🇸🇾🇱🇧🇮🇷 - Syrian security forces thwarted a shipment of Iranian 107mm Fajr-1 rockets that was bound for Lebanon.

@thewarreporterr

🇷🇺🇨🇳📉📝 — Trade turnover between Russian Federation and People's Republic of China in January-May fell by 8.2% to $88.8 billion, the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China reported.

🇺🇸🇨🇳💸📉 — The volume of trade between China and the United States fell by 9.1% in January-May, to $239.7 billion, the General Administration of Customs of China reported.

—🇧🇬/🇪🇺 NEW: Bulgarian lawmakers brawl in parliament after EU approves eurozone accession for 2026.

Far-right Revival Party protests erupted outside the National Assembly in Sofia following the European Commission’s decision.

Follow us on @balkanspectator

—🇧🇬/🇪🇺 Bulgaria's Eurozone entry: What just happened

Here’s a deeper breakdown of the context surrounding Bulgaria’s planned euro adoption.

On June 4, 2025, the European Commission and the European Central Bank (ECB) gave the official green light for Bulgaria to adopt the euro as its national currency starting January 1, 2026.

📊 Why Now? — Convergence Criteria Met

To join the eurozone, Bulgaria had to meet the Maastricht convergence criteria, which include:

- Inflation rate: Must be close to the EU average.
- Government deficit: Below 3% of GDP.
- Government debt: Below 60% of GDP.
- Exchange-rate stability: Leva must be stable against the euro under ERM II for at least 2 years.
- Long-term interest rates: Should not significantly exceed those of best-performing EU states.

📌 As of early 2025, Bulgaria was judged to be in line with all these requirements, despite past delays linked to inflationary pressures and political instability.

⚠️ Domestic Tensions

While the EU gave approval, internal opposition in Bulgaria remains high:

- The Revival Party (far-right nationalist) organized protests in Sofia and called the euro move "economic surrender".
- Scuffles broke out in parliament, where MPs opposed to the euro tried to delay discussions and accused the government of undermining sovereignty.

Many citizens are also concerned about inflation post-adoption, referencing the experience of other countries where euro introduction led to price hikes.

🏦 What Happens Next?

- Bulgaria will launch nationwide awareness campaigns to prepare citizens and businesses for the currency change.
- Prices will be displayed in both lev and euro starting later in 2025.
- The lev will be exchanged at a fixed rate of 1.95583 leva per euro, as previously agreed in the ERM II mechanism.

🌐 Strategic Significance

- Bulgaria will become the 21st member of the eurozone.
- This deepens its EU integration, nearly 18 years after joining the Union.

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🇮🇷❌🇺🇸 — Iranian Regime Foreign Ministry Spokesman says Tehran has flatly rejected the U.S. offer and is now “preparing a new one in its place.”

➡️ Esmaeil Baghaei, the ministry’s spokesman, told a weekly news conference on Monday that Iran was not satisfied with a US proposal and it would present its version via mediator Oman.

➡️ This marks the first public sign that Tehran will not accept the US proposal after the fifth round of talks last month, during which Iran said it had received “elements” of a US proposal and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later said the text contained “ambiguities”.

🇮🇷❌🇺🇸🇮🇱 — Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister says their response to the U.S. proposal will be “reasonable.”

Apparently it requires the US to lift sanctions, allow for enrichment and to dismantle Israel’s nuclear program.

🇺🇸🇺🇸❌🚩 — CNN reports roughly 500 Marines are being mobilized in response to the protests in Los Angeles.

🔗 The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial)

🇿🇦📞🇷🇺 — Russian State Media, RIA Novosti on Telegram:

Elon Musk's father Errol, who came to Moscow, said that they tried to dissuade him from going.

The perception of Russia in the US press is that it is a very bad place with terrible people who will kill you if you come. Total nonsense.
Musk Sr. also called Putin an impressive person on the sidelines of the 2050 Future Forum.

https://news.1rj.ru/str/rian_ru/298217