The US plans to issue a general license letting companies pump oil in Venezuela, easing sanctions to revive its collapsed energy sector.

It follows a recent license allowing firms to buy and sell Venezuelan oil, shifting exports back toward US refiners.

Source: Bloomberg

Peter Mandelson will step down from the House of Lords following revelations about his links to Jeffrey Epstein.

His departure from the Lords takes effect at midnight, though he will still retain his title unless new legislation removes it.

WATCH: Saudi Crown Prince MBS welcomed Turkish President Erdogan with an official ceremony at Al Yamamah Palace in Riyadh.

Russian Geran-2 (Shahed-136) kamikaze drone prepared for launch from a pickup truck.

Israel and Azerbaijan signed an AI cooperation agreement in the presence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Netanyahu:

Send my warmest greetings to President Aliyev.

We always say, ‘Next year in Jerusalem’ — tell him, ‘This year in Jerusalem.’

Let him come and visit us. He will be very warmly received.

NEW: Iran is seeking to change Friday’s U.S. talks by moving them from Istanbul to Oman and making them bilateral.

Iran wants to hold them only with the U.S., rather than with several Arab and Muslim countries attending as observers.

Source: Axios

BREAKING: The U.S. military shot down an Iranian drone that approached a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, a U.S. official says.

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Colombian President Petro met with Trump at the White House.

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Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, the most prominent son of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, has been killed.

The circumstances of his death remain unclear.

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Trump-Petro meeting has ended.

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The House passed a $1.2 trillion spending bill (217–214) to end the partial government shutdown and sent it to Trump, who says he will sign it.

Trump on Iran:

They would like to negotiate, we are negotiating with them right now.

Trump on Ukraine:

The pause was for Sunday to Sunday.

It opened up and Putin hit them hard right now.

Putin kept his word on that. One week is a lot, we will take anything.

Trump:

If a state can't run an election, I think the people behind me should do something about it.

Trump:

A reporter named Wolff and Epstein conspired. This just came out yesterday along with millions of pages of documents—it’s crazy.

They conspired against me in order to fight like hell to make sure I lose the election. That's the only thing that was mentioned about me.

Trump on Epstein:

I'll be honest with you: you've got to get back to running the country, too.

It's really a Democrat problem; it's not a Republican problem.