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Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin criticised U.S. foreign policy at a Beijing summit, signing cooperation agreements, while a gas pipeline deal stalled over pricing.

Meanwhile, President Trump announced plans for a direct call with Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te and Lithuania issued its first public drone shelter alert since 2022.

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Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇱🇹 Lithuania issues first public drone shelter alert since 2022: Vilnius residents, lawmakers, and the president briefly took cover after a UAV signal was detected in Belarusian airspace, prompting flight and train suspensions before the alert was lifted an hour later. EU and NATO officials placed responsibility on Russia and Belarus.

2️⃣ 🇺🇸🇨🇺 U.S. indicts former Cuban president on murder charges: Raúl Castro, 94, has been charged with conspiracy and murder over a 1996 incident in which Cuban jets downed planes operated by Cuban exiles, marking a significant escalation in Washington's pressure campaign against Havana. Cuba's president dismissed the charges as politically motivated, while Secretary of State Rubio offered $100 million in aid, which Havana did not outright reject.

3️⃣ 🇺🇸🇹🇼 Trump plans direct call with Taiwan's president: Trump announced he intends to speak with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te over a potential $14 billion arms sale, which would mark the first direct communication between U.S. and Taiwanese leaders since 1979. The move follows Trump's Beijing summit, where Xi warned of potential conflict if Taiwan was mishandled, and breaks with longstanding U.S. policy of not consulting China on arms decisions.

4️⃣ 🇪🇺🇷🇺 Europe eyes Merkel as envoy for Russia talks: EU foreign ministers will meet in Cyprus next week to discuss potential candidates to represent the bloc in dialogue with Moscow, with Merkel emerging as a frontrunner despite distancing herself from the role. Other contenders include Mario Draghi, Alexander Stubb, and Sauli Niinistö, as U.S.-brokered peace efforts remain at a standstill.

5️⃣ 🇺🇸🇮🇱 Trump and Netanyahu clash over Iran strategy: The two leaders held a tense call after Trump halted planned strikes on Iran at the request of Gulf allies, with Netanyahu arguing the delay was a mistake and pushing for resumed military action. Diplomacy continues through Pakistani mediators, though key gaps over Iran's nuclear program and frozen assets remain unresolved, and Trump has kept military action on the table.

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Major Story

🇨🇳🇷🇺 Xi and Putin unite against US foreign policy at Beijing summit

Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin jointly criticised US foreign policy as "irresponsible" at a Beijing summit on Wednesday, warning against what they described as a drift toward the "law of the jungle" in international affairs. 

The two leaders singled out Washington's pursuit of a "golden dome" missile defence system and the lapse of a nuclear arms treaty in February as specific destabilising actions. 

Agreements were signed across technology, trade, scientific research and intellectual property, including an extension of a bilateral cooperation treaty first concluded 25 years ago, though a long-anticipated pipeline deal that would double Russian gas exports to China was not finalised, with pricing cited as the primary obstacle. 

The summit followed Trump's recent visit to Beijing, and observers noted Xi's meetings with Putin appeared more substantive, though the Kremlin cautioned against direct comparisons.

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Other News

1️⃣ 🇪🇺 Europe vows response after wave of Baltic drone incursions: Ursula Von der Leyen pledged unity and strength after six suspected drone incursions in Baltic and Finnish airspace this month, with Polish PM Tusk describing the incidents as a coordinated provocation. NATO's Rutte noted some drones are Ukrainian in origin but said Russia bears responsibility for their presence, as Baltic MEPs demanded immediate action from Brussels.

2️⃣ 🇦🇹 Austrian ex-intelligence officer convicted of spying for Russia: A Vienna jury found Egisto Ott guilty of passing classified police data and secure EU communications hardware to Russian intelligence via fugitive Wirecard executive Jan Marsalek between 2015 and 2020, sentencing him to over four years in prison. The case has renewed concerns about Austrian exposure to Russian espionage, with Marsalek, believed to be in Moscow, also linked to a Bulgarian spy ring convicted in London last year.

3️⃣ 🇧🇴 Bolivia's president reshuffles cabinet amid mass protests: Rodrigo Paz announced ministerial changes as weeks of demonstrations against his free-market reforms, including fuel subsidy cuts, continue amid one of the country's worst economic crises in decades. Bolivia also expelled the Colombian ambassador after President Petro called the protests a popular insurrection, while Washington reaffirmed its backing for Paz's government.

4️⃣ 🇬🇧 UK secures £3.7bn trade deal with Gulf states: Britain struck an agreement with the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council removing tariffs on 93% of UK goods, the third such deal under Starmer after pacts with India and South Korea. The agreement drew immediate criticism for omitting a human rights chapter, with advocacy groups citing the Gulf region's record on torture, forced labour, and suppression of dissent.

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