Sean's Daily Digest

Kushner-Netanyahu talks end without Gaza breakthrough as Hamas disarmament terms disputed

Ongoing · day 3

Kushner's two days of meetings with Hamas and Netanyahu ended without a breakthrough on the Trump Gaza plan, with no firm commitments secured from either side. Netanyahu and Kushner agreed that a U.S. general would verify Hamas disarmament before Israel withdraws from Gaza, with one report indicating disarmament could begin within 30 days. President Trump publicly called on Israel to stop striking Gaza, comments that came as Kushner was meeting with Netanyahu.

Russia's anti-war Yabloko appeal fails; deputy leader jailed 11 years

Russia's Supreme Court upheld its ban on the liberal Yabloko party from September's parliamentary elections, minutes before a separate court sentenced Yabloko deputy chair Lev Shlosberg to 11 years and one month in a penal colony for 'discrediting' the armed forces. Dozens of supporters were detained outside the court. Yabloko was Russia's only registered party to oppose the war in Ukraine.

Meta trial over child social media addiction opens in California

Opening statements began Tuesday in a federal trial in Oakland in which four US states — California, Colorado, Kentucky, and New Jersey — accuse Meta of deliberately designing Facebook and Instagram to be addictive to minors and of collecting data on children under 13 without parental consent. The states, part of a coalition of 29 that sued Meta in 2023, are seeking around $200 billion in damages as well as changes to Meta's platforms. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify.

European wildfires spread; French PM jeered, Belgium fire approaches Germany

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu was heckled by residents of Le Porge — where 183 homes burned down last month — as he announced €12 million in aid for fire-hit regions. Belgium's blaze in the High Fens nature park, described as the country's largest in modern history, continued to spread despite rain and assistance from Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden. In Greece, two people died and hundreds were evacuated after twin fires broke out on the island of Salamina, and a Spanish soldier was killed in a wildfire in Aragon.

Zambia's Hichilema wins second term with 60% of the vote

Ongoing · day 3

Hakainde Hichilema has won re-election as Zambia's president, securing approximately 60% of valid votes to challenger Brian Mundubile's 38%, giving Hichilema a clear first-round victory. Attacks on election officials briefly halted the vote count during the tallying process, adding to concerns about election-night violence. Despite winning, Hichilema's margin was dented by cost-of-living pressures, with opposition candidate Brian Mundubile putting in an unexpectedly strong showing by capitalising on public frustration with the economy.

PLA runs wartime cash-delivery drill simulating Taiwan operation; Taiwan signs underwater drone deal

China's People's Liberation Army conducted a drill in which a drone delivered cases of gold bars and cash — including New Taiwan dollars and US dollars — in what state media described as a 'wartime financial support' exercise, apparently simulating conditions of a Taiwan operation; the report was later deleted. Separately, Taiwan's defence research agency signed a deal with US start-up Vatn Systems to develop autonomous underwater vehicles to strengthen its asymmetric warfare capabilities.

Myanmar's Min Aung Hlaing meets Putin in Moscow, seeking arms and economic deals

Myanmar's president Min Aung Hlaing arrived in Moscow on Tuesday for talks with Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, and State Duma chairman Vyacheslav Volodin, as well as a Myanmar-Russia Business Forum, in his first visit to Russia since taking office in April. The two countries are expected to sign several agreements; Russia has supplied more than $400 million in weapons to Myanmar since the 2021 coup, according to a UN report, and is cooperating on a nuclear power plant project through Rosatom.

Apple's camera AirPods surface in leaked video; Germany orders ATT consent redesign

A video clip found in an Apple macOS beta showed a man wearing what appeared to be camera-equipped AirPods using a Visual Intelligence feature to identify a book; the clip showed a design resembling a thicker AirPods Pro with longer stems. Separately, Germany's Federal Cartel Office said Apple must redesign its App Tracking Transparency consent prompts within four months after finding that Apple's own apps received more favourable prompts than third-party developers, with the changes to apply across most EU countries.

Bond markets sell off globally as Iran war and fiscal fears push US 30-year yields to 2007 high

US 30-year Treasury yields hit their highest level since 2007 as bond markets from the US to Japan sold off, driven by Iran war concerns, oil price rises, and growing worries about government borrowing costs. Foreign holdings of US Treasuries fell in June, led by Japan, the UK, and China, with China cutting its holdings to a nearly 18-year low.

Canada races to avert 50% US tariffs as Wednesday deadline approaches

Ongoing · day 2

Canada faces a midnight Tuesday deadline to avoid new 50% U.S. tariffs, with negotiators described as still far apart on a deal. Prime Minister Mark Carney says he expects to speak directly with President Trump before the tariff deadline. Canadian negotiators met with U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick as trade talks intensified ahead of the Wednesday deadline.