French skydiving plane crashes near Nancy killing all 11 on board, says prefect

• The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) claims to have destroyed eight U.S. military infrastructures located in Kuwait and Bahrain. • The operation was carried out using a combination of missiles and drones in a coordinated joint strike.

• An Iranian state newspaper has inadvertently highlighted the strategic weaknesses and internal pressures—political, military, and economic—forcing Tehran to return to diplomatic negotiations. • These vulnerabilities coincide with a reported trilateral agreement between the United States, Israel, and Lebanon aimed at stabilizing the region.

• Israeli aid teams from NATAN Worldwide Disaster Relief are deploying to Venezuela to provide emergency assistance following a series of powerful earthquakes. • CEO Alice Miller emphasized that the organization prioritizes immediate medical aid and respect over political flags to ensure rapid response in disaster zones.

• IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi spoke with reporters in Japan on Friday, June 26, regarding nuclear non-proliferation efforts. • Grossi stated that the primary objective of the recent agreement between the United States and Iran is to prevent the development of nuclear weapons within Iran.

• Gulf nations and Western leaders are expressing concern over Iran's continued ability to project power and influence through proxy militia groups. • Despite existing deals between the US and Iran, analysts believe Tehran will likely increase its support for these armed groups to maintain regional leverage.

• The potential resolution of the conflict between the US and Iran through negotiation and economic compromise suggests a global shift toward pragmatism over ideological absolutism. • Current state behavior indicates that national security and economic prosperity are now prioritized over shared ideological alignment.

• A ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is facing a critical test following new attacks in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. • The instability occurs shortly after Secretary of State Marco Rubio and ambassadors from Israel and Lebanon announced a "framework deal" between those nations.

• The U.S. and Israel have concluded a targeted military attack against Iran, marking the end of a specific escalation cycle. • The operation reflects the ongoing volatility of the Middle East, where strategic strikes are used to deter Iranian aggression and protect regional allies.

Out-going Louisiana senator’s rebuke over Iran war is rare instance of a Republican politician standing up to TrumpBill Cassidy, the Republican senator from Louisiana who is being ousted from his position after Donald Trump successfully backed a challenger in May’s primary, has accused the US president of treating Congress as “merely an appendage” in his handling of the Iran war.In an interview on Sunday with CBS News’s Face the Nation, the out-going Cassidy explained his recent face-to-face row with Trump over the president’s failure to brief Congress on the prosecution of the hostilities with Tehran. In a fleetingly rare instance of a Republican politician directly standing up to Trump, Cassidy let rip at a Capitol Hill lunch over the senator’s support for a war powers resolution that was a symbolic rebuke to the White House. Continue reading...

Adm Sir Tony Radakin says UK currenly ‘falls short’ of level required to keep Russian threats at bayThe former head of the armed forces has told Andy Burnham that plans for defence spending must meet a “Moscow test” to keep Russian threats at bay, warning the UK currently “falls short” of that level of commitment.Adm Sir Tony Radakin, who was the chief of the defence staff until last year, said that if the government’s defence investment plan (Dip), expected to be published this week, was “not enough” then the probable next prime minister would have to find more funding before the general election. Continue reading...

Tehran attacks Bahrain and Kuwait amid efforts to open strait of Hormuz without Iran’s direct oversightMiddle East crisis live – latest updatesA new round of escalating strikes between Iran and the US has continued, further undermining the fragile interim peace agreement between the two countries, and prompting Donald Trump to threaten violence that would ensure Iran “will no longer exist”.On Sunday, Tehran launched drone and missile attacks against Bahrain and Kuwait after new US strikes on sites in southern Iran and threatened a “complete halt” to negotiations to end the war. Trump said that a moment might come soon when he abandoned talks and the US would “militarily finish the job”. Continue reading...

Quarterly Ofgem price cap rises to equivalent of £1,862 a year from 1 July amid growing consumer energy debtMinisters are facing growing pressure to lower energy costs as households in Great Britain face the steepest rise in summer bills in four years this week.The quarterly cap on gas and electricity charges will rise by 13% from Wednesday to the equivalent of £1,862 a year for an average household, just days after figures revealed that consumer energy debt had reached fresh record highs. Continue reading...