Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif invited Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa to make an official visit to Pakistan as Islamabad and Damascus seek closer ties.

Sharif extended the invitation during a meeting in Islamabad with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Hassan al-Shaibani, who is on a two-day visit to Pakistan.

Al-Shaibani’s trip is his first to Pakistan and the first by a Syrian foreign minister in 19 years.

Bessent on Iran:

This Iran conflict—we will get on the other side of this. We don't know when.

Israel’s Supreme Court struck down the government’s decision to shut Army Radio, ruling it was based on improper political considerations.

Zelensky on mobilization issues:

I am very much looking forward to a more humane and systematic approach to solving organizational issues in the military.

Q: Does the economic campaign against Iran include China? Because China is the primary economic partner of Iran.

Bessent: Many conversations are best to have in private.

Bessent on Iran:

We are going to have the toughest sanctions in history, and I will tell you, this will work.

It worked in Venezuela once we put up the blockade. It is working in Cuba right now, and it is going to work in Iran, and we are going to collapse this regime.

US Debt Crosses $40 Trillion Mark for the First Time

US debt has more than doubled since January 2017, as rising entitlement spending, widening deficits and mounting interest costs intensify pressure on Washington’s fiscal outlook.

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Israel Knew There Was No Turkish Buildup at Syrian Airbase, It Attacked Regardless

Damascus explicitly told Israel that Abu Al-Duhur was being rehabilitated for Syrian use and would not host Turkish military, but Israel struck the airbase anyway.

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Bessent:

We've got a spike in oil prices today that I don't really understand.

The U.S. imposed fresh sanctions on Hezbollah, re-designating it under a terrorism authority to emphasize its ties to Iran’s IRGC-Quds Force.

Washington also sanctioned 10 people accused of smuggling cash for Hezbollah.

BREAKING: SDF chief Mazloum Abdi declares the integration of SDF and Asayish forces into Syria’s Defense and Interior Ministries complete.

BIG: The U.S. State Department has approved a possible $4.5 billion sale of up to four KC-46A aerial refueling aircraft and related equipment to Qatar.

The package includes eight PW4062 turbofan engines, radar warning receivers and other equipment.

Federal authorities arrested Jessica Bowie, 35, of Albany, accusing her of planning to bomb the New York State Capitol and kill state senators.

According to the FBI, Bowie pledged allegiance to ISIS, repeatedly surveilled the Capitol, sought help making explosives, and discussed disguising a bomb in a food-delivery bag.

She is charged with attempting to provide material support to ISIS.

US Army Scraps Futuristic Drone Assault Battalion in Favor of Airborne Infantry

The Army will end its dedicated drone-assault mission of a 600-soldier battalion created in January to test unmanned warfare, returning to its core airborne infantry role.

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The USS Abraham Lincoln began its journey home to San Diego on Thursday after a nine-month deployment, much of it supporting U.S. operations against Iran.

Its roughly 5,000 sailors spent nearly all of the 272-day deployment at sea, amid reports of supply shortages, water and plumbing problems, and worsening conditions aboard the carrier.

The Japan-based USS George Washington has replaced the Lincoln in the Middle East.

The Lincoln now faces a roughly 13,000-mile journey home, expected to take four to five weeks.

Source: NYT

British Zoologist Accused of Plotting to Cover Up Covid-19 Lab Leak

Peter Daszak, who worked on bat coronaviruses in Wuhan when the pandemic broke out, plotted with a US health official to bury the Covid-19 lab-leak narrative, court documents allege.

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Avoid Being Alone With Kubasik: L3Harris Had Complaints on CEO Years Before Exit

Female employees warned about Chris Kubasik’s conduct years before his removal; one even filed a harassment complaint that wasn't disclosed to all L3Harris board members.

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