The European Union supports additional economic pressure on Iran and is prepared to take further measures to protect its security and interests, including freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, an EU spokesperson told Iran International.
“The EU shares US concerns about Iran’s destabilising activities in the region, its nuclear programme and is gravely concerned by Iran’s continued military cooperation with Russia,” the spokesperson said.
The EU “remains ready to take further measures, where necessary, to safeguard its security and interests, including freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz,” the spokesperson added.
The bloc also welcomed efforts to push Tehran toward negotiations “through additional economic pressure, including through the US-led Operation Economic Outcast,” and said it would continue working with the United States and other G7 partners to maintain pressure on Iran while seeking de-escalation and regional stability.
The comments come after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the EU had formally joined Washington’s campaign to cut Iran off from the global financial system.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. CEO Greg Abel said Saturday that the company sees opportunities to capitalize on artificial intelligence through its energy business, which supplies power to data centers, as well as its$36 billion investmentin Alphabet.
Speaking to CNBC, Abel underscored that experience across Berkshire's operating companies helped him recognize that AI "was going to have a significant impact on America and businesses," while describing Google as "a significant player" in the field.
The CEO also identified the growing demand for power from AI data centers as a potential source of growth for Berkshire Hathaway Energy, but said the company would only supply hyperscalers if there is “no impact to the rates” paid by other customers.
United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Saturday that the country's forces would destroy and sink Iranian oil tankers if Tehran opens fire on American ships.
"All they have to do is not shoot at the US Navy," Hegseth said in a statement. "Iran's oil tanker fleet is defenseless - Iran has no navy or air force. Our planes, ships & subs can strike them all," the defense secretary added.
Earlier today, the US forces attacked three Iranian crude oil carriers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly launched ballistic missiles toward two US Navy warships.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. will continue selling yen-denominated bonds to fund future investments in Japan, CEO Greg Abel told CNBC on Saturday.
The CEO stated that rates in Japan are "still relatively modest when you think about it." Last week, the yield on a 10-year Japanese bond reached its highest level in 30 years, rising above 3%.
Abel added that Berkshire hopes to maintain its investments in Japanese companies, including Itochu Corp., Mitsubishi Corp., Mitsui & Co., Sumitomo Corp. and Marubeni Corp. "We've been building really strong relationships with each of the companies, and looking at other opportunities here in Japan, and for that matter, abroad," Abel added.
In March, Berkshire invested $1.8 billion to acquire an approximately 2.5% stake in Tokio Marine Holdings, Japan’s oldest insurance company.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that the new terminal in far-eastern Sever Bay will become the largest northern oil port, significantly increasing cargo shipments.
In his address marking the opening of the project, the Russian president congratulated oil giant Rosneft on the launch of the main oil pipeline linking the Vostok Oil project to the new terminal at Sever Bay. Namely, the Vostok Oil project includes 13 oil and gas fields and has estimated oil reserves of around 7 billion metric tons. "This is one of the largest deposits in the world, and work there is planned for decades to come. This, I repeat, is a major event for the country's economy as a whole," Putin added.
"In 2025, 37 million tonnes of cargo were transported via the Northern Sea Route, and by 2030, annual cargo volume is set to rise to 70 million tonnes," Putin pointed out.
More than half a billion dollars in SNAP benefits went to restaurants over a two-year period — and California alone accounted for nearly all of the spending outside the other eight states combined.
The numbers are likely to fuel the debate: From June 2023 through May 2025, more than $524 million in SNAP benefits were redeemed at participating restaurants across nine states, according to data provided to Gill and Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst
California accounted for approximately $475 million.
Gill says taxpayers should not be footing the restaurant tab through a program he believes has strayed from SNAP’s intended purpose.
“SNAP is supposed to help struggling Americans put nutritious food on the table, not stick taxpayers with the bill for fast food,” Gill told The Post in a statement.
The gap between California and the other states is enormous. Arizona ranked second with $41.4 million, followed by New York at $3.6 million.
Michigan accounted for $1.3 million, Rhode Island for $995,900, Massachusetts for $649,000, Illinois for $497,000, Virginia for $308,500 and Maryland for $8,600.
California’s spending comes as its CalFresh program serves more than 5 million people.
Roughly 13% of Californians rely on EBT benefits to purchase food.
Los Angeles County alone has more than 1.5 million EBT users, while children represent roughly 40% of statewide CalFresh enrollment.
The Restaurant Meals Program is currently operating in nine states: Arizona, California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Rhode Island and Virginia.
California has expanded the program statewide, with participating restaurants in heavily populated areas including Los Angeles, San Diego and the San Francisco Bay Area.
Thousands of approved restaurants accept benefits, including Subway, KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, McDonald’s and Burger King, along with independent restaurants.
But the program does not allow every SNAP recipient to simply walk into a participating restaurant and swipe an EBT card.
Every member of an eligible household must be elderly, disabled or homeless, or be the spouse of someone who qualifies.
EBT cards are coded to identify eligible recipients and are automatically declined at participating restaurants when the cardholder does not qualify.
Gill’s legislation would scrap the restaurant component while keeping provisions that allow qualifying public and nonprofit organizations to provide meals, including home-delivered meals for some elderly and disabled recipients.
The USDA describes the Restaurant Meals Program as an accommodation for people who may be unable to prepare meals themselves or who lack permanent housing where food can be stored and cooked.
Gill’s latest move follows a July effort involving Ernst and other Republican lawmakers, who asked Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to review the program.
The lawmakers argued that the program had expanded well beyond its original limited accommodation and had become increasingly dominated by major fast-food and quick-service chains.
Gill is also pointing to the Trump administration’s broader effort under its Make America Healthy Again initiative to restrict SNAP purchases of products such as soda and candy.
“More than half a billion dollars in SNAP benefits have gone to restaurants through this loophole in just two years while the Trump administration is working to get junk food out of the program.”
Private companies will put their most rugged and sophisticated land drones to the test in a high-tech demonstration that will have a Great Plains landscape looking like a scene from “The Terminator.”
The Defense Department organized its Groundreaker 1 event to put industry-built robotic vehicles through their paces as part of broader push by the U.S. military to add uncrewed systems to their fleets.
The Joint Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) demonstration is set for mid-October at the Army National Guard installation at Camp Grafton in North Dakota, a sprawling 11,000-acre facility near the Canadian border. It’s part of an effort to speed land drone development after stunning advances in the air and sea that are swiftly reshaping the battlefield.
A Hunter Wolf unmanned ground vehicle holds a steady overwatch position with a mounted remote operated .50-caliber machine gun during a combat simulation exercise on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at the Joint Readiness Training Center in Fort Polk, Louisiana. The Army is soliciting companies to put their land drones to the test in North Dakota next month.101st Airborne Division (Air Assault)
“The most important thing is the feedback loop between the military and the producers,” said Federico Borsari, a fellow with the Center for European Policy Analysis who is based in France who studies drones and other technological advancements.
The Pentagonannouncedthe contract Aug. 21, designated for “selected vendors,” in order to “accelerate the expansion of the Ground Domain.”DefenseScoopreported on the contract.
War Dogs: Drones are already being developed to perform a variety of surveillance, casualty evacuation, and perimeter protection tasks.DARPA
UGVs are already proving vital to both sides in Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Troops use them to deliver supplies, provide reconnaissance, and evacuate casualties – and even act as “mother ships” to carry aerial drones into the battlefield.
Drones are already remaking the war in Ukraine, and have been used by both sides.DARPA
The Army wants contractors to showcase land drones that can do surveillance, haul supplies, do search and rescue, secure a perimeter, and provide “other capabilities,” according to the notice. It wants “all terrain mobility” and “obstacle avoidance.” Drones are being eyed for tasks that endanger troops, such as pilot rescues.
The latest advances in Artificial Intelligence have developers “thinking about future UGVs that are bigger in size that can be used as unmanned fighting vehicles and for many other missions, Borsari said. That includes protecting them from jamming or having their signal intercepted by creating “fully autonomous” land drones, he said.
