NOW: Syrian Army seized Raqqa’s southern entrance (Al-Maqs), officially entering Raqqa.

NEW: The Trump administration is asking countries to pay at least $1 billion for a permanent seat on Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace.”

Trump would chair the board, control membership, approve decisions, and oversee funds.

Countries contributing $1 billion in the first year would be exempt from term limits.

Source: Bloomberg

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BREAKING: Syrian Army says it has taken control of the strategic city of Tabqa after expelling SDF/PKK militants.

JD Vance backed U.S. strikes on Iran, arguing Trump had to enforce his red line—a surprising shift for a politician known for opposing Middle East wars.

Source: WaPo

Syria’s government presented a 12-point plan to the SDF, including handing over borders and crossings, transferring oil and gas resources, and accepting limited government posts, along with other conditions.

Damascus also presented SDF with a new plan requiring its fighters to integrate individually into the Syrian army and hand over Arab-majority areas east of the Euphrates.

Source: Ibrahim Hamidi

Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán:

There were two world wars, and we were drawn into both despite wanting to stay out.

The lesson of history is clear: István Tisza failed, Miklós Horthy failed. The real question is whether we can succeed.

I believe we can, by shaping our foreign policy so that Hungary stays out of war.

Israel urged Trump not to strike Iran, warning it was not fully prepared to absorb Iranian retaliation without strong U.S. military backing.

Israeli defenses were already strained after heavy interceptor use during a recent conflict with Iran, and the absence of a nearby U.S. aircraft carrier heightened vulnerability.

Netanyahu personally called Trump to press for restraint. U.S. officials said Israel relies heavily on American naval and missile-defense support, which was not yet in place, helping tip Trump’s decision to hold off on strikes.

Source: WaPo

Saudi Arabia joined Arab allies in urging Trump to avoid military strikes on Iran, warning that retaliation could destabilize the region and damage the global economy.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman personally called Trump to press for restraint. Saudi officials feared Iran’s response would be broader and less calibrated than past exchanges, potentially threatening Gulf security, energy markets, and U.S. interests.

Saudi diplomatic lobbying, alongside concerns from Qatar, Oman, and Egypt, helped push Trump toward standing down.

Source: WaPo

Syrian government offered Mazloum Abdi the post of Hasakah governor.

Source: Al Araby TV

The moment Syrian Army forces entered the strategic city of Tabqa in the countryside of Raqqa.

Inmates at three Guatemalan prisons rioted on Saturday, taking at least 46 hostages, mostly guards.

Security forces, including the army, have secured the prison perimeters and are working to restore order.

No deaths or injuries have been reported.

Source: Reuters

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has invited SDF’s Mazloum Abdi to attend the meeting with U.S. envoy Tom Barrack in Damascus today.

NOW: Syrian forces have taken control of several key oil and gas fields in Deir ez-Zor, including:

— Al-Omar field
— Tanak
— Koniko
— Al-Jafra
— Al-Azba
— Tayyana–Jido–Malih–Azraq fields.

Security operations are ongoing.

BIG: SDF/PKK terror group members have withdrawn from ALL oil fields in the Deir ez-Zor countryside.

Syrian forces now in control of the sites.

BIG: Multiple reports show Deir ez-Zor has been completely liberated by Syrian forces.

SDF/PKK terror group members fled the area.

The Pentagon has put about 1,500 active-duty Army soldiers from Alaska’s 11th Airborne Division on standby in case they’re needed in Minnesota, after Trump threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act over protests linked to immigration enforcement.

Officials say the move is precautionary and no deployment has been ordered.

Source: WaPo

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Former Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis says he has been summoned by Greek police for questioning as a suspect over remarks made on a podcast earlier this year.

Varoufakis said the inquiry stems from a Gen Z–focused podcast in which he acknowledged past drug use—limited cannabis use and a single ecstasy experience 36 years ago—while warning that drugs ultimately lead to addiction and loss of freedom.

He says authorities are treating the comments as potential “aiding and abetting the narco-mafia.”

Varoufakis criticised the investigation as excessive and warned it reflects a broader erosion of civil liberties in Europe.

WATCH: Chinese special forces recently conducted a “decapitation” strike drill widely seen as simulating the removal of Taiwan’s leadership.

Russia's Medvedev comments:

The United States is preparing to attack Greenland, choosing the island itself rather than any so-called Atlantic solidarity. Insolent Europeans will be punished with tariffs for protection within NATO.

French officials have announced their withdrawal from NATO.

Tymoshenko said that Ukraine has a fascist regime and that the country itself will last no more than five years.

The President and Prime Minister of Moldova spoke in favor of liquidating their own country.

Trump will soon announce contact with extraterrestrials.

At first, I thought this was just another absurd forecast like the ones I was making in 2022–2024.

But no! These are news items from the past few days.