Latest news for 28 April 2025

UKRAINE

Did Trump and Zelensky patch things up at pope’s funeral?

Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart sat for a brief one-on-one in St Peter's Basilica just before the pope’s funeral on Saturday. It was their first face-to-face since that Oval Office showdown, and it looked pretty cordial. (France24)Comment: This latest chat seems to have left its mark, with Trump later mulling publicly whether Putin is even serious about peace or if he’s just “tapping me along” (Putin’s history and actions point to the latter) — but Trump also later noted he thinks Zelensky is ready to cede Crimea to Russia as part of a peace deal.

US

Trump wants free passage for US ships.

The US president is calling on US ships, both commercial and military, to get free passage through the Panama and Suez Canals. About 5% of global trade passes through the Panama Canal, while that figure reached 10% for the Suez before the Houthis started attacking ships in transit. (The Guardian)

Netherlands

Another big ASML breakthrough?

There’s speculation Dutch tech firm ASML, the world’s pioneer in ultra-advanced chipmaking machines, is now working on a breakthrough 3-pulse EUV light source that could massively accelerate future chipmaking progress. (SemiWiki)

Comment: This firm has been at the heart of US efforts to curb China’s tech access, and each new advance could just heighten the impact of those existing US controls. There’s also been some renewed buzz about China’s ability to keep advancing without access to ASML tech, perhaps pulling another Deepseek — but as we noted two years ago, China is still bumping up against some hard laws of physics.

CANADA

Driver kills 11 just before elections.

Police have apprehended a suspect on charges he drove a vehicle through a large crowd in Vancouver, killing at least eleven. It comes just as Canadians head to the polls to elect their next government today (Monday), though initial reports suggest the driver had no political or ideological motive. (CNN)

INDIA

Delhi’s navy flexes in the Arabian Sea.

The Indian navy has tested anti-ship missiles in another show of force aimed at its neighbour Pakistan. The test seems to have been a response to Pakistan’s own claimed missile tests, as India vows retaliation for last week’s Kashmir terrorist attack. (TOI)

IRAN

How did Iran’s top port explode?

At least 40 have died and hundreds more have been injured in a huge explosion at Iran’s biggest commercial port. Word is it involved a shipment of solid fuel for Iran’s ballistic missiles. (BBC) Comment: The presence of missile inputs leads to two possibilities: either a) the material was poorly handled and blew-up, a-la Beirut in 2020, or b) someone like Israel’s security services timed a sabotage trigger to coincide with delivery at port, to maximise both Iranian embarrassment and Israeli plausible deniability. Iran is not suggesting any foul play at this stage (doing so might be a little embarrassing).

Brazil

Hairdresser gets 14 years over coup plot.

A court has jailed a 39-year-old woman for 14 years over her role in the Brazilian capital’s 2023 unrest, including famously writing on a statue with lipstick. While her case went beyond the ‘lipstick coup’ incident, it’s become a rallying point for locals claiming former president Bolsonaro and his supporters are being persecuted. (The Indian Express)