| Russia and its ally Belarus start their Zapad wargames today, though the drills are likely to be much smaller than the last such exercises in 2021, when 200,000 troops were mobilized months before President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine. They’re taking place as NATO prepares to strengthen defensive measures after Russian attack drones breached Polish territory, an incursion Trump said may have been a “mistake.” China urged Mexico to “think twice” before levying trade tariffs, a warning that could signal Beijing’s willingness to retaliate over a move it sees as giving into demands from the Trump administration. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is set to meet with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Madrid to discuss trade and security issues in another sign that talks between the two sides are heating up. Meanwhile, the US and India are close to resolving differences over a trade deal, according to Trump’s pick for ambassador. The ouster of the UK’s ambassador to the US, Peter Mandelson, raises fresh questions about Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, who sources say was instrumental in the envoy’s appointment and spent recent days defending him. Once known as the “Prince of Darkness” for his capacity for political intrigue and spin, Mandelson was fired after Bloomberg published a series of emails between him and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Qatar branded Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “shameful” and “reckless” after he threatened the Gulf state with further military strikes if it doesn’t either expel or bring to justice Hamas members on its territory. We take a closer look in this explainer at the Islamist Palestinian group that provoked a major new war in Gaza with an attack on Israel almost two years ago. President Alexander Stubb of Finland is in regular contact with his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, and with the US president, earning his seat at the top table of diplomacy and punching way above his country’s weight. Stubb is the first guest of Bloomberg Originals’ new series, Leaders with Francine Lacqua, in which he opens up about his motivations and influences, on resilience and why Finland is worth listening to.  Bloomberg TV’s Francine Lacqua and Stubb during an interview in May. Source: Bloomberg Trump asked a federal appeals court to immediately pause a lower-court decision blocking his ouster of Fed Governor Lisa Cook, the latest sign that the administration wants to put the case on a fast track to the US Supreme Court. Nepal’s protest leaders and the army have been holding talks for two days to choose an interim prime minister and restore order after deadly unrest toppled the Himalayan nation’s senior leadership this week. Hundreds of South Korean workers detained last week in a US immigration sweep returned home to a rousing welcome, ending a weeklong ordeal in an episode that has raised doubts about Korean investment and strained ties between the two allies.  Workers detained in the US immigration sweep arrive in Incheon, South Korea, today. Photographer: SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg A lawyer for former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has asked the International Criminal Court to indefinitely suspend all legal proceedings against him, citing his deteriorating health. Don’t miss from Bloomberg Weekend: Jonathan Wilson looks at the potential for the US to score a diplomatic own goal when it hosts next year’s football World Cup, and Subhadip Sircar and Saikat Das provide this update on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bid to build an international finance hub from scratch. Subscribe to the Bloomberg Weekend newsletter here.  Modi’s planned finance hub has lured global banks with tax breaks and sleek infrastructure. Photographer: Elke Scholiers/Bloomberg | 
