Muscovites awoke to black rain again this morning — still staining cars, windowsills, and balconies with the vivid reminder that Ukraine's largest-ever drone counter-attack just nailed the Russian capital's largest fuel supplier, barely 15km from the Kremlin.
Read this storyIRAN
US VP Vance has cancelled plans to travel to Switzerland for the first round of post-deal Iran talks that were scheduled for today (Friday). The main issue seems to be renewed Israel-Hezbollah clashes in Lebanon, which Iran is using as leverage to demand fresh guarantees. (DW)
THE NETHERLANDS
Dutch lithography pioneers ASML are denying US reports that China might’ve sourced one of their ultra-advanced chipmaking machines in violation of strict export controls. (DutchNews)
UNITED KINGDOM
Popular outgoing Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has won a key by-election, securing his return to parliament after nine years away. He’ll be sworn in as early as next week, and already seems to have the 81 Labour MPs (20%) needed to formally challenge Keir Starmer for leadership of both the party, and the country. (Guardian)
NIGER
The Al Qaeda-linked JNIM has claimed responsibility for Thursday’s attack on Niger’s main airport and army base, its second such hit this year. (NYT $)
BRAZIL
President Lula has warned Donald Trump to stay out of Brazil’s October elections, after the US president said Brazil had become “a little rough”. It follows a Brazilian court’s Tuesday decision to sentence Eduardo Bolsonaro to four years in prison for lobbying DC to interfere in his ex-president father’s coup trial. (DW)
SOUTH KOREA
Mexico’s military says it had to intervene to neutralise a drone above South Korea’s local training camp ahead of last night’s Mexico vs Korea FIFA face-off in Guadalajara. (Independent)
SRI LANKA
Authorities have noticed an increase in cybercrimes committed by people entering the country as tourists. (Sri Lanka)
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