Europe Moves Closer To Ukraine Peace Talks (Diplomacy)
Ukrainian Drone Strike Hits Russian Warship in Baltic (Conflict)
Trump Withdraws Vance From Iran Negotiations (Geopolitics)
Trump and Netanyahu Reportedly Clash Over Iran Strikes (Middle East)
Indonesian Vice President Resigns Amid Political Rift (Asia)
Israeli Strike Kills Six at Gaza Hospital (Middle East)
UK Convicts Two Iranians of Spying on Dissidents (UK)
Dutch Coalition Faces Crisis Over Wealth Tax (Europe)
Xi Reaffirms Taiwan Unification Goal as Taipei Rejects Plan (China)
Trump Backs Tim Cook to Replace Nvidia’s Jensen Huang (Technology)
A succinct daily briefing delivered each weekday to help you stay on top of the stories shaping the world.
US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have sought Russian agreement to bring European representatives into negotiations over Ukraine, following talks with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Europe would join the next round but the Kremlin has not confirmed its participation.
The diplomatic push follows the first direct talks between Russian and Ukrainian representatives in nine months, held in Abu Dhabi. Washington wants a broader agreement covering a ceasefire, territory and security, while Moscow insists that European security arrangements must also be addressed. European leaders say their continent’s security cannot be negotiated without them.
The divisions remain substantial. Putin reiterated his opposition to European peacekeepers in Ukraine, warning that foreign troops would become military targets. European governments have resisted negotiations on a new security framework before a ceasefire. Their possible inclusion would broaden the talks but would not remove the disagreement over what those negotiations should cover.
Sources: Washington Post, New York Times
Finnish forces have confirmed detecting a strike on a Russian warship in the Gulf of Finland, in an unusual extension of Ukrainian drone operations into the Baltic Sea. Ukraine’s SBU security service said it targeted the Naro-Fominsk, a missile-carrying corvette, during attacks on Russia’s Ust-Luga oil export terminal. The vessel reportedly returned towards St Petersburg but the extent of any damage or casualties remains unclear.
The incident occurred in a narrow waterway shared by commercial shipping, including oil tankers, and crossed by subsea data cables. Several storage tanks at Ust-Luga were also believed to have been hit, with fires visible from Estonia.
Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said the Baltic remained stable and safe for maritime traffic. However, drones also prompted shelter warnings in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, while NATO aircraft were scrambled. The incident highlights the proximity of Ukrainian attacks on Russian targets to neighbouring NATO territory and civilian maritime routes.
Sources: BBC, Straits Times
US President Donald Trump has removed Vice President JD Vance from negotiations with Iran, declaring that Washington no longer needs a deal to end the conflict. Trump said the United States controlled the Strait of Hormuz and had secured hundreds of billions of dollars of Iranian funds, claims made despite continuing disruption to the vital oil route.
The decision follows Republican losses in last week’s midterm elections, which Vance publicly attributed to the war. Trump has instead directed him to investigate alleged corruption in Democratic run states. A White House official maintained that the United States remained in a strong negotiating position, citing its naval blockade and sanctions.
The shift raises questions about Washington’s strategy for ending the conflict without an agreement restricting Iran’s nuclear programme. Iranian forces reported that two oil tankers struck mines near Hormuz on Thursday, while Brent crude rose 3.3% to around $96 a barrel.
Sources: LA Times, Japan Times
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly clashed over whether to resume attacks on Iran, with Israeli media describing a heated telephone call. Netanyahu was said to favour renewed strikes, while Trump preferred continued diplomacy. Netanyahu’s office confirmed the call but denied that it was confrontational.
Separately, Israeli media reported that Israel’s security cabinet had instructed the military to increase preparations for possible attacks. Opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot urged Netanyahu, who heads a caretaker government, not to deploy forces without an immediate threat while efforts to form a new government continue.
Iran’s security chief Mohsen Rezaei warned that renewed US attacks could bring retaliation against American military bases as far away as Europe. Washington maintains its naval blockade, while negotiations remain deadlocked. The disagreement comes amid concern over further escalation and the continued disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Sources: The Independent, Al Jazeera
Indonesian Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka resigned on Thursday after the country’s highest courts ruled that documents supporting his overseas educational qualifications failed to meet election requirements. President Prabowo Subianto accepted his resignation, while parliament began preparations to select a replacement within 60 days.
The departure deepens a political rift between Prabowo and former President Joko Widodo, Gibran’s father, whose endorsement helped Prabowo win the 2024 election. The alliance has deteriorated amid allegations of illegal wiretapping involving a Widodo loyalist. Prabowo has deployed 20,000 soldiers in Jakarta following the revelations.
The upheaval comes as Southeast Asia’s largest economy faces rising living costs and weakening investor confidence. Indonesia’s stock market is the world’s worst performer this year, while the rupiah reached a record low on Thursday. Despite the political tensions, analysts expect Prabowo’s substantial parliamentary majority to protect his governing coalition.
Sources: NPR, FT
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An Israeli airstrike on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza killed at least six people, including surgeon Dr Rizk Abu Shaira and a 13-year-old boy, Palestinian health officials said. The strike hit the hospital’s surgery unit shortly after midnight on Thursday, injuring 40 people, including two doctors who remain in critical condition.
The Israeli military said it targeted Muhammad Abu Ismail, commander of Hamas’ Khan Younis Brigade and other militants allegedly operating inside the hospital. Medical staff said they had received no warning and were unaware of any Hamas presence. Israel maintained that precautions had been taken to limit civilian casualties.
The attack came despite a US-brokered ceasefire, with Israeli strikes continuing across Gaza. The US-led Board of Peace called on both sides to honour their commitments and protect civilians. Gaza’s healthcare system remains severely damaged, with only two of its 37 hospitals classified as fully functioning.
Sources: NBC News, CNN
Two Iranian men have been convicted in Britain of spying on dissident journalists and other targets on behalf of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Mostafa Sepahvand, 41, and Farhad Javadi Manesh, 46, were found guilty at Woolwich Crown Court of assisting a foreign intelligence service.
Prosecutors said the men surveilled journalists working for London-based broadcaster Iran International, alongside a lawyer and another media professional. Sepahvand was also convicted of preparing an attack, while Manesh was acquitted of that charge. Police recovered documents identifying targets, their vehicles and workplaces, and said the pair used ChatGPT for further research. Both men will be sentenced in December.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Vicki Evans said the convictions highlighted an increasing Iranian threat to Britain. Police described them as the first convictions of Iranian nationals under the National Security Act introduced in 2023. Tehran has repeatedly denied involvement in espionage operations abroad.
Sources: BBC, Times of Israel
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten’s nine month old government faces possible collapse after two coalition parties backed an opposition proposal to raise taxes on investment returns for wealthier households. The third coalition partner, the centre-right VVD, threatened to reject the government’s 2027 tax plan if the amendment passes.
The proposal would tax annual returns on savings and investments above €60,000 at 38.5%, while reducing the basic rate from 36% to 35.5%. Supporters say the changes would shift around €1 billion in taxation from income to wealth. VVD parliamentary leader Ruben Brekelmans called for a fundamental reset of the coalition.
Jetten’s three-party government holds only 66 of parliament’s 150 seats and depends on opposition support. The amendment’s passage remains uncertain, with smaller parties questioning its funding. A coalition breakdown could trigger an early election, while employers’ groups have warned against further political uncertainty.
Sources: Bloomberg, Dutch News
Chinese President Xi Jinping said reunification with Taiwan must be achieved, while offering talks under Beijing’s existing political conditions. Speaking at a ceremony marking revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen’s 160th birth anniversary, Xi reiterated his preference for peaceful reunification through the ‘one country, two systems’ framework and opposition to Taiwanese independence.
Taiwan rejected the proposal. Mainland Affairs Council spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh said neither the government nor the public could accept a system that would place the island under Communist Party rule. Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory and has never ruled out using force.
Taiwan’s defence ministry reported 29 Chinese military aircraft conducting a joint readiness patrol with warships around the island on Thursday. Xi’s remarks came ahead of an expected meeting with US President Donald Trump at next week’s APEC summit in Shenzhen and local elections in Taiwan later this month.
Sources: Al Jazeera, South China Morning Post
US President Donald Trump has publicly backed former Apple chief executive Tim Cook to replace Jensen Huang as Nvidia’s CEO, following Huang’s resignation amid revelations of personal relationships, including one with a woman US intelligence agencies suspect of working for China.
Trump praised Huang’s leadership but declared that Cook, now Apple’s executive chair, was the only suitable replacement. Nvidia’s chief financial officer Colette Kress has assumed the CEO role temporarily while its board searches for a permanent successor. Trump has no formal authority over the appointment.
Huang resigned after reports of his relationship with businesswoman Alice Huang prompted an independent board investigation. Nvidia also faces shareholder litigation over the alleged failure to disclose the relationship, following a 5% share price decline. Trump previously defended Huang and denied knowing that Alice Huang was suspected of spying. Both Huang and Cook have maintained close relationships with the president.
Sources: Arab News, Politico
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On this day …
On this day in 1971 NASA’s Mariner 9 entered orbit around Mars, becoming the first spacecraft to orbit another planet and opening a new chapter in planetary exploration.
Launched in May 1971, the spacecraft arrived during a planet-wide dust storm that initially obscured much of the Martian surface. As conditions cleared, Mariner 9 mapped approximately 85% of the planet, revealing enormous volcanoes, extensive canyon systems and evidence of ancient water activity. Its observations fundamentally changed scientific understanding of Mars, previously thought to be a relatively featureless world.
The mission established orbital reconnaissance as a foundation for subsequent planetary exploration and future missions to Mars.