Middle East crisis live: ceasefire under pressure and talks in doubt as Iran threatens to ‘retaliate’ to US seizure of ship

• Qatari mediators worked through intense diplomatic channels to broker an interim deal between the U.S. and Iran following a period of escalating military strikes. • The diplomacy reached a critical point on June 11, when a plane carrying the mediators was stranded on a Tehran tarmac amidst the exchange of attacks.

• India is focusing on securing the financial viability of the Chabahar Port by implementing local currency payment frameworks and humanitarian trade exemptions to bypass shifting global sanctions. • To manage regional tensions, India aims to re-engage shared cultural diplomacy by leveraging Indo-Persian historical and linguistic ties to maintain communication channels.

• The humanitarian crisis in Haiti is worsening, with the International Organization for Migration reporting over 2,600 people displaced in Artibonite following clashes between armed groups last week. • UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized the urgent need to strengthen regional diplomacy and accelerate sustainable development to ensure global peace and dignity.

• Gulf Arab nations are fundamentally reshaping their defense strategies, economies, and trade routes following three months of intense regional conflict. • The shift is driven by concerns that an emerging diplomatic deal between the U.S. and Iran may leave these countries vulnerable to Iranian influence.

• Bahrain has accused Iran of launching a drone attack targeting the island kingdom, escalating tensions in the region. • The United States and Iran have exchanged military strikes following U.S. accusations that Tehran attacked a cargo ship, threatening a fragile ceasefire.

Search for survivors continues with nearly 70,000 people reported unaccounted for by their family membersThe ⁠death toll ⁠in ⁠the twin ​earthquakes which struck ⁠Venezuela earlier ⁠this ​week ‌has ‌risen to ‌1,430, according to one of the country’s top politicians Jorge Rodríguez.Another 3,200 ​people were injured ⁠and 3,100 ​left homeless ​by the ​disaster, ​the National Assembly president added, speaking ​on ​state television. Continue reading...

Firefighters are battling the blaze in Fishlake national park that was stoked by strong winds and low humidityHundreds of firefighters in Utah have struggled to suppress a wildfire that scorched an additional 20,000 acres (8,000 hectares) as of Saturday, as low humidity and strong winds accelerated the fire spread, according to state officials.The Cottonwood fire erupted on Monday in the Fishlake national forest, located in central Utah. The blaze intensified overnight, growing from about 70,000 acres (28,000 hectares) to more than 92,000 acres (37,000 hectares) on Saturday morning, according to the US Forest Service. The fire is at a 0% containment level and is the largest blaze currently burning in the US, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Continue reading...

Democrats called plans for commemorative passports and gold coin with Trump portrait ‘more befitting a monarchy’Donald Trump’s efforts to brand the US government with his name and image advanced on Friday when the White House unveiled new images of a passport watermarked with his portrait to mark America’s 250th.The White House called it simply the “patriot passport”, while on Truth Social Trump introduced it as “The U.S.A.’s New Passport, which says, “Welcome, but be good!”. Continue reading...

No immediate reports of damage after Bahrain hit by ‘number of drones’ as ship in strait of Hormuz also targetedBahrain said it was attacked by Iran with a wave of drones on Saturday, apparently in response to overnight US strikes on Iran. A ship in the strait of Hormuz was also attacked.Bahrain’s foreign ministry said a “number of drones” were launched at the country, though there were no immediate reports of damage. It condemned the attack and described it as a “flagrant threat to the security of citizens and residents”. Continue reading...

Police say they also found more than 600 dog collars in area where they suspect animals were killedInvestigators uncovered 117 dead dogs at a northern California animal rescue sanctuary, with many of the canine remains having evidence of gunshots.Miranda’s Rescue, a sanctuary outside Fortuna, California, described itself as a “no-kill” facility. Investigators said the organization accepted hundreds of dogs each year from shelters across the San Francisco Bay Area in return for hundreds of thousands of dollars in funding. Continue reading...

Vice-president appeared on Bill Maher’s show hours before more military strikes were exchanged in strait of HormuzJD Vance said on Friday that the US wins “either way” regarding negotiations with Iran, pointing to what he called the destruction of its nuclear program and diminishment as a country.“If we make the final deal, then great,” the US vice-president told HBO’s Bill Maher. “If we don’t make the final deal, their nuclear program is still destroyed. They’re still much weaker as a country, so my attitude is America wins either way.” Continue reading...

Candidates who believe Israel has committed genocide won big in New York – will it push the party to move their way?Regardless of which party wins control of Congress in November, New York City voters have all but ensured that next year a vocal bloc of new House Democrats will arrive on Capitol Hill, elected, in large part, because they believe Israel has committed a genocide in Gaza.That is an upshot of the primary elections held Tuesday in New York, where voters ousted two incumbent House Democrats and replaced a third who is retiring with progressives championed by Zohran Mamdani. Continue reading...