🕌 Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Formalise Joint Defence Secretariat
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have agreed to establish a permanent secretariat in Saudi Arabia under their Mecca joint defence agreement, the three countries announced in a joint statement Monday.
Representatives met in Istanbul to finalise the arrangement. The secretariat will initially be led by a Pakistani secretary-general for a three-year term. The three nations said they will work to strengthen collective defence capabilities and the cohesion of their armed forces.
The move formalises a trilateral security structure among three of the Muslim world's most significant military powers.
🇺🇸 Ex-Trump Lawyer: President Plans To Steal 2026 Midterms
Former Trump White House counsel Ty Cobb warned Thursday that President Trump intends to "steal these elections where possible" in the 2026 midterm cycle.
Cobb made the remarks on MSNBC, commenting on reports of Republican lawmakers declining to attend a Republican National Committee event — a sign, he suggested, of growing unease with Trump's political brand heading into the midterms.
🇮🇷 Bessent: Iran Economy Could Collapse Within Months
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Monday that Iran's economy could collapse "within weeks or months" under American economic pressure, as the Trump administration intensifies its campaign to cripple Tehran's finances.
Speaking at a G20 finance ministers meeting, Bessent said the outcome is avoidable: "The economy doesn't have to collapse, we just have to have the regime come to their senses."
🇬🇧 Milei Threatens Sanctions Over Falklands Oil Drilling
Argentine President Javier Milei announced he will sign a decree to fast-track sanctions against companies involved in oil and gas extraction around the Falkland Islands, which Argentina claims as sovereign territory under British control.
In a televised address, Milei also pledged to boost defense resources in Argentina's south and send Congress legislation to strengthen Argentina's response to what he called violations of its sovereignty. He said the "winds of change" favour Argentina's claim on the islands.
The move escalates a long-standing dispute with the UK over the South Atlantic territory, which Britain has administered since 1833 and Argentina has contested ever since — including a brief war in 1982.
🇺🇸 US House Votes to Strip Funding From Universities That Boycott Israel
The House passed legislation 237–169 that would put federal funding at risk for universities engaging in commercial boycotts of Israel, including terminating business relationships without a "valid business reason."
The Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act, sponsored by Reps. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), would also require institutions to certify annually that students and faculty have equal access to academic programs in Israel. Thirty-three Democrats crossed party lines to support the bill; only two Republicans opposed it.
Critics warn the measure could chill constitutionally protected speech and effectively compel universities to actively seek Israeli partnerships. The Foundation for Middle East Peace's Lara Friedman said the bill's certification requirement could expose schools to legal action if any absence of Israeli ties is alleged as proof of boycott activity. House Education Committee Democrats argued the bill targets conduct no American university has actually undertaken.