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Washington remains hesitant to sell F-35s to Riyadh, while reports suggest China’s twin-satellite radar technology could mark the end of stealth dominance. Meanwhile, Trump threatens tariffs on Spain in a NATO defence spending row.

Our lead story examines how global development stands at a crossroads, as the UN’s sustainable development agenda begins to unravel.

This, and more, below ⤵️

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇦🇫 🇵🇰 Taliban and Pakistan agree to ceasefire after deadly cross-border clashes: Afghanistan’s Taliban government announced a ceasefire with Pakistan following days of escalating cross-border violence. The truce, negotiated in Doha, comes after Pakistan carried out unprecedented airstrikes on the Afghan capital, accusing the Taliban of sheltering Pakistani militants.

2️⃣ 🇭🇺 🇺🇸 🇷🇺 🇺🇦 Trump to discuss Ukraine war with Putin in Budapest: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced that Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin will meet in Budapest to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, calling it “great news for peace-loving people.” Analysts warn the Budapest summit may mirror Trump’s unproductive Alaska meeting with Putin earlier this year.

3️⃣ 🇻🇪 🇺🇸 Maduro condemns Washington’s ‘imperialist intervention’: Three U.S. B-52 bombers flew off Venezuela’s coast in a show of force after President Trump confirmed authorising CIA operations against drug cartels and considering land strikes inside the country. Venezuelan President Maduro denounced the move as another U.S.-backed attempt at regime change.

4️⃣ 🇲🇬 🇪🇹 Madagascar suspended from African Union: Madagascar’s military leader, Colonel Michael Randrianirina, was  inaugurated as president on Friday following the army’s seizure of power and the ousting of Andry Rajoelina, prompting the African Union to suspend the country. While calm has returned to Antananarivo, uncertainty persists.

5️⃣ 🇮🇱 🇺🇸 Trump addresses Israeli Knesset: US President Donald Trump declared before the Israeli Knesset that “the long and painful nightmare is finally over,” celebrating the Gaza ceasefire he brokered between Israel and Hamas as a turning point for the region — despite ongoing Israeli strikes and accelerating settler violence toward Palestinians in the West Bank.

Major Story

🇺🇳 GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT AT A CROSSROADS: THE UNRAVELING OF THE SDG AGENDA

When the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted in 2015, the world appeared united behind a shared vision to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all by 2030. A decade later, the atmosphere at the UN General Assembly told a very different story—marked by disillusionment, division, and waning commitment. The global shocks of recent years—pandemics, wars, climate disasters, and economic instability—have eroded faith in multilateralism and exposed the fragility of global cooperation.

The retreat of leadership

In a major setback, the United States withdrew from the UN system and dissolved USAID, its principal aid agency, declaring the SDGs contrary to American interests. This decision, alongside deep cuts to UN programs such as WHO, UNESCO, and WFP, has left critical global initiatives underfunded. Europe has similarly pivoted from development to defence spending, with Germany, France, Belgium, and the UK prioritising security over sustainability. The cumulative effect has been a hollowing-out of the world’s development architecture just five years before the SDG deadline.

Faltering progress and widening gaps

The latest UN data show that only 18% of SDG targets are on track, with nearly half stagnating or regressing. While gains have been made in reducing child mortality, expanding education, and improving water access, poverty eradication has stalled, and developing nations face a record $4 trillion financing gap. Saddled with debt and rising borrowing costs, these countries lack the fiscal space to invest in sustainable development, highlighting the inequity within the multilateral system.

A chance for renewal

Despite the crisis, the breakdown of old hierarchies offers a chance for renewal. Developing nations can take the lead by forming regional coalitions, localising solutions, and advocating innovative financing models. Reinvigorating global cooperation around realistic, context-specific goals may yet salvage the promise of the 2030 Agenda, writes Lowy’s Sunaina Kumar.

Other News

1️⃣ 🇪🇬 🇹🇷 🇮🇱 Erdogan blocked Netanyahu from Egypt summit, officials confirm: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan intervened to prevent Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from attending a high-level Gaza ceasefire summit in Egypt, according to senior Turkish officials. The move highlights Ankara’s deepening rift with Israel as Erdogan.

2️⃣ 🇺🇸 🇪🇸 Trump threatens tariffs on Spain over NATO defence spending dispute: Donald Trump has accused Spain of “unbelievable disrespect” toward NATO for failing to raise its defence budget to 5 percent of GDP, threatening retaliatory trade tariffs and even suggesting Spain’s expulsion from the alliance. Madrid, which currently spends 1.3 percent, plans to reach only 2 percent by 2025, arguing its southern location shields it from immediate threats.

3️⃣ 🇦🇷 🇺🇸 Washington warns of aid cuts to Argentina if Milei loses elections: Donald Trump cautioned that U.S. financial support for Argentina would end if Javier Milei fails to secure victory in upcoming legislative elections, declaring his loyalty to the libertarian leader’s “correct philosophy.” The U.S. has pledged $20 billion to stabilise Argentina’s collapsing economy, a rare intervention that highlights Washington’s strategic backing of Milei despite market turmoil and rising domestic discontent.

4️⃣ 🇨🇩 🇷🇼 🇺🇳 Kinshasa, M23 sign ceasefire monitoring agreement: The DRC and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group signed an agreement in Doha to form a joint oversight body tasked with enforcing a potential permanent ceasefire. The new mechanism will include representatives from Congo, M23, and regional states, with U.N. peacekeepers assisting in investigations of truce violations.

5️⃣ 🇨🇳 China’s twin-satellite radar system to end era of stealth dominance, per reports: China’s new bistatic radar satellite constellation could soon enable the detection of stealth aircraft once thought invisible to space-based sensors. The twin-satellite architecture can suppress ground and sea clutter, allowing for clearer identification of low-observable targets like the F-22 or B-21

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Tips & Suggestions

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We welcome your news tips and suggestions for regular sections, just let us know the stories you want to see covered here: [email protected]

Book Shelf

Here are some books we recommend 📚:

Prisoners of Geography

The Revenge of Geography

The World: A Brief Introduction

The Shock Doctrine

Sea Power

The Tragedy of Great Power Politics

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