‘Political stunt’ prosecution of ICE agent for ‘road rage’ provokes heated DHS response
The Department of Homeland Security is accusing Minnesota officials of staging a “political stunt” as federal and state authorities square off over whether an ICE agent accused of pointing a gun at motorists should be prosecuted in state or federal court. The dispute centers on Gregory Morgan Jr., an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent charged with two counts of second-degree assault after prosecutors said he pointed a handgun at motorists during a traffic confrontation while returning from a federal immigration enforcement operation in the Twin Cities. Morgan’s attorneys, backed by federal officials, argue he is protected under legal doctrines stemming from the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which establishes that federal law supersedes conflicting state laws. Courts have recognized that federal officers may, in certain circumstances, be shielded from state prosecution for actions taken in the course of their official duties. But Minnesota prosecutors say those protections do not apply here, arguing Morgan’s alleged conduct fell outside any legitimate federal law-enforcement function. The case has grown into a broader fight over the legal protections afforded to federal officers. Hennepin County prosecutors are seeking to keep the matter in state court, while the federal government has joined Morgan’s effort to move it to federal court. Earlier this week, the Department of Justice filed a notice seeking to have Senior Trial Attorney Paul Quast appear on behalf of the United States in the case. “These actions by Minnesota sanctuary politicians are nothing more than a political stunt,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement. “States do not have the authority to charge a federal law enforcement officer while performing his official duties.” COLORADO DA PURSUES ASSAULT CHARGE AGAINST FEDERAL IMMIGRATION OFFICER, DHS CONDEMNS ‘POLITICAL STUNT’ The statement came as Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty’s office urged a federal judge to reject Morgan’s request to transfer the case out of Minnesota state court. In filings submitted this week, prosecutors argued Morgan is attempting to “transform his moment of road rage — committed on a state highway against Minnesota victims — into a federal enforcement action.” The filing, submitted by the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office along with the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and the Washington Litigation Group, contends there is no meaningful connection between the alleged assault and Morgan’s responsibilities as an ICE agent. According to prosecutors, Morgan’s authority to arrest and detain individuals suspected of violating immigration laws did not extend to confronting motorists on a Minnesota highway. MINNESOTA SUES TRUMP ADMIN OVER SWEEPING IMMIGRATION RAIDS IN TWIN CITIES “There is no evidence of any job-related circumstance requiring the defendant to rush to his destination or to drive on the highway shoulder to get there,” the filing states. “It was the defendant’s decision to drive illegally on the shoulder to avoid the inconvenience of rush-hour traffic, and to draw and point his firearm at motorists who got in his way.” Morgan’s attorney, Ryan Pacyga, filed the removal petition last week, arguing the alleged conduct occurred while Morgan was performing federal law enforcement duties and that both he and his partner feared “imminent bodily harm” during the encounter. According to court records, Morgan was returning to the Whipple Federal Building at Fort Snelling on Feb. 5 after participating in Operation Metro Surge when the incident occurred on Highway 62 near the Interstate 35W interchange. Prosecutors say Morgan and another ICE agent were driving on the highway shoulder during rush hour when a Cadillac moved over and blocked their path. Authorities allege Morgan then pulled alongside the vehicle, drew a handgun and pointed it at the occupants. ICE AGENT SHOOTS VENEZUELAN NATIONAL IN MINNEAPOLIS AFTER SHOVEL ATTACK DURING AMBUSH: DHS One of the motorists called 911 and reported that a man had aimed a Glock at his face, while both occupants later told investigators they feared for their safety. Morgan was charged with two counts of second-degree assault and was released after posting $100,000 bail. Morgan’s case is not the only prosecution stemming from Operation Metro Surge. Moriarty’s office later charged another ICE agent, Christian Castro, with multiple assault counts in connection with the alleged shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis, an incident that sparked protests in north Minneapolis. Fox News Digital reached out to the Justice Department, Moriarty’s office and Pacyga for comment.
Reporter’s Notebook: How Trump’s surprise move on DNI confirmation upended key Senate deal on FISA
They didn’t know what to do. Just before 4 a.m. ET on Wednesday, President Trump blindsided everyone in the U.S. Senate. In a post on Truth Social, the president declared he was “cancelling the Senate hearing” for his Director of National Intelligence nominee Jay Clayton. Moreover, the President said he would withhold Clayton’s nomination from “going forward until Jamie McDonald is approved to be U.S. Attorney.” If confirmed, Clayton would vacate his post as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. That’s the slot for which the President is nominating McDonald. TRUMP SAYS SENATE HEARING ON DNI NOMINEE IS CANCELED UNTIL US ATTORNEY REPLACEMENT CONFIRMED So what would happen with the hearing? Lawmakers and aides scrambled as they woke to the news Wednesday morning. After all, Trump is the president. He doesn’t have the authority to cancel a Senate hearing. “Yeah. I don’t think that’s his call,” said Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., a member of the Intelligence Committee. One senior source told Fox News they presumed that Clayton’s confirmation hearing would forge ahead. Another told Fox the fate of the hearing was “undetermined.” On one hand, lawmakers and aides had to first digest what was happening. Was the President withdrawing Clayton’s nomination? Was he saying he just wasn’t allowing Clayton to testify? Did the head of the executive branch really believe he could bigfoot a congressional hearing? Or was this the president flexing his political muscle, testing Senate Republicans to see how compliant they might be with his intimation — and potentially cancel the hearing on their own? So was Clayton’s hearing on or off? “Are we going to have an Intelligence Committee confirmation hearing today?” yours truly asked panel Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., as he slid behind a backdoor to a hearing in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Silence from Cotton. SCOOP: TOP GOP SEN. COTTON TO MEET WITH EMBATTLED TRUMP DEFENSE NOMINEE AS DOUBTS SWIRL “Do you know the answer?” I followed up. “Do you think the President overstepped his bounds, saying he was canceling the hearing?” I continued. By that point, Cotton was well behind the doorway and it closed. “I have never seen anything quite like this,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., one of the longest-serving members on the Intelligence Committee in Senate history. “Everybody else is going to have to keep guessing for a while.” It was Washington whiplash. “Things change around here pretty quick, Chad,” quipped Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D. But a bit later, Cotton finally weighed-in when he posted on X that the hearing would proceed. The Arkansas Republican then materialized again in the hallway, heading for an elevator bank. “To be clear, you will proceed with the hearing and you expect Jay Clayton to be there despite what the President said?” I asked. A steel-faced Cotton stared straight ahead at the green elevator door. “Chad, you have our statement,” said a terse Cotton. But an hour later, Cotton ditched the hearing after the President blocked Clayton from testifying. “It’s regrettable that the President has directed Jay Clayton not to appear at his confirmation hearing today,” said Cotton in a new statement on X. “While today’s hearing is now unfortunately postponed, I look forward to proceeding with his confirmation in the near future.” The stunning reversal left everyone trying to grasp what happened. And what might be next. SPRINT TO CONFIRM TRUMP NOMINEES KICKS OFF IN JANUARY “I am not sure whether Jay Clayton has simply been postponed or withdrawn,” mused Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., the Vice Chairman of the Intelligence Committee. “I wonder whether Jay Clayton knows whether he has been postponed or withdrawn.” Democrats and Republicans brokered a fragile agreement weeks ago to renew FISA Section 702. The intelligence community argues that program is the powerful tool in the American arsenal to track and combat potential terrorism. Congress repeatedly punted a full renewal for months. But with both bodies on the precipice of reauthorizing the program, President Trump announced he would install housing czar Bill Pulte as interim DNI. Democrats balked at Pulte, noting he had no intelligence experience. Plus, they viewed him as a political hack who would run roughshod over America’s intelligence apparatus. So Democrats pulled their support from the FISA compromise. Most Republicans weren’t exactly enamored with Pulte, either. And those worried about the nation’s security pushed to block Pulte from entering the DNI’s office. That’s why Cotton scheduled Clayton’s confirmation hearing so quickly. It was thought that the Senate might be able to pivot after the hearing and confirm Clayton on the floor late this week or early next. Rapid confirmation of Clayton was essential. Such a scenario would unlock Democrats’ votes to reauthorize FISA Section 702 after the program’s congressional blessing expired a week ago. That was the plan. At least until the president initiated the firestorm over Clayton’s confirmation hearing this week. “Another Trump victory gets upended by an impulse,” vented Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D. “It’s frustrating.” WHY TRUMP PICKED BILL PULTE TO LEAD US INTELLIGENCE AS CRITICS QUESTION HIS QUALIFICATIONS But wait. There’s more. President Trump inserted another chestnut — or hot potato — into his pre-dawn Truth Social screed. Especially if you thought the president was going to make it easy for Congress to hastily re-up FISA as soon as the Senate confirmed Clayton. “To add a slight bit of intrigue but, for the Good of the Nation, and the People of our Country, I will not approve FISA without THE SAVE AMERICA ACT going along with it,” Trump said. He added that his plan was for Pulte to “remain as the Acting Director of National Intelligence” and declared that “Republicans fell into a trap.” The SAVE America Act is the touchstone of President Trump’s 2026 legislative agenda. It requires proof of citizenship to vote. However, the bill has never garnered even 50 yeas in the Senate on two previous test votes. “We’ve got to pass the SAVE America Act and conditioning passage of FISA on the prior passage of
DOJ warns former red state is becoming the next California as governor embraces ICE limits
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is warning that Virginia risks becoming “the next California” in the Trump administration’s fight against resistance to federal immigration enforcement after filing a new lawsuit last week. “We are suing Virginia to prevent Virginia from becoming the next sanctuary jurisdiction, just like California,” DOJ Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division Brett Shumate told Fox News Digital in a Zoom interview. The lawsuit, first shared with Fox News Digital earlier in June, argues Virginia is violating the Constitution by trying to regulate federal law enforcement operations, including restrictions on agents’ masks, identification requirements and conditions on local cooperation with ICE. “Under our Constitution, the states do not get to regulate or dictate how the federal government performs its duties, and that is especially the case when it comes to law enforcement. Virginia passed two bills in this newest session, one that restricts the ability of law enforcement officers to wear facial coverings and requires officers, federal agents, to wear identification badges,” said Shumate. FIRST ON FOX: DOJ SUES SPANBERGER’S VIRGINIA OVER LAWS KNEECAPPING FEDERAL AGENTS AS MASK WAR ESCALATES He said the other bill “restricts cooperation agreements between local law enforcement agencies, like sheriffs, and ICE to voluntarily cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.” The lawsuit names Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones and left-wing Fairfax County Commonwealth Attorney Steve Descano — who was previously backed by groups connected to George Soros. While DOJ has not heard back from state officials, Shumate shared that the department feels confident about the previous case due to precedent. FEDERAL COURT BLOCKS NEWSOM’S BID TO SHACKLE ICE IN TRUMP IMMIGRATION WIN “We brought a nearly identical lawsuit against California earlier this year, and we won that case,” he said. “Congratulations, Virginia,” Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s chief deputy director of communications, Diana Crofts-Pelayo, told Fox News Digital when asked about DOJ’s comparison. In April, a federal appeals court handed the Trump administration a legal victory over Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. The court blocked California from requiring federal immigration agents to display identification during operations. He says they are asserting the same legal theory in this case. NEWSOM ON COURTROOM COLLISION COURSE WITH TRUMP OVER ICE MASK BAN “Under the Constitution, the Supremacy Clause in particular, the states do not get to regulate or discriminate against the federal government,” said Shumate. “That’s exactly what Virginia has done. They have attempted to regulate how the federal goes about its business. They do not have the authority to do that under the constitution.” The two Virginia laws are set to take effect July 1 and Shumate shared the DOJ plans to move quickly to a district court judge to enjoin these laws from taking effect. Virginia was previously a solidly red state, voting for Republicans in nearly every presidential election for decades before shifting to the left in the last roughly 20 years. “We will be filing very quickly in the district Court in Virginia to seek an injunction to stop these laws from taking effect, which these laws have criminal penalties that put federal agents at risk, not only of criminal prosecution, but also at risk of doxing and harassment,” he added. ICE has defended the practice of agents concealing their identities during operations, saying last summer as Trump’s intensifying immigration crackdown prompted anti-ICE protests and riots that rhetoric on the left had caused a spike in “threats and assaults against [agents’] families.” Shumate shared the department is looking at several bills in other states that are considering mask restrictions. “Any state that’s considering passing this type of bill is on notice that we will file a lawsuit and we will ask for an injunction to block those laws from taking effect,” said Shumate.
Gabbard spotlights Fauci, COVID-origin questions in final act as intelligence chief amid succession fight
Just before leaving office amid a contentious battle over who will succeed her, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard used one of her final acts atop the U.S. intelligence community to spotlight Dr. Anthony Fauci’s role in discussions surrounding the government’s COVID-19 origins review. While much of the material is familiar, Gabbard’s release underscores her effort to make questions surrounding Fauci, COVID origins and federal support for virus research part of her closing legacy atop the intelligence community. As Gabbard fired her final broadside, Bill Pulte, who has received bipartisan criticism over his lack of intelligence experience, is set to take the reins at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence while Trump’s permanent nominee remains stalled. Jay Clayton, an attorney and former SEC chairman whom Trump nominated to permanently lead ODNI, has seen his confirmation process delayed after the president said he was holding up the nomination to pressure Congress to pass a voter identification measure. WHY TRUMP PICKED BILL PULTE TO LEAD US INTELLIGENCE AS CRITICS QUESTION HIS QUALIFICATIONS Pulte is a construction businessman and housing official who served as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. His tenure at the housing agency has drawn controversy over allegations that he used FHFA authority to target Trump’s political opponents, an allegation amplifying concerns among key senators that he may attempt to weaponize the intelligence community at the behest of the president during his interim tenure. “We don’t need a weaponized DNI, we need professionals there,” Senate Majority Leader Sen. John Thune said of Pulte. Other powerful congressional Republicans, such as Sens. Cornyn, Cassidy, Murkowski, Collins and Tillis, have also voiced opposition to or concern over Pulte taking over ODNI. Senate Democrats share many of the same concerns as their GOP colleagues. Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Dick Durbin, Sheldon Whitehouse, Richard Blumenthal, Gary Peters, Adam Schiff, Mark Warner and Ron Wyden have all expressed concerns that Pulte would weaponize America’s intelligence apparatus against Trump’s enemies. Similar to many Republicans, they’ve criticized him for a lack of intelligence experience as well. TRUMP DNI PICK BRACES FOR SENATE GRILLING AS TEMPORARY STAND-IN FUELS DEM PRESSURE Political observers believe that Clayton would face far less opposition from the Senate over his confirmation. However, the upper chamber has so far proven unwilling to move on the president’s voter identification legislation, complicating his advancement and setting the stage for a showdown between the White House and Congress. While lawmakers and the president go back and forth over the fate of ODNI, Gabbard has sought to spotlight the Fauci documents on her way out. The documents she released Thursday night include some information that was already known to the public as well as others that do not appear to have been publicly reported. ANTHONY FAUCI MAY BE DEPOSED AS GOP INTENSIFIES COVID INVESTIGATIONS IN NEW CONGRESS Gabbard’s release contains newly declassified documents that show intelligence officials considered but ultimately rejected Fauci as an outside reviewer of their COVID-19 origins assessment, warning he would be seen as having a conflict of interest. In a different exchange, intelligence officials tasked with analyzing the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic debated whether to take Fauci’s recommendations on who to interview for their study. “For those who don’t know me, I’m the [REDACTED] and, as such, leading the [intelligence community’s] 90-day POTUS COVID origin study,” one official wrote in an email. “Per below, Dr Fauci recommended that the IC reach out to the below individuals who were coauthors of the attached paper as part of the study.” TOP 4 EXPLOSIVE MOMENTS FROM CIA WHISTLEBLOWER’S TESTIMONY ON ALLEGED COVID-19 LAB LEAK COVER-UP Another official questioned whether it was prudent for the intelligence community to take the advice of a “policymaker” like Fauci when conducting internal affairs, “particularly given the various strong views on the subject and statements regarding their own conclusions.” An intelligence official responded by arguing that Fauci should not be considered a policymaker in this context, but rather an important subject-matter expert. “In this particular case, given Dr Fauci’s background we absolutely would like to follow-up on his outreach suggestions,” they wrote. “In this case he’s not a policymaker….he’s a SME with a wealth of knowledge about current and historical research who probably knows better than most who the real Coronavirus experts are.” A CIA whistleblower previously claimed that Fauci exerted undue influence over the intelligence community’s assessment of COVID-19’s origins, claims that Gabbard now seeks to amplify with her release. During the COVID-19 era, conservatives alleged that Fauci and other public health officials downplayed or helped steer scrutiny away from the lab-leak theory despite American financial links to coronavirus research in Wuhan, where the disease originated. Gabbard has framed her trove of documents as a look into how the intelligence community incorporated information from people like Fauci while investigating the virus’ origins. “Fauci worked with politicized career leadership in the Intelligence Community (IC) to suppress the truth about his actions, the virus’ lab-leak origins, and his role in directing U.S. funding for this dangerous research that caused immeasurable harm and countless lost lives,” ODNI’s press release accompanying the documents asserts. “These documents expose Fauci’s direct role in influencing and manipulating IC assessments on COVID-19, and how Fauci lied to Congress in 2024, when under oath he denied knowledge of or participation in discussions with intelligence officials about viral research.” Gabbard left her role at ODNI to care for her husband, who has a rare form of cancer, Fox News Digital first reported.
Israel–Hezbollah ceasefire becomes first test of Trump Iran framework after talks delay
A U.S.-backed ceasefire between Israel and Iran-backed terror group Hezbollah was set to take effect Friday afternoon, as Washington tried to salvage a broader regional framework with Iran after talks scheduled for Switzerland were abruptly postponed. The Israel–Hezbollah ceasefire was set to take effect 9 a.m. Eastern Time/4 p.m. local time, both a senior U.S. and an Israeli official told Fox News Digital, but whether the ceasefire formally took effect remains disputed. The White House has not publicly commented on whether the ceasefire has formally taken effect. A Hezbollah spokesperson told Fox News Digital that the group would abide by the ceasefire if Israel does, but “reserves the right to respond” to any violation. The spokesperson said Hezbollah did not yet view the ceasefire as having taken effect, claiming Israel was still carrying out strikes in southern Lebanon more than an hour after it was supposed to begin. ISRAEL MOVES TOWARDS CEASEFIRE DEAL WITH HEZBOLLAH: REPORTS Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a video after the 4 p.m. local start time that he said showed Israel Defense Forces striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon. It is unclear when those reported strikes took place, and Fox News Digital could not independently verify their timing. “As I instructed – the IDF struck powerfully 150 Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and eliminated dozens of terrorists,” he wrote on X. IDF spokesperson Effie Defrin said Hezbollah had killed four Israeli soldiers in overnight strikes early Friday. Still, an Israeli official said Israel intends to honor the ceasefire agreement. “If Hezbollah doesn’t shoot, we won’t shoot. If they shoot — we will respond,” the official told Fox News Digital. The agreement came after negotiations between the U.S. and Iran scheduled to take place this weekend in Switzerland were abruptly postponed. The White House has not publicly provided a reason for the delay. Trump has expressed increasing frustration with Netanyahu over the conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon. “Bibi has to be more responsible with respect to Lebanon,” Trump said to reporters Tuesday at the G7 conference in France. “Too many people are being killed, and you don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you’re looking for somebody, because there are a lot of people in those apartment houses, and they’re not all Hezbollah, that I can tell you.” “I’m not saying they shouldn’t protect themselves,” he added Wednesday during separate remarks to reporters. “I’m saying when two drones are shot into the desert and drop harmlessly, you don’t have to knock down buildings in Beirut. They could behave better, and frankly, they could do a better job.” Hezbollah is an Iran-backed Shiite militant group and political movement based in Lebanon that the U.S. has designated as a foreign terrorist organization. Its conflict with Israel dates back decades, but the latest fighting has centered on Hezbollah rocket and drone attacks from Lebanon and Israeli strikes aimed at pushing the group back from the border and protecting northern Israeli communities. “As the Vice President said at his press conference, the plans for the upcoming technical talks have not been finalized, and the U.S. delegation has been prepared to depart at the first available opportunity,” a White House spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “But the logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable. As of now the Vice President is not departing tonight. We will let you know as soon as we have a concrete update about next steps.” The Iranian foreign ministry on Friday denied reports claiming Iran had once again closed the Strait of Hormuz. “The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran have taken the necessary measures to ensure the safe passage of commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding on the End of the War dated 18 June 1405, and shipping is underway in this route,” foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said in a statement posted to Telegram. A separate Iranian official told Fox News Digital Friday that traffic was moving “slowly” through the strait due to mine-clearing operations. HORMUZ CHOKE POINT PERSISTS AS IRAN HALTS OIL TRAFFIC DESPITE TRUMP CEASEFIRE U.S. officials have described the memorandum signed Wednesday as a 60-day framework for negotiations toward a final agreement largely focused on Iran’s nuclear program. They have said any U.S. force withdrawal from areas near Iran would be tied to a final deal, not required immediately under the initial agreement. The agreement also declared the “immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon,” according to U.S. officials. U.S. officials have said the memorandum also includes immediate oil sanctions waivers for Iran, an end to Iranian threats to the Strait of Hormuz and a process for lifting the U.S. blockade, and future talks over Iran’s nuclear program, including the fate of its enriched uranium stockpile. Fox News Digital reached out to the Pentagon, Israeli Prime Minister’s Office and Iranian Foreign Ministry for additional comment and had not received responses by publication.
Petrol shortages and ‘oil rain’ bring Russia-Ukraine war home to Moscow
Months of Ukrainian strikes on Russia’s oil infrastructure have led to widespread fuel rationing, with Russian President Vladimir Putin now unable to mask the war’s economic effects. The Russian petrol shortages come amid other good news for Ukraine, which during the past week garnered 4 billion euros ($4.6bn) in new military aid commitments from its allies for anti-ballistic interceptors, long-range artillery and unmanned systems. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov said Ukraine and Germany also signed an agreement to develop a European anti-ballistic interceptor missile – a longstanding desire of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The European Union, too, released 6 billion euros ($6.9bn) in military aid from its European Peace Facility and started talks that are expected to lead to Ukraine’s membership. Both developments had long been delayed by Hungarian premier Viktor Orban, who lost power in April. [Al Jazeera] After opening the first of six negotiation clusters with Brussels to join the EU, Zelenskyy urged the EU Intergovernmental Conference to move faster and open the remaining five simultaneously. “Ukraine has earned the right to move faster … We are ready to open all clusters. We have done our work. Everyone in Europe knows this,” he said. Rationing in Russia Russian independent news outlet The Bell reported rationing in 53 Russian regions and in occupied Ukraine on Wednesday. That rationing had reached the principal urban centres of Moscow and Saint Petersburg, where the Tatneft chain of petrol stations on Monday began limiting customers to 20 litres of petrol (5.3 gallons) and 40 litres of diesel at a time “for technical reasons”. Advertisement Other petrol chains, including Rosneft, placed upper limits of 90 litres per sale. (Al Jazeera) Rosneft and Bashneft, the state oil company of the Republic of Bashkortostan, on Tuesday reportedly banned sales of petrol in canisters due to “increased seasonal demand”. These reports came after unusually low oil production during May. The International Energy Agency reported that Russia produced 8.74 million barrels per day of oil last month, versus 8.96 million bpd in April, approximately 100,000 barrels below target. Russian oil producers have in the past few weeks announced production cuts following damage to infrastructure caused by Ukrainian strikes. Russia was reacting to the shortages by allowing some refineries to circulate under-refined petrol with a higher sulphur content, Russian business newspaper Kommersant reported. Reuters reported that Russia also planned to increase imports of refined petroleum products from Asia. Ukraine’s war on the Russian budget Kyiv gave its strikes added political import by striking the Moscow Oil Refinery twice during the week, on Tuesday and Thursday, sending black clouds of smoke into the Moscow skyline that residents reported caused “oil rain” and covered surfaces in black soot. “The company’s products account for over 38 percent of the capital region’s fuel consumption, including supplying aviation fuel to Domodedovo, Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky airports,” said the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Ukraine’s General Staff said one of the refinery’s primary processing units was damaged in the first strike, while the second caused five simultaneous fires, reportedly damaging a combined processing unit, a secondary processing unit and a tank farm. (Al Jazeera) The refinery was forced to halt operations. The pollution caused six airports around Moscow to shut down, cancelling flights. Days earlier, Putin had promised Russians that Ukrainian long-range strikes would be contained. “We will increase our strikes on the enemy’s infrastructure in such a way as to discourage them from attacking our civilian objects,” he had told a news conference. Ukraine did not say what means it used to strike the refinery in Moscow, which is one of Russia’s best-defended areas from aerial threats. Russia’s defence ministry said later on Thursday that it had downed 992 drones and four missiles over a 24-hour period. In the past week, Ukraine also struck the TANEKO refinery in the Republic of Tatarstan, one of Russia’s largest, which produces aviation fuel for the armed forces, and numerous tank farms, pumping stations and oil terminals. Advertisement As part of a campaign against weapons manufacturers, Ukraine on June 12 struck the Tolyattikauchuk chemical plant, which manufactures synthetic rubber used in solid rocket and missile fuel. Putin made a rare concession that Ukraine was succeeding in causing economic pain. “The blows of the Armed Forces of Ukraine damage the Russian economy … The enemy is increasing the use of aircraft-type UAVs in order to split Russian society and cause economic damage,” Putin said. “But everything is quickly recovering,” he added. “We understand that Putin is rarely provided with completely truthful information without embellishment,” said Zelenskyy. Not everyone in Moscow agreed with Putin. “We continue to face new prohibitions, restrictions and a growing financial burden,” wrote Duma (lower house) member Vyacheslav Markhaev on June 11. He associated the ineffectiveness of economic reforms that “remain on paper” with the ineffectiveness of Russia’s war in Ukraine. “Attacks on our cities do not stop, their geography is expanding.” A woman is treated for a wound at a site of an apartment building hit by a Russian drone strike, amid Russia’s war on Ukraine, in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, on June 16, 2026 [Reuters] Russian officials have pointed out the financial strain of the war since the summer of 2025, leading to promises from the Kremlin to lower military expenditure in 2026. The opposite appears to be happening, however. Russia is increasing its defence budget despite falling tax revenues, said Janis Kluge, an economist and Russia expert at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. Russian finance ministry data suggested that defence spending was up 30 percent in the first quarter, compared with the same period last year, Kluge said. Although defence spending was meant to fall from 7.8 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) last year to 6.2 percent this year, it was on track to reach 10 percent, he found. Falling government income meant that military spending has reached two-thirds of budget revenues, Kluge said. Russia’s financial situation could further
Cuba: Between charcoal and solar panels
Several kilometres away, along Havana’s iconic Malecón waterfront, a different reality is taking shape. Under the midday heat, workers move large photovoltaic panels across the roof of the Fuego Lento restaurant overlooking the sea. Several floors below, customers eat lunch while technicians drill, bolt and connect the new installation. Josecal Duarte, one of the technicians overseeing the project, has witnessed demand surge. “More and more people are importing solar panels and batteries. They’re buying them for their businesses, for their homes, to survive.” A 615-watt solar panel costs about $160 before transport and installation. Most homes and businesses require several panels, along with lithium battery systems capable of storing electricity generated during the day. Inside the restaurant, owner Aris Lopez Torres says she spent years searching for ways to keep her business afloat. First came a generator, then lithium batteries, but rising fuel prices and increasingly frequent blackouts quickly exposed the limits of both options. “It was either this or close the restaurant,” she says. “Without electricity, we can’t do anything.” The photovoltaic installation will not cover all of the restaurant’s needs, but it allows essential equipment to keep operating. “The refrigerators are the priority,” she explains. “We’re only using one air conditioner out of three now. It’s survival economics because the situation is very serious.” Across the capital, solar installation companies and battery retailers are struggling to keep up with demand. “Demand keeps growing,” says Mario Perdomo, who works for MIDICAS, a company that installs solar systems throughout Cuba. “People want to be prepared when the power goes out,” adds Elizabeth Diego, a saleswoman in central Havana. For a large part of the Cuban population, however, these technologies remain out of reach. Adblock test (Why?)
‘Destruction is the goal’: Israel steers between the US, Iran, and Lebanon
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has restrained himself from openly displaying his opposition to the memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States. But looking to the positions of Israelis from across the political spectrum, and the military’s actions in Lebanon, the picture is clear: Israel is angry, and Israel is worried. Netanyahu has always been careful with US President Donald Trump, knowing that his occasional criticisms of Israeli policy have been coupled with allowing Israel to pursue many of its military and political goals, even as the rest of the world isolates the country. The war with Iran was a case in point – after years of US refusal, Netanyahu had finally convinced a US president to jointly attack Iran. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list But that war has gone badly for the US, and Trump’s decision to accept a deal – without any apparent input from Israel – has upended many of the assumptions underpinning what many in Israel see as their “special relationship” with the US, as well as making clear the power dynamics between the two allies. Under the terms of the US-Iran agreement, as well as creating a $300bn reconstruction plan for Iran, the US commits that it and “its allies” will undertake the “immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon”. Israel immediately responded to that agreement by pounding Lebanon, killing at least 47 people on Friday, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health. Four Israeli soldiers were also killed overnight by the armed Lebanese group, Hezbollah, prompting Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to say that “all of Lebanon must burn”. Advertisement And yet, by Friday evening, a ceasefire is reported to have been agreed between Israel and Hezbollah – likely after US pressure, with the US-Iran deal at risk of collapsing. Rock and a hard place How far Netanyahu can go in his defiance of the US, whose diplomatic and financial support are critical to Israel, and how far he can go in appeasing an Israeli public and political establishment widely understood to reject the deal, is unclear. According to a television poll published on Thursday, only a small minority of Israelis believe their country has won the war against Iran – an opponent that, for generations, they had been told was bent on their destruction. “The depth of disappointment over the US-Iran memorandum of understanding is very real and deep,” Israeli pollster and political analyst Dahlia Scheindlin said. “Israelis are fully aware that none of their goals as articulated and overconfidently promised by Netanyahu have been achieved. They believe the war ended prematurely and that something went wrong with the grand plan. They don’t love blaming Trump but see him as making decisions based on US interests, and many blame Netanyahu for miscalculations in creating the dependency on Trump.” US Vice President JD Vance stepped into the fray on Thursday, addressing Israel and the deal’s critics in its cabinet directly. “Donald J Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time,” Vance said, referring to the international condemnation that has followed Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and multiple attacks on its neighbours. Vance continued, appearing to turn to Ben-Gvir and his fellow far-right figure, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. “If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world,” Vance said. US Vice President JD Vance has addressed criticism of the memorandum of understanding in Israel. The Trump administration is facing criticism for the deal, which opponents say is in Tehran’s favour. [Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA] “I can’t think of a time when either a US vice president or president has been so openly critical of Israel and used such language,” Chatham House’s Yossi Mekelberg said, referencing direct criticism of both Netanyahu and Israel’s attacks on Lebanon voiced by Trump during the G7 meeting on Wednesday. “Netanyahu understands he can’t afford a real rift with the US, but at least needs the appearance of one for his position to be sustainable,” he added. “It’s hard to see any way out for Netanyahu ahead of the elections, other than playing for time and leaving it until after the vote. Even if he halts action against Hezbollah tomorrow, could he rely upon them not attacking the north of Israel when they know how vulnerable he is?” Advertisement To that end, the degree to which Smotrich and Ben-Gvir were breaking with the prime minister in their criticism of the US-Iran deal, and how much they were reflecting his policy, was unclear, Ofer Cassif, an Israeli parliamentarian from the left-wing Hadash party, said. Netanyahu has been making political capital out of the threat posed by Iran since the 1990s, when he first claimed the country was on the brink of making a nuclear weapon, and Hezbollah, whose rocket fire on northern Israel in the wake of the Hamas-led attack of October 7, 2023, went a long way in deflecting from his own failures before that incursion. “All Netanyahu and his thugs, this so-called government, are interested in, is thwarting, hindering and destroying the agreement while seeming as if they were not, by selling a story of security and defence. That’s the real issue here,” Cassif said. “Destruction is the goal.” Adblock test (Why?)
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