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Romania destroyed a naval drone suspected of Russian origin near a Black Sea gas platform, and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen warned of an escalating campaign of hybrid threats against the bloc.

This comes as Taiwan proposes a record $35 billion defense budget amid growing Chinese pressure, and as the US issues a rare rebuke of Israel over airstrikes on a Syrian military airbase.

Read more below ⤵️

1️⃣ 🇹🇼🇨🇳 Taiwan proposes record $35 billion defense budget: Taiwan's government has proposed a record $35 billion defense budget for 2027, an 18% jump from this year's plan. The spending would push Taiwan's defense budget above 3% of GDP as China steps up its military and political pressure on the island.

2️⃣ 🇮🇱🇸🇾 US rebukes Israel over Syria airstrikes: The US has issued a rare rebuke of Israel after eight airstrikes hit a Syrian military airbase near the Turkish border on Tuesday. Israel said Syria was on the verge of breaching a security agreement by allowing Turkish troops to deploy at the base, a claim Turkey rejected.

3️⃣ 🇺🇦 Ukraine's sacked defence minister calls for elections: Ukraine's former defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov has called for wartime elections, posing what is seen as the biggest challenge yet to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's leadership. A source in the presidential office called the idea "highly bizarre" given ongoing Russian attacks, while Ukraine remains under martial law that suspends elections.

4️⃣ 🇦🇪🇮🇷 UAE severs trade with Iran after missile scare: The UAE has suspended all trade and financial transactions with Iran after reporting that two ballistic missiles were launched toward its territorial waters, both falling into the water without causing damage or casualties. US President Donald Trump confirmed there are no active talks with Iran and ruled out extending the 60-day ceasefire that expired Monday.

5️⃣ 🇰🇷🇺🇸 South Korea cuts short joint drills with US: South Korea's annual joint military drills with the US ended six days early, on August 21 instead of August 27, at Washington's request. President Trump said the shortened drills were requested after South Korea declined to help with the Iran war, and added that he expects to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year.

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🇷🇴🇪🇺 Romania destroys Russian-linked naval drone

Romania's military destroyed a naval drone that was "loaded with explosive" after it was spotted near the Neptun Deep gas platform in the Black Sea.

Romania's defence minister Radu Miruță said the decision was made to protect the several hundred workers on the platform and secure critical infrastructure, and confirmed with Kyiv that the drone was "not of Ukrainian origin."

It was destroyed by a Romanian F-16 fighter jet, and follows the destruction of two Gerbera-type drones in the same area earlier this month.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said "an escalating campaign of threats" is underway against the EU, calling it "hybrid warfare" without naming the aggressor.

She pointed to the EU's Readiness 2030 agenda, which is mobilizing up to €800 billion, along with a new European Drone Defence Initiative and Eastern Flank Watch.

1️⃣ 🇺🇸🇰🇵 Trump claims North Korea has 57 nuclear weapons: President Trump said North Korea now has "57 very powerful nuclear weapons," an unusually specific claim about Kim Jong Un's arsenal. The comment came as the International Atomic Energy Agency's Rafael Grossi said in April that North Korea's nuclear program was estimated at "a few dozen warheads."

2️⃣ 🇺🇸🇴🇲 Trump threatens to bomb US ally Oman: President Trump threatened to bomb Oman, a US ally, if it "gets in the way" of his administration's separate talks with Iran, Fox News reported. The threat came hours after Iran said it had reached an agreement with Oman on a transit route through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been largely closed for nearly six months.

3️⃣ 🇦🇫 Concerns grow over global ties with the Taliban: A growing number of countries, including India, Qatar, China, Iran and several central Asian states, have deepened diplomatic contacts with the Taliban despite its human rights record. Campaigners warn the individual outreach is undermining a coherent international demand for improvements after the UN called Afghanistan a "graveyard for human rights" in March.

4️⃣ 🇨🇳🇷🇺 China eyes Arctic route as alternative to Hormuz: Chinese shipping company Sea Legend has launched the first regular container service through the Arctic's northern sea route, cutting the China to UK transit time to as little as 18 days. Experts warn the route carries serious environmental risks and is currently used heavily by Russia's "shadow fleet" of tankers evading sanctions on its oil.

5️⃣ 🇺🇸 US carrier arrives to relieve troubled USS Lincoln: The USS George Washington aircraft carrier has arrived in the Middle East, where it is expected to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln from its record deployment. The Lincoln's crew has faced concerns over poor living conditions and morale, and no date has yet been announced for its return to the US.

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