Zelensky says Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) destroyed a Russian Tu-95 strategic bomber at the Engels airbase.

China denied President Donald Trump's claim that it interfered in the 2020 U.S. election, calling the accusation groundless and saying it has never sought to influence American elections.

Beijing urged Washington to stop politicizing China in U.S. elections and said it hopes the dispute will not harm bilateral relations ahead of President Xi Jinping's planned September visit to the United States.

Source: ABC News

Andy Burnham has become Labour leader and is expected to become UK prime minister on Monday, replacing Keir Starmer.

Trump:

Great reviews on speech last night. Big audience.

Pass THE SAVE AMERICA ACT!!!

Trump's Intelligence Dossier Fails to Prove His Election Fraud Claims

The US president declassified a 270-page intelligence trove to prove the 2020 election was compromised by China and domestic actors, but the files directly contradict his assertions.

READ MORE

Trump 'Pissed Off' by Netanyahu's Criticism of F-35 Sales to Türkiye

The US president refused to schedule a meeting with Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu after the Israeli leader publicly criticized American plans to sell F-35 fighter jets to Türkiye.

READ MORE

U.S. strikes hit 6 bridges overnight near Bandar Abbas on Iran's coast, only several located so far.

Strikes appear aimed at cutting this coastal stretch off from supply lines to the rest of Iran, possibly as a prelude to a US invasion of nearby Qeshm Island (or to create that impression).

Iranian fishermen recovered a downed US LUCAS kamikaze drone from the Strait of Hormuz.

LUCAS (FLM-136) is America's reverse-engineered copy of Iran's Shahed-136 — a ~$35k disposable attack drone with ~650-800km range.

Pakistan and Kuwait are in early talks on expanding their defence partnership in exchange for greater energy cooperation and investment.

Kuwait is reportedly seeking a Saudi-style security arrangement that could include Pakistani troops, fighter jets, drones, air defence systems, and other military support.

However, Pakistani officials say combat troop deployments are not under consideration, stressing the talks remain at an early stage.

Source: Reuters

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias:

I was sorry that I had to authorize the arrest of a Greek Air Force colonel for espionage on behalf of a big foreign power. You can imagine which one I'm mentioning.

No, that is not acceptable. That is not acceptable.

We respect China, but we demand their respect as well.

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias:

Twice in the 20th century, the United States departed from Europe, and then they came back running during the First World War and during the Second World War.

So let's not try for a third time.

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias:

If Greece and Türkiye had not been members of NATO, my hypothesis is that the Warsaw Pact would have controlled both countries.

Tucker Carlson on Trump:

I don't think Trump is the most powerful man in the world.

Many presidents have, to varying degrees, resisted attempts to control them from outside and he didn't.

So he's weak.

Source: Bloomberg

Tucker Carlson:

I'd love to go see Trump. I can't. I can't. Trump's all mad at me. They're all mad at me.

Calling me an antisemite or... it's just so ludicrous.

Look, I think at this point it wouldn't be good for me to contact anybody. I'm seen as disloyal.

Trump has been disloyal to the United States, totally disloyal to the United States.

He cheated on the United States with a foreign power. So I'm not the one who's been disloyal.

Source: Bloomberg

Tucker Carlson:

The Republican Party is going to be spanked in the midterms.

That doesn't make the country better.

I don't see any political leader right now speaking for the majority of Americans.

Source: Bloomberg

Tucker Carlson admits:

I certainly did support the Iraq War.

And I not only supported it, I argued against and attacked people who opposed it.

And I'm sorry, and I remain sorry, but I also was chastened and I learned something, which is you can get carried away by propaganda and you can end up lying. I didn't mean to lie, but I did.

And I'm resolved. I'm never going to allow that to happen to me again ever. I will never do that again. And I haven't.

Source: Bloomberg

Tucker Carlson on JD Vance:

I think if JD Vance were president, of course he would not be at war with Iran.

It's impossible for me to imagine JD Vance standing up and saying we need to have two wars to defeat a phantom nuclear program.

It's too insane. I think he has too much self-respect to say something like that.

I wish he had been elected president in 2024, but that didn't happen. I love JD.

I don't agree with him on everything, of course, but I think he's an honest, very smart, decent person. That puts him above almost all politicians I've ever met.

Source: Bloomberg

Prof. John Mearsheimer:

The United States has lost this war. The memorandum of understanding signed on June 17th was basically a surrender document.

The United States gave in to Iran on every point.

Nothing has changed. The United States does not have a magic formula for defeating Iran.

Trump can escalate all he wants, but it's not going to do any good — the Iranians will match the United States at every point.

Prof. John Mearsheimer:

There is no question that China and Russia have benefited from this war. They would be crazy not to help the Iranians.

The United States is a mortal enemy to both.

They're giving the Iranians weaponry and intelligence, which is very important for waging the war.

If you're China and you're worrying about the United States pivoting to Asia to contain you, what you want is the United States bogged down in a war in the Middle East — using up precious weaponry fighting Iran that it doesn't have to use against China.

Prof. John Mearsheimer:

We have no war-winning strategy.

The only question is when President Trump folds.

Tucker Carlson:

Israel as a nation, I'm not just including the nine million people who live in Israel, but also its many agents in the United States are enormously powerful because so much of the money that funds campaigns in the United States comes with the express purpose, the intent of tying American foreign policy to Israel's foreign policy.

The elected president of the United States has power for sure, but he does not have sovereignty.

He does not have unlimited power or full freedom of motion to act on behalf of his voters. He just doesn't.

Source: Bloomberg