🗣 ‘Utterly insane and destructive’ — Musk criticizes Senate draft of Trump-backed spending bill

Elon Musk has sharply criticized the latest Senate draft of what President Donald Trump has called his “Big, Beautiful Bill,” warning that it would severely harm the US economy.

💬 “The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!” Musk wrote on X.

Earlier this month, he referred to the bill as “a disgusting abomination.”

The legislation, promoted by Trump and some Republican lawmakers, aims to restructure federal spending and reduce the national deficit. However, analysts at Goldman Sachs recently warned that the bill may have limited effect on the growing US debt burden. According to their report, the bill’s proposed spending cuts are unlikely to offset ballooning borrowing costs or stabilize the debt-to-GDP ratio, which is now nearing post–World War II levels.

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🇳🇴❌🇷🇺 Norway restricting Russian activity on Svalbard – Russian ambassador

Norwegian authorities are tightening control over the Svalbard archipelago (also known as Spitsbergen), making it harder for Russia to carry out scientific and economic work there, Russian Ambassador to Oslo Nikolay Korchunov told Sputnik.

He noted that Svalbard is a special economic zone under the 1920 Svalbard Treaty, which grants Russia and other signatories equal rights to operate there. However, Norway’s recent actions—including joining EU sanctions—have created barriers for Russian researchers and businesses.

💬 “These steps contradict the treaty and put Russian operators in a discriminatory position,” Korchunov said.

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🗣 Witkoff to discuss nuclear deal with Iran in coming days – reports

US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steven Witkoff is expected to hold talks with Iranian authorities in the coming days on a potential agreement regarding Tehran’s nuclear program, NBC News reported.

Some arms control experts cited by the outlet warned that Iran possesses the technical capabilities to revive its weapons program — including enriched uranium, centrifuges, and access to underground facilities such as tunnels.

For that reason, US and Israeli intelligence services will keep a close eye on Iran, the report said.

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📊Anti-Russia sanctions push average EU gas prices up 150%

The price of gas for the European Union has increased 2.5-fold since the introduction of large-scale sanctions against Russia — in just four years.

From 2021 to 2025, it has increased twice as much as in the previous 20 years, according to Sputnik's calculations based on Eurostat data.

🟠Thus, in April 2021, the average price of a thousand cubic meters of gas for the EU was 206 euros, and it rose to 523.5 euros in April of this year.

🟠Over the previous four years, the increase in the price of this type of fuel in the EU was only 1.7%: in April 2017, a thousand cubic meters could be purchased for only 202.5 euros. Twenty years ago, in mid-spring 2000, a thousand cubic meters cost the EU 123.9 euros.

Reason? The EU's reorientation towards LNG amid sanctions against Russia.

🟠In 2021, LNG accounted for only a third of all purchases by the union, but in 2025 it was already just slightly less than half.

🟠The price of importing this type of fuel over the past four years has increased to 645.5 euros from 257 euros.

🟠The price of pipeline gas is still lower than liquefied gas — 417 euros. In 2021 the EU bought a thousand cubic meters of pipeline gas for only 178.7 euros.

Bottom line: EU spending on gas in April 2025 increased to 8.05 billion euros from 3.5 billion four years earlier, despite the fact that import volumes decreased by 8.5% to 15.4 billion cubic meters.

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🗣West will never defeat Russia using Ukraine as a battering ram - Lavrov

The West has never been able to, and will never be able to, deliver a strategic defeat to Russia by using the Kiev regime as a battering ram, Russian FM Lavrov said at the meeting with his Kyrgyzstan's counterpart Jeenbek Kulubaev.

🔊The West won't succeed this time either, they're starting to realize that, the Russian top diplomat said.

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🔍Self-inflicted pain? Graham’s Russia sanctions could backfire on America

War hawk Sen. Lindsey Graham*’s new sanctions bill isn’t just unworkable – it’s self-destructive, warns The Washington Post.

The bill calls for a 500% tariff on any country that buys Russian oil, gas, uranium, or petrochemicals – in other words, most of the non-Western world and a good chunk of America’s own allies.

This is the geopolitical equivalent of “cutting off America’s nose to spite Putin’s face,” the outlet warns.

👉Here’s what the bill ignores:
🟠Even the United States still imports enriched uranium from Russia – 12% of total US deliveries in 2023.
🟠The EU spent $23B on Russian fossil fuels in 2024, more than the $19B it gave Ukraine in aid (per the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air)
🟠India is the second-largest buyer of Russian crude after China.
🟠NATO member Turkiye and the EU tie for third place.
🟠Brazil is the third-largest buyer of Russian oil products.
🟠South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan rely on Russian LNG and coal.

✅If passed in its current form, Graham's bill would:
🟠Spark a massive trade war with virtually every major US trading partner.
🟠Damage ties with Europe, Asia, and Latin America
🟠Undermine US credibility, especially since America itself is still buying Russian uranium.

Graham is already backpedaling. He’s suggested “carve-outs” for countries that support Ukraine.

When war hawks flinch, you know it’s gone too far...

*recognized as a terrorist in Russia

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🇮🇷📹Funeral of IRGC Lieutenant General Ali Shadmani is being held in the Iranian city of Hamadan

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🗣Trump to Israeli prosecutors: 'Back off Bibi'

The president decried Netanyahu's corruption trial as "insanity" on Truth Social, lionizing the embattled leader while turning a blind eye to civilian deaths from Israel's military operations.

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🟠 Israel says it eliminated top Hamas commander
🟠 Haifa port’s IMEC dreams blasted to pieces by Iranian missiles
🟠 Ukraine’s wounded soldiers deliberately HOOKED ON OPIOIDS with gov’t blessing?
🟠 Self-inflicted pain? Graham’s Russia sanctions could backfire on America
🟠 Anti-Russia sanctions push average EU gas prices up 150%

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🔍Key outcomes of Sergey Lavrov's meeting with Kyrgyzstan's FM Jeenbek Kulubaev:

🔸Lavrov accused French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz of lacking commonsense and attempting to control Europe.

🔸Russia is open to sincere efforts to end the crisis in Ukraine, while Europe is trying to cheat, he said. Lavrov also thanked Kyrgyzstan for its position on Ukraine.

🔸Iran was one of the topics discussed during the talks.

🔸Kyrgyzstan expects Russian President Vladimir Putin to attend the CSTO summit in fall, Kulubaev said.

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🚨🇷🇺RUSSIA LAUNCHES MASSIVE NIGHT STRIKE: Kinzhal hypersonic missiles hit Ukraine hard

ALL TARGETS DESTROYED – the Russian Defense Ministry announces success in overnight attack on:

🟠 Ukrainian weapons factories
🟠 Critical oil refineries

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🚨Russian Intel Chief holds phone call with CIA Director

Sergey Naryshkin, Director of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR), announced that he held a telephone conversation with CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

"I had a phone call with my American counterpart, and we agreed to keep the line open for further contact at any time to discuss matters of concern," Naryshkin said.

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🚨WATCH: Lavrov LAMBASTS Macron, Merz, saying they lack common sense

Lavrov commented on Merz and Macron's op-ed for the FT, in which the two said that "the main source of instability for Europe comes from Russia" and called on Europe to arm itself.

"I believe that these quotes alone are enough for a person who has some understanding of what is happening in Europe and follows events to understand that these people have completely lost common sense and are openly trying to return to the days when France and Germany wanted to conquer Europe, primarily the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union," Lavrov said.

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🇷🇺🪖 RUSSIAN DEFENSE BRIEFING: CRUCIAL STRIKES & ENEMY LOSSES

🔸 The Russian army carried out a group strike on military facilities in Ukraine overnight using Kinzhal hypersonic missiles.

🔸 Heavy Ukrainian losses: Over 1,235 troops eliminated in the special military operation zone.

🔸 Air defense superiority: a long-range "Neptun" missile and 102 drones shot down.

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🚨Another of Ukraine’s F-16s bites the dust

Ukraine has lost yet another West-supplied F-16 during a major clash with Russian forces. According to the Ukrainian Air Force, first-class pilot Lieutenant Colonel Maksym Ustymenko was unable to eject.

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🚨💥 Ukraine's forces ditch damaged Polish Oncilla APC near Kupyansk PANICKING OVER Russian drones

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🇨🇳China claps back: No US trade deals that sacrifice its interests

China will retaliate if other countries strike trade deals with the US that undermine its interests for so-called tariff cuts, the country’s Ministry of Commerce said.

🇺🇸Donald Trump’s “reciprocal tariffs” on global partners were pilloried as a classic case of unilateral “bullying” that’s wrecking the international trade system.

The US president is racing to meet a July 8 deadline for trade agreements.

➡️So far, only the UK and China deals have been announced, with Trump hinting at one with India in the pipeline.

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🇮🇷💥🇺🇸Iran fires back at Trump: ‘unrespectable gambler politician’ won't shake our resolve

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has slammed the US president’s hostile and deranged rhetoric, saying it was nothing but a desperate psy-op to spread fear and chaos.

Qalibaf warned the "unrespectable president of the United States" and Iran’s other enemies that its people will never back down in defending their homeland—while “traitors and mercenaries” will be tossed into the "dustbin of history."

🔊The fiery response comes after Trump’s latest unhinged rant, where he claimed he “saved” Supreme Leader Khamenei’s life — and complained about not getting a “thank-you” in return.

Trump has also threatened to resume bombing Iran – over nuclear claims neither the US nor Israel have proven to the world with any measure of credibility.

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