Iran
and Israel Exchange Strikes Despite Trump’s Calls for Restraint
Iran launched ballistic missiles at Israel on Sunday in response to
Israeli airstrikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs that killed at least
two, and Israel retaliated Monday morning with strikes on central and
western Iran. The exchange marks the first direct hostilities since the
fragile April ceasefire and threatens to drag the region back into
full-scale war. The IDF said it was working to intercept incoming
missiles, while Trump reportedly urged Netanyahu not to escalate — a
request ignored.
Asian
Tech Stocks Plunge as Middle East Hostilities Resume
Technology stocks across Asian markets fell sharply Monday following
the resumption of Iran–Israel hostilities, with South Korea and Japan
leading the declines as investors fled to safer assets. The selloff came
on the back of a recent rally in tech shares, amplifying the move.
Xi Visits
Pyongyang for First Time in Seven Years
Xi Jinping arrived in North Korea for a two-day state visit, his
first since 2019, as Beijing tries to revitalize ties with an
increasingly unpredictable ally. The trip comes amid strained
China–North Korea relations — reduced pandemic-era trade, Pyongyang’s
pivot toward Moscow — and just as Kim Jong Un’s sister vowed the country
will never give up its nuclear weapons. Parallel CSIS analysis frames
the broader contest: three structural reasons the West keeps losing
critical-mineral assets to China (no real-time global asset registry, no
authority to block third-country deals, reactive rather than
anticipatory diplomacy), with the Tanzania rare-earth case as a leading
indicator — Beijing could control all production from emerging sources
by 2029.
Armenia’s
Pro-EU Ruling Party Claims Victory Under Russian Pressure
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party claimed victory
in Armenia’s parliamentary elections, seeking a third term despite
eroding domestic support. The vote was closely watched by both Russia
and the West as Yerevan pursues a pro-European course under sustained
pressure from Moscow — a test case for post-Soviet states attempting to
exit Russia’s orbit.
7.8 Earthquake Strikes
Southern Philippines
A magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit the island of Mindanao early Monday,
collapsing buildings and triggering tsunami warnings across Asia. At
least 15 people were killed, one-meter waves were recorded, and
authorities warned residents to stay clear of damaged structures because
of aftershock risk.
Trump
Walks Out of Meet the Press; Then Threatens 60-Country Tariff Wave
Trump abruptly ended an NBC Meet the Press interview after
repeatedly clashing with host Kristen Welker over his claims that the
2020 election was “rigged,” dismissing follow-ups on California’s
gubernatorial race and walking off mid-segment. Days later he announced
plans to impose new tariffs on more than 60 countries — including Canada
— citing forced-labor concerns, a sweeping expansion of his trade-war
agenda.
Critical minerals diplomacy: the
West has spent years losing strategic mineral assets to Chinese
acquirers. Photo: Getty Images via CSIS
Linear’s architecture treats UI
responsiveness as independent of network latency. Image:
performance.dev
Three-panel screenshot of
the revamped Android browser UI for servoshell 0.2.0 — page view,
settings, and new history view. Image: Servo project
A thyratron tube module from the IBM
604 — insulated handle, nine-pin connector base, component-mounted
insulating wafers. Photo: righto.com