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Russia
(Evgeny Pudovkin, Daria Mosolova – BBC) Russians are returning to cash, as mobile internet shutdowns disrupt card payments, and more businesses seek to dodge tax under mounting financial pressure more than four years into the war with Ukraine. Russia has added 1.56tn roubles (£14.8bn; $20bn) in cash into circulation since the start of the year – the biggest rise for the equivalent period in any year outside the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Central Bank figures analysed by the BBC. The spike comes amid a wave of Ukrainian drone attacks, which have repeatedly led the Kremlin to shut down mobile internet across large swathes of the country, leaving many unable to pay by card. The government says the aim of the shutdowns is to counter the drone strikes. “Having cash on hand gives you some sense of control and security,” one woman in Moscow told the BBC on condition of anonymity. “If there’s an emergency in the city, I know I’ll still be able to buy basic necessities, even if the mobile network goes down.” – Russians turn to cash putting more strain on slowing wartime economy
Russia – Ukraine
(AFP/Al Arabiya) Russian strikes killed one person and wounded 13 others in Ukraine’s capital on Sunday after Kyiv launched a deadly wave of drones that struck e-commerce warehouses in Russia. The latest bombardment highlights a dual challenge for Ukraine in its fifth year of war, facing almost daily Russian attacks alongside rare domestic political instability triggered by a sudden wartime shakeup of its military leadership. AFP journalists in Kyiv heard explosions moments after the Ukrainian air force warned residents via Telegram of incoming ballistic missiles. – Kyiv hit with deadly strikes after attack on Russian e-commerce giant
US
(Aleena Fayaz – CNN) New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said his office is still looking into arresting Benjamin Netanyahu if the Israeli prime minister visits the city for the United Nations General Assembly in September. Speaking on The New York Times’ “The Interview” podcast, Mamdani said his administration’s legal department is actively discussing the potential arrest of Netanyahu, something he vowed on the campaign trail to pursue. “I believe that Prime Minister Netanyahu belongs in The Hague,” Mamdani said. “He’s a war criminal who has been charged by the International Criminal Court. And what you will find is that is an opinion that is held by many purely because of what his actions have wrought over these last many years”. Asked what he believed the law allowed him to do, Mamdani responded: “That’s an active conversation with our legal department. However, what we’ve seen at the national level is a desire sometimes to write your own laws, to go outside of the bounds of legality. That’s not something we have an interest in.” – Mamdani says he’s still looking into arresting Netanyahu if Israeli leader visits New York | CNN Politics
US – Cuba
(AFP/Al Arabiya) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday urged Cuba to immediately release more than 700 political prisoners, as a prominent Cuban dissident artist arrived in Miami after five years in prison. – Rubio calls for Cuba to release 700 political prisoners
War in Iran – Middle East – Gulf
(Al Arabiya) Kuwait’s military said on Sunday it was responding to aerial salvos fired by Iran a day after the Gulf state faced barrages from the Islamic Republic that struck a power plant and oil facility. – Kuwait military says responding to Iran missile, drone attacks
(Al Arabiya) The US said it had completed an eighth straight night of attacks against Iran after earlier announcing that two US military personnel were killed in Jordan and another was missing following an Iranian attack. The US and Iran have intensified attacks since an interim ceasefire deal signed a month ago fell apart last week, raising the possibility of a return to all-out war. US Central Command said in a statement that the airstrikes began at 6 p.m. ET (2200 GMT) on Saturday, at President Donald Trump’s direction. “The strikes are designed to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and swiftly punish Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces who launched attacks against American service members in Jordan last night,” it said. – US renews strikes on Iran after two military personnel killed by Iranian attack
(RFE/RL) The US military suffered its first combat fatalities since March in the Iran war, with the Pentagon saying two service members were killed and another was missing during defensive operations in Jordan, as hostilities ramped up in the region and further endangered a fragile cease-fire. “On July 17, two US service members in Jordan were killed in action as US Central Command…and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks. Additionally, one service member is currently missing in action,” CENTCOM said on X on July 18. Four others service members were injured and evacuated to Jordanian hospitals, CENTCOM added. Two of them have been discharged from the hospital, while several others were evaluated for minor injuries and returned to duty, it added. – 2 US Service Members Killed, 1 Missing In Jordan As Iran Steps Up Attacks, Threats
(Colin Demarest, Barak Ravid – Axios) Two U.S. service members were killed and more wounded in an Iranian ballistic missile attack on an airbase in Jordan on Saturday, military officials said. This is the first time U.S. troops have been killed since the fighting resumed two weeks ago. The incident raises the number of U.S. service members killed in the war to 16. On Saturday at least two Iranian ballistic missiles hit the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, which hosts U.S. troops and fighter jets. Videos circulating on social media showed the impact of the two missiles and heavy smoke in the area right after. CENTCOM confirmed that two service members were killed and another was missing; four more were evacuated to hospitals for treatment. On Saturday around 6 p.m. ET the U.S. military conducted another round of strikes against Iranian targets. – Two US troops killed in Iranian missile attack on Jordan
(Barak Ravid – Axios) Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Saturday issued a belligerent statement accusing President Trump of violating the U.S.-Iran agreement and pledging a strong response by Iran and its proxies if the fighting continues to escalate. Khamenei’s statement came as renewed hostilities between the U.S. and Iran reached an eighth consecutive day. Both sides are heightening their attacks and expanding the scope of their targets. In his statement, Khamenei called the U.S. “the great Satan” — a term he hasn’t used since assuming office. This rhetoric signals a return to classic Iranian revolutionary language following the breakdown of the agreement with the Trump administration. – Iran supreme leader accuses Trump of violating deal, vows forceful response
