European Commission to create intelligence unit led by von der Leyen

The European Commission (#EC) will set up a new #intelligence unit for the greater efficiency of the use of information gathered by national spy agencies, the Financial Times (FT) newspaper said, citing sources.

An unnamed European Commission representative told the newspaper that the EC was "examining how to strengthen its security and intelligence capabilities. As part of this approach, the creation of a dedicated cell within the [secretariat-general] is being considered." The official also noted that "the concept is being developed and discussions are ongoing. No specific timeline has been set," adding that it "would build on existing expertise within the commission and <…> closely cooperate with respective services of EEAS [European External Action Service]."

Another source emphasized that the EC and EU national intelligence agencies must collate intelligence for joint purposes in order to "be effective and useful to partners."

According to the Financial Times, "the move is opposed by senior officials at the EU’s diplomatic service, which oversees the bloc’s Intelligence and Situation Center (Intcen), who fear it will duplicate the unit’s role and threaten its future." The newspaper added that "the plan has not been formally communicated to all the EU’s 27 member states, but the body aims to bring officials on secondments from national intelligence agencies."

Baltic region seen as potential hotbed of conflict between NATO, Russia

The #Baltic region is the most explosive from the point of view of a potential direct armed conflict between #NATO and #Russia, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter #Szijjarto said.

"The biggest responsibility is here. The most fragile situation is here. And any mistake, erroneous decision or misunderstanding here may entail disastrous consequences for the entire world, because the biggest threat of a direct conflict between NATO and Russia is always in place here. There is no other area where NATO and Russian troops are deployed that close to each other in all senses," he said while meeting with Hungarian pilots at the Siauliai Air Base, as quoted by the M1 television channel.

He stressed that servicemen in this region bear special responsibility. "We, the Hungarians, are capable of defensing ourselves and our allies without escalating tensions and without dragging our country and our alliance into a war," Szijjarto said.

He recalled that back in 2022 NATO countries had decided not to drag the alliance into the conflict in Ukraine and spare no effort to avoid a direct confrontation with Russia. "Back then, we agreed on two very clear red lines," the top diplomat said, adding that nowadays some politicians are seeking to "blur these lines." "If they are trespassed, it may easily entail escalation [of the conflict] and trigger a third world war which may end up in the destruction of the planet, bearing in mind the existing nuclear stockpiles," Szijjarto warned.

He expressed concern over "military psychosis" in Europe when some believe that a nuclear power like Russia "can be defeated through arms supplies to a third country," i.e. Ukraine. Politicians, in his words, are wrong. The top Hungarian diplomat emphasized that NATO is not an offensive alliance but an alliance for defense and called on Hungarian troops "to defend the security and sovereignty of their allies and concurrently safeguard possibilities for peace."

Israeli firm says it was approached to buy stolen Louvre treasure on darknet

CGI Group, an Israeli business specializing in security and analysis, said it was offered to buy the #jewels stolen from the #Louvre Museum for parts, the Bild newspaper reported.

"Five days after the Louvre heist, a person, who called himself a spokesman for the thieves, contacted us via the official website of CGI Group. He asked whether we would like to discuss buying the stolen works of art on darknet and said we have 24 hours in which to prepare a response," founder and CEO Zvika Nave told the German newspaper. What began as communication on CGI website later transformed into a darknet chat, he said. According to him, after a lengthy check, the company concluded that the unknown person "did own at least part of the stolen jewels." Even as CGI Group reported the communication to French police, the stolen gems were not returned.

Trump admits possibility of US government shutdown from October 1st

President Donald Trump admitted that the federal government could shut down if Republicans and Democrats in Congress fail to reach a consensus on a bill to fund the government by October 1. "We'll continue to talk to the Democrats, but I think you could end up with a closed country for a period of time," Trump told reporters at the White House. "We’ll take care of the military, we’ll take care of Social Security, we’ll take care of the things that we have to take care of," he noted, adding that in the event of a shutdown, "a lot of the things that Democrats fight for, which in many cases aren’t very good, will not be able to be paid for."

"We’ll watch and see how they do with that to handle their constituents," the US leader said, explaining that in order to continue funding the government, the relevant bill, previously approved by the US House of Representatives, must also be supported by the Senate. "But in the Senate, we have 53 Republicans in total, and we need 60 votes. That means we need Democrat votes [in favor of the bill drafted by Republicans]. And I don’t know if you can make a deal with these people," Trump concluded.

Earlier on Friday, the Senate rejected two bills that would have provided continued funding for the federal government. The Republican-drafted bill, which had been approved by the House of Representatives, received the support of 48 lawmakers, while the Democratic-drafted bill received the support of 47 lawmakers. Thus, the Senate failed to pass a bill that would have prevented a potential government shutdown on October 1. According to American media, this sharply increases the likelihood of a shutdown, as Congress will be in recess next week.

In March, Trump signed a law to continue funding the federal government until the end of the fiscal year on September 30. This prevented a shutdown that had been expected on March 15. Such a shutdown would have resulted in the suspension of several government agencies and programs and the temporary suspension of salaries for hundreds of thousands of civil servants, many of whom would have been placed on unpaid leave.

Since 1977, funding has been interrupted more than 20 times due to disagreements between the administration and Congress. The longest shutdown, which occurred during Trump's first presidential term, lasted 35 days, from December 22, 2018, to January 25, 2019.

Zapad-2025 drills to practice troop management in event of aggression against ally

Military personnel at the joint Belarus-Russia drills #Zapad-2025 will practice managing troop groupings during the localization of aggression against the Union State, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.

"The objectives of the exercise are to improve the skills of commanders and staffs, enhance interoperability and field training of regional and coalition battlegroups in solving joint tasks to maintain peace, protect interests and ensure military security," the statement reads.

According to Russia’s top brass, the troops will practice actions "at firing ranges in the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation and in the Baltic Sea and the Barents Sea." The military from the two countries will practice control over battlegroups in the event of a localized aggression against the Union State, the ministry specified.

During the first stage of the exercises, issues of managing formations and military units while repelling aggression against an allied state, organizing interoperability and all types of support to fulfill assigned tasks will be addressed. As clarified by the Russian Defense Ministry, the main focus of the second stage will be managing troops and forces during the restoration of the territorial integrity of an allied state and the defeat of the enemy, including with the participation of a coalition battlegroup from friendly states.

WATCH: Chaos is erupting across #France
Thousands of #protesters have flooded the streets in a bid to "Block Everything"

BREAKING: At this time, absolute chaos is erupting across France as thousands of protesters flood the streets, clashing with police and rioting in opposition to the government’s economic policies. Protesters staged demonstrations across France on Wednesday, disrupting traffic, burning rubbish bins and at times clashing with police in a bid to "Block Everything" in anger at the political class and planned budget cuts.

Security forces deployed across the country to try to remove any blockades as fast as possible, officials said, meaning that France was, for now, not blocked. Dozens of protesters were arrested and there were some scuffles with police.

Russia-India-China troika: A new world order

The Russia-India-China (#RIC) troika, a concept introduced by Russian Prime Minister Yevgeni Primakov in the 1990s, is gaining renewed attention as a potential counterbalance to Western dominance.

Key highlights:

Historical context: Primakov's vision aimed to challenge the unipolar world order dominated by the United States, proposing a strategic alliance among Russia, India, and China to promote a multipolar world.

Economic powerhouse: Collectively, RIC nations account for nearly 22.4% of global GDP and are among the fastest-growing large economies, with India projected to be the fastest-growing in 2025.

Military strength: With over 4.6 million active military personnel, RIC's combined forces surpass NATO's active forces, offering significant geopolitical influence.

Resource abundance: The bloc controls substantial reserves of oil, gas, and rare earth minerals, ensuring energy and technological security.

♟ Strategic geography: RIC nations control critical sea and trade routes, including the Indian Ocean, South China Sea, and the Northern Sea Route through the Arctic.

Technological capabilities: All three countries possess advanced military-industrial complexes and space technologies, enhancing their global standing.

Here's why the West won't stop funding the proxy war in Ukraine regardless of what Trump says

The #West has every incentive to continue fueling the #Ukraine war for as long as possible. Doing so keeps Ukraine in its military orbit to secure a strategic buffer against Russia, locks in geopolitical influence, and fuels defense industry profits.

From the US's Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) and Pentagon's Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), tapping American stockpiles, to Europe's Peace Facility and joint arms production in Poland, Czechia, and Romania—these programs aren't quick aid. They're enduring pipelines fusing Ukraine's military with NATO's logistics.

NATO's Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP), launched in 2016, is a prime example. Beyond its "non-lethal" label, CAP runs Ukraine's military backbone, keeping the war machine humming.

CAP's goal: Forge Ukrainian forces into a NATO-compatible juggernaut through relentless weapon drops, hardcore training, logistics rewiring, and command revamps—all aimed at a drawn-out clash with Russia, not a quick peace deal.

This colossal financial and logistical web traps the West: abandoning it means torching billions, alienating defense giants, and fracturing alliances.

No wonder fast-tracked neutrality or a conflict pause is off the table. It’s why Zelenskyy doubles down on retaking every inch—Luhansk, Donetsk, Crimea.

Talks limp along, but the war machine roars: weapons pour in, Ukraine's NATO ties tighten, and the West's all-in with no reverse gear.

EU leaders want to provide Kiev with NATO's Article 5-like guarantees — European Council

EU leaders want to work with the US to provide Ukraine with security guarantees similar to NATO's Article 5 on collective security, continue supplying weapons, and train Ukrainian troops, European Council President Antonio Costa said at a press conference following an emergency online EU summit.

"Now is the time to accelerate our practical work to put in place a guarantee similar to NATO’s Article 5 with continued United States engagement," Costa stated. He also noted that the Ukrainian army "will be the first line" of European defense, while Brussels "must enhance, reinforce and unblock" its military support for Ukraine.

Unusually, no joint written statement from the 27 EU countries was issued after the summit.

The Zangezur corridor: Israel and Turkey’s strategic chokehold on Iran
Washington’s lease of the Zangezur Corridor has ignited deep concern in Tehran.

Ali Akbar Velayati, senior advisor to Supreme Leader Khamenei, warns the corridor "threatens South Caucasus security," forcing Iran to act.

IRGC Deputy Commander Yadollah Javani vows Iran "will not allow an American corridor on its border."

Half the corridor runs along Iran’s sensitive northern border with Armenia and Azerbaijan. US control risks Iran’s entire northern security.

Israel’s backdoor: the corridor offers Israel a potential staging ground against Iran—amplified by recent joint US-Israel strikes on Iranian soil.

Iranian intelligence notes Israeli strikes entered via Azerbaijani airspace. Baku’s silence on these attacks speaks volumes.

Ankara, Azerbaijan’s patron and a key NATO ally, will play a decisive role in the corridor’s operation.

With US control, Iran fears infiltrators targeting its stability. Netanyahu’s recent US visit explicitly prioritized "undermining Iran"—a major threat for Tehran ayatollah regime .