BRIC

Poland's deputy defence minister says the country is ready to host a Patriot missile factory for Ukraine, should Kyiv secure the necessary agreements. The statement, reported by Agenzia Nova, signals Poland's willingness to expand defence-industrial cooperation to support Ukraine's war effort against Russia and strengthen NATO's eastern flank.

Ukraine's General Staff figures reported by Ukrinform say Russia lost 1,690 troops over the past day in its war against Ukraine. The daily casualty tally is among the higher figures cited in the conflict and continues a pattern of heavy Russian losses reported by Kyiv. The numbers cannot be independently verified, and Russia rarely publishes its own casualty figures.

China has called on the United States to immediately lift its blockade and sanctions against Iran and Cuba. The demand was reported by BRICS News, which covers developments involving the BRICS bloc. Beijing has long opposed unilateral American sanctions, arguing they violate international law and harm civilian populations, and it maintains close economic and diplomatic ties with both Tehran and Havana.

An administrative building in Kyiv's Holosiivskyi district has been hit, according to Ukraine's national news agency Ukrinform. The report comes amid ongoing Russian strikes on the Ukrainian capital, with the district's local administration confirming damage to its premises. Details on casualties or the extent of the damage were not immediately available, but the strike adds to the pattern of regular attacks on infrastructure across the city.

Ukraine's Defense Forces report striking a drone launch site and four Russian warehouses in temporarily occupied territories. The announced strikes are part of Kyiv's ongoing campaign against Russian military logistics and drone operations behind the front lines. Ukrainian outlets are reporting the operation, which underscores continued deep-strike activity as the war grinds on.

Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar dismissed the idea that BRICS and the United Nations represent opposing poles in world affairs, arguing the two should not be viewed as a binary. His comments come as global institutions face pressure amid shifting power dynamics and growing interest in groupings like BRICS as alternative forums for cooperation.

A South China Morning Post exclusive reports that the New Development Bank, the Brics bank headquartered in China and often called the Brics bank, is set to take on a leading role in a global alliance against hunger this year, according to Brazil. The report suggests Brazil has indicated the bank will head the hunger alliance effort within the Brics grouping. Beyond the single headline, there is little detail in the available posts about how the arrangement would work or what the bank's exact responsibilities would be, and broader public reaction is not visible.

Databricks has agreed to pay $22.8 million for naming rights to the University of California, Berkeley's football field, a landmark corporate deal for college sports. The data software company, founded by Berkeley alumni, is framing the investment as part of a broader push tied to its Bay Area roots, its growth ambitions, and its deepening relationship with the university's talent pipeline.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States, has asked a judge to remove it from an ongoing legal battle over property in Miami's Brickell neighborhood. The request, reported by the Key Biscayne Independent, would dismiss the denomination as a party in the dispute. The underlying fight over the valuable Brickell land continues among the remaining parties.