DC's Daily Stack: Black Friday

US Mountain Time (MDT) Afternoon Edition: Year 1, Vol 2.

May 09, 2025

Thank God Its Not Black Friday? Year 1, Volume 2

Elliot Management doing deals with those pesky Russians?

The move, still in early-stage talks, comes at a curious time. Washington is posturing hard on energy independence and Russia containment. But Singer—hedge fund tycoon, Republican megadonor, and serial corporate agitator—has never been one to follow the script. Elliott is famous for making governments squirm (see: Argentina), and it’s currently pressuring BP to lower spending and ditch transition plans and get back to pumping more crude. It’s also trying to carve up Phillips 66 while simultaneously eyeing a deal for Citgo, Phillips' rival.

So if Singer wants to backdoor his way into Europe’s energy bloodstream through Bulgaria, well, that tracks.

https://news.antiwar.com/2025/05/08/report-trump-delinks-saudi-nuclear-deal-from-israeli-normalization/

https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/09/us/rumeysa-ozturk-tufts-bail-release

Hong Kong CNN —

The escalating conflict between India and Pakistan could be offering the world a first real glimpse into how advanced Chinese military technology performs against proven Western hardware – and Chinese defense stocks are already surging.

Shares of China’s AVIC Chengdu Aircraft rose 40% this week, as Pakistan claimed it used AVIC-produced J-10C fighter jets to shoot down Indian combat aircraft – including the advanced French-made Rafale – during an aerial battle on Wednesday.
India has not responded to Pakistan’s claims or acknowledged any aircraft losses. When asked about the involvement of Chinese-made jets, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday he was not familiar with the situation.
Still, as Pakistan’s primary arms supplier, China is likely watching intently to find out how its weapon systems have and potentially will perform in real combat…
Over the past five years, China has supplied 81% of Pakistan’s imported weapons, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Those exports include advanced fighter jets, missiles, radars and air-defense systems that experts say would play a pivotal role in any military conflict between Pakistan and India. Some Pakistan-made weapons have also been co-developed with Chinese firms or built with Chinese technology and expertise.