Cutting costs. German car parts manufacturer Bosch said it plans to cut 3,800 jobs in Germany by the end of 2027 to reduce costs in an increasingly competitive market. The company will eliminate 5,550 jobs in total, with more cuts to come after 2027, and plans to make significant investments in new technologies. Meanwhile, Volkswagen told Germany’s Welt am Sonntag newspaper that despite criticism from workers’ unions it would move ahead with plans to close three factories, which will result in thousands of lost jobs. Moving ahead. The deputy foreign ministers from Iran, France, Germany and Britain will meet on Nov. 29, a spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry said. The representative added that they will discuss regional and international issues, including the situation in the Palestinian territories and Lebanon, as well as Iran’s nuclear program. Citing diplomatic sources, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported that Tehran wants to reach a deal to break the impasse over its nuclear activities before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. Israel update. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly approved a U.S.-backed cease-fire deal with Hezbollah “in principle.” The agreement is not final, as some details are still being worked out. This comes after the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, Amos Hochstein, apparently told the Israeli government over the weekend that the Biden administration would give up its efforts to reach a cease-fire if it did not accept the terms of the current deal. Relatedly, the commander of the U.S. Army’s Central Command, Erik Kurilla, arrived in Israel on Friday, for talks with the chief of the Israeli army’s General Staff. Clashes in Turkey. Protesters and police clashed after the mayors of two towns in Turkey’s eastern province of Tunceli were jailed for allegedly having links to the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party. Residents in the majority Kurdish towns set fires in the streets as police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds. The mayors were sentenced to six years in prison and replaced in their roles by trustees. Contingency plans. The U.S. will deploy missile units to Japan’s southwestern Nansei island chain and the Philippines if there is a confrontation around Taiwan, Japan’s Kyodo news agency reported. According to the story, temporary bases would be set up on uninhabited islands on the island chain, and the Japan Self-Defense Force will provide logistical support as part of a contingency plan between the U.S. and Japan to respond to a potential crisis. Iranian objections. Iran sent a note of protest over the weekend to Russia’s Foreign Ministry over the detention of two Iranian students in the Russian city of Kazan. Their arrests reportedly followed a fight that erupted among a group of students waiting at a local visa extension office. The Iranians were allegedly involved in the brawl and beaten by Russian police before being arrested. Unprepared. Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.K. said Europe is not ready for a prolonged war with Russia. Valerii Zaluzhnyi, who is also the former commander in chief of Ukraine’s armed forces, said in a new interview with the Ukrainska Pravda news outlet that his country has been the target of 3,000 Russian missiles this month, and that Britain and every other country in Europe are not prepared for such an onslaught. Transport news. ADY Express, a subsidiary of Azerbaijan Railways, signed several cooperation agreements to promote development of the Middle Corridor transport route on the sidelines of a logistics exhibition in Istanbul. The documents include a memorandum of strategic partnership with China-based Neptune Logistics and an agreement with Turkish transport firm Pasifik Eurasia. Drills between neighbors. Azerbaijan and Iran launched four-day joint military exercises in Iran’s Ardabil province. The drills, which involve special forces units from both countries’ militaries, are aimed at strengthening relations, combatting illegal armed organizations and enhancing border security. India's arms industry. India has delivered the first batch of Pinaka multiple-launch rocket systems to Armenia, India’s ANI news agency reported. The two countries signed a deal on the supply of the weapons two years ago after lengthy negotiations.