EU adopts 21st Russia sanctions package, freezing oil cap at $44 and granting Greek LNG shipping exception
EU ambassadors agreed on the 21st sanctions package against Russia on 23 July, freezing the oil price cap at $44 per barrel and granting Greece a one-year exception for LNG shipments to non-EU countries.
White House accuses China's Moonshot of stealing Anthropic's Fable model to build Kimi K3, threatens sanctions
Trump administration tech advisor Michael Kratsios said Moonshot AI used a 'sophisticated internal platform' to distill Anthropic's Fable model and accessed restricted Nvidia GB300 chips in Thailand to build the Kimi K3 model.
Houthis strike two Saudi oil tankers in Red Sea, Trump threatens 'major military punishment' on Iran, Brent crude surges past $100
Yemen's Houthi rebels attacked two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea on Thursday, setting both on fire and threatening to close the Bab el-Mandeb shipping chokepoint. The US responded by deploying a B-1 bomber to strike IRGC targets in Iran.
Ukraine drone strikes hit Wildberries warehouses across Russia, killing at least nine and destroying billions in goods
A week-long drone campaign by Ukraine has struck at least five Wildberries logistics hubs across Russia, killing at least nine workers and destroying billions of dollars in inventory, as Kyiv aims to disrupt military supply chains and bring the war home to ordinary Russians.
Houthi attacks on Saudi tankers push Brent crude above $100 as Bab el-Mandeb blockade tightens
Brent crude surged 7.4% to $101.01 on Thursday after Yemen's Houthi rebels attacked two Saudi tankers and declared a naval blockade of the Bab el-Mandeb strait, the kingdom's main export route since Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz.
Russian Su-57 fighter jet crashes near Moscow in second loss of flagship stealth aircraft
The aircraft went down in the Odintsovo district during an unarmed training flight. Russian authorities cite technical malfunction, while unconfirmed reports suggest friendly fire.
Trump says Iran will pay for ship damages with frozen assets as US strikes enter 13th night
US President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that damages to ships and cargo in the Strait of Hormuz conflict will be compensated from frozen Iranian assets, as US airstrikes on Iran continued for a 13th consecutive night.
Trump says he is 'close' to ordering massive attack on Iran, larger than Operation Epic Fury
In an Axios interview, the US president said he is seriously considering resuming large-scale military operations against Iran, potentially exceeding the scope of Operation Epic Fury, but no final decision has been made.
House passes symbolic Iran war powers resolution 214-208; Senate blocks its own measure 49-47
The Republican-led House backed a resolution directing Trump to halt military action against Iran without Congress' approval, but the Senate voted 49-47 to block its own measure hours later.
US intelligence probes Russia's possible role in Iranian drone strikes on CIA sites in Gulf
At least two CIA facilities in Saudi Arabia and Iraq were hit by Iranian drones in March, and US intelligence is now investigating whether Russia provided targeting data and the Kometa-M navigation system that increased the accuracy of the strikes.
EU adopts 21st sanctions package against Russia, extends oil price cap at $44 per barrel
The 27 member states overcame weeks of deadlock on Thursday to adopt the 21st round of economic penalties since the 2022 invasion, maintaining a $44 cap on Russian oil for a full year and granting Greece a carve-out for LNG shipments to non-EU buyers.
Trump weighs 'biggest yet' attack on Iran as oil tops $100 and Houthis strike Saudi tankers
The US president told Axios he is close to a decision on an attack larger than any in the nearly five-month war, while Brent crude passed $100 and Houthi rebels hit two Saudi tankers in the Red Sea.
EU clinches 21st Russia sanctions deal after Greece wins one-year exemption for LNG tankers
EU ambassadors overcame months of deadlock on Thursday morning, agreeing to a 21st sanctions package after Greece secured a one-year exemption for its LNG tankers carrying Russian gas to non-EU countries.
Ireland pledges €125m as Zelenskiy reshuffles military command amid Kyiv protests
Taoiseach Micheál Martin met President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv on Thursday, announcing a €125 million package as Ukraine grapples with a military leadership shake-up and inconclusive findings on alumina exports to Russia.
Zelenski's fired defence minister rejects all alternative posts, demands reinstatement as protest deadline looms
Mykhailo Fedorov, 35, said on Thursday he would accept no government role other than defence minister, deepening a political crisis that has drawn thousands of protesters onto Kyiv's streets during wartime.
EU adopts 21st sanctions package against Russia, targeting banks, shadow fleet and oil price cap
The package extends the $44/barrel oil price cap, blacklists 32 more banks, and for the first time targets vessels aiding Russia's shadow fleet, while a last-minute Greek LNG exemption unlocked the deal.
Oil nears $100 as US strikes Iran for 12th night and Houthis attack Saudi tankers in Red Sea
Brent crude reached $96.05 a barrel after Houthi rebels struck a Saudi tanker and the US bombed Iranian military sites for a 12th straight night, threatening two of the world's most critical oil chokepoints.
Nicaragua's congress begins work to abolish elections after Ortega declares 'there won't be anymore'
The National Assembly, controlled by President Daniel Ortega and co-President Rosario Murillo, announced a 'work plan' on Tuesday to implement the leader's Sunday directive cancelling future electoral contests.
Sinaloa cartel co-founder 'El Mayo' Zambada sentenced to life without parole in Brooklyn federal court
A federal judge in Brooklyn sentenced Sinaloa cartel co-founder Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada to life without parole, closing a decades-long chapter of industrial-scale drug trafficking and violence that flooded the US with fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine.
Lavrov warns Rubio against 'inadmissible' US arms to Ukraine as first meeting in 10 months yields no breakthrough
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that continued American arms deliveries to Ukraine are 'inadmissible' during a 30-minute meeting in Manila, while Rubio insisted Washington's policy remains unchanged and called for 'new ideas' to end the war.
Jingye Steel demands full compensation after UK nationalises British Steel, calling move 'outright robbery'
The Chinese owner of the Scunthorpe plant says it will pursue legal action after the UK government took full control on Thursday, citing national security.
EU approves 21st sanctions package against Russia, freezes oil price cap at $44.10 after Greek shipping exemption
After weeks of wrangling, EU ambassadors agreed to freeze the oil price cap at $44.10 per barrel for 12 months, add 32 Russian banks to the transaction ban, and target the shadow fleet, but watered down LNG transport restrictions to satisfy Athens.
Russia fires over 40 ballistic missiles at Kyiv in one of war's largest attacks, killing at least 1 and injuring 16
More than 40 ballistic missiles and 125 drones targeted the Ukrainian capital overnight, causing fires across multiple districts and damaging residential buildings, a supermarket, and a metro station.
Ukraine releases footage of Monaco bombing as injured tycoon accuses Kyiv intelligence
Ukrainian prosecutors have released restored surveillance footage of the 29 June parcel-bomb attack in Monaco that seriously injured businessman Vadym Yermolaiev, his partner and their 13-year-old son. Yermolaiev, in a letter made public this week, directly accused Ukraine’s military intelligence agency of the assassination attempt.
Houthis announce Red Sea blockade of Saudi ships after Sanaa airport strike, raising oil transit fears
Yemen's Houthi rebels say they are closing the Bab al-Mandab strait to Saudi vessels, a week after the most significant escalation since a 2022 truce, as the Saudi-backed government confirms striking Sanaa airport to block an Iranian plane.
Ukraine's Zelensky dismisses General Syrskyi, names Drapatyi as new army chief after street protests
President Zelensky dismissed General Oleksandr Syrskyi on Tuesday and appointed Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi, 43, as Ukraine's new commander-in-chief, following six days of rare wartime protests triggered by the earlier removal of reformist defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
At least 50 Malian soldiers killed in ambush by jihadists and Tuareg separatists near Anéfis
A military convoy leaving Anéfis for Gao was attacked Saturday by a coalition of al-Qaeda-linked JNIM and Tuareg separatists. At least 24 soldiers were taken prisoner, and Russian paramilitaries already in Gao escaped unharmed.
Zelensky names 43-year-old reformist Mykhailo Drapatyi as Ukraine's new commander-in-chief after protests force out Syrskyi
President Volodymyr Zelensky appointed Major General Mykhailo Drapatyi as Ukraine's new commander-in-chief on 21 July, days after mass protests erupted over the dismissal of reformist defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov.
Hamas elects Khalil al-Hayya as new political chief, ending nearly two-year leadership vacuum
Khalil al-Hayya, the group's chief negotiator during the Gaza war, was elected on Monday to head its political bureau, filling a role vacant since Israel killed Yahya Sinwar in October 2024.
Japan protests China's first live-fire drill in its EEZ as Russian frigate looks on
A Chinese destroyer conducted a machine gun test 180 km southwest of Okinotori island early Sunday, with a Russian frigate nearby. Tokyo filed a diplomatic protest, calling the drill a danger to navigation.