🇩🇪🇺🇦⚡️ — German prosecutors have detained a 33-year-old Ukrainian national suspected of collecting information on a defense company's facilities in southern Germany for possible sabotage purposes.

The man was arrested on Sunday and is suspected of acting as a low-level agent for a foreign intelligence service. Officials did not identify the country allegedly behind the operation.

🇮🇱⚡️ — Anti-Christian incidents in Jerusalem are becoming increasingly common, particularly in and around the Old City, according to a WSJ investigation, with clergy, nuns, churches, and other Christian sites increasingly targeted by spitting, verbal abuse, vandalism, and intimidation.

107 anti-Christian incidents were recorded in the first half of 2026, more than double the number documented during the same period in 2024. The most common incidents involved spitting, insults such as "Death to Christians," and harassment directed at visibly Christian clergy and religious sites.

Rights groups say the perpetrators are predominantly young religious Israelis, while critics argue authorities often fail to respond adequately.

🇷🇺🇩🇪🇺🇸⚡️ — Russia has significantly expanded an online disinformation campaign ahead of September's state election in Germany's Saxony-Anhalt, with German security officials saying the operation is now targeting English-speaking, MAGA-aligned social media users in the U.S. to amplify false narratives before they spread back into Germany, according to FT.

Officials say the campaign is the latest phase of the "Matryoshka" influence operation, in which Russian state actors distribute professionally produced fake videos designed to imitate trusted outlets such as ARD and the BBC. More than 100 fabricated videos have been identified since June, accusing mainstream German politicians of corruption, sexual assault, pedophilia, antisemitism, nepotism, and other misconduct.

Rather than targeting German audiences directly, the campaign seeks to persuade English-speaking conservative influencers and MAGA supporters on X to unknowingly amplify the fabricated stories, allowing them to gain traction before being echoed by politicians or covered by German media.

🇮🇶⚡️ — Iraq's Security Media Cell announced that the country's security and military forces have raised their security readiness and combat preparedness levels, in line with directives from Prime Minister al-Zaidi.

The heightened readiness is part of ongoing efforts to maintain a high state of operational preparedness across all security forces and strengthen their ability to carry out assigned missions.

⚽️ — UEFA says its boycott of FIFA competitions remains in place, stating that the conditions for ending the boycott have not been met, despite FIFA President Gianni Infantino's apology and his decision to abandon the proposed sale of a stake in the World Cup's commercial rights, Sky News reports.

UEFA said it still lacks confidence in Infantino's leadership and dismissed a joint statement issued by FIFA following emergency talks in Morocco, which claimed the governing body's management board had expressed "full support" for the president.

The dispute now casts doubt over the participation of European teams in upcoming FIFA tournaments, including the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Poland next month, where England is scheduled to compete.

🇮🇱❌🇶🇦 — Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett:

Qatar is killing our people. Qatar is killing our soldiers.

Some Al Jazeera personnel were among the first Nukhba forces that attacked us.

🇮🇱❌🧑‍⚖️🇶🇦 — Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett:

Netanyahu is facing war-crimes accusations in The Hague. IDF commanders are facing war-crimes accusations. Your son is afraid to travel around the world.

That's Qatar. And we're doing nothing about it. It's absurd.

I expect every leader in Israel to say clearly: Qatar is an enemy.

🇾🇪❌🇾🇪🇸🇦 — NEW: The Houthis (Ansarallah) announced they carried out a large-scale missile and drone attack on Saudi-backed Yemeni forces after detecting major Saudi military buildups ahead of a planned offensive.

They targeted military camps in Al-Ruwayk, Al-Abr, Al-Thaniyah, and other positions belonging to the First and Third Emergency Divisions with ballistic missiles and drones. They reported the strikes killed and wounded hundreds of Saudi-backed fighters and destroyed camps, weapons depots, military vehicles, and other equipment.

The group warned Saudi Arabia against any further escalation, saying it would continue its "siege for siege" campaign until the blockade on Yemen is lifted.

🇾🇪❌🇾🇪 — WATCH: Footage shows the moment a Houthi (Ansarallah) drone struck Saudi-backed forces at a base in Marib or Hadhramut.

🇺🇸🇮🇷⚡️ — A new Reuters/Ipsos poll found that just 35% of Americans approve of the U.S. war with Iran, while 50% believe it will make the Middle East less stable, compared with 17% who think it will improve regional stability.

The survey also found 58% expect gasoline prices to rise further, while only 15% expect them to improve.

Among Republicans, 66% approve of President Trump's handling of the war, but only 41% believe it will improve stability in the Middle East.

The poll also found registered voters narrowly favor Democrats over Republicans on handling war and terrorism (37% to 36%) for the first time since Reuters/Ipsos began tracking the question in late 2024.

🇮🇱⚡️ — The Israeli Navy conducted a large-scale military exercise this week involving warships, submarines, missile boats, corvettes, patrol vessels, and border security forces in both the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea.

The IDF says the drill was held to incorporate lessons learned from the past three years of fighting. Hundreds of sailors took part in scenarios including maritime infiltration, multi-front combat, aerial threats, live-fire operations, and the defense of strategic assets such as offshore gas rigs, Israeli ports, and critical national infrastructure.

In the Red Sea, the exercise also focused on improving command capabilities, coordination, and interoperability between naval units and the Navy's Operations Division.

🇨🇦🇺🇸⚡️ — Reporter: At this stage in the negotiations, don't you think that you should go to the White House to meet with the President?

Canada's PM Carney: It's easy for me to talk to Mr. Trump if I feel it's necessary. We had a conversation last week, and there will be other conversations, but when they're necessary.

🇺🇸🇮🇷🇴🇲⚡️ — Iran is seeking fees equivalent to 5–7% of the value of cargoes transiting the Strait of Hormuz, while Oman is discussing a fee of around 3%, Reuters reports.

The U.S. is opposed to any transit charges and is pushing for no fees at all.

🇮🇷🇴🇲⚡️ — Fars News Agency, citing a source in the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, reports that, under the current deal being negotiated, ships would under a temporary period enter the Strait of Hormuz through the northern Iranian route and exit through the southern Omani route.

After the end of the temporary period, all ships would transit through a middle route of the Strait of Hormuz, with outbound traffic being managed by Iran & Oman and inbound traffic managed solely by Iran.

Fars also reports there will be no flat cargo fee for the Strait of Hormuz, and the fee will instead be based on numerous variables; including an insurance fee, refueling fee, and environmental fee.

🇮🇷❌🇺🇸🇮🇱 — Fars News Agency reports that, under a bill being drafted by Iran's parliament and under review by Iran's National Security Commission, vessels associated with Israel and the United States would be banned from transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Vessels associated with states involved in attacks against the broader Axis of Resistance would also be banned. Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have participated in strikes against the Axis of Resistance alongside Israel and the United States.

Fines of up to 20% of the cargo's value would be imposed on violating ships.

🇺🇸🇵🇸🇲🇦⚡️ — President Trump's Board of Peace is preparing to award its first reconstruction contract in Gaza, involving the construction of a 150-person military outpost intended to house a contingent of Moroccan troops serving in a planned International Stabilization Force (ISF), according to The Guardian.

The contract, which has not yet been finalized, was awarded to Arkel International, a Louisiana-based company.

The proposed base would measure roughly 100 by 120 meters, be located in an Israeli-occupied area of southern Gaza about one mile from the Israeli border, and include a rapid evacuation route.