U.S.-Iran diplomacy. Washington and Tehran will hold talks next week, Trump said yesterday. He cautioned that the talks might not result in a new nuclear agreement but that “we want no nuclear.” Iran did not immediately confirm plans for talks, though U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said the two countries had been in touch in recent days. In a video released today, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei congratulated Iranians for what he called a victory over Israel and the United States in the recent conflict, saying “nothing significant” had come of U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
Pullout from vaccine initiative. U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said Washington will suspend contributions to Gavi, an international vaccine alliance, claiming it was not following scientific practices. Gavi rejected those accusations, saying its “utmost concern is the safety and health of children.” The United States currently funds around 13 percent of the agency, which helps buy vaccines for children in low-income countries.
New UK fighter jets. The United Kingdom (UK) plans to buy U.S.-made F-35A warplanes that can carry tactical nuclear weapons, giving its air force the capability to deploy such weapons for the first time since the end of the Cold War. The UK’s already existing nuclear arsenal is designed to be launched from submarines. The announcement could allow for U.S. nuclear weapons to be stored on UK soil for the first time since 2008.
Iran’s internal crackdown. Iran’s government executed three people on Wednesday accused of spying for Israel, and Iranian authorities have arrested more than seven hundred people in recent days, reports from semi-official news agencies said. The crackdown comes after Israeli media aired footage that appeared to show Israeli agents firing weapons from inside Iran during the recent war. Human rights groups have warned that Iranian authorities could sweep up innocent people; Iran’s embassy in London did not immediately comment.
Flight to space station. A four-person flight arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) today that included the first Hungarian, Indian, and Polish astronauts to visit the research center. The three governments sponsored the flight, which was run by private U.S. space company Axiom. A retired NASA astronaut was its commander.
Deadly protests in Kenya. At least sixteen people died and hundreds more were injured after protesters clashed with police during demonstrations Wednesday. The protests were intended to commemorate the one-year anniversary of tax-hike protests that also turned deadly. The casualties were counted by Kenya’s national commission on human rights, Amnesty International said. Kenya’s government ordered broadcasters not to cover the protests live.
Indonesia’s green investments. The Indonesia Investment Authority, one of the country’s sovereign wealth funds, aims to grow its renewable energy investments from 12 percent to as much as 20 percent of its portfolio by the end of this year, its CEO told Nikkei at an energy summit. The top investment officer of Danatara, another sovereign wealth fund launched earlier this year, said it hopes to invest in upgrades to the country’s electric grid.
U.S. targets Mexican firms. The U.S. Treasury Department accused three well-known Mexican financial services firms of facilitating payments for fentanyl trafficking, and announced they would be banned from certain interactions with the U.S. financial system. Mexico’s Treasury Ministry said it had asked Washington for details of the accusations but that it did not immediately receive evidence. The sanctions are the Treasury Department’s first actions under new authorities from a law against fentanyl smuggling enacted last year.
