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Pakistan and Afghanistan are holding ceasefire talks in China's Urumqi, mediated by Beijing, as the ICC's chief prosecutor faces disciplinary proceedings over sexual misconduct allegations — which he denies.

Elsewhere, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio has accused China of retaliating against Panama by detaining its flagged ships after a Hong Kong-linked firm lost its concession over two canal terminals, and French President Macron condemned remarks made by Trump mocking him and his wife at a private Washington lunch.

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Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇵🇰🇦🇫 Pakistan and Afghanistan hold ceasefire talks in China: Senior officials from both countries are meeting in Urumqi for preliminary negotiations to end months of cross-border conflict that has killed dozens on both sides, with China mediating. Pakistan is demanding Afghanistan take verifiable action against militant groups on its soil, while Kabul denies the charge and sporadic border attacks continue.

2️⃣ 🇺🇸🇨🇳🇵🇦 Rubio accuses China of bullying Panama over canal ports: Rubio alleged China is retaliating against Panama by detaining its flagged ships after Panama’s supreme court voided a Hong Kong-linked company’s concession over two canal terminals — nearly 75% of vessels inspected in Chinese ports last month were Panama-flagged. China denied the accusations, while Panama’s foreign minister called the detentions routine maritime practice.

3️⃣ 🌍⚖️ ICC prosecutor faces disciplinary proceedings: Member states voted 15 in favour, 4 against, and 2 abstentions to advance proceedings against chief prosecutor Karim Khan, accused of a non-consensual sexual interaction with a lawyer, which he denies. A UN report found a factual basis for the allegations, though a separate judicial panel determined the evidence fell short of proof “beyond a reasonable doubt.”

4️⃣ 🇫🇷🇺🇸 Macron rebukes Trump over marriage mockery: Trump mocked Macron and his wife Brigitte during a private Washington lunch — briefly posted then removed from the White House YouTube channel — mimicking a French accent and claiming Brigitte “treats him extremely badly.” Macron said the remarks were “neither elegant nor up to standard,” while French politicians across party lines condemned the comments.

5️⃣ 🇱🇾 Haftar may hold combat drones despite UN embargo: Reuters satellite imagery shows at least three drones at eastern Libya’s Al Khadim airbase between April and December 2025 — one likely a Chinese Feilong-1, two possibly Turkish TB2s — though experts could not rule out other types. Reuters could not determine who supplied them, and no contacted parties responded to comment requests.

Major Story

🇮🇷 Iran War Update: Day 35

1️⃣ 🇺🇸 Top US army officer ousted by Hegseth: General Randy George, the army's 41st chief of staff nominated by Biden in 2023 and set to serve until 2027, has been forced into immediate retirement at Hegseth's reported request, adding to over a dozen senior officer removals since he took Pentagon leadership. 

2️⃣ 🛢️ Brent spot price hits 16-year high amid Hormuz closure: Physical Brent crude surged to $141.36 per barrel — the highest since the 2008 financial crisis — driven by supply tightness following Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz, with the spot price running $32 above the June futures contract of $109.03. 

3️⃣ 🌐 40-plus-nation coalition forms to reopen Strait of Hormuz: Hosted virtually by UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, the group pledged to deploy diplomatic and economic tools — including potential fresh sanctions — to secure free passage once active hostilities end, while military options such as demining and escorting are also being explored. The US did not participate, with Trump continuing to pressure allies to act independently, while France's Macron publicly rejected a military approach as "unrealistic," citing risks from Iranian ballistic missiles and Revolutionary Guards.

4️⃣ 🇮🇷🇮🇱 Iran launches largest missile barrage in weeks: On the eve of Passover, Iran fired roughly 10 ballistic missiles — described by Israeli Army Radio as mostly cluster munitions — at central Israel in the largest single salvo since the war's early days, down from a peak of ~90 on day one. 

5️⃣ 🇮🇷 Iran vows escalation after Trump's "Stone Ages" threat: Following Trump's prime-time address warning of intensified strikes over the next two to three weeks, Iran's military spokesperson pledged "more crushing, broader and more destructive" attacks until the US and Israel face "permanent regret and surrender." 

6️⃣ 🇮🇱🇱🇧 Israel kills seven in southern Lebanon as offensive enters second month: Israeli strikes hit multiple towns in the Tyre and Nabatieh districts, while the IDF claimed 40 Hezbollah fighters killed in 24 hours. Lebanese PM Nawaf Salam warned of a "critical" situation, while a political analyst suggested Israel may continue operations in Lebanon even if a ceasefire is reached with Iran, to claim a victory over Hezbollah ahead of year-end elections.

Other News

1️⃣ 🇩🇪 Merz government hits record-low approval: Just 15% of Germans are satisfied with Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition — down nine points since March — with dissatisfaction driven by backlash over hardline migration policies, slower-than-expected economic reforms, and unemployment at a decade-high 6.6%. The AfD is now polling neck-and-neck with Merz’s CDU nationally, while the SPD fares even worse at 13% approval ahead of two key eastern state elections where the right leads.

2️⃣ 🇺🇸 USS Gerald R. Ford departs Croatia after repairs: The world’s largest warship left Split following a five-day port visit where it completed scheduled maintenance, restocked supplies, and allowed crew shore leave, while remaining deployed in the Mediterranean as part of Carrier Strike Group 12. An investigation into a previously reported fire in a laundry and berthing area is ongoing.

3️⃣ 🇺🇦 Ukrainian drones reportedly strike Russian oil refinery: Long-range drones reportedly hit the Bashneft-Novoil refinery in Ufa — roughly 1,300 kilometres from Ukraine — sparking a fire, though the regional governor claimed all drones were shot down and only debris caused damage. A residential building was also struck with no reported casualties; the Rosneft-owned refinery processes around 7.3 million tonnes of oil annually.

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