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A Russian colonel heading the country's artillery and ammunition supply was killed in a car bombing near Moscow, as Ukraine launched an extensive overnight drone and missile campaign striking targets deep inside Russian territory.

Meanwhile, US-Iran ceasefire talks face severe strain following a second consecutive day of American airstrikes on southern Iran.

Read more below ⤵️

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇷🇺 Senior Russian military official killed in car bombing near Moscow: A car bomb killed Col Damir Davydov, head of Russia's artillery and missile ammunition supply directorate, in Balashikha, less than a mile from where a lieutenant general was similarly assassinated just over a year ago. Ukraine has not commented, though Kyiv's intelligence agencies have been linked to a string of similar attacks on Russian military officials since the war began.

2️⃣ 🇵🇰🇦🇫 Pakistan airstrikes kill civilians according to Taliban: Pakistan launched strikes on Afghan border provinces targeting TTP hideouts, claiming 26 fighters killed, while the Taliban says 13 civilians died, including 11 children, across Kunar, Khost and Paktika. The attack follows the collapse of a March ceasefire, with the UN reporting at least 372 Afghan civilians killed in cross-border fighting in the first three months of 2026.

3️⃣ 🇷🇺🇦🇲 Russia pressures Armenia to choose between East and West: Foreign Minister Lavrov demanded a swift resolution to Armenia's membership status in both the Eurasian Economic Union and the CSTO, warning that EU accession aspirations are incompatible with remaining in the Russian-led blocs. The ultimatum follows Pashinyan's re-election, which Moscow accused Western countries of interfering in, as Yerevan continues deepening ties with the EU and NATO.

4️⃣ 🇹🇼🇨🇳 Taiwan fires HIMARS rockets into Taiwan Strait for first time: Taiwan launched US-supplied HIMARS rockets into the waters separating it from China during live-fire drills simulating a Chinese invasion, the first time the system has been fired into the strait. A planned US sale of 82 additional HIMARS units to Taiwan appears to have stalled following a Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing last month.

5️⃣ 🇺🇦🇵🇱 Zelensky under pressure to resolve Poland diplomatic crisis: A major row has erupted after Zelensky named a military unit after the Ukrainian Insurgent Army, which Poland holds responsible for the massacre of an estimated 100,000 ethnic Poles in the 1943–45 Volhynia killings. Nawrocki is considering stripping Zelensky of Poland's highest state honour, with analysts warning a rupture could benefit Moscow and disrupt a Ukraine reconstruction conference in Gdansk.

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Major Story

🇺🇸🇮🇷 US-Iran ceasefire under severe strain as strikes continue

The US carried out a second consecutive day of airstrikes across southern Iran, marking the most serious breakdown of the ceasefire to date.

The White House insisted military action and diplomatic negotiations remain separate tracks, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth framing the strikes as leverage, stating the US would "negotiate with bombs" to secure Trump's terms.

Iran's UN ambassador rejected the approach outright, saying no deal could be reached under military intimidation, while analysts warned further strikes are unlikely to bring Tehran closer to an agreement. 

Significant gaps remain between the two sides on nuclear restrictions, asset freezes, and Israel's operations in Lebanon, despite Trump's repeated claims that a deal is near.

Other News

1️⃣ 🇺🇦 Ukraine launches sweeping drone and missile campaign deep into Russia: Ukrainian drones struck a historic museum in Sevastopol, the occupied port of Mariupol, and multiple oil refineries across Russia, with Crimea subsequently suspending civilian fuel sales and cutting nighttime train schedules. Russia's air defences claimed to have downed 326 drones overnight, while air raid alerts were issued across several remote oil-producing and industrial regions.

2️⃣ 🇩🇪🇵🇱 Germany and Poland clash over EU funds for Ukraine: Berlin is pushing for the full 6.6 billion euros in recently unblocked European Peace Facility funds to go directly to Ukraine, while Warsaw insists member states must first be reimbursed for military aid already donated. Poland's Deputy Defense Minister accused Brussels of attempting to alter the fund's rules, adding another layer of tension to an already strained Poland-Ukraine relationship.

3️⃣ 🇸🇧🇨🇳 Solomon Islands refuses to release China security pact: Prime Minister Matthew Wale said a non-disclosure clause legally prevents him from publishing the 2022 security agreement signed with Beijing by the previous government, despite having called for its release while in opposition. Wale pledged to reform parliamentary rules to ensure future treaties require public scrutiny, while also pursuing a new security treaty with Australia that could include visa-free access for Solomon Islands citizens.

4️⃣ 🇸🇦🇱🇧 Saudi Arabia lifts five-year ban on Lebanese imports: Riyadh ended its embargo on Lebanese goods, originally imposed in 2021 over drug smuggling and later extended following a diplomatic fallout tied to Hezbollah's influence and Lebanon's relationship with Iran. Saudi Arabia cited unspecified "positive steps" by the Lebanese government, which has announced plans to disarm non-state armed groups including Hezbollah, as the basis for the decision.

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