The United States has authorized a $322 million package for Ukraine, which includes equipment to repair Bradley infantry fighting vehicles and support for HAWK Phase III air defense systems.

Republican Representative Tim Burchett has said that House Republicans are considering requesting the Department of Justice to reduce Ghislaine Maxwell’s prison sentence—if she agrees to testify before the House Oversight Subcommittee on Federal Law Enforcement. Maxwell, a convicted sex trafficker and close associate of Jeffrey Epstein, is currently serving a 20-year sentence.

The Office of Cambodian President Hun Sen shared several photos throughout the day showing him in meetings with top military and intelligence officials to discuss the ongoing border clashes with Thailand. However, the images—since deleted—appeared to inadvertently reveal classified maps displaying the positions of specific units, military bases, and frontline details that could compromise operational security if accessed by the Thai Armed Forces.

As Ghislaine Maxwell’s legal team ramps up efforts to secure a presidential pardon from Donald Trump, and the administration moves to shut down further discussion of the Jeffrey Epstein files, traders on Polymarket are now placing a 36% probability that Maxwell will testify before Congress by the end of 2025. The spike in odds follows a recent Department of Justice announcement that officials intend to speak with Maxwell in the near future.

For months, the White House and Pentagon have maintained that no classified information was shared in the “Signalgate” leak involving Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth back in March. However, The Washington Post now reports that the Pentagon’s Inspector General has obtained evidence indicating otherwise. According to the ongoing investigation, Signal messages sent by Secretary Hegseth—outlining plans for a U.S. bombing campaign against Iranian-backed Houthi forces in Yemen—were based on a classified email marked “SECRET/NOFORN.” That email was originally sent by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Gen. Michael E. Kurilla to Hegseth via SIPRNet, the Department of Defense’s secure classified network.

Today, Russia and Ukraine exchanged 250 prisoners of war in a swap that took place at the border with Belarus. Among those released were the last Ukrainian defenders of Snake Island, known for the iconic phrase, “Russian warship, go fuck yourself,” in response to a surrender demand issued by the Moskva early in the war — a vessel that has since been sunk by Ukraine. Snake Island has also been retaken by Ukraine.

China 🇨🇳/USA 🇺🇸: China criticized the U.S. decision to withdraw from UNESCO and said it firmly supports the organization’s work. “This is the third time the U.S. has withdrawn from UNESCO. The country has long failed to pay its outstanding dues. This is not how a great nation should behave,” said Guo Jiakun, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Ukraine’s parliament has just voted to revoke the independence of NABU (the National Anti-Corruption Bureau) and SAPO (the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office) — two key institutions backed by the West and designed to operate independently. President Zelensky is now dismantling the very anti-corruption agencies that Washington and Brussels once championed. NABU and SAPO were established in the aftermath of Maidan—trained by the FBI and funded by Washington and Brussels—with the explicit goal of being untouchable by Ukraine’s political elite. Now, that protective firewall is collapsing. Parliament has moved to strip their independence, while the SBU is reportedly cracking down aggressively on their personnel. Why now? Because Zelensky’s inner circle—Alexey Chernyshov and other top allies—are currently under active investigation. So he’s doubling down to protect his team, openly defying the Western-backed safeguards that were put in place to ensure accountability. New law hands broad powers to the Prosecutor General to: • Take over cases from NABU • Shut down investigations into top officials • Directly command detectives • Reassign prosecutions at their discretion SAPO would also be stripped of key powers: • No authority to settle jurisdictional disputes • Unable to block politically motivated appeals • No means to safeguard NABU’s independence The worst part? These changes were secretly tacked onto the bill, violating parliamentary procedures. The West created NABU to follow the trail of billions in aid. Now Zelensky wants to shut that window tight. He’s making “pay up and shut up” official policy. The big question remains: Will Ukraine’s backers just accept this? View quoted note →

U.S. Representative Thomas Massie stated: “If the executive branch refuses to release Phase 2 of the Epstein files, then Congress will take action. The American people deserve full transparency, and the victims deserve justice.”

When asked whether Iran is attempting to assassinate U.S. President Trump and other American officials, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded, “'Death to America' refers to opposition to the U.S. government's hegemonic policies — not to the American people themselves.”