DIEGO GARCIA - Britain is to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius - however, there will be an exception for the key island of Diego Garcia, which is home to a joint UK-US military base, and which will remain under UK control. Plans for the base were the reason the UK severed the Chagos Islands from the rest of Mauritius when it granted the latter independence in 1968 and forcibly displaced up to 2,000 people. Despite Biden’s endorsement, and the fact that negotiations were begun under the Conservative government, all four Conservative leadership candidates – including James Cleverly, who as foreign secretary, announced the discussions – condemned the deal as being harmful to the UK’s interests.

UK - Sir Keir Starmer has sparked fears over the futures of Gibraltar and the Falklands after giving away the Chagos Islands. The Prime Minister’s decision to authorise the handover of the strategic archipelago to Mauritius was condemned as “utterly shameful”. Downing Street announced it was ending 200 years of British rule by ceding sovereignty of the territory, which hosts the Diego Garcia airbase that the UK operates with the US. The territory will come under Mauritius’s jurisdiction despite concerns over its closeness to China, with whom it signed an unprecedented trade deal in 2021.

UK - The UK's biggest steelworks has shut down production after more than 100 years, leading to thousands of job losses across South Wales. Blast Furnace 4 - the final furnace operating at Tata Steel's plant in Port Talbot - was fully closed down this afternoon, with the last steel expected to be made late on Monday evening. Plumes of white steam could be seen being vented from the furnace for the final time just after 5pm on Monday, marking the end of traditional steelmaking in Wales. A spokesperson confirmed the last iron had been "tapped" - the process of removing molten iron from the blast furnace.

USA - The US ports strike that shut down shipping on the east and Gulf coasts for three days came to an end on Thursday after dock workers struck a tentative deal with port operators. The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) announced that the union had reached an agreement with the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX) on wages, suspending their walkout until January. Work would resume immediately, the union said. The strike – which involved 45,000 workers across 36 ports, from Texas to Maine – was the first to hit the east and Gulf coast ports of the US since 1977. Concern had been mounting about the potential economic impact of the strike, and the threat of shortages. JP Morgan analysts estimated the walkout could cost the US economy as much as $5 billion a day.

USA - For decades, weather manipulation programs, commonly dismissed as conspiracy theories, have been secretly carried out by governments worldwide. Recently uncovered official documents reveal the horrifying truth: governments have been deliberately altering weather patterns using toxic chemicals, aerosols, and metal oxides with devastating consequences for human health and the environment. The use of chemtrails — a term used to describe the trails left by planes injecting harmful chemicals into the atmosphere — has long been a subject of debate. Yet, despite denials by governments and mainstream media, a growing body of evidence shows that these programs are not only real but have severe consequences for the environment and public health. As this debate continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the age of weather warfare is upon us, and its consequences could be far worse than we ever imagined.

USA - Strike – the first by port workers on US east coast since 1977 – threatens to shut down ports from Maine to Texas. Biden urges port operators to increase wages after 45,000 workers go on strike. Joe Biden has urged port operators to give workers a “meaningful increase” in pay after tens of thousands went on strike, prompting some of the busiest ports in the US to brace for crippling disruption. About 45,000 port workers represented by the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) began walking off the job after their contracts expired at midnight, with 36 ports along the east and Gulf coasts affected. They typically handle about half of the nation’s ocean shipping. As workers joined picket lines at ports including Philadelphia, Houston and Virginia in the early hours, economists have warned that failure to end the strike swiftly could lead to shortages and higher prices.

USA - Port workers have some of the highest wages among blue-collar workers. Under the current contract with the East Coast union, a top-scale longshoreman could earn up to $39 an hour, which translates to about $81,000 a year. But many workers take overtime and extra shifts that have higher rates. Neither the union nor the ports have disclosed exact pay levels. But according to a 2020 report by the Waterfront Commission, the regulator that oversees New York Harbor, more than half of the longshoremen based there made $150,000 or more. The ILA is asking for a $5-an-hour raise for each of the six years of the new contract, which means the hourly rate could reach $69 by 2030.

MIDDLE EAST - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a powerful message Tuesday, reaffirming Israel’s unwavering resolve to defend itself against Iran’s regime and its proxies. Netanyahu made a bold declaration: Iran’s regime is nearing its end, and the people of Iran will soon experience a freedom they have long been denied. Netanyahu also addressed the Iranian people directly. He spoke sympathetically to the Iranian populace, painting a vivid picture of how their regime was wasting resources on foreign conflicts while the people themselves suffered. "I know you don’t support the rapists and murderers of Hamas and Hezbollah, but your leaders do. You deserve more. The people of Iran should know – Israel stands with you. May we together know a future of prosperity and peace.”

ISRAEL - Iran’s decision to launch about 180 high-speed ballistic missiles at Israel indicates that Tehran sought to inflict serious damage in Tuesday’s night attack, unlike the well-telegraphed drone and missile attack in April. Their sheer speed makes ballistic weapons challenging to intercept, but the initial reports of no fatalities within Israel and one in the West Bank would suggest despite the numbers of missiles launched it was a military failure, though some of the weapons or fragments appear to have struck the ground. Firing so many ballistic missiles in a few minutes also represents a serious effort to overwhelm or exhaust Israel’s air defences. Because they are sophisticated, the interceptor missiles are expensive – and their stocks uncertain.

USA - The global standing of the US has been called into question by the Ukraine conflict, the country’s Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander admitted on Tuesday. The senior official tried to allay concerns regarding the future of Washington’s security cooperation with its Western European allies when it comes to dealing with Russia. Speaking during a panel discussion at the Warsaw Security Forum this week, Wallander argued that “American global credibility is at stake” in Ukraine. In light of this challenge, she continued, “the United States and Europe… must work together for credible defense and deterrence against Russia.” “The United States needs Europe – it’s not just Europe that needs the United States,” Wallander said.