German Chancellor Merz:

We no longer live in the old system, but also not yet completely in a new one.

We, in this part of Europe, we are not at war, but we are also no longer at peace.

The threat to our freedom, it is palpable.

German Chancellor Merz on relations with the US:

For all the political tensions we have, for all the political tensions we are currently experiencing with the United States of America, the Americans—that is at least my feeling—they are our friends, they are my friends, and they should also remain our friends.

That's why we don't give up this friendship lightly and we will always fight for it to stay.

But it's also true, the United States of America itself is increasingly losing interest in the role of a guarantor power for the international order and its interest in its role as a reliable trendsetter.

We would do well to make this clear to ourselves without illusions and without nostalgia.

German Chancellor Merz:

German business model was clear for quite a long time.

Strong exports, global markets, reliable supply chains, cheap energy, security above all through the Americans.

And with all of that, we wanted the greatest political restraint.

That will no longer work in the new world.

The competition has become harder, costs have risen and it is fought with hard bandages. The epochal break affects us all.

The decisive question is therefore not whether we change our economy, but how quickly we manage these changes and how successful we will be in the process.

German Chancellor Merz on China:

China today sees itself in explicit opposition to the U.S. and claims to define a new multilateral order according to its own rules.

Freedom of expression, freedom of religion and freedom of the press do not occur in this understanding.

The commitment to the universal validity of human rights is rejected there as interference in internal affairs.

May I ask the question again?

Given this situation, couldn't it be right that we Europeans together with the Americans have to counter their common understanding of freedom, our common image of humanity with something better than what we hear from the Middle Kingdom?

That too belongs to the truth of our relationship.

German Chancellor Merz:

We won’t raise productivity by promising a four-day week for everyone.

We can and must become more flexible. We must reward the willingness to perform.

We must facilitate the return to the job.

German Chancellor Merz on AfD:

80 years after the end of the Nazi dictatorship, forces are growing in our country that mock the victims of the Nazi regime, who admire imperialism, who scoff at the postulate of human dignity, who scoff at the rule of law and our Basic Law, who want to turn back our social progress of decades.

We will not allow—and I say it once again—that these people from the so-called "Alternative for Germany" ruin our country. We will not allow it.

This party here, in this hall, in this federal party congress—East and West, North and South—this party cannot be a partner for us. We will not do it.

And we must take up this fight, also in the autumn in the East, to prevent right-wing radicalism from moving back into the state chancelleries in Germany.

German Chancellor Merz on "antisemitism" in Germany:

More than 80 years after the end of the Second World War and after the end of National Socialism, there is again open and also violently carried out antisemitism in Germany from Islamist groups, from the left and the right wing, and partly disguised in the guise of the media, culture, and freedom of expression.

We will not accept hatred of Jews in this country.

We stand at the side of all Jewish women and men in Germany. And we stand at the side of Israel.

Russia's Medvedev:

You mentioned Kaja Kallas? And who is that? Even her colleagues don’t speak to this person.

If you’ve noticed, Foreign Ministers of many European countries don’t communicate with her, let alone the US Secretary of State.

NEW: NATO is deploying Türkiye’s drone carrier TCG ANADOLU toward Latvia’s coast under Eastern Sentry.

The largest vessel in the Steadfast Dart 26 fleet will operate under NATO Allied Air Command, reinforcing air surveillance and air defense along the alliance’s eastern flank.

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The Wall Street Journal's (WSJ) chief European political correspondent Bojan Pancevski:

Zelensky told his closest advisers the negotiations had essentially failed — and that they must prepare for three more years of war.

Everyone was shocked. Naturally, no one wants three more years of war.

Until that moment, they were planning elections and a referendum. Then suddenly — a 180-degree turn.

One possibility is that Trump told him, “This is my final offer. It won’t get any better. This is what we have for you.”

And perhaps that was not sufficient for Zelensky, meaning he cannot give up territory under those conditions.

The U.S. Department of Justice has indicted three Silicon Valley engineers for allegedly stealing trade secrets from Google and other tech companies and transferring sensitive semiconductor data, including to Iran.

The defendants, two sisters and a third associate, are accused of conspiracy, trade secret theft, and obstruction of justice.

Prosecutors say they copied hundreds of confidential files related to advanced chip and processor technology, attempted to delete evidence, and moved data to unauthorized platforms and devices.

All three were arrested in San Jose and face up to 10 years in prison per count if convicted.

BREAKING: Trump says he is considering a "limited strike" on Iran.

Reporter: Are you considering a limited military strike if Iran doesn't make a deal?

Trump: The most I can say - I am considering it.

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RSF attacked an aid convoy in South Kordofan on Thursday, killing 3 aid workers and injuring 4, Sudan Doctors Network said, amid repeated attacks on peace keepers & humanitarian workers. UN investigators have previously warned RSF actions in el-Fasher show hallmarks of genocide.

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Israeli Settler Kills a Palestinian American in Occupied West Bank

Palestinian Health Ministry said 19-year-old Palestinian-American Nasrallah Mohammed died after being shot by an Israeli settler on Wednesday in Mukhmas near Ramallah.

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BREAKING: Supreme Court rules 6–3 against Trump on tariffs.

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The Supreme Court ruled that Trump overstepped his authority by using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose broad tariffs.

The Court said tariff power belongs to Congress, and the IEEPA can’t be stretched to justify sweeping trade duties.

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“The U.S. Is Our Friend, But No Longer the Old Guarantor”

Speaking at the CDU Federal Party Congress in Stuttgart, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered a stark warning on transatlantic relations: The United States remains Germany’s friend, but its role as guarantor of the international order is fading.

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BIG: The U.S. military has developed advanced strike plans against Iran, including options to target individual Iranian leaders and potentially pursue regime change — if President Trump gives the order.

Officials say planning goes beyond hitting nuclear and military sites and could include targeted killings, similar to the 2020 strike on Qassem Soleimani.

Israel’s past strikes on Iranian commanders are seen as a model.

However, U.S. officials expect Iran would retaliate, risking American casualties, regional escalation, and threats to key oil routes like the Strait of Hormuz.

Source: Reuters

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Trump says he has to do something about the courts.

Source: Reuters