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This is the World In Brief from The Economist.

Our top stories. Donald Trump cancelled the trip of Steve Whitkoff and Jared Kushner, two of his envoys, to Pakistan, after Iranian officials said that peace talks there would not be face to face.

Instead, Abbasarachi, Iran's foreign minister, held talks with Shabashir, Pakistan's Prime Minister, and Assim Mnir,

the army chief in Islamabad. Details were scant, but Mr. Arachi said he had shared Iran's views

and considerations on ending the war. Militants in Mali launched a series of coordinated attacks

against towns and cities across the country. The army, which said the

situation was under control, did not identify the groups. But a Tuareg-led separatist group

claims to have taken control of the northern town of Gidal. The south has long been threatened

by jihadists linked to al-Qaeda and Islamic State. Russia fired 47 missiles and more than 600 drones at Ukraine overnight.

Ukraine said it had intercepted most of these, though only seven people were killed,

including five in the city of Nipro.

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