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"Zelenskiy heads to Berlin for meeting with Trump."

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Daily Briefing

By Kate Turton

Hello. Ahead of a critical meeting between Trump and Putin, Ukraine's Zelenskiy heads to Berlin for an online meeting with Trump and European leaders. Elsewhere, the US embeds trackers in AI chip shipments to catch diversions to China, and we go inside the mine that feeds the tech world - and funds Congo’s rebels.

Today's Top News   Service members of the 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade fire a cannon of a BTR-4 armoured personnel carrier, Ukraine August 11, 2025. REUTERS/Sofiia Gatilova Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy travelled to Berlin for a German-hosted virtual meeting with Donald Trump and European leaders, two days before the US president meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Meanwhile, small bands of Russian soldiers thrust deeper into eastern Ukraine. A volunteer firefighter died from severe burns and several people were hospitalised in dozens of wildfires that raged across Spain, fuelled by strong winds and scorching heat. Militant group Hamas' chief negotiator held talks with Egyptian mediators over a potential ceasefire in the Gaza war while Israel struck the territory's main city prior to a planned takeover and again invited Palestinians to leave. Typhoon Podul blew through southern Taiwan packing winds of up to 118 mph and leaving one person missing, as a large swathe of the island shut down and hundreds of flights were cancelled. China's military said it monitored and "drove away" a US destroyer that sailed near the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, while the U.S. Navy said its action was in line with international law. Donald Trump's Navy and Air Force are poised to cancel two nearly complete software projects that took 12 years and well over $800 million combined to develop, work initially aimed at overhauling antiquated human resources systems. As a steady stream of uniformed soldiers arrived at the National Guard headquarters in Washington to begin the deployment of troops called up to fight crime in the nation's capital, Democrats raised concerns about which city might be next.

Business & Markets   Semiconductor chips are seen on a circuit board of a computer in this illustration picture taken February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Florence Lo/Illustration/File Photo US authorities have secretly placed location tracking devices in targeted shipments of advanced chips they see as being at high risk of illegal diversion to China, according to two people with direct knowledge of the previously unreported law enforcement tactic. Softer than anticipated inflation figures from the US have increased the likelihood of rate cut by the Fed next month. Dan Burns looks at how likely that is on the Reuters World News podcast. For more on markets, watch our daily rundown. China plans to boost domestic consumption by offering interest subsidies on loans to households and businesses, aiming to reduce borrowing costs and spur spending, Vice Finance Minister Liao Min said. Trump hit out at Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon, saying the bank had been wrong to predict US tariffs would hurt the economy and questioned whether Solomon should lead the Wall Street institution. Doctors advise most patients on GLP-1 obesity drugs such as Wegovy and Zepbound to stay on them to keep the weight off, but as more US insurers restrict coverage people are trimming costs by stretching doses or forgoing expenditures like vacations to pay for the medication out of pocket.

Inside the mine that feeds the tech world - and funds Congo’s rebels    A laborer grasps a sack of coltan ore at a mine near the town of Rubaya in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on March 24, 2025. REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra Under the watchful eye of M23 rebels in the hills around the Congolese town of Rubaya, a line of men in rubber boots ferry sacks full of crushed rocks up winding paths cut into the slopes. The laborers are hauling coltan ore, a mineral that powers the modern world. The ore will be loaded onto motorbikes and eventually shipped thousands of kilometers away to Asia. There it’s processed into tantalum, a heat-resistant metal that fetches more than $300 a kilogram and is in high demand by makers of mobile phones, computers, aerospace components and gas turbines. Read our investigation

And Finally... Waldog, a robotic dog used as a tool to raise awareness about animal adoption and abuse, Guadalupe, Mexico, August 8, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Becerril He walks, he talks, he runs and he plays. He's “Waldog,” an AI-powered robot that is making the rounds in the northern city of Monterrey in Mexico to raise awareness about animal abuse and welfare. With a metallic, friendly voice, Waldog is about the size of a beagle and initiates conversations with children and adults about animal rights. Read more

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