Turkish President Erdogan:

God willing, this tyrant called Netanyahu will receive the lesson he deserves from the Muslims of the world.

Tony Blair has launched a fierce attack on Keir Starmer and Labour’s direction, warning the party will lose the next election unless it moves back to the political centre.

In a 5,700-word essay, the former PM criticised Labour’s net zero agenda, welfare spending, workers’ rights reforms and restrictions on oil and gas, arguing they hurt business and economic growth.

He urged closer ties with Trump and said Labour should focus on AI, planning reform and welfare cuts instead.

Blair also rejected attempts to remove Starmer, saying leadership change is pointless without a clear policy reset. He accused Labour of “self-delusion” by drifting left while losing voters to Reform UK.

Source: The Guardian

CDU insiders are discussing a possible replacement of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz due to stalled reforms and very poor polling.

The idea is still informal — mostly private talks among senior CDU figures, not an organized coup. Under German law, parliament could replace the chancellor without new elections via a constructive no-confidence vote.

Source: BILD

Trump’s “Board of Peace” has raised big pledges for Gaza reconstruction, but four months later the official fund has no money in it and no rebuilding projects have started.

Donors appear to be bypassing the World Bank-managed fund, while legal, political and security disputes have left the organization stuck in limbo.

Source: FT

IRGC:

The likelihood of war breaking out is low, but our forces are ready.

NEW: Hungary's new parliament voted to reverse Viktor Orbán's 2025 decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, halting the exit just days before it would have taken effect.

Orbán had announced the withdrawal during a visit by Netanyahu, who faces an ICC arrest warrant for war crimes in Gaza.

Anduril Founder Palmer Luckey on China:

Can we outmanufacture them? No.

But we don't need to outmanufacture them to make a Taiwan invasion infeasible.

There's a world where they have a hundred times more ballistic missiles than us and we still have enough between us and our allies to deny them access to Taiwan.

If they take Taiwan, history and the words out of Xi Jinping's own mouth show they're immediately going to hop over to Okinawa, part of the Philippines, maybe part of Vietnam.

Xi Jinping is going out saying, 'I was in our national archives reading about the Ryuku Islands — 650 years ago they sent a gift to us, that means they're a tributary state.'

He's not saying this because he loves wandering the national archives.

They are constructing a national narrative that would allow them to convince their people to start with Taiwan and end with a lot of our Pacific allies.

Finland President Alexander Stubb:

Americans don't ask anymore.

You go into Venezuela, you don't ask.

You make claims on Greenland, you don't ask.

You go into Iran, you don't ask.

Finland President Alexander Stubb:

If the United States wants to project power in the Middle East — say Iran right now — it has absolutely no chance to operate without European bases.

John Bolton:

Decision-making now consists of Trump sitting behind his Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, five or six people in a semicircle in front of him, and he says, 'I think we'd like to do X.'

That's when Pete Hegseth says, 'Yes, sir, we'll do that.'

That's decision-making.

John Bolton:

Trump sees international relations as embodied in the relations of heads of state.

So if he's friends with Xi Jinping, he thinks the US-China state-to-state relations are in great shape. He calls Xi 'King.'

He thinks he's friends with Xi Jinping and with Vladimir Putin.

And I will guarantee you that's not how they see Trump. I think they both see him as an easy mark.

Angela Merkel:

In 10 years, the Ukraine war is — hopefully over.

And in such a way that Ukraine is an independent, free, sovereign country.

Tony Blair:

When your ally asks for help with basically logistics and support — in this case for the refueling of their planes — you've got to think long and hard before you refuse that.

Tony Blair:

I don't believe that President Putin, if the Ukraine war ends, is going to come back and try and invade Europe.

I don't believe that personally, but I understand I may be wrong about it.

Tony Blair:

America is not an important ally. It's an indispensable part of our security.

So when they come asking for our help, you got to think long and hard before you refuse it.

Because if they are an indispensable part of our security, we should stand with them if we can.

And that doesn't mean to say joining every action they do.

I mean, for example, I don't think this was ever going to happen — if they seriously considered taking Greenland or something, of course you wouldn't have said yes to that.

But this is action in respect of Iran and we were being asked for support, not to be part of the military action.

NEW: Spain's Civil Guard elite anticorruption unit raided the national headquarters of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's Socialist Party in Madrid, executing a court order as part of an investigation into alleged illegal party financing.

Agents searched for contracts, invoices, and financial records tied to suspected fake payments made between 2017 and 2024, some linked to former PSOE operative Leire Díez, known internally as the party's "fixer."

Prosecutors allege the funds were used to finance disinformation campaigns targeting judges and police investigators probing the party.

Opposition parties are calling for his resignation and snap elections.

Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez:

An orderly migration — and I insist, orderly — opens opportunities for countries of origin and also for host countries, creates shared prosperity, and makes us understand that human dignity for every person stands above everything else.

Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez:

Replacement theories are not supported by science, data, or historical experience.

Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez:

I believe peace is not built with missiles; it is built through dialogue and respect for international law.

I sincerely thank the Pope for his courage, his inspiration, and his commitment to this path — so necessary and indispensable in the times the world is going through.

Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir:

The evil structure of the Ayatollah regime has been significantly cracked, and its future and stability are shrouded in uncertainty.

Its leaders are being hunted, most of its military capabilities have been destroyed, its nuclear program has been set back by years; its economy is collapsing, and its citizens have yet to grasp the scale of the disaster to which their extremist leaders have led them.

Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler:

Our rights and interests in the Aegean Sea, the Eastern Mediterranean, and Cyprus are based on historical, legal, and legitimate foundations.

In this framework, I want to emphasize once again that we do not accept maximalist initiatives aimed at creating faits accomplis that contradict the spirit of international agreements.

Activities aimed at militarizing islands that should remain under non-military status are incompatible with good neighborly relations, the spirit of alliance, and international law.

It must be clearly understood that we will never remain indifferent to any attempt targeting our sovereign rights, our security, and our legitimate rights and interests in our seas.

The Turkish Armed Forces, with their high operational capability, modern weapons systems, strong personnel structure, and field experience, possess the power and determination to eliminate every threat directed toward our country.

Likewise, our stance regarding the protection of the security, peace, and rights of our Turkish Cypriot brothers and sisters is clear.

Türkiye, just as always, today and tomorrow as well, will continue standing by our kin as a guarantor state and will continue protecting their security and rights.