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Cuba's President Díaz-Canel has threatened catastrophic consequences if the US takes military action, following reports Havana acquired hundreds of drones and discussed targeting American territory.

This comes as Trump called off a planned strike on Iran at the request of Gulf leaders, and as a Russian drone struck a Chinese-owned vessel near Odesa just one day before a scheduled Putin-Xi summit.

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1️⃣ 🇨🇺 Cuba warns of "bloodbath" over drone claims: President Díaz-Canel threatened catastrophic consequences if the US takes military action, following reports Cuba acquired 300+ drones and discussed targeting Guantánamo Bay and Key West. Tensions have sharpened further after US prosecutors reportedly moved to indict former leader Raúl Castro, marking a significant escalation in Trump administration pressure on Havana.

2️⃣ 🇷🇺🇨🇳 Russian drone hits Chinese ship ahead of Putin-Xi summit: A Russian drone struck a Chinese-owned cargo vessel near Ukraine's Odesa port, with no crew injuries reported, one day before Putin was due to meet Xi Jinping in Beijing. Zelenskyy said Russia could not have been unaware the vessel was Chinese, as part of a broader overnight assault involving 524 drones and 22 missiles.

3️⃣ 🇺🇸🇨🇦 US suspends WWII-era defence board with Canada: Washington halted participation in the Permanent Joint Board on Defense, citing Canada's failure to meet defence commitments, further straining an already tense bilateral relationship. Canada had pledged at last year's NATO summit to raise defence spending to 5% of GDP.

4️⃣ 🇺🇸🇳🇬 US strikes kill 20+ ISIS militants in Nigeria: American airstrikes killed more than 20 ISIS fighters in north-eastern Nigeria, two days after a special forces raid killed Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, described by Trump as the global second-in-command of ISIS. The strikes represent the most significant public milestone yet in the months-old US military campaign in the country.

5️⃣ 🇵🇰🇸🇦 Pakistan deploys troops and Chinese weapons to Saudi Arabia: Reuters reported that Pakistan sent 8,000 troops, JF-17 warplanes and a Chinese HQ-9 air defence system to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defence pact, with deployments beginning in early April. The agreement leaves open the possibility of expanding to as many as 80,000 Pakistani troops to secure Saudi borders.

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Major Story

🇺🇸🇮🇷 Trump halts planned Iran strike amid Gulf mediation

President Trump announced he called off a military strike on Iran scheduled for Tuesday at the request of Gulf state leaders, citing active negotiations toward a deal he described as "very acceptable" to Washington, while warning a full-scale assault remains ready "on a moment's notice." 

A ceasefire agreed in April has largely held, though Iran continues to control the Strait of Hormuz, blocking roughly 20% of global oil and LNG shipments. 

Reported Iranian demands include an end to hostilities, a halt to the US naval blockade, and war damage compensation, while Washington has reportedly sought limits on Iran's nuclear operations. 

The announcement comes as a New York Times/Siena poll shows 64% of US voters consider the war a mistake and just 37% approve of Trump's job performance.

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Other News

1️⃣ 🇷🇺🇧🇾 Russia and Belarus hold joint nuclear drills: The two countries conducted exercises practising the deployment and use of nuclear munitions, as Kyiv warned Moscow was preparing a new offensive from Belarusian territory targeting either Ukraine or a NATO country. Belarus called the drills routine and non-threatening, while the Kremlin dismissed Zelenskyy's warnings as an attempt at "further incitement."

2️⃣ 🇭🇷🇮🇱 Croatia rejects Israeli ambassador: President Milanovic refused to approve Israel's proposed new ambassador, citing Israeli policies, in what is reported to be the first such rejection in Croatian history. Israel said it is working to resolve the matter, with the envoy now set to enter the country as a charge d'affaires, a role that bypasses presidential approval.

3️⃣ 🇺🇸🇬🇱 Greenland rejects US doctor's visit as "deeply problematic": Greenland's government criticised the arrival of a US doctor accompanying Trump's special envoy, with the health minister citing the territory's history of health-related abuses under Danish colonial rule. The prime minister reiterated that Greenland was not for sale and that any engagement with its healthcare system must go through proper channels.

4️⃣ 🇷🇺🇺🇦 Russia signals desire to resume Ukraine peace talks: Moscow reversed months of rhetoric by calling for US-mediated peace negotiations to restart, after previously downplaying talks as a priority. Significant obstacles remain, with Russia demanding Ukrainian withdrawals from parts of Donbas as a precondition — a condition Kyiv has rejected outright.

5️⃣ 🌍 Global pandemic preparedness deteriorating, experts warn: A new report from the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board found that infectious disease outbreaks are growing more frequent and more damaging, with pandemic risk outpacing global preparedness investments. The warning coincides with an active Ebola outbreak in the DRC that has killed at least 87 people, prompting the WHO to declare an international public health emergency.

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