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Great power politics and regional security tensions dominate today’s update: China and Russia line up behind Venezuela as U.S. pressure intensifies; Sahel states signal a widening military campaign against extremists; and Ukraine pulls back from a contested eastern town amid heavy fighting.

Our main story examines Washington’s decision to deny visas to European figures over social media rules, highlighting a growing transatlantic rift over censorship, sovereignty, and digital regulation.

Read more below ⤵️

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇻🇪 🇨🇳 🇷🇺 China and Russia back Venezuela amid US pressure: China and Russia said they support Venezuela as the United States escalated pressure on President Nicolás Maduro, with Donald Trump again calling for him to leave power and stating that seized Venezuelan oil would be kept or sold by the US.

2️⃣ 🇲🇱 🇧🇫 🇳🇪 Sahel alliance plans large-scale anti-extremist operations: Leaders of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger said a newly launched joint military battalion should be followed by large-scale operations against extremist groups, after agreeing at a summit to deepen security and economic cooperation.

3️⃣ 🇱🇾 ✈️ Libyan army chief killed in Turkey plane crash: Libya’s chief of staff Mohammed Ali Ahmed al-Haddad was killed in a plane crash after departing Ankara, with Libya’s prime minister confirming his death along with four others following an official visit to Turkey.

4️⃣ 🇷🇺 🇸🇾 Putin meets Syrian ministers on strategic cooperation: Russian President Vladimir Putin met in Moscow with Syria’s foreign and defence ministers to discuss political, military and economic cooperation, with Syrian state media saying talks focused on defence industries and expanded trade ties.

5️⃣ 🇺🇦 🇷🇺 Ukraine withdraws from Siversk after heavy fighting: Ukraine’s military said it withdrew its forces from the eastern Donetsk town of Siversk due to Russia’s advantage in manpower and equipment, stating the move was intended to preserve troops while maintaining fire control over the area.

Major Story

🇺🇸 🇪🇺 US denies visas to former EU commissioner and others over social media censorship dispute

The US State Department said it would deny visas to five individuals, including former European commissioner Thierry Breton, accusing them of seeking to coerce American social media platforms into suppressing viewpoints they oppose. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the individuals were part of what he called a “global censorship-industrial complex” targeting American speech and companies.

Breton rejected the accusation and said a “witch hunt” was underway. US officials described him as a key figure behind the EU’s Digital Services Act, which imposes content-moderation obligations on platforms, a claim Brussels disputes as censorship.

Those also denied visas include representatives from the Global Disinformation Index, the Center for Countering Digital Hate, and the German organisation HateAid, all of whom said the bans amounted to repression and intimidation.

Other News

1️⃣ 🇺🇸 🇬🇱 Europe backs Greenland after Trump envoy appointment: European leaders expressed support for Greenland after Donald Trump appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as a special envoy, a move Trump linked to US national security and which Greenlandic and Danish officials rejected.

2️⃣ 🇹🇭 🇰🇭 Thailand–Cambodia border talks in doubt over venue dispute: A planned Thailand–Cambodia meeting to negotiate truce terms is uncertain after Cambodia requested talks be moved to Kuala Lumpur for security reasons, a proposal Thailand rejected in favour of holding them in Chanthaburi province.

3️⃣ 🇪🇬 🇮🇱 Report claims Egypt reviewing peace treaty with Israel: An Israeli news outlet reported that Egypt is moving toward reviewing and amending its 1979 peace treaty with Israel, citing Israeli intelligence claims of Egyptian air defence deployments in Sinai that were described as treaty violations.

4️⃣ 🇮🇱 🇵🇸 Israel approves 19 new West Bank settlements: Israel’s security cabinet approved the recognition of 19 new settlements in the occupied West Bank, a move proposed by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Defence Minister Israel Katz, with Smotrich saying it was intended to block the creation of a Palestinian state.

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