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Pakistan and Afghanistan held China-brokered ceasefire talks in Urumqi to end months of cross-border fighting, while Russia claimed full control of Ukraine's Luhansk region.

This comes as the US and Iran traded escalating threats over the Strait of Hormuz closure, with Tehran rejecting a 48-hour ceasefire proposal and Trump warning "all hell" would follow without compliance.

Read more below ⤵️

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇵🇰🇦🇫 Pakistan and Afghanistan hold China-brokered ceasefire talks: Senior officials from both countries are met in Urumqi for preliminary negotiations to end months of cross-border conflict that has killed dozens, with Pakistan demanding verifiable action against militant groups it accuses Kabul of harbouring — a charge Afghanistan denies. Sporadic attacks have continued despite a prior Ramadan truce, including an alleged Pakistani mortar strike on Kunar province that Afghan officials say killed two civilians.

2️⃣ 🇷🇺🇺🇦 Russia claims full control of Luhansk as drone attacks continue: Russia's Defence Ministry announced it had completed the capture of the Luhansk region — of which it already controlled over 99% — with no immediate response from Kyiv, while also claiming two further village gains in Kharkiv and Zaporizhia.

3️⃣ 🇩🇪 Germany requires men to seek Bundeswehr approval for foreign trips: Under a conscription law effective January 1, German men aged 17–45 must obtain Bundeswehr approval before leaving the country for more than three months, though approval is automatically granted while military service remains voluntary. The Defence Ministry called the measure "profound," with exemption rules still being drafted and consequences for non-compliance undefined.

4️⃣ 🇷🇺🇬🇧 Russia expels British diplomat over espionage claims: Russia's FSB ordered the second secretary at the British Embassy in Moscow to leave within two weeks, accusing him of attempting to obtain sensitive economic information through informal meetings with Russian experts. The UK rejected the allegations as "completely unacceptable" and said it would not tolerate intimidation of its embassy staff.

5️⃣ 🇺🇦🇫🇮 Ukraine apologises to Finland after drones cross border: Kyiv apologised to Helsinki after two Ukrainian drones crashed near Kouvola in southern Finland, attributing the incident to Russian electronic warfare interference rather than intentional targeting. Finland scrambled an F/A-18 Hornet to investigate and cordoned off both crash sites, with authorities confirming the incident as a suspected territorial violation under active investigation.

Major Story

🇮🇷 Iran War Update

1️⃣ 🇺🇸🇮🇷 US arrests relatives of slain Iranian general Soleimani: The niece and grand-niece of late IRGC commander Soleimani were taken into ICE custody after Rubio revoked their green card status, with DHS alleging their asylum claims were fraudulent. 

2️⃣ 🇺🇸🇮🇷 US and Iran trade escalating threats: Trump warned "all hell" would follow if Iran didn't reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, with Iranian military spokesmen responding in kind, as both sides continued strikes — including a fourth attack near the Bushehr nuclear plant, killing one employee, drawing IAEA concern. 

3️⃣ 🇮🇷🇺🇸 Iran rejects US ceasefire proposal: Tehran reportedly refused a US-proposed 48-hour ceasefire relayed through an unnamed third country, and declined Pakistani mediation, demanding a full US military withdrawal and infrastructure compensation. 

4️⃣ 🇺🇸 Trump proposes record $1.5tn defence budget: The White House sought Congress's approval for the largest US military spending expansion since WWII, including $1.1tn in Pentagon discretionary spending and $350bn via reconciliation — separate from $200bn sought for the Iran war. Non-defence spending would fall 10%, while the CBO estimated Golden Dome's space-based components alone could reach $542bn over 20 years.

5️⃣ 🇺🇸🇮🇷 US intelligence contradicts White House on Iran's military capacity: A CNN-exclusive assessment found roughly half of Iran's missile launchers, drones, and IRGC naval forces intact after five weeks of strikes, contradicting Trump's claim capabilities were "dramatically curtailed." The White House and Pentagon disputed the reporting.

6️⃣ 🌍 40-nation coalition presses Iran to reopen Strait of Hormuz: Britain convened 40-plus countries — excluding the US — for virtual talks on diplomatic means to reopen the strait, where 23 commercial vessels have been attacked and 20,000 seafarers trapped since February 28. No concrete measures were announced; France called forced reopening "unrealistic," with military planners to meet next week on post-conflict options.

7️⃣ 🇺🇸 Two US aircraft downed amid Iran search-and-rescue operation: An F-15E was shot down over Iran with one of two crew members rescued and the other unaccounted for, while an A-10 Warthog providing support was struck and crashed in Kuwait, its pilot rescued. Two Black Hawk helicopters involved were also hit, sustaining crew injuries but returning to base.

8️⃣ 🇪🇺 EU urges Europeans to work from home and travel less amid energy crisis: Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen warned of a prolonged energy crisis with "no clear end in sight" following the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, which have caused oil and gas prices to surge as much as 70%. An emergency meeting of EU energy ministers produced no concrete measures, though Jørgensen pledged a Commission package was forthcoming.

9️⃣ 🇺🇸🌍 Trump signals NATO withdrawal amid allied refusal to join Iran war: Trump told Reuters he was "absolutely without question" considering withdrawing the US from NATO after allies declined to participate in the Iran conflict, with some withholding overflight rights and base access — prompting a former US ambassador to call it the worst crisis in the alliance's 77-year history. A 2024 congressional provision prohibits unilateral withdrawal without two-thirds Senate approval, though analysts noted Trump could still undermine the alliance short of formal exit.

Other News

1️⃣ 🇰🇵 North Korea tests upgraded solid-fuel missile engine: Kim Jong Un oversaw a ground test of an enhanced solid-fuel engine with a reported thrust of 2,500 kilonewtons — up from 1,970kN in a September test — designed for intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the US mainland, though some analysts questioned the claims given North Korea's omission of key data like combustion time. Experts suggest the program may be experiencing delays or pursuing a more powerful engine, possibly with Russian assistance.

2️⃣ 🇲🇲 Myanmar junta chief elected president: Min Aung Hlaing, who led the 2021 coup against Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, was elected president after securing 429 of 584 parliamentary votes in a chamber dominated by the military-backed USDP, whose December election victory was dismissed by critics and Western governments as a sham. Analysts view the transition as a strategic move to consolidate power under a nominally civilian government while maintaining military interests.

3️⃣ 🇮🇹🇶🇦 Meloni visits Gulf states over Iran war energy crisis: Italian PM Giorgia Meloni met Qatar's emir in Doha to discuss energy security amid the US-Israeli war on Iran. Meloni, the first EU or NATO leader to visit the region since the war began, also offered Italian assistance in rebuilding Qatari energy infrastructure.

4️⃣ 🇫🇷🇺🇸 Macron rebuffs Trump's personal jab over Iran stance: Trump mocked Macron's relationship with his wife at a private event while criticising France for refusing to support the US-Israeli campaign against Iran, prompting Macron to call the remarks "not elegant" during a state visit to South Korea. France has deployed limited forces to the Gulf region but has refused to commit naval assets to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and joined Spain and Italy in barring US aircraft from its airbases.

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