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Israel and Iran have paused direct strikes following pressure from Donald Trump, who warned Benjamin Netanyahu he would be left to act alone if hostilities resumed.

Meanwhile, Russia rejected both Zelenskyy's open letter and a joint European ceasefire push, a French Rafale jet shot down an unidentified drone over Latvia after it entered from Russian airspace, and the Pentagon added Alibaba, BYD and Baidu to its Chinese military companies blacklist.

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Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇮🇱🇮🇷 Israel and Iran pause strikes after Trump warning: Israel and Iran halted direct attacks following pressure from Trump, who warned Netanyahu he would be "on his own" if fighting with Iran resumed. Iran remained defiant, with its parliamentary speaker warning Tehran's response would persist without genuine trust-building, while indirect talks through Pakistan continued toward a deal.

2️⃣ 🇷🇺🇺🇦 Lavrov rejects Ukraine talks: Russia's Foreign Minister dismissed Zelenskyy's open letter to Putin, insisting battlefield outcomes rather than negotiations will determine the war's result. Putin's spokesperson also rejected a joint European ceasefire initiative from France, Germany and the UK, accusing the leaders of undermining peace while continuing to arm Ukraine.

3️⃣ 🇪🇺 France and Germany scrap joint fighter jet: Paris and Berlin abandoned their joint €100bn Future Combat Air System project after Dassault and Airbus failed to resolve a years-long dispute over leadership, technology sharing and the type of aircraft each country needed. Officials indicated the drone and combat data cloud elements of the programme may still continue as a European system.

4️⃣ 🇺🇸🇨🇳 Pentagon blacklists Alibaba, BYD and Baidu: The US added three of China's most prominent commercial brands to its Chinese military companies blacklist, barring them from defence contracts and straining the fragile détente following Trump's recent summit with Xi. China's embassy condemned the move as discriminatory, while Alibaba denied any military affiliation and vowed legal action.

5️⃣ 🇺🇦 Ukraine drones trigger Crimea fuel crisis: Ukrainian drone strikes on supply routes caused fuel rationing across Russian-controlled Crimea, with residents in Sevastopol reporting empty stations and authorities limiting sales of the most commonly used gasoline. Russia separately banned aviation fuel exports until November amid ongoing Western sanctions on crude exports.

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Major Story

🇫🇷🇱🇻 French NATO jet shoots down drone over Latvia

A French Rafale fighter jet operating under NATO's Baltic Air Police mission shot down an unidentified drone near the village of Berzgale in eastern Latvia on Monday after it entered from Russia, with NATO command making the final call to engage. 

Latvian authorities said Russia had been using electronic warfare prior to the incursion, though they stopped short of attributing the drone's launch directly to Moscow. 

No casualties or property damage were reported, and Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs praised the response as swift and professional. 

Fragments of a drone that entered Moldovan airspace from Ukraine were also found in a field yesterday, with Chisinau attributing the incident to Russia's war in Ukraine. 

Estonia's foreign minister said the two incidents reinforce concerns that Russia's ongoing aggression is creating security risks that extend well beyond Ukraine's borders.

Other News

1️⃣ 🇫🇷 France has troops, not enough equipment: The French army is turning away recruits due to budget constraints, its deputy chief revealed, while flagging critical equipment shortfalls across deep fires, counter-drone defence and electronic warfare. The remarks underscored a stark contrast with Germany and Poland, which are struggling to fill personnel targets despite significantly ramping up defence spending.

2️⃣ 🇺🇸🇮🇷 US helicopter crashes near Strait of Hormuz: A US Army Apache helicopter went down near the Strait of Hormuz under unclear circumstances, with Trump confirming both crew members were unharmed and claiming a deal with Iran could come within days. Negotiations remain deadlocked, with the US demanding Iran relinquish its enriched uranium stockpile while Tehran insists on sanctions relief and the release of frozen assets before any agreement.

3️⃣ 🇨🇳🇰🇵 Xi visits Pyongyang for first time in seven years: Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un pledged deeper cooperation across trade, agriculture and technology, with neither leader making any public mention of North Korea's nuclear programme. Analysts say the visit reflects China's attempt to reassert influence over North Korea amid growing Pyongyang-Moscow ties, while strengthening Xi's leverage ahead of further talks with Trump.

4️⃣ 🇬🇧🇮🇱 UK prepares West Bank settlement sanctions: The UK and several Western allies are set to announce sanctions targeting companies involved in the E1 settlement development, a project critics say would split the West Bank and make a two-state solution impossible. The move comes as 137 Labour MPs urged the government to ban trade with illegal Israeli settlements, warning the situation has worsened considerably since a February pledge to act.

5️⃣ 🇬🇧 UK to ban explicit images on children's devices: The UK government gave Apple and Google until September to install software blocking explicit images on children's devices, warning that legislation, fines and potential criminal liability for executives would follow if they refuse to comply. Civil liberties groups cautioned the measures could threaten anonymity and internet privacy, with Big Brother Watch warning the plans risk eliminating private and anonymous internet use entirely.

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