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JD Vance has postponed talks on implementing the US-Iran ceasefire deal, signed by Donald Trump and Iranian President Pezeshkian on Wednesday, citing logistical challenges.

This comes as NATO Secretary General Rutte moved to downplay Hegseth's attack on European allies in Brussels, while Ukrainian drones struck Moscow and Andy Burnham's by-election win sets up a Labour leadership challenge against Keir Starmer.

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Major Story

🇺🇸🇮🇷 Vance cancels Switzerland trip as Iran talks stall

JD Vance has postponed a planned visit to Switzerland where US and Iranian officials, alongside Pakistani and Qatari mediators, had been due to meet on Friday to begin negotiating the implementation of the memorandum of understanding signed by Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Wednesday. 

A White House spokesperson cited logistical challenges for the delay, and Switzerland's foreign ministry confirmed the talks had been postponed while stating that preparatory work at Bürgenstock was continuing. 

Under the provisional agreement, the two sides have 60 days to finalise a permanent deal, during which the US must lift its naval blockade of Iran while Tehran is required to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and reaffirm it will not develop or acquire nuclear weapons. 

Both parties also agreed to an "immediate" cessation of military operations across all fronts, including Lebanon. Switzerland said it remained ready to host the negotiations once rescheduled.

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2️⃣ 🇺🇸 US Air Force orders uncrewed fighter into production: The US Air Force has awarded General Atomics a production contract for the FQ-42A, a semi-autonomous fighter built to fly alongside crewed jets under the Collaborative Combat Aircraft programme, with the company calling its 15-month development-to-first-flight timeline among the fastest in fighter history. Its modular design allows rapid integration of sensors, weapons, and autonomy software, with variants planned for different mission types.

3️⃣ 🇮🇱🇱🇧 Israeli minister calls for Lebanon to burn after soldiers killed: Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir called for Lebanon to 'burn' after the IDF reported four soldiers killed when their tank was struck near Kfar Tebnit in southern Lebanon, with a subsequent drone strike also severely injuring a reserve officer. The escalation follows a provisional US-Iran agreement requiring both sides and their allies to immediately suspend military operations, including in Lebanon.

4️⃣ 🇺🇦🇷🇺 Ukraine strikes Moscow oil refinery in major drone attack: Ukrainian drones struck targets across the Moscow region, setting an oil refinery ablaze and forcing all four of the capital's airports to suspend flights, as Russian air defenses reported intercepting at least 180 incoming drones. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the operation as justified retaliation for Russian strikes on Kyiv the previous weekend and called on Moscow to take steps toward diplomacy to end the war.

5️⃣ 🇵🇱🇺🇸 US responds positively to Poland's bid for permanent base: Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said the US responded positively to Poland's proposal for a permanent American military base following talks with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Brussels, though no final decision has been reached. The proposal comes as Hegseth announced a wider review of US troop deployments across Europe and warned allies of reduced NATO funding if defense spending commitments are not met.

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