Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) took to the Senate floor Monday to angrily defend himself against allegations that he is doing the bidding of Russian President Vladimir Putin by blocking a series of election security bills proposed by Democrats.
Russian opposition activist Alexei Navalny was discharged from the hospital and sent back to jail Monday, despite suspicions raised by his personal doctor that he was poisoned with "undefined chemical substances" — not suffering from an allergic reaction, as had previously been reported.
Why it matters: Navalny is an anti-corruption lawyer whose fierce opposition to Vladimir Putin has caused him to be arrested and jailed by Russian authorities a number of times. Navalny's spokesperson says he has never had an allergic reaction in his life, raising questions about whether his illness could in fact be the product of political retaliation. Putin has been accused of poisoning or having political opponents assassinated in the past.
As regional tensions ratchet up, Iran has continued flight-testing its missile arsenal, most recently in last week's launch of a Shahab-3 ballistic missile.
Why it matters: Iran’s missile tests have both symbolic and practical value, helping advance military capabilities while also signaling prowess to domestic audiences and defiance to foreign powers. The Shahab-3 raises particular concerns, as it meets the range and payload thresholds to qualify as a nuclear-capable system.
Diplomats from Iran, Germany, France, Britain, China, Russia and the European Union recommitted Sunday to saving Tehran's 2015 nuclear deal after "constructive" talks in Vienna, a senior Iranian official said, according to AP.
Why it matters: The talks come at a time of heightened tension between the West and Iran, after the U.S. withdrew from the deal and hit Tehran with sanctions. Hours before the talks, the U.S. and Israel said they tested a missile defense system in Alaska. The goal is to intercept long-range missiles from Iran, Barak Ravid writes for Axios.
What they're saying: Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi told reporters after that while not every issue was resolved, those present were "determined to save this deal," per AP.
The big picture: The United Nations' nuclear watchdog confirmed this month that Iran has followed through on its threat to enrich uranium beyond the purity limit set under the 2015 nuclear deal.
What's next: There was a general agreement at Sunday's talks to organize a higher-level meeting of foreign ministers soon, though no date had been set, according to AP.
Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters as tens of thousands of people marched through the streets of central Hong Kong Sunday, the BBC reports.
What's new: Protesters accused police of brutality, following a second day of clashes this weekend. A key protest location was the Yuen Long neighborhood — where an armed attack on protestors, journalists and commuters took place last weekend by suspected gangsters with ties to organized crime.
President Trump announced on Twitter Sunday that he will nominateRep. John Ratcliffe (R-Texas) to replace Dan Coats as director of national intelligence, confirming Axios' earlier reporting that Ratcliffe was favored for the job. Coats will leave office on August 15.
Behind the scenes: Trump was thrilled by Ratcliffe's admonishment of former special counsel Robert Mueller in last week's House Judiciary Committee hearing. "The special counsel's job, nowhere does it say that you were to conclusively determine Donald Trump's innocence or that the special counsel report should determine whether or not to exonerate him," Ratcliffe, a former prosecutor, said to Mueller.
More than 1,300 protestors were arrested in Moscow Saturday, following a police roundup of local politicians attempting to challenge President Vladimir Putin's party for city office, according to OVD-Info, an independent police monitoring group.
Details: Video posted by journalists and activists on social media appeared to show riot police using batons on protesters at the rally, which was not authorized by authorities. At least 1 woman and a man appeared to sustain serious head wounds in the clashes, according to Reuters. The majority of protestors arrested have since been released, but 150 remain in police custody, per AP.
The U.S. and Israel secretly performed 3 tests of the Arrow 3 anti-ballistic missile system over the past 2 weeks at Kodiak Island, Alaska. Israeli officials say the tests were successful and the Arrow 3 intercepted all incoming missiles outside of the atmosphere.
Why it matters: This was the biggest missile test the U.S. and Israel have performed on American soil. An Israeli military gag order on press reports of the tests was lifted at 4am ET Sunday, after all Israeli troops had left Alaska. The Arrow 3's main goal is to intercept long-range missiles from Iran, possibly in the future involving a nuclear warhead.
