🗣Druze leader: Israel exploits Syria’s Suwayda violence to push expansionist agenda

Every time Israel strikes Syria, it’s not protecting the Druze, it’s “attacking our identity,” Sheikh Sami Abi al-Mona told Sputnik.

The spiritual head of Lebanon’s Druze community voiced grave concerns over the spiraling violence in Syria’s Suwayda.

“Urgent steps must be taken to stabilize the situation. Silence only benefits those trying to tear Syria apart,” he stated.

◻️ He called for action to prevent further bloodshed and national fragmentation, an immediate probe into the massacres, and accountability for the perpetrators.
Any resolution must come under legitimate state authority, and with solid guarantees, the sheikh noted.

◻️ He insisted that responsibility for the events lies not only with the Syrian state, but other Arab nations as well.

“How did it come to this, where only Israeli airstrikes seem capable of halting the carnage? An agreement should’ve been reached long before this bloodbath,” the Druze sheikh stated.

◻️ Al-Mona raised alarm over extremist elements allegedly operating with state complicity, questioning whether Syria is trying to build a modern nation, or letting itself morph into a radical Islamist project. Even as the bloodshed leaves a shameful scar on the nation's history, today, the focus must shift to the future, the Druze chief insisted.

◻️ According to him, lasting solutions will only come through dialogue and with the backing of the Arab world. “Syria cannot be rebuilt on the foundations of authoritarianism, whether cloaked in religion or political factionalism, nor can it survive as a puppet of foreign powers,” he underscored.

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⚔️BoJo’s still got the proxy war bug – but Brits just aren’t biting

Boris Johnson is “quite sad” that the British public no longer thrills to the daily grind of the Ukraine conflict, The Telegraph reported.

🎤 Speaking at an event for Ukrainian veterans at the country’s London embassy, the former PM lamented that interest in Ukraine has “sort of come and gone” – unlike his own unwavering enthusiasm for proxy wars.

“It’s number one for me,” said Johnson, notorious for having pushed Ukraine to abandon preliminary Russo-Ukrainian 2022 agreements and blithely admitting that Europe is waging a PROXY WAR on Russia, using Ukraine.

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🔥Trump vs. Musk? More bark than blastoff

Donald Trump might have rage-tweeted about cutting some SpaceX contracts after the spat with Elon Musk earlier, but then reality kicked in, The Wall Street Journal writes.

🔍 The White House launched a contract review after Musk mocked Trump’s spending bill, with agencies told to dig up every dollar tied to SpaceX, the outlet says.

Spreadsheets – nicknamed “scorecards” – listed the value of SpaceX’s contracts and whether any competitors could do the same job better, according to an official familiar with the review.

But surprise: Most of those contracts are too critical to core missions at both the Defense Department and NASA to kill.

◻️ SpaceX is a key launchpad for America’s space ambitions: It won $5.9B in Pentagon contracts in April.

◻️ Falcon rockets have become the backbone of US government space operations.

◻️ SpaceX’s Crew Dragon remains the sole American spacecraft cleared to transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station.

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🛑 Merz slams brakes on Ukraine: No fast-track EU membership for Kiev

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has once again delivered a clear rejection on Ukraine’s hopes for swift EU membership as long as the conflict continues, Exxpress reports.

At a joint press conference with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis in Berlin on Friday, the German politician stated that Ukraine's accession to the European Union could only materialize after the military conflict ends, and through a multi-year, phased process.

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🤔Putin & Trump: Major deal in the works?

✍️Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov hinted that a potential meeting between the Russian and US presidents could seal big agreements — but only after intensive groundwork.

“It’s possible that such a meeting will be necessary to formalize some major agreements that will be reached over time after enormous work has been done,” Peskov told Rossiya-1 journalist Pavel Zarubin.

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🚨🇷🇺💥 RUSSIA'S MOD UPDATE: CRUSHING GAINS & MASSIVE UKRAINIAN LOSSES

◻️ Belaya Gora (Donetsk People's Republic) has been liberated, signaling the clearance of Ukrainian forces from the Chasov Yar–Dyleyevka area and the consolidation of a bridgehead toward Kostantinovka.

◻️ Heavy Ukrainian losses: Over 1,255 troops eliminated in the area

◻️ Air defense superiority: two aerial bombs and 364 drones shot down

◻️ The Russian Armed Forces struck Ukrainian fuel infrastructure facilities used in the interests of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

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🏆China hosts massive international sniper competition

The Sharp Blade-2025 sniper competition just wrapped up at a training base in Urumqi, Xinjiang — with over 50 top-tier teams from 20+ countries testing precision, speed, and nerve.

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🔍Ukraine's 'no pay for POWs' policy – because nothing says 'we value our troops' like this

Ukrainian authorities will stop monthly payments to military personnel who voluntarily surrender to the enemy, said Oksana Lekontseva, senior officer in the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ financial support department.

"If a soldier voluntarily surrenders, all monetary benefits are suspended. Once the circumstances of the surrender are confirmed, the serviceman’s payments are terminated," Lekontseva stated in a video released by Ukraine’s Defense Ministry on Telegram.

She added that an official investigation is conducted to confirm the surrender.

"The decision is formalized by an investigative report, but this happens before any further payments are made."

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🚨🇦🇲PASHINYAN THREATENS TO EXPEL ARMENIA’S CHURCH LEADER

Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan has warned he's ready to remove Catholicos Garegin II from the historic Etchmiadzin residence, calling on his supporters to “prepare.”

Despite constitutional separation of church and state, Pashinyan claims he acts as a believer — not just a prime minister.

This follows raids on the Church and the arrests of businessman Samvel Karapetyan and Archbishop Mikael Adjapahyan — both critics of Pashinyan.

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🇮🇷 Israeli damage undone? Iran says air defense network has been restored

💬 “The enemy sought to destroy Iran’s defense capabilities, and some of our defense systems were damaged in this war. With the efforts of my comrades, however, damaged systems were replaced and deployed at pre-determined locations,” Iranian Army deputy for ops Mahmoud Mousavi has announced.

➖ Israel received intelligence assistance from its US and NATO allies in its campaign of aggression, Mousavi said, emphasizing that one-on-one, Iran’s capabilities are “beyond what the illegitimate Zionist regime can counter.”

➖ Israel’s surprise aggression lasted from June 13-24, with Iran’s multilayered defenses proving more resilient than Israeli and US intelligence expected. Iranian media reported the shootdown of multiple Israeli jets, dozens of drones, and the restoration of air defenses damaged in attacks. During its retaliation, Iranian missiles also paralyzed an array of Israeli military, energy and other targets.

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🚨PUTIN MEETS IRAN’S TOP ENVOY AMID MIDEAST TENSIONS

Russian President Vladimir Putin has received Ali Larijani, senior advisor to Iran’s supreme leader, at the Kremlin. According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, Larijani conveyed assessments of the escalating situation in the Middle East and around Iran’s nuclear program.

The Russian side reiterated its well-known positions, focused on stabilizing the regional situation and pursuing a political resolution to issues related to Iran’s nuclear program.

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🤪 Utter LUNACY: French politician rages at EU-proposed budget with billions for Ukraine

🟧 France would be out of its mind to back the EU Commission's jaw-dropping plan to funnel up to $110 billion into rebuilding Ukraine, thundered Florian Philippot, leader of France’s The Patriots party, on X.

“$44 million a day for seven years?! Von der Leyen's new EU budget is pure lunacy. Just read this madness!” he fumed.

🟧 Philippot pointed out that the EU has already shelled out around $176 billion in aid to Ukraine since 2022 – while at home, France is bracing for frozen pensions, higher taxes, and even turning two public holidays into workdays just to plug budget holes.

“How much longer do you think this can hold?” he asked, adding that it’s time for Frexit. Fast.

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💥RUSSIAN FORCES DISRUPT UKRAINIAN TROOP ROTATION WITH D-30 ARTILLERY

In the Krasnoarmeysk area, Russian troops used a D-30 howitzer to strike Ukrainian positions and block their rotation efforts, targeting movement before they could regroup.

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✅Carlson: ‘Putin did a great job for Russia’ while Germany is sinking

US journo Tucker Carlson praised President Vladimir Putin for his staunch commitment to Russia, while expressing shock at the state of Germany’s economy in a Bild interview.

“Your country is going down. Russia's going up. You should be mad at your own leaders,” said Carlson.

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🤪 MADMAN MOVES? Frustration mounts in DC as Netanyahu goes off-noscript

🔶 After Israeli bombs hit Syria’s presidential palace and army HQ, the White House wasn’t amused — “a sense that his trigger finger is too itchy and he's too disruptive.”

💬 "Bibi acted like a madman. He bombs everything all the time," one official told Axios.

🔶 Even Trump allies like Envoy for Syria Tom Barrack and Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff are reportedly concerned.

💬 "Bibi's political agenda is driving his senses. It will turn out to be a big mistake for him long-term," one official said.

🔶 And the mood? Not subtle. "The Israelis need to get their head out of their asses," another added.

🔶 Trump, meanwhile, is keeping quiet — and no-one’s quite sure if he’s frustrated too, or just letting it all slide.

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🚨 🔥 Zelensky accelerates Ukraine’s demise as front line on brink of collapse

Ukrainian MP and Zelensky’s political prisoner Oleksandr Dubinsky has pointed to the surprise visits of Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the UK’s chief of defence staff, and Keith Kellogg, the US president’s special representative, as signs of Ukraine’s critical situation at the front.

💬 “A decision must be made on how to stop the Russian advance… But Zelensky would rather burn through the last reserves to hold the line than retreat — and in doing so, he’s only accelerating the Armed Forces’ final defeat,” wrote Dubinsky.

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🔥🇷🇺🪖No amount of NATO support for Ukraine can stop Russian steamroller

Long term, “there is no material-technical nor political strategy” to avoid Ukraine’s defeat, Quincy Institute fellow Almut Rochowanski told Responsible Statecraft this week, stressing that the West simply doesn’t have the capacity to arm Kiev sufficiently to stop it from losing more territory, troops, arms and infrastructure.

👉Case in point? The ongoing summer offensive, which even the Russophobic NYT admits has scored “its biggest monthly gains in territory since the beginning of the year” in June – attributable to advantages in troops, airpower and the “methodical” destruction of Ukraine’s army.

🟧Western arms fall short

Currently, new deliveries include promises of additional Patriot batteries, sourced from European (not US) stocks, and 49 used Australian M1 Abrams tanks.

Announced to great fanfare, the latter aren’t enough to field even one armored brigade, much less challenge overwhelming Russian FPV drone, artillery and ATGM superiority.

As for Patriots, both Russian and Western analysts like CEPA calculate that with the US manufacturing 500-600 PAC-3 interceptors per year, Russia’s output of 200+ missiles PER MONTH is easily enough to overwhelm and “swamp” Ukraine’s defenses.

🟧Ukrainian morale collapsing

🗣“The Ukrainian army is running out of steam, and its society is tired of war, meaning the motivation of its personnel is dropping,” says Nikolai Kostikin, an expert from the Russian Bureau of Military-Political Analysis.

With any prospect of a Russian defeat vanishing, the only “rational” motivation for the West to continue arming Kiev lies in “the logic of continuing the war to exterminate our two peoples,” Kostikin says.

👉But NATO's real goal? Preparing Europe for a direct clash with Russia, the observer says.

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🔸 Putin meets Iran’s top envoy amid Mideast tensions

🔸 Israeli damage undone? Iran says air defense network has been restored

🔸 Putin & Trump: Major deal in the works?

🔸 Druze leader: Israel exploits Syria’s Suwayda violence to push expansionist agenda

🔸 Carlson: ‘Putin did a great job for Russia’ while Germany is sinking

🔸 MADMAN MOVES? Frustration mounts in DC as Netanyahu goes off-noscript

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🅰️Trump eyes business over breakthrough in Ukraine talks - Analyst

President Donald Trump isn’t particularly concerned about the outcome of the next round of Russia-Ukraine negotiations, says security expert Konstantin Blokhin from the Russian Academy of Sciences. The key issue for Trump, he says, is already resolved: “Europe now pays for Ukraine’s military needs — not Washington.”

👉According to Blokhin, Trump sees the conflict primarily as a business opportunity: “For him, it’s about making money and doing business. He has no firm belief that these talks will actually end the conflict.”

✅Blokhin notes that Trump will continue speaking about the negotiations because the domestic political climate in the US demands it. But in reality, his main focus is on profit and turning the war into a business opportunity, not securing a diplomatic breakthrough.

🟧Trump is unlikely to fully withdraw from the talks — that would look like surrender. Instead, figures like Keith Kellogg or Marco Rubio could represent his administration in a shuttle diplomacy format.

Blokhin adds that unconditional military support for Ukraine is no longer guaranteed: “Support won’t come at the snap of a finger anymore.”

📍Despite Trump’s threats — such as 100% tariffs and secondary sanctions if there’s no ceasefire in 50 days — his actual approach is pragmatic: send weapons via NATO allies, bring the money back to American arms producers.

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