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Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said his team produced a complete performance in its 3-0 victory over Haiti on Saturday in a Group C match at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.Speaking after the match, Ancelotti said Neymar's recovery was progressing well and suggested the forward could return against Scotland in Brazil's final group-stage match on Wednesday in Miami. The result could determine the group winner and affect the teams' paths in the knockout stage.Neymar, 34, has not played for Brazil since October 2023 and remains in rehabilitation after recovering from a calf muscle injury. He recently returned to training.Ancelotti said Neymar would complete individual training on Sunday before rejoining the squad on Monday, adding that he expects the forward to be available for the match against Scotland. Source link
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi were both headed to Switzerland for talks, Axios said on Friday, as a ceasefire in Lebanon appeared to revive efforts to turn an interim Iran war pact into a lasting regional deal.Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon on Friday after escalating fighting cast doubt over U.S.-Iran talks critical to reopening the Strait of Hormuz and stabilising oil supplies.That followed a 14-point memorandum the two sides signed this week to halt fighting and open a 60-day window to resolve disputes over Iran’s nuclear program, as well as other thorny issues needed to forge a more durable deal.U.S. Vice President JD Vance canceled plans on Thursday to travel to Switzerland for the talks, however, amid rising tension in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah, a militant group backed by Iran.With the ceasefire in place, Witkoff is heading to Switzerland to join Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, who is already there, Axios said. Araqchi plans to travel there on Saturday, it added.The development may signal that both sides intend to begin technical negotiations aimed at securing a permanent truce.The White House did not respond to questions about Witkoff’s travel.A senior U.S. official said the ceasefire took effect around 4 p.m. (1300 GMT) in Lebanon following an exchange of fire, adding that negotiators for the United States and Qatar had worked out the agreement with help from Iran.Two sources from Hezbollah and a senior Israeli official confirmed the ceasefire to Reuters.”If Hezbollah does not attack us, then for us it is not a time of war,” the Israeli official said, adding that Israel would keep its forces in southern Lebanon, where it has occupied an area along its northern border.Two Lebanese security sources said Israel had carried out a dozen airstrikes in the first hour of the ceasefire but none were recorded after 5 p.m.Lebanon’s health ministry said Israeli strikes after midnight into Friday had killed 47 people and wounded 97, while the Israeli military said four soldiers had been killed in an incident in Lebanon, without giving further details.The conflict in Lebanon could weigh on negotiations because ending fighting there is a condition for the broader U.S.-Iran accord.TOUGH ISSUES STILL UNRESOLVEDFollowing Wednesday’s signing of the memorandum of understanding, preparations for technical talks at the Swiss mountaintop resort of Buergenstock were well advanced when the White House said on Thursday that Vance would not attend.The Swiss foreign ministry said the talks had been postponed but Switzerland stood ready to facilitate them and preparatory work was continuing.The broad interim deal requires the United States, Iran and their allies to declare an immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.Israel, left out of the talks, says it is not party to the deal.Araqchi, in a telephone call with his Pakistani counterpart on Friday, said the United States would be responsible for any violation of its commitments under the deal, including ending the fighting in Lebanon, his ministry said.NEW ROUND OF ISRAEL-LEBANON TALKS DISCUSSEDLebanon was sucked into the regional war when Hezbollah opened fire at Israel on March 2, prompting it to launch an offensive against the group and invade the south of the country.Lebanese President Joseph Aoun condemned the latest Israeli attacks but said the escalation would not hinder efforts to reach a comprehensive ceasefire.The U.S. State Department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to Aoun and reiterated the need to disarm Hezbollah, while reaffirming U.S. support for a “fully sovereign” Lebanese state.It said they also discussed holding a next round of Israel-Lebanon negotiations in Washington from June 23 to June 25. The Lebanese presidency said a comprehensive ceasefire was a fundamental pillar for these talks.TRUMP DEFENDS INTERIM DEALThe Iran war, which began on February 28 with U.S. and Israeli air attacks on Iran, has killed at least 7,000 people, mostly in Iran and Lebanon. It also pushed up energy prices, stoking inflation worldwide.Brent crude ticked higher on Friday, but was set for a weekly fall of about 8% after the Lebanon ceasefire, and oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz picked up after the signing of this week’s deal.The strait carried nearly a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas supplies before it was blockaded by Iran during the war.The body set up by Iran to manage the strait said on Friday it would waive planned fees during the interim deal’s negotiation period.The MoU foresees relief for Iran from economic sanctions, the unfreezing of assets worth tens of billions of dollars and immediate U.S. waivers for its exports of oil. It also provides for a $300-billion reconstruction fund for Iran and other financial incentives.Trump again defended the deal after criticism in Washington, including some from Republican allies in Congress who question whether he conceded too much to end a war unpopular with most Americans ahead of midterm elections in November.”The War has diminished Iran!” he wrote on social media on Friday, adding, “We didn’t meet out of desperation, Iran did. They are FINISHED! We’ll play out the 60 days. They get no money, not 10 cents!” (Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Timothy Heritage, Gareth Jones, David Brunnstrom and Nathan Layne; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani, Alistair Bell and Clarence Fernandez) Related Story Source link
Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (centre) walks with Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono (left) and Danantara Indonesia chief executive officer Rosan Roeslani upon his arrival at the Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport in Jakarta yesterday. Source link
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia expressed its strong condemnation of the terrorist bombing that targeted a mosque in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad, resulting in a number of deaths and injuries. In a statement Friday the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized the Kingdom’s position rejecting targeting of places of worship, terrorizing of innocent civilians, and shedding of innocent blood. The Ministry affirmed Saudi Arabia’s solidarity with Pakistan against all forms of violence, extremism, and terrorism. The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs offered its condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and people of Pakistan, wishing the injured a speedy recovery. Source link
Malaysia has imposed a ban on imports of electronic waste, as it looks to tighten controls on the entry of hazardous materials and safeguard the environment, the head of the country’s anti-graft body said. The country is among the world’s top destinations for plastic waste and other scrap, but has struggled to fend off a deluge of generally illegal unrecyclable garbage. Malaysia anti-corruption commission chief commissioner Azam Baki, who chairs a government taskforce on the issue, said e-waste would be reclassified under the “Absolute Prohibition” category in customs regulations effective immediately. Source link
US President Donald Trump has called for negotiations on a “new, improved, and modernized” nuclear arms control agreement with Russia following the expiration of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) — the last legally binding nuclear arms control pact between the United States and Russia. New START, signed in April 2010 and entered into force in February 2011, capped deployed strategic nuclear warheads and delivery systems for both countries. It was the final remaining bilateral agreement limiting the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals. The treaty officially expired on 5 February 2026 after it could not be extended further under its terms. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said that instead of extending New START, the United States should task its nuclear experts with drafting a modernized successor treaty that can endure future security challenges. The president criticized the original agreement as poorly negotiated and suggested that any future deal should be broad in scope and inclusive of contemporary realities. Trump has also previously stated that any new arms control framework should potentially include other nuclear powers, such as China, to reflect the current global nuclear landscape — although Beijing has rejected participation in such talks given its smaller arsenal. The treaty’s expiration has reignited international concern over nuclear proliferation and strategic stability. The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the lapse as a “grave moment” for global peace and security, urging both Washington and Moscow to urgently negotiate a successor agreement to reduce nuclear risks. Meanwhile, the Kremlin reiterated that Russia will continue to act responsibly as a nuclear power, even as the treaty has lapsed, expressing regret over the end of New START and signaling continued openness to dialogue with the United States under constructive conditions.Analysts warn that without a replacement for New START, the US and Russia will be operating without binding limits on their strategic nuclear forces for the first time in decades, heightening risks of miscalculation and a renewed arms buildup. Source link
