reuters
President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy are considering a deal that involves Washington buying battlefield-tested Ukrainian drones in exchange for Kyiv purchasing weapons from the U.S., Zelenskiy said in an interview with the New York Post. – Reuters
Preparations are underway to quickly transfer additional Patriot air defence systems to Ukraine, NATO’s top military commander Alexus Grynkewich said on Thursday, as the country suffers some of the heaviest Russian attacks of the war so far. – Reuters
Ukraine’s parliament appointed the country’s first new prime minister in five years on Thursday, part of a major cabinet overhaul aimed at revitalising wartime management as prospects for peace with Russia grow dim. – Reuters
Russia and Ukraine have exchanged more bodies of their war dead, a Kremlin aide said on Thursday, part of an agreement struck at the second round of peace talks in Istanbul in June. – Reuters
The European Union reached an agreement on an 18th sanctions package against Russia over its war in Ukraine, with a raft of measures aimed at dealing further blows to Russia’s oil and energy industry. – Reuters
Russian troops have taken control of three villages in three different parts of the frontline running through Ukraine, the Defence Ministry said on Thursday. Official Ukrainian reports of activity along the 1,000-km (600-mile) front disputed part of the Russian account, particularly concerning a key village in the southeast. – Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to ramp up arms shipments to Ukraine is a signal to Kyiv to abandon peace efforts, Russia said on Thursday, vowing it would not accept the “blackmail” of Washington’s new sanctions ultimatum. – Reuters
Editorial: Meanwhile, any drop in Russian export sales would further weaken Putin’s already shaky economy. After years of Putin shrugging off the West’s sanctions, it’s time to toughen them up. As Zelensky put it, Putin “needs to feel this.” But there’s little logic in waiting. Yes, Trump sees himself as a dealmaker and a peace lover; he’d rather strike an agreement than punish anyone. But the 50-day pause is like telling a bully you are going to hit him back . . . in two months. Don’t wait any longer, Mr. President. Slap Russia with sanctions now. – New York Post
John Herbst writes: Following his strike on Iran, President Trump is in a unique position to dissuade Saudi Arabia from renewing its threats not to buy Eurobonds if those assets are transferred. Over the past four months the administration has learned beyond a shadow of doubt that Moscow has no interest in peace. Only strong measures methodically pursued can persuade Moscow to accept a durable peace for a secure and economically viable Ukraine and reestablished security in Europe. – The Hill
Syria
One elderly man had been shot in the head in his living room. Another in his bedroom. The body of a woman lay in the street. After days of bloodshed in Syria’s Druze city of Sweida, survivors emerged on Thursday to collect and bury the scores of dead found across the city. – Reuters
Syrian security forces are preparing to redeploy to the Druze-majority Sweida city to quell fighting with Bedouin tribes, a Syrian interior ministry spokesperson said on Friday, further straining a fragile truce in Syria’s south. – Reuters
Israeli airstrikes on Damascus are hampering Syria’s efforts to find and destroy chemical weapons stockpiled during the rule of toppled ruler Bashar al-Assad, a government adviser said on Thursday. – Reuters
Syrian government forces had largely pulled out of the southern province of Sweida on Thursday after days of clashes with militias linked to the Druze minority that threatened to unravel the country’s post-war transition. – Associated Press
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel will continue to use military means to enforce its two red lines in Syria — the demilitarization of the area south of Damascus, near Israel’s border, and the protection of the country’s Druze minority there. – Times of Israel
Editorial: Verbal assurances of safety for the Druze and Kurds, if they surrender their weapons and dissolve their blocs, are now less convincing than ever. It is desirable to have the central government exercise control over more Syrian territory and incorporate the minority forces, albeit on terms that don’t leave their communities defenseless. But Mr. Sharaa will need to start by controlling the forces he already has. – Wall Street Journal
Editorial: Namely, the social contract between the elected government and its people – and unity, national identity, and camaraderie. The Druze community, which has given so much, deserves the peace of mind in knowing their friends and family are safe across the border. Israel can and should provide that – for the sake of the honor of the act itself – in keeping with the broader vision of a nuanced and colorful Israeli society, and in giving the Druze community what it deserves. – Jerusalem Post
Sawsan Natour-Hasson writes: If Suwayda collapses, Israel and Jordan face an immediate Jihadi threat on their border. Therefore, I urge you to speak out, clearly and urgently. Join Israel in condemning the violence and the targeted persecution of this minority group and in calling for an immediate withdrawal of Syrian forces from Druze Syrian villages. We must see an immediate cessation of the siege on all essential humanitarian necessities and a humanitarian corridor created between Syria and Jordan. – Newsweek
Turkey
President Tayyip Erdogan risks losing support among nationalist Turkish voters in making peace with Kurdistan Workers Party militants, whose burning of weapons last week was dismissed by some as a stunt. – Reuters
Turkish prosecutors have prepared an indictment seeking a prison sentence of at least five years for independent journalist Fatih Altayli over comments he made about President Tayyip Erdogan’s rule, state broadcaster TRT reported on Thursday. – Reuters
A Turkish court on Thursday adjourned the trial of 32 people over a fire January at a luxury ski resort hotel that killed 78 people, after 10 days of harrowing testimony. – Agence France-Presse
Simon A. Waldman writes: Erdogan is certainly buoyed by the PKK’s disarmament. He sees it as a military victory while also believing he wields growing regional influence. But the lesson from history is that the Kurdish issue is not going away unless Kurdish rights, both cultural and political, are seriously addressed and prisoners are released. Anything short of this, and there will no doubt be a return to armed conflict and another opportunity wasted. – Haaretz
Middle East & North Africa
A Russian crew member of a Greek cargo ship sunk by Houthi militants is undergoing treatment in Yemen, Russia’s state RIA news agency said on Thursday, quoting a source. – Reuters
A massive fire in a hypermarket in al-Kut city in southern Iraq has left at least 69 people dead and 11 others missing, the city’s health authorities and two police sources told Reuters on Thursday. – Reuters
Iraqi Kurdistan will resume oil exports through a pipeline to Turkey after a two-year halt, Iraq’s federal government said on Thursday despite a fourth day of drone attacks that have shut down half of the region’s output. – Reuters
Qatar posted a budget deficit of 757 million riyals ($208 million) in the second quarter of 2025, as public spending rose 5.7% from the year-earlier period, the finance ministry said on Thursday. – Reuters
Mike Pompeo writes: In addition to rhetorical support, Washington should improve our coordination with Iran’s democratic opposition, and encourage them to develop a clear plan for a peaceful transition in the event of regime collapse. Thanks to Trump and Netanyahu’s bold leadership, a regional transformation may finally be at hand. But this historic opportunity depends upon permanently destroying the Islamic Republic’s ability to project power. If America and Israel stay the course, I’m optimistic that we’re within striking distance of delivering what once seemed an impossible goal: lasting peace and prosperity to the Middle East. – New York Post
Korean Peninsula
More than 5,000 people in South Korea have been forced into shelters as heavy rain pounded parts of the country for a third day, with the deluge killing at least four people and destroying property and infrastructure, the safety ministry said on Friday. – Reuters
North Korea has suspended foreigners’ access to a newly opened beach resort on its east coast, just days after Russia’s top diplomat visited the area and vowed to help increase tourist flows to the isolated country. – Bloomberg
Sydney Seiler writes: Current concerns about U.S.–South Korea relations and the state of the alliance aside, Kim should not miscalculate a lack of will on Washington’s part to come to the defense of South Korea if attacked by North Korea. Another important lesson from the June strike is that the United States has unique capabilities to project power; capabilities such as B-2 bombers and GBU-57 Massive Ordinance Penetrators can fly long distances and hit critical underground targets. That may not get Kim Jong-un to the negotiating table, but it is likely to keep him out of the war room. – Center for Strategic and International Studies
China
Local governments in China have tried mostly in vain to lift the country’s shrinking birthrate with perks, cash rewards and housing subsidies. Now, the central government is stepping in. – Wall Street Journal
A U.S.-based Wells Fargo banker who works in trade financing has been blocked from leaving China after traveling there recently, people familiar with the matter said. Chenyue Mao, a Shanghai-born and Atlanta-based managing director at Wells Fargo, was subjected to an exit ban after she entered China sometime in recent weeks, according to the people. – Wall Street Journal
China’s Ministry of State Security on Friday said foreign spy agencies had tried to “steal” rare earths and pledged to crack down on infiltration and espionage targeted at its critical mineral sector. – Reuters
China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said on Friday he met with Nvidia (NVDA.O), CEO Jensen Huang in Beijing on Thursday. – Reuters
A hearing for 12 pro-democracy activists appealing their conviction and sentencing for subversion in Chinese-ruled Hong Kong ended on Thursday with a judgement due within nine months. – Reuters
The U.S. Commerce Department said on Thursday it will impose preliminary anti-dumping duties of 93.5% on anode-grade graphite imported from China after concluding that the materials, which are a key component for electric vehicle batteries, are being sold in the U.S. at less than fair market value. – Reuters
Hong Kong tightened prison rules, allowing authorities to restrict visits, including those by certain lawyers and religious personnel, on national security grounds, in the latest expansion of its stringent control. – Associated Press
President Xi Jinping questioned the need for local governments across China to crowd into the same emerging industries, a rare rebuke that reflects growing concerns about deflation at home and trade tensions abroad. – Bloomberg
M. Taylor Fravel writes: These military actions in Korea, India, and Vietnam represent the largest uses of armed force that the PLA has undertaken since the founding of the People’s Republic. In all three cases, political calculations trumped military readiness and favorable domestic conditions. Chinese leaders viewed these operations as conflicts of necessity, not choice or opportunity. If the recent purges harm the PLA’s readiness and reflect Xi’s confidence in the PLA, then opportunistic uses of force may be less likely in the near to medium term. But if Xi views military action against Taiwan as necessary, he will still order the PLA into battle. – Foreign Affairs
South Asia
New details in the probe of last month’s Air India crash are shifting the focus to the senior pilot in the cockpit. A black-box recording of dialogue between the flight’s two pilots indicates it was the captain who turned off switches that controlled fuel flowing to the plane’s two engines, according to people familiar with U.S. officials’ early assessment of evidence uncovered in the crash investigation. – Wall Street Journal
The U.S. government designated The Resistance Front, considered an offshoot of the Pakistani extremist group Lashkar-e-Taiba, as a “foreign terrorist organization” over the April 22 Islamist militant attack in India-administered Kashmir that killed 26 people, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday. – Reuters
India is confident of meeting its oil needs from alternative sources if Russian supplies are hit by secondary sanctions, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Thursday. – Reuters
Two leading Pakistani television news channels withdrew reports on Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump planned to visit the South Asian nation, with one of them issuing an apology. The White House dismissed the reports. “A trip to Pakistan has not been scheduled at this time,” a White House official said. – Reuters
Myanmar ‘s military has recaptured a strategic gateway town from rebel forces after nearly a year, state-media reported Thursday, marking a rare turnaround in the country’s northeast, where an alliance of ethnic militias seized a large swath of territory in an offensive that began in late 2023. – Associated Press
Asia
In the stillness of a small village on the outskirts of this central Taiwanese city, two CM-34 “Clouded Leopard” armored vehicles rumbled down narrow country lanes, unloading soldiers tasked with countering a simulated Chinese landing force pushing inland. – Wall Street Journal
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is facing a critical electoral test on Sunday that could further complicate the country’s political landscape and economic recovery. – Wall Street Journal
Japan’s top trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa held talks with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick on U.S. tariffs on Thursday, as Tokyo races to avert a 25% levy that will be imposed unless a deal is clinched by an August 1 deadline. – Reuters
Georgia has detained two people for handling and attempting to sell $3 million worth of uranium which could have been used to make a deadly bomb, the national security service said on Thursday. – Reuters
Thailand is set to offer scrapping tariffs on 90% of US goods, up from a previous plan for over 60%, in a bid to avert a punishing levy threatened by President Donald Trump, according to a business group advising Thai negotiators. – Bloomberg
Australia’s relationship with China is “complex” and “has challenges,” Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles acknowledged, arguing that trust with his country’s No.1 trading partner can only be built through continued engagement. – Bloomberg
Gearoid Reidy writes: Reports suggest that even in such a rout, he may try to hang on, citing the tariff talks. But with a Jiji poll Thursday showing his approval rating taking another tumble, to a new low of just 20.8%, the odds are against him. Yet even if he goes, the “chaotic era” of Japanese politics is just beginning. With the threat of tariffs, few in the LDP are likely to want the top job. And that means the fever might not break just yet. – Bloomberg
Europe
Inside an unassuming redbrick building tucked beside railroad tracks in the Bavarian capital, engineers behind doors marked “maximum security“ toil on drone prototypes, flight simulators and lines of code they believe will shape the next era of warfare. – Wall Street Journal
The U.K. government is increasingly stitching itself back into the political fabric of Europe, strengthening alliances with key European Union states in light of Russian aggression on the continent and an unpredictable U.S. president. – Wall Street Journal
The British government said on Thursday that it would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote, in what it called a landmark moment for democracy and some of its opponents decried as an attempt to tilt the electoral playing field. – New York Times
Leaders of ethnically split Cyprus have agreed to continue discussions towards confidence building, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday, in a dispute which has kept NATO partners Greece and Turkey at odds for decades. – Reuters
Romania’s top court on Thursday struck down a challenge brought by centrist President Nicusor Dan against a bill seeking harsher punishment for antisemitism and hate speech after a divisive election in which the far right gained ground. – Reuters
Spain said on Thursday it would step up investigations into suspected crimes by members of far-right and racist groups after four nights of clashes with African migrants in some of the nation’s worst such unrest of recent times. – Reuters
A French court on Thursday ruled in favour of releasing Lebanese militant Georges Ibrahim Abdallah from prison, after he served almost 40 years of a life sentence for attacks on U.S. and Israeli diplomats in France. – Reuters
Hungary on Thursday banned three Ukrainian military officials from its territory over the death in Ukraine of a Hungarian-Ukrainian dual citizen, as diplomatic relations between the neighboring countries rapidly deteriorate. – Associated Press
On the face of it, the Afghan data breach is very bad indeed. It is arguably the worst leak of secret UK government names since the former MI6 officer Richard Tomlinson went rogue and published a list online containing dozens of names of MI6 officers in 1999. – BBC
Keir Starmer’s Labour Party has suspended a veteran left-wing Member of Parliament and launched an investigation into comments she made about anti-Jewish racism, the latest in a spate of ill-discipline dogging the British prime minister. – Bloomberg
Iceland will start talks with the European Union on a defense partnership as part of its tightening relationship with the trade bloc. – Bloomberg
Prime Minister Keir Starmer hinted the UK may join Germany in purchasing weapons from the US to give to Ukraine, as western allies seek to shore up the conflict-torn nation’s defenses in its war against Russian invaders. – Bloomberg
The European Union’s defense industry chief, Andrius Kubilius, will visit Washington this week in a bid to ensure that the US pivot to the Indo-Pacific region doesn’t create gaps in Europe’s security. – Bloomberg
Tatsiana Kulakevich writes: On March 27, the EU added 25 more officials and seven entities to its Belarus list of 310 individuals and 46 entities under asset freezes and travel bans, keeping Belarus under the same scrutiny as before the prisoner-release diplomacy began. High-level political platforms remain open to Tsikhanouskaya and her allies, and foreign legislatures and multilateral bodies still push accountability. This international pressure helps to keep the opposition’s cause alive and ensures that the struggle for democracy in Belarus still has external backing. – The Hill
Vincent Chebat and Gerald M. Steinberg write: In parallel, Kallas, other leaders of the European Commission, and members of the European Parliament should urgently review the funding provided to NGOs that work directly against and seek to sabotage this long overdue rapprochement. Any grants to NGOs that were made under false pretenses or in violation of legal requirements should be suspended, and a new approach without the political manipulation needs to be implemented for all future funding. These actions will go a long way toward improving the relationship and opening the door to wider cooperation. – Jerusalem Post
Africa
The families had pooled their money for the convoy, hoping to escape the battle for the final piece of the Sudanese capital in late April. They had just set off when paramilitary gunmen shot out their tires at a roadblock, survivors said. – Washington Post
South Africa’s main coalition partners are embroiled in a spat over how to respond to looming tariffs from a hostile Trump administration, after the smaller party said the president’s aide was denied a U.S. visa to negotiate with Washington. – Reuters
At dawn on June 1, gunfire shattered the stillness of Mali’s military base in Boulkessi. Waves of jihadist insurgents from an al-Qaeda-linked group stormed the camp, catching newly deployed soldiers off guard. – Reuters
France handed over control of its last major military facility in Senegal on Thursday, marking the end of its armed forces’ long presence in the West African country and a milestone in a withdrawal from the wider region. – Reuters
Togolese voters went to the polls on Thursday in municipal elections seen as a test for the country’s leader Faure Gnassingbé, who has faced rare and deadly protests after a recent constitutional reform that could effectively keep him in power indefinitely. – Associated Press
Liam Karr writes: The first six months of Trump’s second term have shown the promise of Trump’s approach to the continent. But U.S.-Africa relations do not take place in a vacuum. Trump will have to continue to thread the needle between his domestic agenda and foreign policy goals to fulfill this massive potential and truly redefine U.S.-Africa relations in a way that will leave a lasting legacy. – The Hill
The Americas
A human rights organization whose funding was cut by President Donald Trump has closed its headquarters in El Salvador and evacuated staff to other countries, its leaders said Thursday, as independent watchdogs flee an escalating crackdown on dissent by President Nayib Bukele, Trump’s closest ally in the region. – Washington Post
A son of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro is working closely with the White House to impose sanctions on a Brazilian Supreme Court justice set to preside over his father’s upcoming trial on charges of leading an attempted coup, four people familiar with the situation told The Washington Post. – Washington Post
In the days this month after Haitian gangs incinerated the Hôtel Oloffson, the Gothic-gingerbread retreat for luminaries from Ernest Hemingway to Mick Jagger, rumors grew that they were now setting their sights on another Port-au-Prince landmark: the Centre d’Art. – Washington Post
Brazil’s presidential race next year was shaping up to be one Americans might find familiar: an aging incumbent with waning popularity trailing a brazen populist who claimed the last election had been stolen from him. – New York Times
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday said he would not take orders over tariffs from a foreigner, referring to U.S. President Donald Trump, and later called the United States’ threatened duty “unacceptable blackmail.” – Reuters
The U.S. Treasury said on Thursday it has sanctioned the top leaders of Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua for being involved in criminal activities including illicit drug trade, human trafficking and money laundering. – Reuters
Cristina Lopez-Gottardi writes: Today, Cuba is facing a devastating moment. Over six decades of revolution have taken their toll. Cuba’s leadership remains unwilling to enact the commonsense democratic reforms necessary to alleviate suffering and return dignity to its people. As Cuban citizens continue to find small, but meaningful ways to express their discontent, it is time for the international community to raise awareness of Cuba’s desperate reality — and to demand change from its leadership. – The Hill
United States
They are nurses, mechanics, sanitation workers and executives. They’ve fallen in love, bought houses and raised children. […] Now more than 50,000 Hondurans and Nicaraguans stand to abruptly lose their legal status as the Trump administration seeks to end their protections, in place since the Clinton era, under the temporary protected status program, or TPS. – Washington Post
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio instructed U.S. diplomats worldwide not to comment on the fairness or integrity of elections conducted by foreign countries, according to an internal note seen by Reuters on Thursday, in a significant departure from Washington’s traditional approach of promoting free and fair elections overseas. – Reuters
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi visited the infamous Alcatraz prison in the San Francisco Bay on Thursday, weeks after President Donald Trump said he would order the long-shuttered facility, now operated as a historical site, to once again house violent criminals. – Reuters
The US should pull back on sharing intelligence with Spain, given that the country allegedly relies on Chinese network vendor Huawei Technologies Co. to support its wiretap system, according to the heads of the House and Senate intelligence committees. – Bloomberg
David Ignatius writes: It’s Europe’s trade version of the “nuclear option,” and it’s notable that European officials, after months of caution, are beginning to talk about it openly. Trump took a roundhouse swing at the global economic system when he announced his tariffs April 2. He hit his target, and the system is swinging like a broken piñata. Trump might back down when he sees strength, as in China’s response. But mostly, he’s still punching. – Washington Post
Marc A. Thiessen writes: But I can’t think of a president in my lifetime who has accomplished this much in such a short period of time. Indeed, what Trump achieved in just the past month arguably exceeds what Biden accomplished in his entire four-year term. When Trump ran eight years ago, he promised we would win so much we’d get tired of winning. Instead, the wins keep coming — and America isn’t tired at all. – Washington Post
Azeem Ibrahim writes: Mike Waltz brings exactly that. As a decorated combat veteran, former White House advisor, and seasoned legislator on foreign affairs, he understands both the stakes and the tools required to defend the liberal international order. He has diagnosed the problem with precision and has the courage to confront it. At this critical juncture, no one is better qualified to represent the United States at the United Nations and restore the values upon which it was founded. The Senate should confirm him without delay. – National Interest
Cybersecurity
A judge delayed an Aug. 11 trial against Alphabet Inc.’s Google over claims by a Texas-led group of states that the company illegally monopolized the market for tools to publish online display advertisements. – Bloomberg
Exodigo, a fast-growing Israeli startup, has closed a $96 million series B round, doubling its valuation and positioning its AI-powered underground intelligence platform as a potential game-changer for defense technology. – Jerusalem Post
The Defense Information Systems Agency is exploring new partnerships with small businesses that can supply “a wide range of information technology” services to support its Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability (JWCC) program office as it continues to mature, according to a federal contracting notice published Thursday. – Defensescoop
Meta investors on Thursday announced they have settled a long-running lawsuit alleging that CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other current and former company executives mishandled the Cambridge Analytica data privacy scandal. – The Record
More than $2 billion in cryptocurrency was stolen by hackers in the first half of 2025, according to the blockchain security firm Chainalysis. Most of the total comes from the $1.5 billion stolen from Dubai-based crypto platform Bybit in February by hackers connected to North Korea. – The Record
The website for Thailand’s Ministry of Labor has been restored after hackers defaced the site and allegedly stole government data. – The Record
Aaron Ginn writes: When senators try to make headlines by questioning a CEO’s patriotism, they undermine American economic leadership. America’s strength comes from open markets, free enterprise, and platform dominance, making us the default choice at scale. Retreating equates to losing; competing leads to winning. Messrs. Huang and Trump realize this. Let America compete, and we will win. – Wall Street Journal
Ferial Ara Saeed writes: Today’s Gulf partners—the UAE and Saudi Arabia—could one day become competitors, and Washington could weaponize their dependence. Either risk would unravel the dominance the United States aims to secure. The future of US leadership in this emerging bipolar order thus hinges on mastering a paradox: influence without overreach. Today, power flows through code and compute, not just treaties and troops. AI infrastructure has become destiny. Where it is anchored will define the global balance of power and establish which country dominates for decades to come. – National Interest
Defense
The U.S. Navy is planning for its next-generation destroyer, currently known as the DDG(X), to feature directed-energy weapons and more capacity to carry and launch missiles. – Defense News
U.S. officials have told the Swiss government that Patriot air defense systems in the production pipeline for the alpine country would be diverted to help defend Ukraine, according to a Swiss announcement. – Defense News
Senate appropriators on Thursday advanced plans for a $456 billion budget for Veterans Affairs programs and benefits next fiscal year, putting it generally in line with House and White House goals for future department spending. – Military Times
James Stavridis writes: Finally, there is the so-called Pillar II of AUKUS: Sharing of cutting-edge technologies, both in general and specifically in undersea defense. These include artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities, hypersonic missiles and electronic warfare. Certainly, the Pentagon should ensure that the US industrial base is geared primarily toward keeping US forces armed. But we should recognize that an allied nuclear-submarine force that brings closer integration with Australia and pulls the British more firmly into the Pacific is good for our allies, and good for America. – Bloomberg