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NATO chief Mark Rutte says “nobody else can decide” about Ukraine having “security-guaranteed forces” other than the Ukrainians themselves. Rutte is speaking in Prague as the so-called coalition of the willing meets for talks in Paris to agree security guarantees for Kyiv in the event of a peace accord with Russia. Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson has said Moscow would not consider the deployment of foreign troops in Ukraine “in any format”.

In an upscale district in northern Tehran, Saeed is one of many small business owners struggling with frequent blackouts that are deepening Iran’s economic crisis. “Outages often hit at lunchtime, the worst time for restaurant owners,” the pizzeria owner says. Butchers, bakers, pastry shops, and ice cream vendors have suffered heavy losses as their products spoil during the outages.

Beijing (AFP) – China says President Xi Jinping and Kim Jong Un will hold talks and have an “in-depth exchange” as the North Korean leader makes a rare visit outside his secretive country. Kim’s visit to Beijing is his second reported trip abroad in six years and first to China since 2019.

Mar del Plata (Argentina) (AFP) – Argentine police recover an 18th century painting stolen from a Dutch Jewish art collector over a week after it appeared in a property ad, investigators say. Prosecutors say that “Portrait of a Lady” by Italian baroque portraitist Giuseppe Ghislandi, which was photographed hanging in the home of the daughter of a senior SS officer, had been returned by the woman’s lawyer. IMAGES

Mexico (AFP) – US Secretary of State Marco Rubio vows to keep up strikes targeting drug cartels after Washington said it destroyed a boat in the Caribbean allegedly belonging to a Venezuelan gang. “It’ll happen again. Maybe it is happening right now, I don’t know, but the point is the president of the United States is going to wage war on narco-terrorist organizations,” he says during a joint press conference with Mexico’s foreign minister in Mexico City. SOUNDBITE

Beijing (AFP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country will carry on fighting in Ukraine if a peace deal cannot be reached, as he wraps up a visit to China. Progress towards settling the three-and-a-half-year conflict appears to have stalled despite a flurry of diplomatic efforts from US President Donald Trump, who met both his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts last month.

Beijing (AFP) – People gather to catch a glimpse of China’s massive parade displaying its military might, with North Korean’s Kim Jong Un and Russia’s Vladimir Putin in attendance. “This puts China’s image fully on display for the outside world,” lawyer Lai Zhiqiu tells AFP.

Jerusalem (AFP) – Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich calls for the annexation of the occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank, as a series of governments signal their intention to recognise a Palestinian state. Last month, Israel approved a major settlement project just east of Jerusalem that the international community has warned threatens the viability of future Palestinian statehood. Israeli settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law.

Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) – Palestinians mourn relatives killed in an Israeli strike which targeted an appartement in western Gaza City. “We found my daughter, her husband, and their daughters in pieces,” says Umm Abd Abu Al-Jubain, as she holds her grandson.

Beijing (AFP) – North Korea’s Kim Jong Un tells Russian President Vladimir Putin that the two countries “should make efforts to strengthen our cooperation” as the leaders meet in Beijing to attend a parade marking the 80th anniversary of Japan’s World War II surrender.

Tel Aviv (AFP) – As Israel has begun calling up reservists ahead of a planned offensive to capture Gaza City, some are refusing to serve and instead protesting the war. The decision to launch the offensive is “being made by a messianic government that lacks public legitimacy” says Ron Feiner, who served in Gaza for 260 days and decided to stop.

Beijing (AFP) – A massive military parade begins in Beijing, attended by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Russia’s Vladimir Putin, with the two guests of honour flanking Chinese President Xi Jinping. Soldiers march in ranks with tanks and missile systems on display for the showpiece extravaganza marking 80 years since the end of World War II. IMAGES