Ata mārie and welcome to your Thursday overview of the business and political stories making headlines.
First up, Russian President Vladimir Putin has spoken to US President Donald Trump by phone and there appears to be no immediate peace solution for Ukraine.
Putin said he was obligated to respond to Ukraine’s weekend drone attack, setting up a potential escalation in the conflict, CNN reported.
Trump said the 75-minute conversation would not end the war in Ukraine immediately.
“We discussed the attack on Russia’s docked airplanes, by Ukraine, and also various other attacks that have been taking place by both sides,” Trump said.
“It was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate peace. President Putin did say, and very strongly, that he will have to respond to the recent attack on the airfields.”
CNBC reported that Trump and Putin also discussed Iran, and that time was running out for Iran’s decision about nuclear weapons. Earlier, the BBC said a report by the UN nuclear watchdog concluded Iran had increased production of enriched uranium, a key component in making nuclear weapons.
Elsewhere, the White House signalled that the UK could be spared from the fresh 50% steel and aluminium tariffs this week, the Guardian reported.
Trump said he had decided to “provide different treatment” to the UK, after a trade deal was agreed but has yet to be signed between the two countries.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that deal would be implemented “within a very short time”.
US President Donald Trump.
Meanwhile, a provision in the more than 1000-page ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ concerned foreign investors, the BBC reported.
Section 899, known as the "revenge tax" by critics, could allow the US to impose higher taxes on investors from countries with tax policies that the US does not like.
The BBC said that could include digital services taxes on technology companies. The bill passed narrowly in the House of Representatives but still faces Senate scrutiny.
If passed, Section 899 could raise tax burdens for multinationals, investors, and wealthy families, which could put US investment on ice, the BBC noted.
In Gaza, around 100 Palestinians had been killed and 440 injured after a series of attacks by Israel over the past 24 hours, Al Jazeera reported.
Israel’s military warned starving people to avoid aid distribution sites run by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. That was because of a planned closure for renovation and reorganisation, along with “efficiency improvement” work.
The BBC also said that roads leading to the distribution centres were considered "combat zones" during the closures.
Destroyed homes in Gaza.
In business news, Nissan’s new chief executive, Ivan Espinosa, was brushing off a tough global economy, competition from China, and trade tariffs, with the need to stay flexible, CNBC reported.
“Keep the optimism up, because the environment is very tough, and you don’t want to get overwhelmed. You need to keep moving.
“It’s a very turbulent environment we live in. In the past, some CEOs were very stubborn, very resistant to change. You need to stay open and stay flexible.”
He noted more collaboration in the automotive industry in the face of growing geopolitical tension and supply chain challenges. “Sometimes, it’s just not possible to go it alone.”
Finally, a story from the quirky files, after a large elephant entered a shop in Thailand in search of food, CNN reported.
CCTV footage revealed the hungry animal entered the convenience store and helped itself to snacks this week.
“The elephant just walked right up. I came out and tried to shoo it away. I told it not to come closer,” shop owner Khamploi Kakaew told CNN.
The shop is located northeast of the capital Bangkok, near the Khao Yai National Park.
