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Donald Trump and Xi Jinping wrapped up three days of talks in Beijing, with deep divisions over Taiwan, Iran, and fentanyl remaining despite both leaders striking a positive tone.

This comes as Latvia's prime minister stepped down over her government's handling of Ukrainian drone incursions, Japan fired missiles from Philippine soil for the first time since World War II, and the UK's health secretary quit cabinet to challenge Keir Starmer's leadership.

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1️⃣ 🇱🇻 Latvian PM resigns over Ukrainian drone incidents: Prime Minister Evika Silina stepped down after her coalition partner withdrew support following the government's mishandling of suspected Ukrainian drones crossing into Latvian airspace. Her resignation comes months ahead of October elections, with the president set to consult parliamentary parties on a replacement.

2️⃣ 🇯🇵🇵🇭 Japan fires missiles from Philippine soil for first time since WWII: A Japanese Type 88 anti-ship missile sank a decommissioned Philippine vessel 47 miles away during Exercise Balikatan 2026, marking the first deployment of Japanese combat troops on Philippine soil since 1945. The exercise, enabled by a 2025 reciprocal access agreement, underscores growing military cooperation between the two nations amid shared concerns over Chinese aggression.

3️⃣ 🇬🇧 UK Labour leadership challenge takes shape: Health Secretary Wes Streeting resigned from cabinet to mount a leadership bid against Prime Minister Keir Starmer, while Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham moved to re-enter parliament as a potential rival. Starmer has vowed to fight any challenge despite Labour losing nearly 1,500 council seats last week and over 81 MPs publicly calling for his resignation.

4️⃣ 🇺🇸🇨🇺 CIA director holds rare talks in Havana: John Ratcliffe met Cuban officials including Raúl Castro's grandson to deliver Trump's message that U.S. engagement on economic and security issues depends on Cuba making fundamental changes. The visit comes amid a U.S. energy blockade that has deepened Cuba's economic crisis, with both sides holding conflicting positions on the island's threat to regional security.

5️⃣ 🇺🇸 Navy warns of funding crisis over Iran war costs: Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Daryl Caudle told Congress that without supplemental funding for Operation Epic Fury, the Navy faces cuts to training, operations, and permanent postings for up to 15,000 sailors by July. The war has cost nearly $29 billion since February, with a White House request for $80–100 billion in supplemental funding facing significant resistance from Republican senators.

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Major Story

🇺🇸🇨🇳 Trump and Xi wrap up Beijing summit amid persistent divisions

Presidents Trump and Xi Jinping concluded three days of talks in Beijing on Friday, with Xi calling the visit a "milestone" and Trump describing it as "a great couple of days." 

Deep divisions over Taiwan, Iran, and fentanyl remain, with Xi privately warning Trump that mishandling Taiwan could push the two powers toward "clashes and even conflicts." 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio pushed back, saying U.S. policy on Taiwan was "unchanged" and calling a forcible Chinese takeover a "terrible mistake." 

Both leaders agreed the Strait of Hormuz must reopen, and said they shared opposition to Iran acquiring a nuclear weapon, though Beijing has shown little public willingness to pressure Tehran despite being Iran's largest trading partner. 

Trump claimed "fantastic trade deals" were reached, including a reported Chinese commitment to buy 200 Boeing jets, though no specific details were provided.

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Other News

1️⃣ 🇺🇸🇨🇳 US and China agree on AI safety protocol at Beijing summit: The two countries announced plans to establish shared best practices for AI development at Trump's Beijing summit, aimed at preventing non-state actors from accessing advanced AI models. Treasury Secretary Bessent attributed the dialogue to U.S. technological leadership, adding that a major capability jump is expected from upcoming releases by Google and OpenAI.

2️⃣ 🇪🇺 EU Russian LNG imports hit post-invasion high: The bloc imported 6.9 billion cubic meters of Russian liquefied natural gas in Q1 2026, a 16 percent year-on-year increase and the highest figure since Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, driven largely by Middle East war disruptions. Despite a pledge to end all Russian energy imports by 2027, analysts warn Europe's diversification strategy has fallen short, with growing dependence on costlier U.S. LNG creating new supply risks.

3️⃣ 🇩🇪 Germany snubs Palantir in favor of French software: Germany's domestic intelligence agency reportedly selected French firm ChapsVision over U.S.-based Palantir for its data analysis needs, though neither party has officially confirmed the decision. Civil liberties groups welcomed the move but cautioned that concerns over automated mass surveillance and fundamental rights violations remain regardless of the software provider.

4️⃣ 🇮🇷 Iran rallies BRICS against U.S. and Israeli war conduct: Foreign Minister Araghchi called on BRICS members at their New Delhi meeting to formally condemn U.S. and Israeli actions in the Middle East, while directly accusing the UAE of involvement in military operations against Iran. A joint statement remains uncertain as divisions within the bloc over the war have complicated efforts to reach consensus.

5️⃣ 🇺🇸 Pentagon scraps Poland brigade deployment: The U.S. abruptly cancelled plans to send a 4,200-strong armored brigade to Poland, cutting American combat power in the country by nearly half, despite equipment and advance personnel already being in Europe. The decision follows a separate announcement of 5,000 troop withdrawals from Germany, raising concerns among lawmakers and NATO allies over a broader reduction of the U.S. military presence on the continent.

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