EU signs contract for 66 more satellites in its own communications network
The European Commission has signed a contract to add 66 satellites to IRIS², a planned European satellite network for secure communications.
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Written as it happened, and updated as it developed.
World ✳
US intelligence warns Putin could test NATO with a small attack
US intelligence believes Russian President Vladimir Putin might try a small military attack on a NATO country to test the alliance's response, according to the Wall Street Journal.
EU migration chief urges pressure on Morocco to prevent another Ceuta crossing
The EU's migration commissioner, Magnus Brunner, says Brussels should use trade deals and visa rules as leverage over Morocco to stop another mass crossing like the one a week earlier, when tens of thousands of migrants entered Ceuta, a Spanish territory on the coast of North Africa.
World ✳
Explosive drone found near Ukraine-bound plane at German airport
German officials found an explosive drone near a jet at Leipzig airport and are calling it a serious attack on Germany.
World ✳
EasyJet board backs $7bn US takeover after rival bidder drops out
EasyJet's board has chosen a takeover offer from Apollo Global Management, a US investment firm, worth £5.7bn, after a rival bidder, Castlelake, withdrew.
World ✳
UK sanctions Russian bank and oil tankers that dodge Western limits
Britain announced new sanctions on Russia, targeting Ozon Bank, a Russian online banking service, and ships from the 'shadow fleet,' a group of aging tankers with hidden owners that Russia uses to keep selling oil despite Western restrictions.
World ✳
NATO pledges more air defenses to Ukraine after Kyiv's worst night of Russian strikes
Kyiv had its worst night yet of Russian missile strikes, with air defenses failing to stop many missiles, including one that hit a resident's home.
World ✳
Ukraine Says Shortage of Patriot Missiles Is Costing Lives, Appeals to NATO Chief
Ukraine says it does not have enough Patriot air-defense missiles, called interceptors, to stop Russian missile attacks, and the shortage is costing lives after a deadly strike on Kyiv.
World ✳
Netanyahu says Israeli troops will stay in Gaza, rejecting Trump's deal
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a video statement that Israeli troops will not leave Gaza until Hamas gives up its weapons entirely, rejecting the terms of a Gaza ceasefire and disarmament deal that US President Donald Trump announced only days earlier.
World ✳
China hits back at US sanctions with blacklist and drone export limits
China announced new measures against the United States, including putting American firms on a trade blacklist and tightening controls on drone exports.
World ✳
Taiwan starts its biggest-ever military drills as China tensions rise
Taiwan began its largest annual military exercise, called Han Kuang, on Wednesday, testing how well its armed forces could respond to a potential attack by China.
World ✳
Iran, US and Oman say they're nearing a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz
Iran, the US and Oman say they are making progress on a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman that carries much of the world's oil shipping.