Venezuelan President Maduro stages a show of force as US warships deploy near Venezuela.

Macron:

If Putin doesn’t commit by Monday to meet Zelensky, it means he has once again played Trump.

Iranian President Pezeshkian:

I cannot tell the judiciary to free political prisoners or not.

I personally wish the prisoners would be freed, but it’s not in my hands.

Iranian President Pezeshkian:

Who says sanctions aren’t important? The problems we face today are all the result of them.

Iranian President Pezeshkian:

Right now, there is a problem with water, electricity, and gas.

There's no water behind the dams. The wells beneath our feet are also emptying.

People who claim there is water should come and say where this water is.

Meta allowed and even created AI chatbots impersonating celebrities such as Taylor Swift, Scarlett Johansson, Anne Hathaway and Selena Gomez without permission.

Many bots flirted, made sexual advances, or generated intimate deepfake-style images, including of a child actor.

Source: Reuters

Iranian President Pezeshkian:

Enforcing the hijab law in the country would have increased social tensions. I believe in the hijab, and all my family members wear the chador, but not wearing a chador does not mean lack of virtue.

Iranian President Pezeshkian:

If we have missiles and F-16 and F-35 fighter jets but lack the unity and cohesion of the people, we have no power at all.

Somalia: Finland Development Minister Ville Tavio said aid programs will be suspended until Mogadishu accepts more deportees, and will resume only after "concrete progress" on returns.

BREAKING: Israeli media reports yet another "security incident" in Gaza.

Several Israeli soldiers killed. IDF activated the Hannibal Protocol.

Hamas Qassam fighters attempted to capture Israeli soldiers in Gaza. The Israeli Army is searching for the missing.

Trump Administration announced that it will not issue a US visa to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to attend the UN General Assembly in New York this September.

Trump administration is attempting to deter Abbas from issuing a "declaration of independence" during his speech to the assembly — a step the Palestinians are considering.

Source: Axios, citing sources

BREAKING: Al Jazeera reports four Israeli soldiers "lost" in Gaza.

NEW: A US appeals court ruled that most of Trump’s global tariffs were illegal, saying he exceeded his authority by misusing an emergency law.

Putin:

Economic relations between Moscow and Beijing have reached an unprecedentedly high level, China is Russia's undisputed leader in terms of bilateral trade volume.

Trump:

ALL TARIFFS ARE STILL IN EFFECT! Today a Highly Partisan Appeals Court incorrectly said that our Tariffs should be removed, but they know the United States of America will win in the end. If these Tariffs ever went away, it would be a total disaster for the Country.

NEW: Israeli military censorship imposes a publication ban on what happened with the four soldiers in Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza.

Russia attacked Ukraine with drones and missiles overnight.

Map showing the routes of Russian missiles and drones over Ukraine overnight.

Trump has not made a public appearance since his Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, which is unusual for him.

He also has no public events scheduled for the weekend.

Leaked Emails: Ex-Israeli PM Barak Called Epstein’s Island “Great, Impressive

Leaked emails (2007–2016) from former Israeli PM Ehud Barak reveal extensive personal and business ties with Jeffrey Epstein.

In 2015, Epstein and Barak invested in Reporty (Carbyne), a security-tech startup. Emails suggest Epstein used Barak to open doors in the surveillance sector, connecting him with figures like Peter Thiel and Russian contacts.

Barak visited Epstein’s private island in 2014, writing: “I’m still trying to arrange that the security guys will NOT come with us to the island. Does this works for you?”

He later thanked Epstein for his “hospitality,” calling the island “great, impressive.”

Emails show Epstein inviting Barak to dinners with Woody Allen and Ariane de Rothschild.

Barak and his wife sent Epstein a birthday letter in 2016, calling him a “collector of people.” Epstein also kept a signed map of Israel from Barak in his mansion.

Over 100,000 emails were hacked by the Handala group (linked to Iranian intelligence) and released by DDoSecrets in May 2025. While metadata is missing, supporting images and documents point to authenticity.

Barak admits meeting Epstein “dozens of times” and flying on his jet, but insists he never witnessed wrongdoing.

He says their business ties ended after Epstein’s 2019 arrest.