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CIA Director John Ratcliffe made an unannounced visit to Moscow as US-brokered negotiations over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine remained stalled.

This comes as a third drone and suspected military explosives were found near Leipzig airport, and as China rejected wider US sanctions on Iran and its trading partners.

Read more below ⤵️

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇩🇪🇷🇺 Explosives found near Leipzig airport: German investigators found a third drone and about 50g of suspected military explosive near Leipzig airport on 14 August, local media reported, after an earlier device failed to detonate beside a Ukrainian cargo aircraft. Intelligence sources cited by German broadcasters and Süddeutsche Zeitung suspect Russian intelligence involvement in the attempted attack on the NATO and Ukrainian military logistics hub, although Moscow denies responsibility.

2️⃣ 🇺🇦🇷🇺 Drone attack ignites Russian refinery: At least two people were killed and two injured when debris fell at Afipsky railway station during a drone attack that also started a fire at the nearby oil refinery in Russia’s Krasnodar region, regional authorities said. Two employees at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant were injured in another Ukrainian drone attack, while Kyiv said it was increasing production of long-range weapons for further strikes on Russia.

3️⃣ 🇺🇳 UN urges autonomous-weapons limits: UN Secretary-General António Guterres and Red Cross President Mirjana Spoljaric urged countries to ban or restrict autonomous weapons, warning that machine targeting of humans approached a moral red line. They called for prohibitions on unpredictable systems and weapons designed to target people as governments prepared for November talks reviewing the UN conventional-weapons treaty, while the EU’s AI Act excludes defence applications.

4️⃣ 🇨🇳🇺🇸🇮🇷 China rejects wider Iran sanctions: China vowed to protect its interests after the US announced wider economic sanctions on Iran and countries that continue trading with Tehran, which supplies much of its oil to Beijing. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian rejected the measures as illegal and promised all necessary action, while US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned that no country, bank or business was beyond the sanctions’ reach worldwide.

5️⃣ 🇨🇦🇺🇸 Canada announces retaliatory tariffs: Canada announced tariffs of up to 50% on nearly C$28bn of US goods from 8 September after bilateral trade talks collapsed, with products including steel, furniture, clothing, appliances, dairy and seafood targeted. Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne described the response as proportionate and strategic, while Ottawa pledged another C$7.5bn to support businesses and workers facing job losses and higher costs.

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Major Story

🇺🇸🇷🇺 CIA chief in Moscow

CIA Director John Ratcliffe made an unannounced trip to Moscow, US media reported, after flight data tracked a US military aircraft to the Russian capital.

CBS News and Axios cited sources confirming the visit, while neither the CIA nor the White House immediately commented.

The Financial Times reported that the Trump administration asked Kyiv to suspend long-range strikes on major Russian cities during the visit.

The purpose of the trip remained unclear, although the CIA has previously mediated US-Russia detainee exchanges.

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Other News

1️⃣ 🇺🇸🇲🇽 US issues Mexicali security alert: The US temporarily suspended consular activities and issued a travel alert for Mexicali because of a potential threat, advising Americans to avoid government buildings and seek shelter if an incident occurred. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the alert involved the possibility of a criminal group, while authorities reported no evidence of a specific or imminent public risk but increased surveillance and patrols in the border city.

2️⃣ 🇮🇱🇵🇸 Israel seizes UNRWA facility: Israeli police seized UNRWA’s Qalandiya training centre in East Jerusalem, ordered staff to leave and promised to close the facility permanently, accompanied by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. UNRWA condemned the takeover as unacceptable, while a spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres said it was inconsistent with Israel’s international obligations and called for Israeli forces to withdraw.

3️⃣ 🇸🇪🇷🇺 Sweden seeks Russian property seizure: Sweden’s armed forces asked the government to expropriate a Russia-owned beach property near Muskö naval base in the Stockholm archipelago, citing the threat from Russian drones and the site’s defensive value. Swedish reports say a businessman linked to the Russian state is building a luxury home there, although the registered owner is his wife, who holds Russian and Swedish citizenship and has owned the property since 2017.

4️⃣ 🇮🇷🇴🇲 Hormuz shipping corridor discussed: Iranian and Omani foreign ministers discussed a temporary joint navigation corridor and a mine-clearing project in the Strait of Hormuz, saying the framework could provide a practical basis for further work. Their joint statement said negotiations would continue toward a permanent corridor, traffic-management and security arrangements, while both governments would consult other Gulf coastal states and respect neighbouring countries’ sovereignty.

5️⃣ 🇮🇷🇺🇸 Iranian video threatens Barron Trump: The US Secret Service said it was aware of an Iranian state broadcaster video appearing to threaten Barron Trump, son of US President Donald Trump, and that it investigates perceived threats to its protectees. The video displayed publicly known places Barron Trump frequents, opened with a question about where to kill him and referred to people awaiting a $10m reward, while the broadcaster is considered aligned with Iranian hardliners.

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