The Vigilant Outpost Beacon

• World at Large: Cuban president says Raul Castro involved in US talks amid oil blockade
  Sec of State Rubio plans travel to France to sell Iran war to skeptical G7 allies
  World Economic Forum postpones meeting planned in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia says
WORLD — BY COUNTRY
• United States: White House says Trump will "unleash hell" if Iran doesn't make deal
  Meta and YouTube found liable in landmark social media addiction trial
  
• Russia: Belarus’s Lukashenko makes first visit to North Korea in bid to deepen ties
  India Buys 60 Million Barrels Of Russian Oil, As Refiners Increasingly Transact In Yuan, Dirham
  Hungary accounted for about 15% of Ukraine’s gas consumption before halt
• United Kingdom: Trump's Iran strategy is to pursue two off-ramps at once
  UK police arrest two men over arson attack on ambulances in London
  
• France: France is 'more and more keen' on Australia critical minerals investment, minister says
  
  
• Germany: German president slams Iran war as illegal
  
  
• Japan: Failure to secure Red Sea shipping casts shadow over Strait of Hormuz plan
  
  
• South and Central America: Venezuela’s Maduro set to appear in US court months after abduction
  
  
• Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia diverged with Turkey and Pakistan on condemning Iran
  
  
• Turkey: Turkey is Urging Gulf Arab States Not to Join War Against Iran
  
  

• White House:
  President Trump Fulfills Promise to Brings American Home from Taliban Captivity
  President Trump Announces Appointments to President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology
  Secretary Markwayne Mullin Is Ready to Deliver on President Trump’s Agenda
• State Department:
  Marco Rubio returns to Miami to testify in Venezuela lobbying trial
  
  
• Dept of War (DoW):
  Lockheed launches Hellfire missile from 10-foot cargo container
  Iran has reinforced Kharg Island with troops, air defenses, and mines, preparing for a potential US ground operation.
  Joint Interagency Task Force Awards Critical Counter-UAS Contract
• Treasury:
  IRS Data Show Average Tax Refund Up Over 10% This Year
  
  
• Energy:
  "Emergencies" Requiring Coal Plants To Stay Open Need Not Be Imminent, DOE Tells Court
  
  
• Senate:
  Senate locked in staring contest on DHS as insults fly while airports suffocate
  Deal to fund DHS falters amid bipartisan pushback
  
• Supreme Court:
  Court to consider ability of federal courts to confirm arbitration awards
  Justices dubious about “harsh” rules for omissions by bankrupt debtors
  Justices to hear argument on whether a crime’s “contemplated effects” can expand venue beyond where offense was committed

• Larry Fink on why he won’t cash out private-credit investors: ‘Those are the rules, live with it.’
  Highest Mortgage Rates Since August 2025
  Flight chaos grows as TSA lines stretch for hours. What to know about trip cancellation insurance.

• NASA PC-12 Aircraft Makes Move to Support Flight Research Across Agency
  NASA Aims to Launch the World's First Planet-Hopping Spacecraft Powered by Nuclear Fission
  

• A former Thiel fellow’s startup just launched a drone it says can replace police helicopters
  Amazon just bought a startup making kid-size humanoid robots
  OpenAI pulls the plug on AI video app Sora due to pushback on deepfakes.

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