Today In Issues:
FDD Research & Analysis
The Must-Reads
U.S. and Iran have reached a deal to stop fighting, reopen shipping Israel attacks Hezbollah targets in Beirut's southern suburbs Deputy chairman of institute for security policy of Israel defense, security forum (IDSF) Shimon Refaeli: A year ago, Israel shifted from intentions to capabilities in Operation Rising Lion The Iranian enforcer driving Tehran’s hard bargaining with the U.S. Iran says limited cyberattack disrupts services at four banks, state media says Historic orthodox cathedral burns in Russian attack on Kyiv WSJ Editorial: Beirut tells Paris the truth about Hezbollah Qatar pursued secret talks with Iran to shield gas complex from strikes, security officials say Taiwan launches website for Chinese nationals to report intelligence US, India to tackle trade at G7 but deal not imminent, US officials say British forces seize Russian shadow fleet Oil tanker Trump says U.S. killed Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang leaderIn The News
Israel
Israeli strikes and gunfire killed at least six Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, health officials said, as mediators stepped up efforts to salvage the U.S.-brokered ceasefire. – Reuters
Israel will not withdraw from southern Lebanon as part of the newly agreed to US-Iran deal despite Iranian demands, an Israeli source told The Jerusalem Post on Monday. – Jerusalem Post
Approximately half of the US refueling aircraft currently stationed at Ben-Gurion Airport are expected to be relocated to Israel Air Force bases to reduce the risk of flight disruptions during the summer travel season, Maariv learned on Sunday. – Jerusalem Post
Amid Yair Lapid’s criticism over the premier’s handling of security as the country faces escalating tensions with Iran and Hezbollah, the opposition leader’s spokesperson confirmed to The Jerusalem Post on Sunday that no security meeting between the two leaders had been held since April. Under Knesset law, the prime minister is required to update the opposition leader on state matters “as necessary, and no less than once a month.” – Jerusalem Post
US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on the phone on Sunday after Israel launched strikes against Hezbollah in Beirut, a source with knowledge of the matter told The Jerusalem Post. – Jerusalem Post
Hamas on Sunday praised the reported shooting of an IDF Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) during an operation to arrest a suspect in Dhahiriya, near Hebron, over the weekend. – Jerusalem Post
Documents seized by Israel in the Gaza Strip show that Hamas leaders discussed efforts to derail Saudi-Israeli normalization before the October 7 massacre, KAN News reported on Sunday, citing material processed and analyzed by the Amit Institute for Terrorism and Intelligence Research. – Jerusalem Post
The Palestinian Authority will hold presidential elections in 2027, the PA’s official WAFA agency reported on Sunday. PA President Mahmoud Abbas announced the elections, adding that he is expected to issue a decree calling for elections to the PA’s legislative council, which would be scheduled for November 2026. – Jerusalem Post
Israel was bracing for Iranian missile fire on Sunday after Tehran vowed that an Israeli Air Force strike on a Hezbollah target in Beirut’s southern suburbs earlier in the day would “not go unanswered.” – Times of Israel
As fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in south Lebanon continues, the government has instructed the Israel Defense Forces to avoid actions that could endanger the emerging deal between the US and Iran, Kan news reported Friday. – Times of Israel
Shimon Refaeli writes: But one thing is already clear. On June 13, 2025, Israel returned to one of the most important principles of its security doctrine: never to entrust our existence to assessments regarding an enemy’s intentions. Enemies are not judged by what they say they will do. They are judged by what they are capable of doing. And that is precisely why a nation that seeks life must remove strategic threats while they are still in the realm of capability, rather than waiting for them to become reality. Those who remember prevail. – Jerusalem Post
Iran
Iran and the U.S. have agreed on an interim peace deal, the two nations announced Sunday, a potentially major breakthrough after nearly four months of fighting that created global political and economic turmoil. – Wall Street Journal
Iran’s decision to fire ballistic missiles at Israel for the first time in months demonstrated the power wielded by the new head of the regime’s feared paramilitary force. Ahmad Vahidi, commander in chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, had advocated striking Israel hard to stop attacks on Hezbollah in Beirut, said Iranian and Arab officials. – Wall Street Journal
A return to a version of the status quo was a far cry from the original aims of a war effort that kicked off with a vow to come to the aid of the Iranian protesters who had taken to their nation’s streets to denounce their regime. – Washington Post
Many Iranians expressed relief and disbelief on Sunday after learning that their country had reached an agreement with the United States that could ultimately end the war. – New York Times
American and Iranian officials now say a peace deal with Iran could be at hand. But it appears that it will initially consist of a framework for negotiations that will push the thorniest issues, like Iran’s nuclear program and sanctions relief, down the road. It is expected to allow for at least the temporary reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. – New York Times
A senior Iranian official told Reuters a final draft of the memorandum of understanding with the U.S. covered a range of issues, from Tehran’s nuclear work to reopening the Strait of Hormuz and U.S. waivers on oil sanctions, with a final deal to be discussed in the 60 days following agreement by the two sides. – Reuters
A cyberattack disrupted services at four major Iranian banks, though no customer data was compromised, the country’s banking coordination council said on Sunday, according to state media. – Reuters
The funeral for Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei will begin in Tehran on July 4 and conclude with his burial in his hometown, the northeastern holy city of Mashhad, on July 9, state media reported on Saturday. – Reuters
The tanker disabled by the American military while trying to run the U.S. blockade of Iran had dismissed nearly 60 verbal warnings as well as other shows of force before being fired upon, a U.S. official told The Associated Press. – Associated Press
In recent weeks, Iran has dramatically escalated efforts to seal off its cache of near bomb-grade uranium, deliberately collapsing tunnels and booby-trapping entrances with explosive mines, according to five sources familiar with US intelligence. – CNN
The Islamic regime detained 130 people accused of rioting during January’s protests and the war with Israel, Iranian media outlets reported on Sunday, citing the regime’s Intelligence Ministry. – Jerusalem Post
Editorial: No state can be expected to outsource the security of its northern communities to promises made by Tehran. All of this remains speculative. Predicting Trump is difficult even after he announces something, and reported terms can shift quickly. But if the reports are true, this is not a great deal. It is a dangerous one, and it risks undercutting the enormous American and Israeli effort to weaken Iran’s regime, disrupt its nuclear ambitions, and reduce the threats it poses to Israel, the region, and the world. – Jerusalem Post
Russia and Ukraine
Druzhkivka, an industrial city once home to about 68,000 people, is one of them. It is among a handful of cities in eastern Ukraine that are Russia’s main target for 2026. Over the course of a year, The Wall Street Journal followed the town and its people wrestling with leaving their homes as the fabric of their lives is slowly, painfully torn apart. – Wall Street Journal
A cathedral at one of the holiest sites in eastern Orthodox Christianity burned on Monday after Russia attacked Kyiv in a massive, overnight volley of missiles and drones. Explosions shook buildings in Kyiv through the night, killing four and injuring 25 people. At least four residential buildings were hit, a local emergency service said. Russia has intensified missile attacks on Ukraine’s capital amid setbacks on the battlefield in eastern Ukraine. – New York Times
Russia’s ballistic-missile attacks against Ukraine have grown in ferocity and magnitude in recent weeks because Russian military planners are exploiting one of Ukraine’s greatest weaknesses: The Ukrainian military does not have enough Patriot missile interceptors to keep up with the barrages. – New York Times
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Sunday he had spoken to U.S. President Donald Trump and discussed efforts to achieve an end to the more than four-year war, ahead of a G7 meeting in France this week. – Reuters
Three people were killed and another three, including a one-year-old child, were injured in a drone attack on the Russian city of Tula south of Moscow, the regional governor, Dmitry Milyayev, said in a Telegram post. – Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday that ending the conflict in Ukraine was vital and he was ready to help, Kremlin foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov said. – Reuters
Two bridges connecting the Russian-held part of Ukraine’s Kherson region with Crimea were damaged and traffic suspended by an overnight drone attack by Ukraine, the Russian-installed governor, Vladimir Saldo, said on Telegram on Monday. – Reuters
Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant was reconnected to the grid following repairs carried out under an IAEA-brokered localised ceasefire after the facility lost all off-site power for nearly three days, the International Atomic Energy Agency said on Saturday. – Reuters
A large-scale Russian attack on Ukraine killed five rescuers in Kharkiv and wounded at least 20 people in the capital Kyiv on Monday as strikes set apartment buildings ablaze and sparked a fire at one of the country’s most significant religious landmarks. – Associated Press
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy each spoke by phone with U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday, as Trump marked his 80th birthday and the war in Ukraine remained a flashpoint ahead of this week’s G7 summit. – Associated Press
Analysts say Moscow is resorting to increasingly desperate measures to shore up its forces, and Putin will likely be forced to make more unpopular decisions this year if he wants to continue his invasion of Ukraine. – CNN
Casey Michel writes: Russia’s regional influence has buckled alongside its military fortunes in Ukraine. The U.S. should do everything to expedite this process, through support for Ukraine, as well as Armenia, Moldova and other places. America can help reveal Russia for what it is: not a global power—and now, thanks to Mr. Putin, no longer even a regional one. – Wall Street Journal
Marc Champion writes: Yes, Europe and the US alike have been guilty of negligence and strategic incompetence in dealing with Moscow since the Soviet collapse, but the decision to invade Ukraine was Putin’s alone. He, Karaganov and many others in Russia remain trapped by the historical delusions and resentments that tend to come with loss of empire. The combination is indeed dangerous, as the current bloodshed proves. So there’s a discussion much broader than Ukraine that Europeans must at some point have with Moscow, if Russia is to give up on war. This is not a matter for European mediation in Ukraine. It’s about Europe first deciding, collectively, how to accommodate Russia’s legitimate interests, and then negotiating that deal without again dividing the continent — or feeding Moscow’s revisionist ambitions. It isn’t clear how that can be achieved, only that it must be done. – Bloomberg
Hezbollah
The Israeli military said Sunday that it had struck a Hezbollah target on the outskirts of the Lebanese capital, Beirut, an escalation that threatened to imperil U.S. peace talks with Iran and drew the ire of President Trump. – New York Times
The IDF killed senior Hezbollah commander Ali Musa Daqduq in a precision strike in southern Lebanon, the military announced on Sunday. According to the statement, Daqduq held various senior positions within Hezbollah, including as bodyguard to then-Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah, head of the terror group’s infantry unit, and founding commander of the “Golan Terrorist Network.” – Jerusalem Post
Two IDF soldiers were wounded after Hezbollah rockets were launched at their post in southern Lebanon on Sunday, the military announced. – Jerusalem Post
The Israel Defense Forces on Saturday said it struck over 70 Hezbollah sites in southern Lebanon, targeting rocket launchers and buildings allegedly used by the terror group to advance attacks, after the army issued evacuation warnings for over 20 locations. – Times of Israel
Editorial: Since 2013 several European states have had to take national measures against Hezbollah rather than wait for “EU consensus.” Germany found Hezbollah had fundraising, recruitment and propaganda networks on its soil, and Berlin took action in 2020. Hezbollah has conducted terrorism across Europe and supplements its Iranian subsidy by working the drug trade. Listing Hezbollah in its entirety as a terrorist group wouldn’t tie France’s hands diplomatically, but it would help close networks across Europe that promote and finance terrorism. After Mr. Raggi’s forthright comment, no one can pretend that France blocks sanctions against Hezbollah for Lebanon’s sake. – Wall Street Journal
Iraq
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al‑Zaidi has decided to cancel the Baghdad International Airport development project after corruption suspicions were raised, Iraqi state media reported on Sunday, citing a government source. – Reuters
Iraq has asked Turkey to extend the existing Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline agreement for at least a year to allow more time to negotiate a new accord, Ali Nizar, the head of Iraq’s state oil marketer SOMO, said on the company’s official website. – Reuters
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al‑Zaidi has decided to cancel the Baghdad International Airport development project after corruption suspicions were raised, Iraqi state media reported on Sunday, citing a government source. – Reuters
Gulf States
Previously, Baharoon said the DNA of the United Arab Emirates, and much of the Persian Gulf region, was coded for “connectivity and economic relations despite political strife.” But if Iranian extremists continue to control the Strait of Hormuz, he said, and use violence to exert pressure — such as recent strikes on Kuwait and Bahrain — a new reality will set it with ramifications felt far beyond the Gulf given its role as a financial and logistical linchpin. – Washington Post
The United Arab Emirates has agreed to unlock billions of dollars for Iran, four sources said, in a tactical shift after weeks of Iranian attacks on the wealthy Gulf Arab state during the U.S.-Israeli war with the Islamic Republic. – Reuters
Missiles, drones, and maritime disruptions do not stop at national borders. Gulf defense architecture still too often waits for national permission to act. The Gulf Cooperation Council has spent decades building defense institutions, diplomatic forums, and a language of indivisible Gulf security. – War on the Rocks
Middle East & North Africa
Turkey and Saudi Arabia aim to build a railway to link the two countries with Jordan and Syria in the next three or four years, Turkish Transport Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said on Sunday, adding other Gulf countries would also join the project. – Reuters
Authorities in southern Lebanon warned people displaced by three months of war between Israel and Hezbollah against rushing home on Monday despite a U.S.-Iran deal to end the wider conflict, as Israel said it would not withdraw troops from the south. – Reuters
The Lebanese army on Saturday withdrew its troops from a base in a southern Lebanese village after Israeli troops advanced in an area nearby, a military official said. – Associated Press
Oil prices dropped on Sunday after President Donald Trump said an agreement with Iran had been reached and the United States would end its naval blockade on the country. Brent crude prices on Sunday fell 3.9% to about $84 a barrel, and US crude dropped 4.8% to about $81 a barrel. – Agence France-Presse
Syria’s Interior Ministry announced on Monday that security forces had arrested 235 members of the Islamic State group (ISIS) over the past three months as part of a broad security campaign aimed at dismantling the group’s active cells and preventing attacks intended to destabilize the country. – Jerusalem Post
Korean Peninsula
North Korea said on Sunday denuclearisation is a matter that is terminated irreversibly, as it condemned recent nuclear deterrence talks between the U.S. and South Korea. – Reuters
North Korea’s foreign ministry condemned a U.S. decision to approve the sale of advanced air-to-air missiles and related equipment to South Korea, warning the move would worsen tensions on the Korean peninsula, state media KCNA said on Saturday. – Reuters
Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Friday pledged to deepen bilateral ties, signing memorandums spanning technology and development cooperation. – Reuters
South Korea and the US agreed to maintain close cooperation in addressing the won’s weakness, according to Korea’s top foreign-exchange official. – Bloomberg
Despite Lee’s strong rhetoric, the country’s nuclear-powered submarine program risks leading South Korea’s defense industry off course. The high costs and technological complexity of developing a niche capability like nuclear submarine shipbuilding are more costly, complex, and less beneficial than Seoul may realize. – War on the Rocks
Dov Zakheim writes: Not surprisingly, Seoul is evaluating the implications of the North’s constitutional amendments. Sung-lac Wi, South Korea’s national security advisor, informed me earlier this week that “we do take into account North Korea’s Constitution with notable revisions. It is my government’s position that we will continue to consistently pursue policies for peaceful co-existence on the Korean Peninsula.” Whether the North also intends to pursue peaceful coexistence, having designated the South as a “hostile state,” and especially in light of its reported advice to Iran on negotiations with the U.S., is very much an open question. For that reason, and to ensure that Kim does not employ his nuclear arsenal pre-emptively, Washington’s commitment to South Korea’s security must remain ironclad. – The Hill
China
Taiwan’s government launched a website on Sunday to encourage Chinese nationals to report intelligence tips, saying it was offering a secure channel to what it says is an increasing number of people who are fed up with the system and want change. – Reuters
Hong Kong’s leader John Lee shrugged off a question on whether he would seek a second term in office, the South China Morning Post reported on Monday, and said he was focused on accomplishing much more in his final year. – Reuters
China’s ability to militarily strike Australia will grow markedly over the next decade, though the most immediate threats will come through cyberattacks and the cutting of undersea communications cables, a report from the Lowy Institute think tank said on Monday. – Reuters
China is “strongly dissatisfied” with a U.S. move to add several large Chinese companies to the Pentagon’s list of firms it says are aiding China’s military, the commerce ministry said on Saturday. – Reuters
The leader of Taiwan’s main opposition party said on Friday that she had used a visit to the U.S. to correct “many misunderstandings” about her pro-engagement approach to China, amid strong criticism from hawks in Washington. – Reuters
Jonathan A. Czin writes: China, meanwhile, continues to plod ahead with a five-year plan that may allow it to eclipse both the United States and its allies in a growing range of high technologies and advanced manufacturing sectors. Even if the five-year plan misses its mark and China’s economic woes continue unabated, it will remain a formidable and enduring rival to the United States—one that a future administration, now with a weaker hand to play, will be forced to finally confront. – Foreign Affairs
South Asia
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will travel to India the week after the G7 leaders summit for further discussions on a possible trade deal, a senior U.S. administration official said on Saturday, saying an agreement was possible. – Reuters
Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing arrived in Beijing on Monday for a five-day visit at the invitation of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, China’s state media reported, marking his first trip to the world’s second-largest economy since being elected president. – Reuters
Bangladesh’s central bank said it dissolved the board of directors of Islami Bank, invoking emergency regulatory powers to take direct control of the nation’s largest Islamic lender by assets. – Bloomberg
Asia
In 1940, the imperial regimes of Germany and Japan joined what would be known as the Axis powers, bound by mutual opposition to the United States. They fought a world war, and they lost it, and their populations spent the next 85 years with shrunken militaries and a heavy reliance on their former enemy, America, for security. Now, both countries’ wariness of America has resurfaced, alongside heightened fears about a surging world power, China, and an aggressive Russia. Tokyo and Berlin are rushing to rebuild their militaries. And, once again, they are strengthening ties. – New York Times
Hundreds of Indonesian students rallied in Jakarta on Friday to protest the spending priorities of President Prabowo Subianto’s government, and to protest against this week’s decision to raise gasoline prices. – Reuters
A prominent Cambodian opposition politician emerged Monday from his Supreme Court appeal to a crowd of cheering supporters, telling them he was anxious for judges to overturn his incitement conviction so that he could get back into politics. – Associated Press
Armenia’s polling authority on Sunday confirmed that the party led by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan won a general election seen as a vote on its geopolitical future and a test of Russia’s influence in the South Caucasus country. – Associated Press
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hailed increasing defense cooperation with the UK during a meeting with her British counterpart Keir Starmer on Sunday, even amid uncertainty about a new fighter jet program. – Bloomberg
Editorial: Little chance of that, since national security cases are generally shrouded in secrecy, mostly on the whims of Beijing. The national security law has made Hong Kong a less secure place to visit or do business. These changes will further chill foreign investment. But the biggest victims are Hong Kongers themselves, who live in fear and lack the freedom to speak out against the deepening descent into autocracy. – Washington Post
Gearoid Reidy writes: But things weren’t always so successful. Capcom’s lean years in the 2000s came before the era of activist investing. Would it today get the leeway that enabled it to restructure for future growth? Fans love how it has been a responsible steward for beloved franchises — exactly the opposite of what the microtransaction-heavy model some advocate for to boost profits in the short term. More capital is coming to Japan’s entertainment sector; Nikkei just launched a new “entertainment content” stock index designed to bring more attention to firms making games and anime. But while there may be short-term cash in making Mario jump higher, the smarter money is in knowing when not to charge for it. – Bloomberg
Europe
Swiss voters on Sunday rejected a high-stakes proposal to impose a hard constitutional cap on the country’s population, averting economic shock waves and a severe diplomatic rift with the European Union. In a national referendum, 55% of voters and a majority of the 26 cantons opposed the “No to a Switzerland with 10 million!” initiative, spearheaded by the right-wing Swiss People’s Party, or SVP. – Wall Street Journal
Britain’s armed forces have for the first time intercepted and seized control of a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker sailing in the English Channel, the British Defense Ministry said on Sunday. – New York Times
General Roberto Vannacci launched his new far-right party on Sunday, posing a direct challenge to Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s grip on power as he seeks to pull Italy in a more hardline, nationalist direction ahead of elections next year. – Reuters
Hungary’s main opposition Fidesz party re-elected former Prime Minister Viktor Orban as its leader on Saturday for another year despite the party’s loss of power in an April 12 election to the centre-right Tisza party. – Reuters
Geneva police on Sunday fired teargas at protesters who set fire to a Tesla vehicle and smashed windows at a United Nations agency as they vented their anger at a Group of Seven summit about to take place across the border in France. – Reuters
A UK ban on under-16s using social media set to be unveiled this week is not “a silver bullet” but will have “a significant role to play” in keeping children safe, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told Sky News on Sunday. – Bloomberg
His decade-old ambition to turn France into a “startup nation” never fully delivered. Now Macron sees a second chance by positioning France as Europe’s artificial-intelligence powerhouse, leveraging the nation’s abundant supply of nuclear energy for data centers. He convinced Softbank Group Corp. to invest as much as €75 billion ($86 billion) in French projects. – Bloomberg
Police reportedly arrested at least 14 people as pro- and anti-Israel protesters clashed for hours outside an event at a London synagogue promoting Israeli real estate. Called the “Great Israeli Real Estate Event,” the fair had drawn opposition from British lawmakers and activists who claimed it was marketing properties in the West Bank, even as the organizer of the event, My Home in Israel, said those allegations were false. Times of Israel
France is working on a “kill web” to connect sensors and weapon systems on the battlefield for faster decision making and firing, similar to Ukraine’s Delta system, according to the head of the French Army’s technical section STAT. – Defense News
Editorial: Mass migration has imposed burdens on many countries in Europe, especially those that fail to enforce their laws on immigrant communities or cosset them with welfare benefits that limit assimilation. But those failures can be addressed in other ways than by a population cap. Especially as Western birth rates continue to decline, national populations will shrink without immigration. Countries that endorse zero population growth may find themselves more diminished than they now imagine. – Wall Street Journal
Africa
Security forces in the Democratic Republic of Congo dispersed a crowd outside the parliament building in Kinshasa on Friday, witnesses and opposition politicians said, as demonstrators gathered to oppose planned constitutional changes they say could allow President Felix Tshisekedi to run for a third term. – Reuters
A person who was killed this week during a protest in central Kenya against a quarantine facility for Americans exposed to Ebola was a teenager who had left home to pick up a new school uniform, his grandmother said. – Reuters
The United States has deported an Iranian pro-democracy activist to Central African Republic, her lawyer said on Friday, describing it as a “super dangerous” transfer to a country with which the activist has no connection. – Reuters
The number of confirmed Ebola cases in Democratic Republic of Congo has increased to 782 after 72 new cases were documented in 24 hours, one of the biggest single-day jumps during the ongoing outbreak, government data showed on Sunday. – Reuters
Somaliland has a right to choose its own relationships and pressure tactics from Beijing and Mogadishu have not succeeded in altering its friendship with Taipei, its top diplomat in Taiwan said on Friday at the opening of a new office. – Reuters
Gunmen killed at least 17 farmers and wounded at least 13 others as they worked in their fields in northwestern Nigeria, a local official and a resident said. – Associated Press
South African companies with operations across Africa are facing mounting pressure as anti-immigrant protests in the continent’s largest economy trigger diplomatic tensions and calls for action against their businesses. – Bloomberg
The president of Somaliland is making his first visit to Israel, following the Jewish state’s recognition of the breakaway region of Somalia. The African leader will appear in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, later today, Israel’s government said in a statement on Sunday. – Bloomberg
The Americas
The U.S. military killed a leader of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua in an unusual joint operation with Caracas, President Trump said, in an escalation of his military campaign against cartels and criminal groups in the region. – Wall Street Journal
Brazilian refineries sold over 100 million liters of naphtha to a firm investigated in an alleged fraud scheme involving a criminal gang designated by the U.S. as a terrorist organization, according to a person close to the matter and documents seen by Reuters. – Reuters
Mary Anastasia O’Grady writes: Mr. de la Espriella is described in most media as “far right.” But in November the left-wing Spanish newspaper El Pais struggled to explain what makes him extreme. The best it could do was describe a social conservative in a socially conservative country, who also believes in law and order, “fervent patriotism; free-market economics; a smaller state; and the protection of private property.” Sounds very different from what Colombia has now. – Wall Street Journal
North America
A high-ranking Haitian government security official recently chosen to serve as chief of staff to the Minister of Defense was kidnapped Thursday along with his wife and 6-year-old daughter who is a U.S. citizen, two people familiar with the case confirmed. – New York Times
American Airlines (AAL.O) said it will resume flights to Haiti on November 1 after major U.S. carriers suspended service to the Caribbean nation in late 2024. – Reuters
Armed men in Haiti have kidnapped a senior government and police official in Port-au-Prince, the highest-ranking abduction in recent years in a country gripped by gang violence, according to media reports on Saturday. – Reuters
Carlos Gimenez writes: The Obama-era opening handed economic relief and legitimacy to the Cuban regime while political prisoners remained jailed, dissidents were beaten and the military elite expanded its control through entities like GAESA. Strength, not appeasement, is the only language Havana understands. For decades, the Castro regime cultivated an illusion of absolute invincibility; today, for the first time in a generation, that facade has cracked, leaving the dictatorship profoundly vulnerable thanks to the decisive policies of President Trump. – Fox News
United States
Workers stripped U.S. President Donald Trump’s name from the Kennedy Center early on Saturday, less than six months after it went up, complying with a judge’s ruling that the performing arts landmark cannot be renamed without an act of Congress. – Reuters
An Iran-linked hacker group claims to have breached FBI drones and has threatened to target the World Cup that kicked off this week, a monitoring group said on Friday. – Times of Israel
Editorial: This may explain why both candidates are falling back on running against President Trump, who has meddled in district governance to a greater extent than any President in decades. But the dirty secret around town is that his efforts to beautify city parks, get fountains working again and deploy the National Guard to deter crime are popular even in this deep blue city. That will make Washington a flash point in the conflict between far-left urban governance and a more conservative national electorate. If no one else can govern Washington, Mr. Trump might. Primary voters are on notice. – Wall Street Journal
Cybersecurity
Anthropic is racing to resolve its latest conflict with the Trump administration, meeting with officials and dispatching top technical staff to Washington over the weekend in pursuit of a deal to end export restrictions on its most powerful artificial-intelligence models. – Wall Street Journal
Six months after President Donald Trump warned states not to regulate artificial intelligence, they are increasingly doing just that. Congress has stalled on producing federal regulation of artificial intelligence as states forge ahead and scrutinize how chatbots interact with children, how AI systems are used by employers and what developers must do to try to prevent an AI-caused catastrophe. Associated Press
The FBI, along with Google and Lumen Technologies, took down a major cybercrime network based in China that was responsible for an estimated $1.9 billion in losses, officials said Friday. – Cyberscoop
Editorial: Canada’s proposal would extend beyond social platforms to include artificial intelligence chatbot services. It would allow some companies to be exempted from the age restrictions if they implement “adequate safeguards,” which will be determined by a powerful new regulator.
Most social media platforms and smartphones already have robust parental controls. A better approach to age-gating platforms would be to strengthen those tools and teach kids how to use these platforms properly. Schools have a role to play here, but the onus is on parents. They are always going to be better at judging their children’s needs than the government. – Washington Post
Editorial: Batteries to store energy are becoming increasingly important with the AI build out. Sodium-ion batteries are a way to help grids manage peak demand and address supply fluctuations. During outages, batteries offer a backup. AI will disrupt every level of the economy. Wrongly assuming that energy challenges are insurmountable, naysayers fight the future. They’re missing out on opportunities that others will happily jump on, even if the solutions aren’t completely clear yet. – Washington Post
Defense
The Pentagon is shooting expensive missiles faster than it can replace them. Its solution: cheaper missiles. The U.S. military is using nonstandard contracts and tasking defense contractors to design new weapons from scratch to cut years of production time and hundreds of millions of dollars off their cost. Even before the Iran war cut into U.S. armament supplies, lawmakers and military brass worried that the U.S. can’t rearm itself fast enough to deter threats and respond to conflicts. – Wall Street Journal
The F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter’s readiness rates continued to decline through fiscal 2025, with the fleet’s full mission capable rate falling to 25%, according to a new Government Accountability Office report released Thursday. – Defense News
Andy Kessler writes: Mr. Spagnoletti suggests that this technology will “not only catch us up but put us ahead on a playing field.” It will cause potential battle theaters “to be asymmetrical, where we can deploy based on this affordable mass solution, we could deploy these Havoc missile systems, and then cause a lot of calories and time and energy and money to be spent on defending it.” Because of 3-D metal printing, weapons replenishment can happen quickly after an Iran-like shooting match. It sure feels as if we won’t be behind on hypersonic missiles for long. – Wall Street Journal