- The U.S. is investigating whether Russia helped Iran target CIA facilities after precise drone strikes hit sites in the Gulf (including a CIA station inside the Saudi embassy and a location in Iraq).
- Reporting suggests Russia may have provided upgraded tech and targeting help—like a more accurate Kometa‑M navigation system and enhanced Shahed drones—making the attacks harder to jam.
- No deaths were reported, but the strikes highlight closer Russia–Iran cooperation and raise fresh tensions and questions about how far Moscow will go to counter U.S. influence.
Latest stories in Politics.
- Philippine and Chinese foreign ministers met in Manila after a tense encounter this week in the South China Sea, centered on the Second Thomas Shoal.
- Each side lodged strong protests: the Philippines says a crewman was struck with a baton, while China accuses Philippine personnel of ramming and attacking its vessels.
- Both officials stressed the need to keep communication open and manage tensions, with China warning relations are at a “crossroads.”
- France approved a law banning social media for children under 15.
- It's the first European country to act, following Australia’s December ban for under‑16s.
- President Macron wants the law in place by the next school year — a move likely to spark debate among parents and teens.
- The Senate Commerce Committee is set to weigh bipartisan legislation to cement a U.S. ban on Chinese automakers, driven largely by national security concerns about vehicle data and connectivity.
- The bill would bar sales by automakers more than 15% owned by Chinese entities — a threshold that could snag Mercedes‑Benz and is still under debate.
- Automakers are reacting: GM and Ford plan to shift some China-made models to U.S. production, Geely‑backed Polestar may be forced out of the U.S. market in 2027, and Waymo is rethinking partnerships with Chinese manufacturers.
- Trump is campaigning in Marietta, Georgia — his first stop since a prime‑time speech — after repeatedly attacking Georgia’s 2020 election results and the state’s voting system.
- Some Georgia Republicans worry his renewed election‑fraud rhetoric could suppress GOP turnout and hurt the party in the competitive midterms.
- The Senate race pits incumbent Democrat Jon Ossoff against Rep. Mike Collins (who backs tougher voting rules); a July Fox News poll shows Ossoff leading by about 13 points.
- Mykhailo Drapatyi, 43, a popular, innovation-minded brigadier general, was named Ukraine’s commander in chief after his predecessor was sacked.
- He became a wartime celebrity for daring moments (the viral "flying BMP" rescue and a dramatic 2014 breakout) and champions drone warfare, recruiting reforms and accountability.
- His appointment comes amid mass protests demanding the return of ousted defense minister Mykhailo Fedorov, and Drapatyi once resigned a post to take responsibility after a deadly strike, boosting his reformist image.
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