Moscow Stays Silent on Ukraine Deal, US Shutdown Approaches and Iran Rejects Nuclear Talks
Andrew Sheves Good morning.
🇺🇦 Ukraine Peace Deal Heads to Moscow
The BBC has a line-by-line breakdown of the proposed peace deal for Ukraine here. Russia’s Vladimir Putin has yet to respond to the proposed deal officially but US mediators head to Moscow soon to discuss the deal with the Russian leader.
🇺🇸 US Government Shutdown Looms
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer declared his party would block a Republican spending bill to avert Saturday’s government shutdown, demanding GOP acceptance of a one-month funding extension instead. The standoff raises shutdown risks amid market volatility from Trump’s tariff threats, though moderate Democrats like Senator John Fetterman have broken ranks, stating he would “never vote to shut down the government.” Republicans remain defiant with Senator John Cornyn dismissing Schumer’s threat as a bluff, while House Republicans have already left Washington for a two-week break. More - Bloomberg
🇮🇷 Iran Rejects Nuclear Talks
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed US President Donald Trump’s offer to negotiate over Iran’s nuclear program as “a deception aimed at shaping global opinion.” The rebuke came as Trump’s letter seeking negotiations was delivered to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi by the UAE’s diplomatic adviser, while Khamenei argued renewed talks would only “tighten the knot of sanctions.” Meanwhile, six UN Security Council members requested a closed-door meeting over Iran’s expanding stock of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity, approaching weapons-grade levels. More - AlJazeera
Asia Stability Ratings and News Summary
More Unstable
🇦🇫 Afghanistan, 🇦🇲 Armenia, 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan, 🇧🇩 Bangladesh, 🇰🇭 Cambodia, 🇨🇳 China, 🇹🇱 East Timor, 🇬🇪 Georgia, 🇮🇩 Indonesia, 🇯🇵 Japan, 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan, 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan, 🇱🇦 Laos, 🇲🇾 Malaysia, 🇲🇲 Myanmar, 🇳🇵 Nepal, 🇰🇵 North Korea, 🇵🇰 Pakistan, 🇵🇭 Philippines, 🇰🇷 South Korea, 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka, 🇹🇼 Taiwan, 🇹🇭 Thailand, 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan
More Stable
No countries were more stable over this period
Unchanged
🇧🇹 Bhutan, 🇧🇳 Brunei, 🇮🇳 India, 🇲🇻 Maldives, 🇲🇳 Mongolia, 🇸🇬 Singapore, 🇹🇯 Tajikistan, 🇹🇲 Turkmenistan, 🇻🇳 Vietnam
Asia News Summary
In Singapore, the government has made notable changes to its work permit policy, abolishing the maximum employment period and raising the age limit for work permit holders to 63. This initiative aims to attract and retain foreign talent, bolstering the nation’s economy amidst global competition for skilled labor. Additionally, Singapore has streamlined work visas for Indian professionals, positioning itself as an attractive alternative to the tightening immigration policies in the United States [[SOURCE - Channel News Asia]](https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/work-permit-no-maximum-employment-period-age-s-pass-foreign-workers-4981096?utm_
Carpe tomorrow!