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Australia and India expand defence cooperation, UAE’s DP World renews its call for Somaliland’s recognition, and DR Congo’s president urges Rwanda to pursue peace as regional diplomacy falters.

In our lead story, Macron’s political crisis deepens as France faces paralysis and far-right surge.

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Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇺🇳 🇺🇸 UN to withdraw thousands of peacekeepers after US funding cuts: The United Nations will scale back its peacekeeping operations by roughly 25 percent, withdrawing up to 14,000 troops and police from missions including the DRC, South Sudan, and Lebanon. Secretary-General Guterres warned that despite representing just 0.5 percent of global military spending, UN peacekeeping remains among the world’s most cost-effective tools for maintaining international stability.

2️⃣ 🇨🇴 🇺🇸 Petro accuses Washington of killing Colombians in Caribbean strikes: Colombian President Gustavo Petro has accused the US of killing his citizens during recent airstrikes on boats in the Caribbean, calling the operations “a new theatre of war.” Washington denies the claim and demands a retraction, though unnamed US officials reportedly confirmed Colombians were among those killed. 

3️⃣ 🇵🇸 🇮🇱 🇹🇷 Turkey to oversee Gaza ceasefire implementation: Trump declared the agreement a “historic peace” but offered only brief acknowledgment of the more than 67,000 Palestinians killed in what is widely recognised as a genocide. Hamas said it had received international guarantees for a permanent ceasefire, while Turkey confirmed it will join the mission to oversee its implementation.

4️⃣ 🇸🇸 South Sudan peace deal unravels: Diplomats have warned of “repeated and consistent breaches” of South Sudan’s 2018 peace accord. Fighting between Kiir’s forces and Machar’s SPLM-IO faction has now escalated across multiple states, collapsing the ceasefire and threatening a return to full-scale war. 

5️⃣ 🇻🇳 🇰🇵 Vietnam’s Lam visits North Korea amid shifting global alignments: Vietnam’s Communist Party chief, To Lam, will travel to North Korea this week to attend celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the Workers’ Party of Korea—his country’s first such visit since 2007. While Western capitals view Pyongyang as a pariah, Hanoi treats it as a key partner in its balanced foreign policy, engaging across geopolitical divides to preserve regional stability and economic growth.

Major Story

🇫🇷 MACRON’S POLITICAL CRISIS DEEPENS AS FRANCE FACES PARALYSIS AND FAR-RIGHT SURGE

France’s political crisis escalated this week with the abrupt resignation of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and his ministers, just 14 hours after taking office. President Emmanuel Macron is now scrambling to name a replacement, as speculation mounts over whether he may be forced to dissolve parliament or even resign two years before his term ends. The collapse followed outrage from opposition parties after Lecornu’s cabinet largely recycled figures from previous governments, undermining his pledge to mark a “new start.” His downfall makes him the third prime minister in a year to fail to pass a budget amid mounting gridlock in the National Assembly.

Far-right momentum and economic anxiety

The National Rally, led by Marine Le Pen, continues to capitalise on France’s dysfunction, framing the chaos as proof of establishment failure. The far-right party, already buoyed by its landslide victory in the 2024 European elections, is now seen as a frontrunner in any snap vote. Meanwhile, investors are rattled. France’s debt has soared to €3.4 trillion, its deficit stands at 5.4 percent of GDP, and efforts to cut spending have repeatedly toppled governments. Financial markets fear paralysis in Europe’s second-largest economy could destabilise the eurozone and reignite concerns of another sovereign debt crisis.

Macron’s gamble and fading authority

The crisis underscores Macron’s diminishing control over a fragmented parliament, where his centrist bloc holds only a minority. His repeated attempts to govern through fragile coalitions have alienated allies and drained public confidence. Former prime ministers and senior figures from his camp have openly called for him to step aside, accusing him of gambling with the country’s stability to shape the political landscape ahead of the 2027 and 2032 elections. Once hailed as France’s great centrist reformer, Macron now presides over a government in freefall, with his legacy, and France’s political future, hanging in the balance.

Other News

1️⃣ 🇦🇪 🇸🇴 UAE’s DP World urges recognition of Somaliland: Dubai-based logistics giant DP World has joined calls for Somaliland’s international recognition, arguing it would boost regional trade and attract foreign investment. Somaliland President Abdirahaman Irro urged global powers to acknowledge his nation’s democratic credentials and distinct identity.

2️⃣ 🇮🇳 🇦🇺 Australia and India deepen defence cooperation: Australia and India have signed a new defence agreement aimed at strengthening military collaboration and safeguarding Indo-Pacific stability. Analysts say the accord underscores India’s pragmatic balancing act between China and the United States, using partnerships like the Quad to widen its strategic reach while preserving autonomy.

3️⃣ 🇧🇪 🇨🇩 🇷🇼 DR Congo leader calls on Rwanda to make peace as diplomacy stumbles: At a diplomatic forum in Brussels, Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi publicly urged his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, to “have the courage” to work with him toward peace in eastern DRC, calling for an end to the violence driven by the M23 rebels backed by Kigali. 

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Prisoners of Geography

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The World: A Brief Introduction

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