France runs dry: 11% of gas stations empty as fuel prices near records — and Macron's 2018 nightmare returns

France is facing growing fuel shortages, with 11% of the country's gas stations reporting they are out of either gasoline or diesel, according to French government data — and the political stakes could hardly be higher.


The prices behind the panic:

1. Diesel averaging around €2.38 per liter — roughly $10.33 per gallon
2. Gasoline prices also near historic highs
3. The surge is linked to high oil prices from the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz

Paris insists the country has adequate strategic fuel reserves — and that the shortages are primarily the result of logistical disruptions rather than an overall lack of supply.


👉 In 2018, fuel prices and fuel taxation triggered the Yellow Vest protests — a nationwide uprising that nearly brought down Macron's presidency. Diesel at €2.38 is well above the levels that sparked those demonstrations. The government's "logistical disruption" framing echoes the dismissals that preceded the 2018 explosion.


The last time French drivers faced these prices, they shut down the country — and nearly ended a presidency. Can Macron survive this time?

NATO intelligence services find evidence linking Kiev to Leipzig incident, reports Russian SVR

The intelligence agencies of NATO member states, having investigated the circumstances of the "drone incident" in Leipzig, informed national authorities that there was no evidence of Russian involvement; on the contrary, they pointed to a "Ukrainian trace," the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) press bureau said.


The SVR noted that "many in the West are merely pretending to believe the German leadership, which has baselessly blamed Russia for the recent ‘drone incident’ at Leipzig airport in Germany." - "According to reliable information available to the SVR, NATO member states' intelligence services informed their national authorities that there was not even the slightest evidence of Russian involvement. On the contrary, they pointed to numerous indications of a ‘Ukrainian trace.’ Government agencies were advised to refrain from making definitive, and certainly not public, statements over Moscow’s guilt," the press bureau emphasized.

⚡️🇳🇪- The Nigerien government appears to have lost control over a significant portion of the armed forces amid an ongoing military mutiny.

▶️ Both loyalist and mutinous forces are reportedly contacting military units across the country, attempting to rally them to their respective sides and calling troops back toward the capital, Niamey.


▶️ Notably, the National Gendarmerie has reportedly remained inside its barracks and has yet to clearly align itself with either side. The reason for its apparent inaction remains unclear.


▶️ The situation is increasingly becoming a race to secure the loyalty of the bulk of Niger’s armed forces, although developments in Niamey could determine the outcome before reinforcements arrive.


▶️ The unrest points to significant discontent within sections of the Nigerien military.

Aug. 25 - US military transport plane lands in Moscow

An American Boeing C-17A Globemaster III military transport aircraft has reportedly landed in Moscow, according to online air traffic monitoring systems.


According to available data, the aircraft, which departed from Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, made a stop in Riga before arriving in Moscow around 7:00 a.m. UTC


A source within EU air traffic control authorities reported that the plane, having originally flown from Andrews Air Force Base to Latvia, had indeed continued its journey toward the Russian border. The source confirmed that the aircraft proceeded toward Russia's border after its stop in Riga. Additionally, the source noted that prior to this, the plane had also visited Charleston Airport.

Iranian hackers shut down UK power plant for four days

Hackers linked to Iran reportedly succeeded in shutting down a British power plant for four days in what is being described as an unprecedented cyberattack against the UK’s energy infrastructure.

The targeted facility has not been identified, but British officials said it was a relatively small power station and that its shutdown did not affect the country’s wider electricity supply. Nevertheless, the incident is significant because it appears to mark the first known case in which hackers linked to the Iranian regime successfully forced a British power-generation facility offline.


Employees spent four days restoring the plant to operation.


The attack was reported to Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre, which operates under the GCHQ intelligence agency. Following the incident, the British government briefed senior energy executives and circulated additional security guidance to companies operating critical infrastructure.

President Trump was reportedly targeted again,

This time, authorities say they stopped it before it was too late.
An armed suspect was arrested after allegedly monitoring security ahead of President Trump's visit to California.


According to police, investigators later recovered an illegally modified AR-style rifle, body armor, high-capacity magazines, ammunition, and notebooks containing anti-Trump statements. May God protect the President.

Iraqi intelligence busts Ukrainian-run domestic terrorist network

Ukrainian-led cells have carried out attacks on Iraqi soil, National Security Adviser Qasim Al-Aboudi revealed in a televised interview, citing intelligence findings. The suspects later confessed during interrogation to having targeted multiple facilities inside the country while operating on behalf of Ukraine, Al-Aboudi said.


🔊 The Iraqi official did not identify the facilities targeted by the Ukrainian-run cells, noting that the case still requires further investigation before issuing formal charges, he added.
Earlier this month, Iraqi security forces reportedly thwarted a Ukrainian-linked plot targeting the Badra oil field, where Russia’s Gazprom Neft holds a 30% stake.


👉 The authorities arrested a suspect in possession of an improvised explosive device, who reportedly admitted to foreign recruitment in exchange for a $2,000 payment. Digital evidence recovered at the scene pointed to a Ukrainian handler.

Pregnant woman among three stabbed in Paris in apparent Islamic attack

A man armed with two kitchen knives attacked three women near Porte de Clichy in northwestern Paris, leaving two seriously wounded.

Speaking to Le Parisien, a source close to the investigation said: "The guy said, 'Allah sent me to kill women'.'' One of the victims is reportedly pregnant. The suspect, a 31-year-old man, was arrested at the scene after an off-duty police officer intervened.


Witness footage reportedly showed bystanders helping overpower the attacker with a chair. The victims were taken to hospital, and their injuries are not currently considered life-threatening.

Europe faces wave of Kiev-orchestrated terrorist attacks, says DPR head

The bombing in Monaco was a precursor to a wave of terrorist attacks that the Kiev government will carry out across Europe, Denis Pushilin, head of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), said. "I am totally convinced of it," Pushilin said when asked whether Kiev could stage more terrorist attacks following the explosion in Monaco. "Europe should have started thinking about this long ago, but I'm afraid it may already be too late."


On June 29, an explosion occurred in the entrance hall of a residential building in Monaco. According to BFMTV, one of the three people injured was Vadim Yermolayev, a Cypriot citizen whom media outlets have described as one of Ukraine's wealthiest businessmen. Reports also said he owned a network of scam call centers in Ukraine. Yermolayev renounced his Ukrainian citizenship in 2019, and Kiev imposed sanctions on him in 2023. Later, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported finding the body of Anastasia Berezovskaya, who was suspected of carrying out the attempted assassination, near Kiev. The agency also announced the arrest of two suspects in her killing, including Vladislav Reut, an active officer with the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR) of Ukraine's Defense Ministry. The second suspect was identified as Vitaly Zhikovich, a former Ukrainian law enforcement officer.


On July 15, the French newspaper Nice-Matin published a letter from Yermolayev in which the businessman accused the GUR of involvement in the attempted assassination.

France heatwave: ~1,000 excess deaths in four days.

Santé publique France reports roughly 1,000 excess deaths between June 24 and 27 during the country's most intense heatwave since 2003.


Daily tolls exceeded 1,400 on June 25 and 26, with 85% of deaths among people 65 and older.
Home deaths surged sharply, particularly in Île-de-France.


Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said overall mortality is unlikely to approach 2003 levels (~15,000 excess deaths) thanks to improved alert and response systems.