Category: 2. World

  • Iran committed to Non-Proliferation Treaty, foreign minister says – Reuters

    1. Iran committed to Non-Proliferation Treaty, foreign minister says  Reuters
    2. IAEA inspectors depart Tehran after US-Israel-Iran conflict  Al Jazeera
    3. United States condemns Iran’s suspension of IAEA cooperation  Ptv.com.pk
    4. Iran committed to Non-Proliferation Treaty, says FM  Dawn
    5. U.N. Pulls Nuclear Inspectors Out of Iran for Safety Reasons  WSJ

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  • Heat Wave Forecast: Tracking High Temperatures in Europe

    Heat Wave Forecast: Tracking High Temperatures in Europe

    Intense heat has contributed to record-breaking summer temperatures around the globe in recent years. Here’s the latest forecast, and where it’s expected to be warmer than usual:

    See temperatures as…

    High-temperature forecast for Thursday

    Sources: University of Maine Climate Change Institute and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction Global Forecast System

    See temperatures as…

    Where the forecast temperatures for Thursday were unusually hot

    Degrees above or below average for July 3

    Sources: University of Maine Climate Change Institute and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction Global Forecast System

    Note: Averages based on data from 1979 to 2000.

    While tying a single heat wave to climate change requires extensive analysis, scientists have no doubt that heat waves around the world are becoming hotter, more frequent and longer-lasting.

    The World Meteorological Organization confirmed in March 2025 that 2024 was the hottest year on record and the first year in which Earth’s surface was more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above its average during the preindustrial era.

    Note: Maps on this page show temperature forecasts for the period between 8 p.m. on July 2 through 8 p.m. on July 3. All times Eastern.

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  • Trump to speak with Putin after U.S. pauses some weapons shipments to Ukraine

    Trump to speak with Putin after U.S. pauses some weapons shipments to Ukraine

    Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump.

    Mikhail Metzel | Evelyn Hockstein | Via Reuters

    President Donald Trump said he will speak to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday at 10 a.m. ET.

    The call, announced by Trump in a Truth Social post, comes two days after the U.S. said it would halt some missile and ammunitions shipments to Ukraine, which continues to fight off invading Russian forces.

    U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the pause weeks after ordering a review of America’s munitions stockpile, sources told NBC News.

    White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told NBC that the “decision was made to put America’s interests first” following the Pentagon’s review of U.S. military support for other countries.

    “The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned — just ask Iran,” Kelly said.

    The decision fueled further concerns from those skeptical of Trump’s commitment to providing U.S. assistance to Ukraine in the fourth year of its war with Russia.

    “Ukraine has never asked America to send in the 82nd airborne; they’ve asked for the weapons to defend their homeland and people from Russia attacks,” said Mike Pompeo, who served as secretary of State during Trump’s first presidential term, in an X post Wednesday.

    “Letting Russia win this war would be a unmitigated disaster for the American people and our security around the world,” Pompeo wrote.

    On Wednesday, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said the department “continues to provide the President with robust options regard regarding military aid to Ukraine, consistent with his goal of bringing this tragic war to an end.”

    At the same time, he said, the Pentagon is “rigorously examining and adapting its approach towards achieving this objective while also preserving U.S. military readiness and defense priorities that support the president’s America first agenda,” Parnell said.

    “This capability review, and that’s exactly what it is, going forward, we see this as a common sense pragmatic step towards having a framework to evaluate what munitions are sent and where,” he said.

    Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Wednesday that Washington and Kyiv are “clarifying all the details of defense support, including air defense.”

    “One way or another, we must ensure protection for our people,” Zelenskyy said.

    The pause comes as Russia has ramped up its attacks all around Ukraine. Kyiv’s foreign affairs minister, Andrii Sybiha, said Russia launched more than 5,000 combat drones and hundreds of missiles, including nearly 80 ballistic missiles, in June alone.

    Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it stressed to a U.S. official on Wednesday that “any delay or slowing down in supporting Ukraine’s defense capabilities would only encourage the aggressor to continue war and terror, rather than seek peace.”

    This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.

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  • Elderly man dies as wildfires rage in Turkey, forcing evacuations and road closures

    Elderly man dies as wildfires rage in Turkey, forcing evacuations and road closures

    ANKARA, Turkey — Firefighters on Thursday discovered the body of an elderly man after dousing a wildfire near a village in western Turkey, while crews elsewhere continued to battle another blaze that closed a highway and forced some residents to be evacuated from their homes.

    The 81-year-old-man died from smoke inhalation in a village near the town of Odemis, Suleyman Elban, the governor for Izmir province, said. His death marks the first fatality in a series of wildfires across the country that have forced thousands to flee.

    A total of 37 other villagers were safely evacuated by security forces and emergency teams, Elban said.

    Meanwhile, hundreds of firefighters, supported by aircraft and helicopters, were deployed to extinguish a wildfire blazing in the Aegean coastal town of Cesme, a tourism hotspot some 192 kilometers (120 miles) west of Odemis.

    That wildfire, which began on Wednesday, forced the evacuation of three neighborhoods and closed roads. Television footage of the blaze showed flames burning through dried vegetation on both sides of a road.

    Elban said the wildfires in Izmir province are believed to have been sparked by electrical lines, which ignited dry grass and spread rapidly due to wind.

    Turkey has in the past week battled hundreds of fires across the country that were fuelled by fierce winds, scorching heat and low humidity. The fires, most of which have now been extinguished, led to the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.

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  • Trump Administration Live Updates: Policy Bill Moves Toward Final House Vote – The New York Times

    1. Trump Administration Live Updates: Policy Bill Moves Toward Final House Vote  The New York Times
    2. Donald Trump live: ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ faces final vote in US House  Al Jazeera
    3. The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Delivers Biggest Wins for the Working Class  House Ways and Means (.gov)
    4. Live updates: Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ awaits House vote | CNN Politics  CNN
    5. Trump’s tax-and-spending bill passes step in House, paving way for legislation  The Guardian

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  • The Israel-Iran war has not yet transformed the Middle East

    The Israel-Iran war has not yet transformed the Middle East

    A SINGLE strike took on singular importance. When America attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities last month, both supporters and opponents thought it would have outsize consequences. Critics feared it would plunge the Middle East into a wider war. That doomsday scenario has not come to pass, at least for now: Iran made only symbolic retaliation against America; soon after, a ceasefire ended the fighting between Iran and Israel.

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  • Tourists to Japan spooked after comic book predicts doomsday

    Tourists to Japan spooked after comic book predicts doomsday

    TOKYO — Viral rumours of impending disaster stemming from a comic book prediction have taken the sheen off Japan’s tourism boom, with some airlines cancelling flights from Hong Kong, where passenger numbers have plunged.

    Japan has seen record numbers of visitors this year, with April setting an all-time monthly high of 3.9 million travellers.

    That dipped in May, however, with arrivals from Hong Kong — the superstitious Chinese-controlled city where the rumours have circulated widely — down 11% year-on-year, according to the latest data.

    Steve Huen of Hong Kong-based travel agency EGL Tours blamed a flurry of social media predictions tied to a manga that depicts a dream of a massive earthquake and tsunami hitting Japan and neighbouring countries in July 2025.

    “The rumours have had a significant impact,” said Huen, adding that his firm had seen its Japan-related business halve. Discounts and the introduction of earthquake insurance had “prevented Japan-bound travel from dropping to zero,” he added.

    Hong Kong resident Branden Choi, 28, said he was a frequent traveller to Japan but was hesitant to visit the country during July and August due to the manga prediction.

    “If possible, I might delay my trip and go after September,” he said.

    Ryo Tatsuki, the artist behind the manga titled ‘The Future I Saw’, first published in 1999 and then re-released in 2021, has tried to dampen the speculation, saying in a statement issued by her publisher that she was “not a prophet.”

    The first edition of the manga warned of a major natural disaster in March 2011. That was the month and year when a massive earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster struck Japan‘s northeastern coast, killing thousands.

    Some have interpreted the latest edition as predicting a catastrophic event would occur specifically on July 5, 2025, although Tatsuki has denied this.

    Situated within the Pacific Ocean’s ‘Ring of Fire,’ Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. In recent days, there have been more than 900 earthquakes, most of them small tremors, on islands off the southern tip of Kyushu.

    But Robert Geller, a professor at the University of Tokyo who has studied seismology since 1971, said even scientifically-based earthquake prediction was “impossible”.

    “None of the predictions I’ve experienced in my scientific career have come close at all,” he said.

    Nevertheless, low-cost carrier Greater Bay Airlines became the latest Hong Kong airline on Wednesday to cancel flights to Japan due to low demand, saying it would indefinitely suspend its service to Tokushima in western Japan from September.

    Serena Peng, 30, a visitor to Tokyo from Seattle, had initially tried to talk her husband out of visiting Japan after seeing the social media speculation.

    “I’m not super worried right now, but I was before,” she said, speaking outside Tokyo’s bustling Senso-ji temple.

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  • Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

    The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

    **Programming Note

    A programming note, as a reminder which you don’t need to be reminded of.  Tomorrow, the UN Headquarters will be closed, given that it’s an official holiday in our host country.  It is their Independence Day, and we wish them a happy Independence Day.  We will be back here on Monday.

    And as usual, during the holidays and weekends, we will unfortunately remain available to you if you have any questions.

    Also, just on the technical side, over the weekend a number of web platforms, including WebTV, UN News all the UN Photo and Video will be undergoing scheduled maintenances there moving from one hosting platform to another on the back end.  There should not be any problems, but if there are, I just ask you to be a little bit patient.

    **Secretary-General’s Travel

    A travel announcement regarding the Secretary-General: On Saturday, 5 July, the Secretary-General will be arriving in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to attend the seventeenth Summit of the BRICS countries.

    The Secretary-General has been invited to speak at an outreach session on “Strengthening multilateralism, economic-financial affairs and artificial intelligence”, that will take place on Sunday, 6 July.  On Monday, 7 July, he will address a second outreach session, on “Environment, COP30 and global health.”

    During his visit, the Secretary-General will also be having meetings with various leaders who are attending the BRICS Summit, and we will share those readouts with you.

    **Deputy Secretary-General

    Our Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, returned to Seville today for the closing of the fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4).

    At the closing with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez of Spain, she underscored the consensus around the Seville Agreement as a demonstration of multilateralism in action — with actions to close the SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) financing gap, address the debt crisis, and reform the international financial architecture.  She recognized the more than 100 initiatives launched on the Sevilla Platform for Action, including solidarity levies on private jets and first-class travel to generate new resources for sustainable development.

    She said that the UN will be operationalizing a Seville Forum on Debt to help countries learn from one another and coordinate their approaches in debt management and restructuring; and that forum will be supported by the Government of Spain, and we thank them.

    She called for the Conference to be remembered not only as a conference that responded to crisis, but as the moment the world chose cooperation over fragmentation, unity over division, and action over inertia.

    Tomorrow, she will travel to Praia, Cabo Verde, to take part in celebrations marking the fiftieth anniversary of the country’s independence.

    **Gaza

    And I have a statement to share with you on the humanitarian situation in Gaza: I can tell you that the Secretary-General is appalled by the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.  Multiple attacks in recent days hitting sites hosting displaced people and people trying to access food have killed and injured scores of Palestinians.  The Secretary-General strongly condemns the loss of civilian life.

    In just one day this week, Israeli orders to relocate forced nearly 30,000 people to flee, yet again, with no safe place to go and clearly inadequate supplies of shelter, of food, of medicine and of water.

    International humanitarian law is unambiguous: civilians must be respected and protected, and the needs of the population need to be met.

    With no fuel having entered Gaza in more than 17 weeks, the Secretary-General is gravely concerned that the last lifelines for survival are being cut off.  Without an urgent influx of fuel, incubators will shut down, ambulances will be unable to reach the injured and the sick, and water will not be able to be purified. The delivery by the United Nations and our partners of what little of our life-saving humanitarian aid is left in Gaza will grind to a halt.

    The Secretary-General once again calls for full, safe and sustained humanitarian access so aid can reach people who have been deprived of the basics of life for way too long.  The UN has a clear and proven plan, rooted in the humanitarian principles, to get vital assistance to civilians — to do that safely and at scale, wherever those people are.

    The Secretary-General reiterates that all parties must uphold their obligations under international law.  He renews his call for an immediate permanent ceasefire and for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, held by Hamas and other groups.  That statement is now been shared with you.

    **Occupied Palestinian Territory

    And just to give you a bit more details of what’s actually going on, on the ground:  I can tell you that the space left for civilians to stay is shrinking by the day. Just yesterday, the Israeli authorities issued yet another displacement order — this time for parts of Gaza City — citing Palestinian rocket fire.  Our colleagues estimate that about 40,000 people were in these areas, which included one displacement site, one medical point, and a neighbourhood that had been spared from any displacement orders since before the ceasefire.  As of earlier today, about 900 families are estimated to have fled.

    OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) notes that since mid-March, when the ceasefire ended, over 50 such orders have been issued.  Together, they now cover about 78 per cent of Gaza.  Add the Israeli-militarized zones and that percentage jumps to 85 — leaving just 15 per cent where civilians can actually stay.

    Those areas are of course overcrowded; they also severely lack any services or proper infrastructure.  Imagine having just over 2 million people in Manhattan — which is actually slightly bigger — but instead of buildings, the area is strewn with the rubble of demolished and bombed-out structures, without infrastructure or basic support.  And in Gaza, these remaining areas are also fragmented and unsafe.

    Yesterday, our colleagues from the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) said that menstruation has become a nightmare for an estimated 700,000 women and girls in Gaza.  They remind us that, alongside food, people need water, soap, menstrual pads and privacy. UNFPA notes it has supplies ready — almost 170 truckloads’ worth — but they are not being let into the Strip.

    In a report issued yesterday, OCHA notes that since last Thursday, nine more aid workers have been killed — from five different organizations.

    That brings together the total number of aid workers killed to 107 so far this year, and 479 since October 2023.  Among them are 326 of our UN colleagues.

    Looking back at the month of June, out of nearly 400 coordination attempts, 44 per cent were outright denied by Israeli authorities. Another 10 per cent were initially accepted but faced impediments.  Only a third were fully facilitated.  And the rest, which is about 12 per cent — had to be cancelled by the organizers for logistical, operational or security reasons. [Yesterday], we had four denials out of 16 coordination attempts, hindering our teams’ efforts to relocate medical supplies or remove debris, among other critical operations.

    **Lebanon

    Moving north, to Lebanon:  This week, the newly appointed Head of our UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) peacekeeping mission and Force Commander, Major General Diodato Abagnara, met with Lebanese leaders, including the President, Joseph Aoun; the Speaker of the Parliament, Nabih Berri; the Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam; as well as the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence, and the commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces.

    General Abagnara underscored in his meetings the mission’s support to the implementation of Security Council resolution 1701 (2006), including the strengthened deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces in the southern part of their country.

    On the ground, UNIFIL peacekeepers report Israel Defense Forces (IDF) military presence and activities north of the Blue Line, including air violations and mortar fire impacting several locations in Sector East this week.

    Meanwhile, the peacekeepers have also continued to discover unauthorized weapons caches, including one containing mortars in Sector East.

    This week also, UNIFIL supported the important work of humanitarian agencies by facilitating missions of OCHA, UNICEF, UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the World Food Programme (WFP) in the UNIFIL area of operations.

    In support of the capacity-building of the Lebanese Armed Forces, UNIFIL Maritime Task Force this week carried out training exercises for the Lebanese Navy and the Lebanese Air Force.

    **Cyprus

    And a note on Cyprus:  In addition to what we said yesterday, in preparation for the informal meeting on Cyprus in a broader format, to be held on 16-17 July, the Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General on Cyprus, Maria Angela Holguin, is travelling to the island this weekend for meetings with the two sides. Earlier this week, she met with senior representatives of the United Kingdom in London, as well as of the European Union in Brussels.  She will visit Paris on Friday for meetings with Frenchofficials.

    **Ukraine

    Turning to Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that air strikes in the past three days have killed and injured civilians.

    According to authorities, at least 10 civilians were killed and nearly 60 injured, including children.

    The strikes also damaged homes, hospitals, schools and agricultural supplies in front-line regions, according to the local authorities and aid workers.  In the Donetsk region alone, authorities reported damage to over 80 homes, schools and other civilian facilities across the region.

    Health facilities have not been spared.  On 1 July, shelling damaged a hospital in Kherson, injuring at least three health workers and five patients.

    Today, drone strikes in the same city damaged several ambulances, civilian vehicles and windows of another hospital building.

    Between January and June of this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) recorded at least 255 attacks on health care in Ukraine — accounting for nearly 40 per cent of all such attacks verified globally. In 2025, these attacks caused at least six deaths and 55 injuries among medical personnel and patients; that’s what the World Health Organization is telling us.

    Humanitarians continue to respond, providing construction materials and emergency shelter kits, blankets, hygiene items and mental health and psychosocial support.

    **Russia

    And Alex, I think you had had a question a number of times on the Memorandum of Understanding.  I can tell you that the final consultation meeting on the Memorandum of Understanding between the United Nations and the Russian Federation will take place on 11 July in Geneva.  It will be led by Rebeca Grynspan, as it always is; she is of course, as you know, the Secretary-General of UNCTAD (United Nations Tade and Development).

    The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on 22 July 2022 with an implementation period of three years as part of the Istanbul agreement and the efforts of Secretary-General on global food security and in the context of the war in Ukraine.  In parallel, the Secretary-General has also continued to advocate for continued exports from Ukraine and the Russian Federation, including through the proposal on safe navigation in the Black Sea, which continues to inform discussions.  And we will share that with you in writing.

    **Senior Personnel Appointment

    Also, I want to read into the record an announcement that went out yesterday evening about the newly-appointed Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for Haiti.

    And that new Special Representative is Carlos G. Ruiz Massieu of Mexico; he will be the SRSG and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti.

    He succeeds María Isabel Salvador of Ecuador, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her dedication and service.

    Mr. Massieu, as you know, is currently the head of the Verification Mission in Colombia since 2019 and he has over 30 years of experience in public service and in diplomacy, both in bilateral and multilateral contexts.

    An important note, though, Mr. Ruiz Massieu will assume his new functions as the SRSG for Haiti in August.  He will be here in two weeks’ time to brief the Security Council on Colombia.

    **Yemen

    Also on Yemen.  Some good news coming out of Yemen.  Our UN team on the ground is telling us that the two local water authorities in Taiz governorate, the Local Water and Sanitation Corporations in Taiz and Al-Hawban, reached a technical agreement to jointly manage the water supply systems, restoring essential services that have been disrupted for nearly a decade due to conflict and institutional fragmentation.

    This milestone was made possible through the sustained engagement of the United Nations team in Yemen, working alongside key partners.

    To accelerate water access, the Yemen Humanitarian Fund is allocating $2 million to connect 90,000 people, to functioning water networks.

    We commend the local leadership behind this breakthrough and urge donors to scale up support so that over 600,000 people living in Taiz can finally access safe, and reliable, water and sanitation.

    **Global Risk Report

    If you are looking for some interestingreading material this weekend, if I can recommend the inaugural UN Global Risk Report.

    It is being launched today at 1 pm, both online and at an event hosted at the Mission of Singapore.  The key insight of this report is a set of 12 Global Vulnerabilities, which are risks that are perceived as both important and for which the international community is underprepared.  Many risk reports can provide a list of the most important risks, but this report focuses our attention on perceived gaps in the multilateral space.  It identifies Mis- and Disinformation as a singularly critical vulnerability and identifies three other clusters of risks that are technological, environmental, and societal.  Specifically, the report highlights that these global vulnerabilities can be best addressed through coordinated joint action between Member States and across stakeholder groups.  It can be found on the web at unglobalriskreport.org.

    **International Days

    Since we won’t see each other tomorrow, I don’t want to leave you without mentioning two international days.

    Saturday is International Day of Cooperatives.  Cooperatives have a local community focus, and they aspire to bring the benefits of this economic and social model to all people in the world.

    Sunday is World Rural Development Day.  This Day aims at elevating rural voices and renewing the world’s collective promise, which is to leave no one behind, not even in the most remote and forgotten places of the world.

    **Financial Contribution

    We have a quiz for you today.  How many people do deep sea diving here?  Below the water.  You scuba? I am trying to make it more exciting for Gabriel.

    This country’s most famous dive site is the SS President Coolidge, a shipwrecked luxury liner that was serving as a troop ship in World War II.  The ship sank in 1942 after making contact with mines off Espiritu Santo Island, the largest island of this archipelago nation.  No.  Okay, I will give you another hint.  The capital of this country is Port Vila.  [response from the crowd:  “Vanuatu.”]

    Yes.  Who said Vanuatu?  You see, that’s the second one you won, Chris.  Claim your prize.

    **Questions and Answers

    Spokesman:  All right, let’s go back to New York from Vanuatu.  Dezhi?

    Question:  Yes.  Let’s talk about the hostages that kept by Hamas in Gaza.  You said there are 17 weeks that no field entered, and there’s rarely humanitarian deliveries.  Does the UN have any information of the whereabouts or conditions of the still remaining hostages?

    Spokesman:  The information that we have and we’ve been getting is through the regular meetings the Secretary-General has had with the families of Israeli hostages and former hostages, but we do not have any direct information.

    Question:  Does the Secretary-General worry if the condition continues in Gaza without food, without fuel, with more evacuation orders, there will be less and less chance for those hostages to survive…?

    Spokesman:  Well, I mean, I think the longer this goes on, the more people will suffer, whether they are the Palestinian civilians or whether they’re the hostages being held by Hamas.

    Question:  So, another thing is, yesterday, I believe you saw the report from AP about the Gaza Humanitarian Fund [GHF].  Two American contractors said they are very disturbed and feel irresponsible that there’s live ammunition fired at the site, which got rejected by the Fund.  Does the UN have any comments on this?

    Spokesman:  Well, I mean, the comment is what we’ve been telling you about the operations of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation since the beginning, that they do not meet the most basic standards that anyone should want to meet, which is when you’re trying to help people, you’re not putting them at greater risk. Yes, Jordan?

    Question:  Steph, there is a big perception in Middle East, actually, in the world that the United Nations has failed to protect the Palestinian people. And, also, as you just mentioned, 326 UN staff also, the United Nations, that you unable to protect even your own staff. How can you reply to that?

    Spokesman:  Well, I mean, which United Nations are you speaking about?  Are you speaking about the inability of the Security Council to come together?  Are you speaking…?

    Correspondent:  The United Nations system.

    Spokesman:  But that’s… you know, I think people have to understand the complexity of the UN system, and we rely on you as journalists to explain that.  I think the Secretary-General and all of the UN humanitarian staff and other staff who remain in Gaza are doing their best to protect civilians, to help civilians stay alive by at least providing them with the limited amount of means that we have.  What is clear is that in this conflict and in others, as the Secretary-General said last week, if I’m not mistaken, international law, the Charter itself is being repeatedly violated and too many countries are choosing to see the Charter and international law as an a la carte menu, as opposed to standing up and believing and implementing other commitments they themselves have signed on to.  Yes, ma’am?

    Question:  Thank you, Steph.  This is Min Lu from China Daily.  The US and Vietnam has reportedly reached a trade agreement that removes tariffs on US goods to Vietnam, while the Vietnam goods exporting to the US are facing higher tariffs.  Does the UN have any comments on how this treatment will influence developing countries and global trade awareness?

    Spokesman:  I mean, we don’t have any comment on this specific agreement, or we’re not even sure there’s an agreement.  What we do believe is that the Secretary-General believes in a global trade system that needs to be fair and especially fair to those countries that are most vulnerable.  Alex?

    Question:  Thanks, Steph.  Firstly, a quick follow-up on UN WebTV and other sources.  Is it somehow connected with UN80 initiative?

    Spokesman:  No, no, not at all.  Not everything is connected to UN80 Initiative.

    Correspondent:  I had to follow-up.

    Spokesman:  I mean, I saw the Mets win yesterday.  I don’t think that was connected to the UN80 Initiative.

    Question:  Secondly, follow-up on this UN Russian Memorandum.  So what will happen after this Memorandum expires?

    Spokesman:  Well, the Memorandum of Understanding will not be extended.  It had a shelf life of three years.  However, the issues around it remain, right?  And that, for us, includes the developing and the protection of safe trade routes through the Black Sea.  So a lot of the issues that the memo address will continue to live on and will continue to be discussed between the United Nations, the Russian Federation, and others.

    Question:  And last one.  President [Vladimir] Putin and President [Donald] Trump held a phone conversation. Have any comments on that?

    Spokesman:  I mean, we’ve just seen that they spoke.  As I’ve said in other cases, we welcome high-level dialogue between leaders of these United Nations.  Okay.  Yes, ma’am?

    Question:  Hi.  My name is Rachel from [Inaudible], Guangdong, China.  So I just recently saw a new report from the United Nations Economic and Social Committee for Asia and the Pacific mentions a USD $2.5 to $4 trillion in annual financing gap for developing countries.  So I’m wondering, as China is now one of the largest creditors to developing countries, how does the UN view China’s potential role in advancing global financial collaboration?

    Spokesman:  To be honest, I have not seen that report.  I will put you in touch with its authors, so you can ask them. But I try not to speak about things I don’t know.  Doesn’t always work, but that’s what I try to do.  Go ahead, Dezhi.

    Question:  Yesterday, WHO urged countries to increase health tax on tobaccos, alcohols, and sugar-contained beverages to at least 50 per cent of its price.  Do you worry that would affect your champagne drinking in your bottle?

    Spokesman:  Have a great weekend.

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  • US politics live: House debates Trump’s tax-and-spending bill after overnight advancement | US Congress

    US politics live: House debates Trump’s tax-and-spending bill after overnight advancement | US Congress

    House debates Trump’s tax-and-spending bill after overnight advancement

    Good morning and welcome to our blog covering US politics.

    The House has moved toward a final vote on Donald Trump’s sweeping tax-and-spending bill after hours of wrangling. The procedural vote had been initially delayed by the blocking of a rule that allows the debate to begin. But eventually, the House voted 219-213 to move forward at about 3.30AM ET.

    The debate lasted much longer than expected also, mainly due to a marathon session by Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, who labelled the legislation a “one big ugly bill” and read out many letters from Americans saying what Medicaid means to them.

    Jeffries is still speaking on the House floor, saying in the early hours of Thursday morning that he would take his “sweet time” telling the stories of Americans whose lives will be upended by the legislation if it passes.

    Meanwhile, House speaker Mike Johnson was optimistic Wednesday night and said lawmakers had a “long, productive day” discussing the issues, Reuters reported. He also praised Trump for making phone calls to the holdouts through the early hours of Thursday morning.

    “There couldn’t be a more engaged and involved president,” the speaker told reporters.

    Stick with us today as we break down the events of the day.

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    Key events

    Hakeem Jeffries, now passing four hours on the House floor, said the tax and spending bill takes a “chainsaw” to Medicare, Medicaid, nutritional assistance for hungry children, and vulnerable Americans. But, he said, Democrats are “here to make clear, Mr. Speaker, we’re determined to take a chainsaw to Project 2025.”

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  • First Thing: Trump’s bill of tax and welfare cuts passes step in House | Trump administration

    First Thing: Trump’s bill of tax and welfare cuts passes step in House | Trump administration

    Good morning.

    Donald Trump’s signature tax-and-spending bill passed a procedural step in the House of Representatives at close to 4am local time, paving the way for the possible passage of the legislation later today as lawmakers continue to debate.

    The House speaker, Mike Johnson, is determined to pass the bill as soon as possible but has been frustrated by lawmakers – Democrats but also a handful of Republicans – who object to its provisions and overall cost. Overnight, they had blocked the House from approving a rule that was necessary to begin debate on the measure and set the stage for the proposed legislation’s passage.

    But the procedural passage appeared to suggest that the Republican holdouts had been brought into line, and that Trump’s bill – which he has made the centerpiece of his legislative agenda – would soon pass.

    The bill would add $3.3tn to the US budget deficit from 2025 to 2034, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimates.

    • What would it mean for deportation policy? Thousands of new immigration enforcement officers; tens of thousands of extra detention beds; fees on asylum applications; and further construction on the border wall. Here’s how Trump’s bill will supercharge mass deportations by funneling $170bn to Ice.

    • And social security? According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the welfare cuts will result in about 10.6 million people losing their Medicaid healthcare and 8 million people losing their Snap food stamp benefits.

    • Follow our live coverage here.

    Exclusive: Israeli military used US-made 500lb bomb in strike on Gaza cafe

    Experts in international law say the use of such a munition despite the known presence of many unprotected civilians may constitute a war crime. Photograph: Enas Tantesh/The Guardian

    The Israeli military used a 500lb (230kg) bomb – a powerful and indiscriminate weapon that generates a massive blast wave and scatters shrapnel over a wide area – in an attack on a target in a crowded beachfront cafe in Gaza on Monday, evidence seen by the Guardian has revealed.

    Experts in international law said the use of such a munition despite the known presence of many unprotected civilians including children and elderly people was almost certainly unlawful and may constitute a war crime.

    Fragments of the weapon from the ruins of al-Baqa cafe photographed by the Guardian have been identified by ordnance experts as parts of an MK-82 general purpose 230kg bomb, a US-made staple of many bombing campaigns in recent decades.

    • What was the civilian death toll from Monday’s bombing? Medical and other officials said between 24 and 36 Palestinians were killed in the attack and dozens more were injured. The dead included the film-maker Ismail Abu Hatab, the artist Amna al-Salmi, and a four-year-old child. Among the injured were a 14-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl. Read the report on the strike here.

    Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs found guilty on two of five counts but acquitted of more serious charges

    Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’s seven-week trial was marked by emotional and graphic testimony. Photograph: Elizabeth Williams/AP

    A jury in New York has found Sean “Diddy” Combs guilty of two counts and not guilty on three counts after a closely watched seven-week federal trial marked by emotional and graphic testimony.

    In a mixed verdict, Combs was found not guilty of the biggest charge, racketeering conspiracy, as well as not guilty of the sex trafficking of Casandra Ventura or of “Jane”. He was found guilty on two counts of the transportation to engage in prostitution in relation to the two women.

    • What happens next? The judge proposed a sentencing date of October 3, but said he was willing to move up the date at the defense’s request. Combs’s bail request was denied, with the judge saying he had demonstrated a “disregard for the rule of law and a propensity of violence”.

    In other news …

    People protest over the wrongful deportation of Kilmar Ábrego García. Photograph: George Walker IV/AP

    • Kilmar Ábrego García was physically and psychologically tortured in Salvadorian custody, according to court documents of the man who was wrongfully deported to El Salvador.

    • The Dalai Lama said the centuries-old spiritual institution bearing his name would continue after his death, and that only his inner circle, not Beijing, would have the authority to identify his successor.

    • Thailand’s constitutional court has suspended the prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, while it investigates a leaked phone call with Cambodia’s former leader Hun Sen.

    Stat of the day: Paramount settles with Trump for $16m over 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris

    The settlement over the Kamala Harris interview is likely to be seen as a further media capitulation to Donald Trump. Photograph: Federal Communications Commission

    Donald Trump has reached a $16m settlement with Paramount, the parent of CBS News, over what he claimed was false editing of an interview with Kamala Harris, in what is likely to be seen as further media capitulation to Trump. Paramount is preparing for a $8.4bn merger that requires FCC approval.

    Don’t miss this: the rise and fall of the world’s first ayahuasca multinational

    Traditional ayahuasca practitioners accused Alberto Varela of bringing their practice into disrepute. Composite: Guardian Design/Getty/Crónica/El Mundo

    Alberto Varela claimed he wanted to use sacred plant medicine to free people’s minds. But as the organisation grew, his followers discovered a darker reality. Traditional ayahuasca practitioners protested he was bringing their practice into disrepute. Accidents would happen, they said.

    Climate check: droughts pushing tens of millions towards starvation

    A quarter of Somalia’s population are edging towards starvation. Photograph: Jérôme Delay/AP

    Drought is pushing tens of millions of people to the edge of starvation around the world, according to a report published by the US National Drought Mitigation Center, UN Convention to Combat Desertification and International Drought Resilience Alliance. In Somalia, a quarter of the population is edging towards starvation.

    Last Thing: Colombia’s enchanted parking lot – how a ruined multistorey became a garden paradise

    A parking lot in Medellín, Colombia, has been reborn as a green haven for all Photograph: Isaac Ramirez

    Once a hangout for drug users, a parking lot in Medellín, Colombia, has been reborn as a green haven for all. “You dig up the concrete, water gets into the ground, vegetation grows up, and the people come back,” said one of the social urbanists credited with reducing crime and temperatures.

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