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Belgian sprint star Tim Merlier trebled up at the Tour de France on Thursday as he won the 12th stage in a chaotic and crash-marred dash for the line.The Soudal-Quick Step rider edged out Dutchman Olav Kooij and fellow Belgian Jasper Philipsen to claim his third stage win of this year’s Tour, and sixth overall.It was yet another disorganised sprint made even worse when Colombian Fernando Gaviria hit the deck, bringing down several other riders, including the stage 11 winner Soren Waerenskjold.Alpecin Premier Tech once again tried to set up Philipsen for the victory but Merlier, as he had done twice before in this 113th edition of the Tour, found a route through the traffic and powered home to take the chequered flag.Stage five winner Kooij was pushed into second place for the second day in a row.Reigning champion Tadej Pogacar finished safely in the pack at the end of the 179km stage from the Magny-Cours motor racing circuit in Nevers to Chalon-sur-Saone.He maintained his overall lead of more than three-and-a-half minutes to two-time former champion Jonas Vingegaard.Around 25km into the stage, Baptiste Veistroffer set off on a breakaway for the third time, and for the second time completely solo.Three riders counter-attacked and joined him after 57km but by the time he reached the final 50km, all three had dropped away.A bunch of other counter-attacks in the final 35km saw a group of 14 go clear of an increasingly ragged peloton, but that was reeled in with 24km left.That was a cue for numerous riders to try their luck on the rapid run-in to the finish but no group committed sufficiently to make their effort stick. Related Story Source link
FILE PHOTO: An Israeli military vehicle drives past destroyed buildings in Lebanon, as seen from the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border, April 30, 2026. REUTERS/Shir…
An Israeli airstrike killed a man, his wife and their six-year-old daughter in the Gaza Strip yesterday, Palestinian health officials said as talks to advance the US-brokered Gaza ceasefire deal faltered. The strike on an apartment building in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza killed Omar Abu Qassem, his wife, Asma, and their daughter, Habeeba, medics said. Their three-year-old son, Sami, survived, but was injured, medics said. The Israeli military said the strike targeted a Hamas fighter. Friends and relatives arrived at the Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah where they paid farewell to the three white-shrouded bodies before burying them after performing special prayers. “The child is the lone survivor. How (to live) without a father, without a mother? What kind of cruelty is this that the people of Palestine, the people of Gaza, are enduring?” Abu Anas Shahin, a relative, said to Reuters.“Where is the mercy? Where is the humanity?” he said. More than 58,000 children in Gaza have lost one or both parents, according to UN figures as of November 2025. In Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood in Gaza City, an Israeli airstrike killed one person, medics said. The deaths add to a toll of more than 1,100 Palestinians, mostly civilians, killed by Israeli attacks since an October ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to end the war took effect, according to health officials in the enclave. Hamas doesn’t usually disclose information about its fatalities. The truce halted major fighting, but has failed to stop near-daily Israeli strikes. Four Israeli soldiers have been killed by fighters in Gaza over the same period. The latest violence comes as Hamas leaders wrapped up another round of truce talks in Cairo on Tuesday. The discussions — mediated by Egypt, Turkiye and Qatar — were aimed at implementing the second phase of US President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan. The talks included the disarmament of Hamas and the Israeli military’s withdrawal from the strip, according to sources close to the talks, who said there had been little progress amid deep distrust between the two sides. The second phase also includes allowing a US-backed Palestinian technocratic committee to assume power from Hamas, the deployment of an international security force, and the start of the reconstruction of Gaza, which has been devastated by the war. Five countries — Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania — have committed to providing troops to the US-backed International Stabilisation Force. However, none have yet been deployed as negotiations between Trump’s Board of Peace and Hamas have stalled for months. Speaking at an aid donor meeting in Brussels on Monday, Nickolay Mladenov said the October ceasefire was holding but “imperfectly” with violations continuing, adding that Hamas has yet to agree to what he called a “roadmap” for negotiations. Hamas official Basem Naim accused Mladenov of supporting Israel’s position in negotiations, and failing to hold the country accountable for violating the ceasefire and not upholding the terms of the first phase of the Trump plan. The plan called for Israel to withdraw its troops to a demarcated “yellow” line, but Israel has been slowly moving its troops forward and now effectively occupies more than 60% of the strip.Hamas has repeatedly said that it cannot advance to the second phase of the peace plan until the terms of the first phase are fulfilled. Source link
His Excellency Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, met on Thursday with the Presidential Advisor on Security Affairs of the Republic of South Sudan Tut Gatluak, who is visiting Qatar with an accompanying delegation.During the meeting, HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs received a message of condolence from President of the Republic of South Sudan Salva Kiir Mayardit, on the passing of HH the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani.The two sides also discussed bilateral relations and ways to expand cooperation, as well as several issues of mutual interest. Related Story Source link
Sudan's Sea Ports Corporation and Turkiye's Argaz energy company signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on Wednesday to build a berth at Suakin Port.This is the first project of its kind to supply Sudan with large quantities of gas sufficient to meet the country's needs at affordable prices.Sudanese Minister of Transport Eng. Saif Al Nasr Al Tijani said Sudan-Turkiye cooperation is deep-rooted and will steadily evolve, emphasizing that the signing of this MOU is a testament to this cooperation. Al Tijani added that this cooperation will further expand with the potential signing of MOUs and agreements, followed by significant achievements in the coming period. Argaz Representative Mohamed Dabbagh affirmed that the company will provide significant quantities of gas to Sudan at affordable prices.He noted that the project will begin operations within a year to a year and a half. Source link
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said Thursday that “several children” were among 11 people killed in a fire that broke out during the night at an orphanage in Algiers. Tebboune, who is on a visit to Germany, offered his condolences after “learning the news of the death of several children… following a fire that broke out in a childcare facility”, according to the official APS news agency. Source link
The body of an Indian sailor who went missing after his ship was attacked off the coast of Oman has been recovered, a seafarers’ union official said yesterday. Heramb Karmarkar, a 30-year-old marine engineer from the western Indian city of Pune, had been missing since Sunday’s attack on the Cypriot-flagged GFS Galaxy. “I got a call Tuesday evening from the company the ship belonged to informing me that Heramb Karmarkar’s body has been found by the Omani coast guard,” Manoj Yadav, of the Forward Seamen’s Union of India, told AFP. “This was almost 60 hours after we first received news that he was missing.” The other 23 crew members — including 10 Indian nationals — were rescued Sunday. The US Central Command said the ship had been disabled by fire and damage to its engine room, accusing Tehran of attacking it.India is one of the largest contributors of sailors to merchant shipping worldwide, with more than 320,000 active seafarers in 2025, according to officials. The attack came as Tehran announced it was closing the Strait of Hormuz and launched missiles and drones at its Gulf neighbours in retaliation for US strikes.The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route through which about a fifth of the world’s oil passed before the war broke out on February 28, is a major point of contention between the US and Iran. Source link
Screenshot 2026-07-16 at 15-07-36 (19) وكالة الأنباء القطرية (@QatarNewsAgency) _ X The State of Kuwait strongly condemned Thursday the continued Iranian attacks against its territory, describing them as a flagrant violation of its sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, as well as a serious breach of international law, the UN Charter and UN Security Council Resolution 2817 of 2026.In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said Kuwait holds Iran fully responsible for the continued attacks and their consequences, stressing that Tehran’s continued aggression against Kuwait and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states further escalates tensions and undermines regional security and stability.The Ministry called on Iran to immediately cease its attacks, reaffirming that Kuwait will continue to take all necessary measures to protect its territory, citizens, residents and national interests, while reserving all its legitimate rights under international law. Related Story Source link
Pakistan said on Thursday it would encourage the United States and Iran to stop violence and resume talks under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) it helped mediate last month.”While the implementation of the MoU is facing challenges, Pakistan will continue to encourage all sides to end violence and resume technical-level talks in accordance with the MoU,” Tahir Andrabi, Pakistan’s foreign office spokesman, told reporters in Islamabad. “We express the hope for an early normalisation of the situation in Strait of Hormuz and underscore the importance of ensuring the continued safety, security and freedom of maritime navigation,” he added.The United States has this week been striking Iran, drawing retaliatory Iranian attacks on US interest in the Gulf as they battle over the strategic Hormuz shipping route. That sent global oil prices soaring and led to concerns of spikes in inflation even in nations far from the conflict. The key oil and gas artery, which Iran insists it controls, is central to the rekindled fighting that has entered its sixth day despite a preliminary deal in June aiming to end the war.”Pakistan recognises the urgent need to address the impact of the current situation on global energy supplies and other economic commodities including trade and food security,” Andrabi said. Source link
The death toll from the Israeli occupation’s aggression against the Gaza Strip has risen to 73,250, with 173,751 others injured, since October 7, 2023. Medical sources in Gaza reported that hospitals across the Strip received the bodies of four martyrs and 28 injured over the past 24 hours. The same sources said that the total number of martyrs since the ceasefire on October 11 has risen to 1,127, with 3,643 injured, while 800 bodies have been recovered.A number of victims remain trapped beneath the rubble and on the streets, as ambulance and rescue teams are still unable to reach them. Related Story Source link