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US President Donald Trump announced early Sunday that he had suspended the planned US-Israeli strikes against Iran, following a request from Tehran and other countries in the Middle East, on the condition that a rapid agreement be reached.In a post on the Truth Social, Trump wrote that the US was “locked and loaded and ready to go against the Islamic Republic of Iran, at levels of Military Terror, Strength, and Power not seen since World War II.” He added, however, that Iran, along with other countries in the Middle East, asked the US to suspend any attack after agreeing on the broad outlines of a deal.Trump explained that the agreement include the immediate, complete, and total opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and an end to Iran’s nuclear threat.”Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL,” Trump wrote, adding that Israel joined the US in supporting the delay and called on all parties to begin working and finalize this agreement.Trump’s remarks come at a time of escalating tensions in the region, amid media reports over the past two days claiming that the United States and Israel were preparing to carry out strikes against targets inside Iran after diplomatic efforts had stalled. However, Washington has not issued any official announcement confirming that any military operation has been launched.Trump’s comments were also preceded by warnings issued by US embassies in several Middle Eastern capitals, urging American citizens to prepare for the possibility of unexpected escalation in the region amid ongoing regional tensions and their potential impact on maritime security and global energy markets. Source link
Supporters of India’s Cockroach Janta Party celebrate after India’s Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned following days of protests in New Delhi. (Reuters/File picture) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he wanted to forgive students who hurled expletives at him during protests last month, saying that punishing them and forcing them to appear repeatedly in court would not help resolve the situation. The biggest political crisis of Modi’s third term peaked in July after the leak of national exam papers forced a retest for 2mn students, fuelling anger over the lack of opportunities for young Indians. Authorities filed cases against hundreds of demonstrators after some clashed with security forces and shouted abusive slogans at the prime minister. Some protesters featured in widely circulated videos shouting insults at the prime minister have since faced online abuse from Modi supporters as well as police complaints, according to local media reports. Police have also asked social media platforms, including Meta and X, to take down what they described as abusive and manipulated content targeting the premier.“The country and the world witnessed what happened at Jantar Mantar. Some mischievous youngsters hurled vile abuses,” Modi, 75, said in a video posted on Instagram late Friday.“Words were used that do not belong to civilised society — directed not just at me, but even at my late mother… I want to forgive them.”Modi also said “mistakes made in youth” should be corrected through guidance rather than legal action, referring to the police cases. The protests that began last month were initially sparked by anger over examination paper leaks.But they broadened into a wider expression of frustration over unemployment and governance, culminating in the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.Since the protests began, Modi has increasingly used Instagram — the platform on which the CJP built much of its support — to communicate directly with youngsters.“These are misled children. Showing them the right path is our duty. Punishing them, making them run around courts, or tormenting them in society will not change the situation,” Modi said in a video posted on social media late on Friday.“I want to forgive them. I hope society also accepts this stance of mine.”Tensions erupted between protesters and security forces in several parts of the country during the demonstrations, including in New Delhi, where people attempting to march on parliament were met with tear gas and baton charges. The self-named Cockroach Janta Party, which led the movement, said on Monday that “hundreds” of students had been arrested in various states, in violation of the government’s commitment to dropping police cases filed against protesters. Indian youth protesters ended weeks of demonstrations after the education minister quit and the government accepted all demands, which included reforms in the exam system and dropping police cases. The protests have also prompted the Modi government to introduce a bill in parliament to amend the legislation governing public examinations, proposing longer prison terms and higher fines for those involved in exam paper leaks. Related Story…
The League of Arab States has reiterated its full support for the Lebanese government’s position in condemning the reprehensible Israeli violations and attacks on southern Lebanon, particularly the recent bombings that targeted infrastructure and archaeological sites listed as World Heritage sites.In a statement issued today, Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Fahmy said that the attacks constitute a blatant and unacceptable violation of international laws and norms, emphasizing solidarity with Lebanon in preserving its security, stability, and sovereignty.Fahmy explained that the continuation of this aggressive approach by the Israeli occupation threatens to undermine the existing negotiation process and necessitates immediate action from the international community, especially the United States, as a sponsor of the negotiations, to halt Israeli attacks on Lebanese sovereignty and ensure full compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Source link
A Spanish soldier escorts a group of migrants on their way back towards the Moroccan border, following their illegal crossing into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta,…
The 11th Local Dates Festival at Souq Waqif continues to attract large numbers of residents, with shoppers flocking to the venue to buy freshly harvested Qatari dates directly from local farms. This trend, it is learnt, highlights a sustained public interest in homegrown produce and support for the country’s agricultural sector.Running until August 10 at Souq Waqif’s Eastern Square, the festival has become a busy marketplace where visitors browse a wide selection of locally grown dates, compare varieties and prices, and purchase directly from growers. The event, organised by the Ministry of Municipality in co-operation with Souq Waqif Management, brings together 125 local farms – the largest participation since the festival was launched in 2016 – offering varieties such as Khalas, Khunaizi, Shishi and Barhi, along with seasonal Qatari fruits including figs, papaya, limes and almonds. Since its launch on July 25, the festival has seen busy aisles, shoppers examining neatly packaged dates, and families exploring traditional displays decorated with palm fronds and fresh date clusters, highlighting its appeal as both a marketplace and a cultural attraction. According to the Ministry of Municipality, the festival forms part of ongoing efforts to support local farmers, promote Qatari agricultural products and encourage consumers to purchase locally grown dates. It also provides producers with an opportunity to market their harvest directly to consumers, improving returns while strengthening links between farms and the public. The festival comes as Qatar continues to strengthen domestic agricultural production. The Ministry of Municipality said national date production reached approximately 24,000 tonnes in 2025, supported by technical assistance, pest-control programmes, improved irrigation technologies and initiatives aimed at enhancing the quality and productivity of date palm cultivation. Dates remain one of Qatar’s strategic agricultural crops and an important component of the country’s food security strategy. The ministry added that Qatari dates are promoted through local agricultural markets, retail outlets and annual events such as the Local Dates Festival, allowing farmers to showcase and sell their produce at competitive prices while increasing consumer awareness of local products. The festival’s popularity mirrors the steady expansion of Qatar’s agricultural sector. The 11th Local Dates Festival at Souq Waqif’s Eastern Square, running until August 10, showcases a wide variety of locally grown dates…
Several towns in southeastern Nepal remained under curfew yesterday as the region grappled with lingering tensions after days of sectarian violence that erupted on Sunday and left at least three people dead, authorities said. Twenty-five people were injured in a late-night clash on Sunday between Hindus and Muslims in Diwanganj, a town in Nepal's Sunsari district bordering India, with officials saying the violence was triggered by a dispute over loud music and religious flags during a Hindu event. Two men were shot and killed in Sunsari on Sunday and a third death was reported in neighbouring Siraha district on Thursday as sporadic clashes continued in the area. Police spokesperson Abi Narayan Kafle said the incidents were under investigation. There was no violence yesterday, police said, but an indefinite curfew was in place in several towns to prevent any recurrence.Nepal's Gen Z-backed Prime Minister Balendra Shah urged people on Thursday for calm and to remove the ‘cloud of turbulence’ from the Himalayan nation. ‘The government will conduct a fair and impartial investigation into the violence and punish those responsible for the trouble in a transparent way,’ Shah said in a rare, televised address to the nation.The country's Home Minister Sudan Gurung met the families of the two killed in Sunsari and agreed to provide about $6,660 in relief to each late on Thursday, the government said in a statement.Gurung was also expected to go to Siraha yesterday and meet the family of the third person who was killed. Source link
US President Donald Trump participates in a cabinet meeting at Camp David in Thurmont, Maryland, US, yesterday. (Reuters) Hamas said yesterday it had agreed to a deal that includes handing over its weapons to a Palestinian governing committee and the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip. The deal is aimed at implementing the long-stalled second phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan brokered by US President Donald Trump, who on Thursday hailed the agreement for Hamas’s “complete disarmament”, calling it a “major milestone” .Israel has yet to officially comment on the announcement, but a political source told AFP “that there will be no withdrawal whatsoever” from Israeli forces’ current lines “unless Hamas undergoes a genuine disarmament”. The Palestinian group’s weapons have been one of the key sticking points in fully implementing the ceasefire deal, which has been in place since October. The Israeli source said that “the issue of Gaza did not come up” in this week’s meeting between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington. But Trump maintained yesterday that Israel was pleased about the new deal. “We do have an understanding with Israel. Israel’s very happy about it,” Trump told journalists at Camp David.Hamas said it expected mediators and Trump’s Board of Peace to ensure Israel complied with the deal’s terms, which include Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza.Israel has long insisted on Hamas’s full disarmament before its forces pull back, and prior to the announcement, the political source had listed “the removal of weapons from Gaza and full demilitarisation of the Strip as a precondition for any process” .Ghazi Hamad, a member of Hamas’s negotiating team, said the movement was making “concessions for the sake of our people in the Gaza Strip”. “Israel will not intervene in the issue of disarmament. The National Committee is the body that will undertake this task,” he said, referring to the National Committee for Administration of Gaza (NCAG), which was established under Trump’s plan to handle day-to-day governance in Gaza. Despite the October ceasefire, violence has continued in Gaza, with Israeli strikes killing at least four people, including two children, on Thursday, according to health officials. The new agreement calls for all sides to immediately halt military operations, and for an International Stabilisation Force to separate Israeli troops from NCAG-controlled areas.The Board of Peace confirmed in a post on X that Hamas had “agreed to a detailed Roadmap for implementing the next phases of the Gaza ceasefire”. “Our focus now turns to implementation,” the organisation wrote, adding the NCAG will “soon begin a phased transition toward full authority” .Under the roadmap, the NCAG will be responsible for internal security. Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace’s high representative for Gaza, said yesterday the deal “took months of very difficult negotiations”. “What happens next matters even more. Implementation and verification have to be real,” Mladenov wrote on X. “ Withdrawal must move in lockstep with decommissioning.” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas welcomed the deal, but said “a lot needs to fall in place for this to work”. UN chief Antonio Guterres, alluding to the Middle East war and its regional spillover, said the agreement was a rare positive development. “The only good news in recent days is the announcement by the US president of an agreement for Hamas to relinquish their weapons and for Israel to withdraw its forces from Gaza,” he said.Egypt’s state-linked Al-Qahera News said Friday that Cairo will host a meeting soon of the truce’s mediators, which also include the US, Qatar and Turkey. Earlier, a diplomatic source told AFP that the roadmap “offers a balanced and pragmatic path forward, with all weapons decommissioned and a phased transition of responsibilities” to the new authorities.The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak publicly on the matter, said there would be “no exceptions for certain weapons or certain people”.The roadmap lays out a process to decommission and store Hamas’s heavy weapons, military production sites, weapons depots and tunnels, to be implemented by NCAG. A new verification mechanism would ensure compliance. Source link
Sniffer dogs in Japan helped rescuers yesterday make a final sweep of a shopping mall wrecked by an explosion after a big earthquake, as the death toll from the tremor three days earlier hit 35.”At the Aeon mall, 11 people were pulled out as of last night (Thursday), among them seven dead. To make sure that no one else is inside, we are finalising our confirmation with the assistance of professionally trained dogs,” government spokesman Minoru Kihara said. Local media quoted the operator of the mall, which was evacuated before being ripped apart by the suspected gas blast over an hour after Tuesday’s quake, as saying that all employees were now accounted for.At the other major disaster site, a paper factory, following the 7.1-magnitude jolt nine bodies have now been recovered and search and rescue operations were terminated, Kihara said. Two survivors were also extracted from the site where a smokestack collapsed, he said, putting the overall death toll from the quake in the southwestern region of Kumamoto at 35.Six others were in a critical condition, according to a local disaster management office. The quake caused widespread damage, flattening homes, damaging bridges, triggering fires and leaving many without electricity and water in temperatures forecast to approach 40C (104F) this weekend.”Only the electricity is working at home. The gas and water are cut off, so I’m wondering when they’ll be fixed,” Kosuke Iwasaki, a 27-year-old professional volleyball player, told AFP.”Drinking water is secured, but there’s very little water we can use freely” for example for laundry, said Iwasaki, who moved to Yatsushiro City just a month ago. Toilets also can’t be used if the water is cut off.As of yesterday, 79,000 households had no water, but power cuts were resolved across the whole Kumamoto region, according to the land ministry and the utility.More than 9,000, many of them elderly, evacuated to shelters.Although the military airlifted 300 air conditioners to the region, local media reported that many evacuation centers — mostly in school gymnasiums — lack air conditioning. One piece of good news was that 25 felines from a “cat cafe” inside the mall were rescued and transferred to Hiroshima, triggering widespread relief on social media.Japan is one of the world’s most seismically active countries, sitting on top of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific “Ring of Fire”.Kumamoto itself was hit by two devastating earthquakes in 2016, which killed 273 people and injured more than 2,800 .The archipelago, home to around 125mn people, typically experiences hundreds of jolts every year and accounts for about 18% of the world’s earthquakes.The vast majority are mild, although the damage they cause varies according to their location and the depth below the Earth’s surface at which they strike.Japan is haunted by the memory of a massive 9.0-magnitude undersea quake in 2011, which triggered a tsunami that killed or left missing around 18,500 people and wrecked the Fukushima nuclear plant. Source link
US President Donald Trump on Friday told reporters at Camp David that he did not speak with FIFA President Gianni Infantino about the world soccer governing body offering stakes to external investors. Source link
US President Donald Trump announced that a historic agreement was reached for the disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, expressing his gratitude to Qatar and the mediators for their efforts in reaching this agreement. In a post on his official Truth Social account, Trump said: “Today, the Board of Peace reached a historic agreement for the complete disarmament of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza. This is a monumental step toward lasting peace and security.” He added: “The agreement will be implemented through carefully structured phases; and upon completion of disarmament, Israeli forces will withdraw.” The US President expressed his gratitude to Qatar, saying: “I would like to thank the mediators Egypt, Qatar, and Turkiye for their important efforts, and especially my outstanding team who made this historic breakthrough possible.” Trump described the agreement as “a major historic achievement in the implementation of the Trump 20-point plan” to end the war, and announced that an international stabilization force will work with a new Palestinian police force to assume responsibility for Gaza Source link