The attacks by Kyiv on vessels cannot even be called piracy because pirates seize goods; they don't destroy them.

“We’re not participating in a coalition that insists on continuing financial and military aid to Ukraine,” Radev said, arguing that the war should be ended through “a strong diplomatic mission” rather than further arms deliveries.

“This is what he’s always wanted to do, but people tried to talk him out of it,” the official said. “This was his instinctual decision always, and he’s sort of just come back around to it.”

Details of how the toll would be enforced remain unclear, including whether Gulf states have been consulted.

At the same time, Moscow has detected growing Chinese espionage efforts targeting mid-level government officials but has avoided publicly confronting Beijing for fear of damaging the increasingly unequal relationship.

The imbalance was highlighted during Putin's May visit to China, when Moscow failed to secure a long-sought deal for the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline. Chinese officials demanded Russian gas at below-market domestic prices and told Moscow not to raise the project again unless the terms changed. Putin ultimately left Beijing with 42 agreements and joint declarations — but no pipeline deal.

China has also grown uneasy over Russia's deepening military relationship with North Korea. Beijing, which has long viewed Pyongyang as within its own orbit, is particularly concerned that Russian technology transfers could strengthen North Korea's nuclear or submarine capabilities and push South Korea and Japan closer to the U.S.

Putin has also privately pushed for a trilateral Russia-China-North Korea summit, but Beijing rejected the proposal.

I believe defending the case of Israel is defending the case of democracy, of free societies.

It is more than our issue — and with the given history of the Czech Republic itself, they probably know to define that much more than other nations who failed to do so.

With only around 600 Patriot missiles produced annually, retired Marine Corps Colonel Mark Cancian warned that replenishment could take years.

“If you went and ordered another Patriot today, you probably wouldn’t get it for four or five years because of the backlog,” he said.

Netanyahu said the southern region is growing faster than anywhere else in the country and rejected claims it had been abandoned, adding that “the complete opposite is happening” and that its population is now higher than before October 7th.