With Japan, China and others reaching framework trade deals with the US, South Korea hopes that it can be next as the countdown to the 1 August tariff deadline continues.

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Monocle’s Paris bureau chief, Simon Bouvier, and foreign editor, Alexis Self, discuss France and Germany’s dissent to the EU-US trade deal, calling it an act of “submission”. Plus: Japanese pictograms take London.

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The latest on Israel’s military pauses to allow aid into Gaza. Then: Thailand and Cambodia agree to a ceasefire in Malaysia. Plus: Japan’s newest theme park and UAE papers.

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French president Emmanuel Macron’s decision to formally recognise a Palestinian state draws sharp criticism from Israel and the US, while garnering support from several European and Arab leaders.

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Deadly escalations at the disputed Thailand-Cambodia border fuel fears that violence could spill into a broader conflict. Monocle’s Asia editor, James Chambers, has the latest from Bangkok. 

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We discuss the fallout from protests in Ukraine after president Zelensky signed a bill that critics say undermines anti-corruption bodies. As Kyiv and Moscow meet in Istanbul, will Ukraine’s internal strife affect negotiations? 

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Ukraine-Russia peace talks set for tomorrow and what does a ‘Japanese First’ approach mean for defence? Plus: North Korea’s new beach resort struggles to attract visitors and Spain reforms its Franco-era Official Secrets Law. 

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Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky asks for peace negotiations to restart; former Brazil president Jair Bolsonaro to wear an ankle tag; and the Philippines’ president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, visits Washington. Plus: the latest fashion news.

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Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, resets UK relations but tussles with Brussels’ budget. Plus: Milan’s mayoral woes, the UK lowers the voting age and how Superman overcame an attempted Maga backlash.

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President Trump hosted Qatar’s prime minister and Bahrain’s Crown Prince, reinforcing a growing diplomatic push in the Gulf. We discuss the strategy and why US engagement with the region is intensifying.

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