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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, Indonesian forces have seized a Papua village after a deadly clash with separatists.

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

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Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇭🇺 🇺🇸 🇷🇺 🇺🇦 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.

2️⃣ 🇻🇪 🇺🇸 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.

3️⃣ 🇮🇳 🇷🇺 India disputes US claim that Modi agreed to end Russian oil imports: Trump had told reporters that Modi assured him India would “soon stop buying oil from Russia,” but Indian officials contradicted this. Despite Washington’s growing pressure and steep new tariffs, Delhi has defended its right to source affordable energy from Moscow, while emphasising that its energy policy is guided by national interests, not foreign demands.

4️⃣ 🇮🇱 🇵🇸 Israel-backed clans and gangs clash with Hamas amid fragile ceasefire: Despite the ceasefire, violence in Gaza persists as powerful family clans and armed gangs—some of which Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has acknowledged arming and supporting—confront Hamas, leaving dozens dead.

5️⃣ 🇮🇷 🇺🇳 Iranian tankers broadcast locations in defiance of renewed UN sanctions: For the first time in over seven years, Iranian-flagged oil tankers have begun transmitting their real positions via the global tracking system AIS. Analysts suggest Tehran may be testing U.S. and European resolve, daring them to enforce sanctions while signalling to global markets—and especially China—that its oil exports remain steady despite renewed pressure.

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 🇮🇩 Indonesian forces seize Papua village after deadly clash with separatists: Indonesia’s military says it has taken a village in Central Papua after a six-hour battle with separatist rebels that left 14 insurgents dead. The fighting marks the latest escalation in Papua’s decades-long conflict, which has intensified amid growing accusations of civilian targeting and military abuses.

2️⃣ 🇨🇳 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. 

3️⃣ 🇺🇸 🇸🇦 Washington hesitates to sell F-35s to Riyadh: The US remains reluctant to approve Saudi Arabia’s purchase of F-35 stealth fighters, constrained by laws ensuring Israel’s regional military superiority. Analysts doubt Riyadh would settle for F-16s, given its already advanced fleet of Western jets, though a deal involving co-production and technology transfers could entice the Kingdom. 

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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