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NATO allies reject US Hormuz blockade, push for diplomatic solution

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NATO allies including the United Kingdom and France have refused to join a U.S.-led plan to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, instead calling for a diplomatic approach to restore safe navigation through the critical shipping route.

The decision follows an announcement by US President Donald Trump that the United States would move to block maritime traffic linked to Iranian ports after talks to end the conflict with Iran failed.

U.S. officials later clarified that the measures would target vessels travelling to and from Iranian ports, rather than all shipping transiting the strait.

European leaders have distanced themselves from the move, stressing they do not want to be drawn further into the conflict. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said London would not support the blockade despite what he described as “considerable pressure.”

Instead, European countries are working on alternative proposals aimed at reopening the waterway, through which roughly a fifth of global oil supplies normally pass.

French President Emmanuel Macron said France and the UK would convene a conference with international partners to establish a multinational mission focused on restoring freedom of navigation. He said the initiative would be strictly defensive and separate from ongoing hostilities, and could be deployed once conditions allow.

According to diplomatic sources, the proposed mission could involve around 30 countries, including several European and Gulf states, as well as India. The effort would aim to coordinate naval escorts for commercial vessels and establish guidelines for safe passage, while avoiding direct involvement in the conflict.

Mark Rutte has indicated that NATO could play a role in the region if member states reach consensus, although several countries have signalled they would only participate once there is a durable ceasefire and assurances that their vessels would not be targeted.

Since the conflict began in late February, Iran has largely restricted access to the strait, raising concerns over energy supplies and global trade.

European officials say diplomatic engagement remains the preferred path forward, with efforts focused on de-escalation and ensuring the safe flow of maritime traffic through one of the world’s most vital energy corridors.

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Trump returns from China with stability but little progress

While the meeting produced a calmer tone and modest commercial agreements, key disputes over trade, technology and regional influence remain largely unsettled.

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US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing this week ended with limited economic agreements and no major breakthroughs, highlighting the continued strategic and economic rivalry between the United States and China.

The two-day summit between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping reflected a shift away from last year’s intense trade war toward a more stable — but unresolved — relationship between the world’s two largest economies.

While the meeting produced a calmer tone and modest commercial agreements, key disputes over trade, technology and regional influence remain largely unsettled.

Analysts said China appeared to benefit from the return to more predictable relations after the sharp tensions triggered by Trump’s “Liberation Day” tariffs in early 2025. Beijing and Washington later reached a temporary trade truce, but both countries continue to compete strategically and economically.

Reuters reported that Scott Kennedy, a China expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the summit marked a return to stability after months of severe tariff escalation.

Trump travelled to Beijing with several leading American business figures, including Elon Musk of Tesla and Jensen Huang of Nvidia, although few major commercial outcomes were announced publicly.

The summit also failed to secure any public Chinese commitment to assist Washington in ending the war involving Iran, an issue that has affected global markets and weighed on Trump’s domestic approval ratings.

A White House official said Trump used his relationship with Xi to secure benefits for the American economy, pointing to reported agreements involving Boeing aircraft sales and expanded agricultural exports.

Chinese officials described the talks as “constructive and strategic,” saying both sides discussed how major powers should manage relations amid long-term competition.

Despite the improved atmosphere, longstanding U.S. concerns — including China’s industrial overcapacity and trade practices — were not publicly addressed during the visit.

The summit’s commercial results also fell short of Trump’s 2017 China visit, when agreements worth around $250 billion were announced.

Although Trump claimed Boeing secured a deal for China to purchase 200 aircraft, the figure was reportedly lower than earlier expectations of up to 500 jets.

No breakthrough was reached on allowing China to purchase advanced artificial intelligence chips from Nvidia, an issue closely watched by lawmakers in Washington concerned about China’s technological development.

Officials said some additional commercial agreements could be delayed until a possible reciprocal visit by Xi to Washington later this year.

Experts said the summit demonstrated that both countries are increasingly accepting long-term competition rather than seeking a return to closer cooperation.

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Large blast near Beit Shemesh part of pre-planned test: Israeli defense firm

The company said the blast was a “pre-planned experiment” that was carried out according to schedule.

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A large explosion near the central Israeli city of Beit Shemesh late Saturday was part of a pre-planned and controlled test, according to a statement by state-owned Tomer defense company that was cited by The Times of Israel.

Videos on social media showed flames and a large plume of smoke rising from the area following the blast, which was heard in nearby communities.

The Times of Israel said the explosion occurred at a testing ground belonging to Tomer, a company that develops rocket and missile engines.

The company said the blast was a “pre-planned experiment” that was carried out according to schedule.

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Trump says ISIS second-in-command Abu-Bilal al-Minuki killed by US and Nigerian forces

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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that Abu-Bilal al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, ​was killed in an operation conducted by U.S. and Nigerian forces.

“Tonight, ​at my direction, brave American forces and the Armed Forces ⁠of Nigeria flawlessly executed a meticulously planned and very complex mission to ​eliminate the most active terrorist in the world from the battlefield. Abu-Bilal ​al-Minuki, second in command of ISIS globally, thought he could hide in Africa, but little did he know we had sources who kept us informed on what he ​was doing,” Trump said on Truth Social, Reuters reported.

Trump did not disclose in his ​post the exact location of the operation.

Al-Minuki, a Nigerian national, was designated as a “specially ‌designated ⁠global terrorist” by the former Biden administration in 2023, according to the U.S. Federal Register.

Trump, who has previously accused Nigeria of failing to protect Christians from Islamist militants in the northwest, thanked the Nigerian government for its ​partnership in the ​operation.

Nigeria denies discriminating ⁠against any religion, saying its security forces target armed groups that attack both Christians and Muslims.

The U.S. had ​earlier carried out strikes targeting Islamic State-linked militants in ​Nigeria in ⁠December. Since then, Washington has deployed drones and 200 troops to provide training and intelligence support to the Nigerian military against Islamic State and al Qaeda-linked ⁠insurgencies that ​are spreading across West Africa.

The U.S. forces ​were operating in a strictly non-combat role, Nigerian military officials said earlier this year.

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