Author: Publisher
Goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada, who made his international debut last year, made six saves as Qatar grabbed a dramatic 1-1 late equaliser against Switzerland to earn their…
US President Donald Trump said Monday a preliminary agreement to end the war in the Gulf has already been signed by the United States and Iran, though details have yet to be made public.”The deal’s all signed,” Trump said after he arrived in France for a summit of the G7 group of big economies, adding that Vice President JD Vance would attend a formal signing ceremony in Geneva on Friday.The agreement would reopen the blockaded Strait of Hormuz and extend a ceasefire for 60 days, allowing negotiators to tackle difficult issues like the future of Iran’s nuclear programme. Oil prices fell to their lowest level since March 10, shortly after the conflict cut off one-fifth of the world’s oil supply.The deal is the most significant step yet to resolve the conflict, which has killed at least 7,000 people, mostly in Iran and Lebanon, and upended global energy markets. But much about the agreement remains unknown.US and Iranian officials say it could eventually deliver substantial economic benefits to Iran by lifting sanctions, unfreezing foreign assets, and setting up a $300bn reconstruction fund, paid for by neighboring Gulf allies.US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Iran would have to satisfy US demands never to build a nuclear weapon and cut off support for Hezbollah in order to get those benefits.Details will be released sometime over the next two days, US officials said.Trump appears to have achieved little of what he set out to do when he launched strikes on Iran with Israel on February 28. Iran’s theocratic government remains in place, while his demands that Tehran dismantle its ballistic missile programme and end support for Hezbollah remain unmet.It also does not resolve the fate of Iran’s uranium stockpile. Iranian officials, who have always denied intending to build a nuclear weapon, say they have given up little.While the deal lifts Iran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, that only restores the prewar status quo and shippers say navigation will only restart once safety is assured.Iran has suggested it will retain control with Oman over the strait. The United States says the strait will be open toll-free for 60 days and said it would expect that provision to be part of a final agreement as well.The parallel war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, which has uprooted 1.2mn people, also remains a sticking point.Iran has said the deal requires a full cessation of hostilities there, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel would keep its forces in southern Lebanon and would retain the right to respond to Hezbollah attacks. “Iran wanted us to withdraw from it, but I stood firm,” he said at a news conference, where he acknowledged that he and Trump have had their differences over the conflict.A US official said Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon was not a condition of the deal. Related Story Source link
Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku came off the bench after the hour to force Egypt’s Mohamed Hany into an own goa in Seattle. (AFP) Belgium and Egypt drew 1-1 in their World Cup opener after a second-half Belgian equaliser spoiled Mohamed Salah’s 34th birthday.Emam Ashour opened the scoring early in the first half in Seattle, before Romelu Lukaku came off the bench after the hour to force Egypt’s Mohamed Hany into an own goal.With the draw, seven-time Africa Cup of Nations champions Egypt’s wait for a first victory at a World Cup goes on.This is their fourth participation in the global showpiece and with Group G fixtures to come against Iran and New Zealand, they will hope to break that hoodoo in North America.For Belgium, this tournament is likely the last chance for the remnants of their golden generation to better their third-placed finish in Russia eight years ago and finally win silverware.Veterans Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois and Lukaku are the main protagonists of that group still involved in Rudi Garcia’s squad.With all eyes in the Pacific Northwest on Salah and De Bruyne, it was the ex-Manchester City playmaker that created the first moment of note in the match when he dragged a sharp effort narrowly wide in the seventh minute.However, it was Ashour who upstaged the pair just before the hydration break when he received the ball in a similar position to De Bruyne but his sweetly-struck effort left Courtois no chance as it whistled into the bottom-right corner.It was just the second time in their history that Egypt had taken the lead in a World Cup match — after Salah opened the scoring in a 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia in 2018.De Bruyne came within inches of levelling early in the second period when he whipped a close-range free-kick over the Egyptian wall, only to see it rocket off the outside of the post.Salah responded at the other end as he ghosted into the box but had his downward header punched away by Courtois with Ashour getting his follow-up effort all wrong.The match became stretched as both sides came close on a couple of occasions, including a screaming left-footed volley by Belgian captain Youri Tielemans.With 65 minutes gone, Rudi Garcia decided to send on Lukaku.The change immediately paid dividends as Belgium’s all-time top goalscorer showed his predatory instincts to dash in on a Thomas Meunier cross, with his presence enough to destabilize Hany who put through his own net.Salah departed the field with 15 minutes remaining as Egypt sought to shut up shop and ultimately held out for a point. Related Story Source…
The discussion focused on the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals, established by the Council in 2010 to carry forward essential functions after the closure of…
At the Human Rights Council in Geneva, deputy UN rights chief Awa Dabo stressed how disruption to shipping in the Gulf’s narrow strait and the US…
US President Donald Trump announced that a peace agreement has been reached with Iran.In a post on the Truth Social platform, the US president said, “The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all.””I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade. Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow,” Trump added. Source link
Tunisia suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat to Sweden in its opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, during the game played at Monterrey Stadium in the Mexican city of Guadalupe as part of the first round of Group F.Sweden’s five goals were scored by Yasin Ayari in the 7th and 96th minutes, Alexander Isak in the 30th minute, Viktor Gyokeres in the 59th minute, and Mattias Svanberg in the 84th minute.Tunisia’s lone goal was scored by Omar Rekik in the 43rd minute.With this result, Sweden tops Group F with its first three points, while Tunisia sits at the bottom of the group with no points, awaiting its upcoming matches in the tournament.In the second round, Sweden will face the Netherlands in a highly anticipated match on June 20, while Tunisia will take on Japan on June 21 in an important fixture as it seeks to recover from its opening-round defeat and revive its hopes of advancing to the next stage. Source link
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed the agreement on the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the United States and Iran, praising the State of Qatar's role in supporting the diplomatic efforts aimed at achieving this understanding.President Erdogan expressed his thanks in a post on X to the leadership of the US and Iran, as well as Pakistan, for their mediation efforts. He also expressed appreciation for the support provided by the State of Qatar and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the diplomatic initiatives.He added that the MoU between the US and Iran represents an important development in consolidating peace and stability in the region, expressing his hope that it will contribute to creating lasting security and reassurance.’I would like to emphasize the importance of refraining from rhetoric, provocations and actions that could escalate tensions, and of remaining vigilant against possible acts of sabotage until the day the signatures are affixed,’ he added.The Turkish President said, ‘as Turkiye, we will continue to support all efforts aimed at establishing peace, stability and prosperity in our region, and contribute to lasting solutions based on diplomacy and international law.’ Source link
The UK, France, Germany, and Italy have welcomed the peace agreement reached between the United States and Iran.In a joint statement reported by the BBC on Monday, the leaders of the four countries affirmed their commitment to working intensively with the United States, Iran, and regional partners to seize this moment, maintain momentum, and achieve a long-term diplomatic settlement. They expressed their readiness to lift sanctions imposed on Iran in response to clear and verifiable steps by Iran regarding its nuclear program.”Iran must never acquire a nuclear weapon,” the statement emphasized, adding that the four countries are ready to work with the US, Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to ensure that goal is achieved.US President Donald Trump had previously announced the peace agreement with Iran.In this context, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed that the agreement will be signed during an official ceremony next Friday in Switzerland. He added that, under the agreement, mediators will facilitate a series of meetings this week, noting that these discussions will pave the way for technical talks and the official signing ceremony. Source link
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the agreement reached between the United States and Iran, which provides an immediate and permanent ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.In a statement released on Monday, his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, said that Guterres called it a “critical step” towards peace in the Middle East.The UN Secretary-General said he hopes the parties will build on the momentum and “redouble their efforts” toward a final resolution. Source link