Interesting.
FT:
Saudi Arabia has withdrawn from a Beijing-led digital currency programme that is part of China’s efforts to develop an alternative cross-border payments system to the dollar.
The mBridge platform has attracted controversy in the US amid concerns that participants could use it to bypass dollar-dominated conventional payment systems such as Swift.
The new platform, which will soon be rolled out commercially, uses blockchain technology to transact directly between central banks using their own digital currencies, cutting the time and costs of foreign exchange transactions and reducing the role of the dollar as an intermediary currency.
Overnight, Ukrainian forces struck several targets inside Russia, including two important pieces of Moscow’s energy infrastructure.
🔹 Kapotnya — Moscow Oil Refinery: The refinery, operated by Gazprom Neft, is one of Russia’s major refining facilities and has an installed processing capacity of roughly 11 million tonnes of crude oil per year. It produces fuels and other petroleum products for the Moscow region. A fire is ongoing at the site following the strike.
🔹 Lyubertsi — TPP-22: This is a major combined heat and power plant operated by Mosenergo. It has around 1.4 GW of electrical capacity and supplies electricity and heating to southeastern Moscow, Dzerzhinsky and much of the Lyubertsy area. It also provides industrial steam to the Moscow Oil Refinery
🔹 Sofino, Moscow region - A large fire was reported at warehouses operated by LLC Modern Warehouse Technologies.
Six days after Trump's TruthSocial post announcing Ukraine's agreement to halt attacks on Russian refineries, the Kapotnya Oil Refinery in Moscow is reportedly targeted in a Ukrainian drone strike.
BREAKING: 🇺🇸 All U.S. embassies in the Middle East have issued security alerts for their citizens, including Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Iraq, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Oman
President Trump is urgently departing from Camp David to the White House, arriving tonight instead of tomorrow.
About an hour ago, a B-1B Lancer long-range strategic bomber took off from RAF Fairford, UK.
Notably, its afterburners were turned on, this could indicate that it was loaded with bombs, although they often take off this way during training sorties as well.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys:
"The Republic of Lithuania has the same intelligence at its disposal as other countries of the region who have deployed their forces here. There is no other information. As a result, I have spoken very specifically with the NATO Secretary General and his deputy for intelligence, and with the commander of the Supreme Armed Forces in Europe at the last NATO summit, once again to make sure that we are all talking about the same thing. The message is: yes, we are talking about the same. Lithuania has this information as well. We also talked about it as a possible operation of a foreign flag from the Russian side."
https://t.co/sNsjwWZvlo
🚨Ansarallah announced that they targeted "sensitive sites" in Riyadh and Aramco facilities in Yanbu overnight using a large number of cruise missiles, ballistic missiles, and drones. Saudi Civil Defense alerts were triggered multiple times for 10 different cities and provinces during the attacks.
NASA FIRMS data confirms that fuel storage at the Aramco Central Region Distribution facility was struck and a fire has been burning for several hours. Photos and videos have been circulating online, showing a large smoke column rising from the vicinity of King Khalid International Airport, where the Aramco distribution facility is located.
🇰🇵 North Korea Launches Mass Production of Its Own Version of the US HIMARS
During an inspection of a military facility by Kim Jong Un, a mobile launcher resembling the M142 was spotted. This multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) first appeared at a parade in 2023; by May 2026, it had successfully undergone trials alongside a new 240mm guided rocket and a tactical cruise missile featuring an AI-based guidance system. South Korean military officials confirmed the launch at the time, tracking the missiles' flight into the Yellow Sea over a distance of 80 km.
The program is now shifting from testing to mass production, meaning the new launchers will soon be deployed to military units. If Pyongyang can indeed mass-produce these systems, it will significantly boost North Korean artillery capabilities for delivering precision strikes along the entire line of contact with South Korea.
china3army
Lithuania has the same intelligence as other countries in the region and allies about possible Russian hybrid attacks, including a possible Russian false flag operation. "We are talking about the same thing." - Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys says
NEW: Anonymous French Defense Ministry source says France is already conducting covert conventional military operations against Russia.
When asked if Paris could retaliate militarily without announcing it, the source replied:
It's already happening.
Source: Le Monde
Ukraine Online:
Russian forces are planning to destroy approximately 20 gas stations in Zhytomyr, the Zhytomyr region, and Rivne within 24 hours, according to monitoring reports.
BREAKING: France is facing a growing fuel shortage with 11% of the country's gas stations now reporting that they are out of stock of either gas or diesel, according to the latest data published by the French government.
In parts of the country, this figure now stands as high as 16%.
Meanwhile, the average price of diesel is up to €2.38 per liter, less than 1% away from a record high, and the average price of gasoline is also at or above record highs.
French President Macron convened an emergency meeting to discuss the crisis and the government is preparing to offer financial support to high-mileage drivers.
Energy inflation is skyrocketing.
Houthis have managed to hit the Fuel storage tanks at the Saudi Capital! Fire at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh ! Nasa Firms shows fire near the north side of the airport