Good evening. Trump says new talks with Iran could happen within the next two days in Islamabad, as the US maintains its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz with forces ready to board oil tankers from helicopters. Meanwhile, Lebanon and Israel are holding their first direct talks in decades in Washington, though fighting continues on the ground. The IMF warns that the UK faces the biggest economic hit from the Iran war among major economies, cutting growth forecasts as the conflict threatens to derail global recovery.
China is flooding global markets with subsidized high-tech goods in what analysts are calling "China shock 2.0," cutting through the world's most advanced industries with fierce competition and massive scale. Closer to home, JD Vance's political fortunes continue to shrink after recent setbacks, with his status as Trump's obvious successor now in serious doubt. Former NATO chief Lord Robertson is set to deliver a scathing speech accusing Starmer of "corrosive complacency" on UK security, warning that Treasury officials are committing "vandalism" against defense spending while the nation's security remains "in peril."