🇸🇾At least 30 killed in sectarian clashes in Syria

At least 30 people have been killed in clashes in southern Syria as authorities sent forces to de-escalate the situation.

Scores of people were also injured in the violence between Bedouin Sunni tribes and fighters from the Druze religious minority in the city of Sweida.

Syria's interior ministry said at least 30 people were killed, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, put the death toll at 37.

Fighting between different minority groups has escalated since the collapse of the Assad regime in December.

A new Islamic-led government is working to establish control within the country, which remains in a fragile situation.

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🇨🇲World's oldest president to seek eighth term

The world's oldest head of state, Cameroon's President Paul Biya, 92, has said he will run once more for re-election in October aiming to extend his 43 years in power.

"Rest assured that my determination to serve you matches the urgency of the challenges we face," he said in a post on X.

He added that his decision to go for an eighth term came after "numerous and insistent" calls by people from all regions in Cameroon and the diaspora.

Biya's administration has faced criticism over corruption, embezzlement, bad governance and failure to tackle security challenges. There have also been concerns about his health and ability to govern.

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🇫🇷French PM looks to scrap two public holidays in bold bid to cut national debt

France's Prime Minister François Bayrou has proposed cutting two public holidays as part of a 2026 budget proposal to slash overall spending while also increasing defence expenses.

Bayrou suggested axing Easter Monday and 8 May, a day that commemorates the Allied victory at the end of World War Two in Europe.

He said the various bank holidays had turned the month of May into a gruyère - a Swiss cheese full of holes - although he added he was open to other suggestions.

Bayrou runs the risk of having his budget voted down in parliament in the autumn, which could eventually cause his government to collapse.

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🇺🇸🇮🇩Trump claims tariff deal with Indonesia

US President Donald Trump said he has settled on another tariff deal - this time with Indonesia.

Trump said he had agreed to lower tariffs he had threatened on goods entering the US from Indonesia to 19%, in exchange for what he called "full access" for American firms.

Terms of the deal were not immediately confirmed by Indonesia but the country's President Prabowo Subianto said it marked a "new era of mutual benefit" with Washington.

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🇺🇸Mike Waltz grilled over Signal leak at UN ambassador hearing

Donald Trump's former national security adviser Mike Waltz has faced scrutiny from US senators over his role in a sensitive Signal group chat in which officials discussed war plans.

Waltz appeared before a hearing on Tuesday seeking Senate confirmation as Trump's nominee for ambassador to the United Nations, following his removal from his former post in May.

Under questioning from Democrats, Waltz maintained he did not share classified information in the chat, which accidentally included a journalist.

The March incident, which became known as "Signalgate", threw the White House into turmoil and sparked a debate about the administration's cybersecurity.

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🇺🇸US passes first major national crypto legislation

Lawmakers in the US have passed the country's first major national cryptocurrency legislation.

It is a major milestone for the once fringe industry, which has been lobbying Congress over regulation for years and poured millions into last year's election, backing candidates that included Donald Trump.

The bill sets up a regulatory regime for so-called stablecoins, a kind of cryptocurrency backed by assets seen as reliable, such as the dollar.

Trump is expected to sign the legislation into law on Friday, after the House passed the bill on Thursday, joining the Senate, which had approved the measure last month.

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🇰🇵North Korea bans foreigners from seaside resort weeks after opening

North Korea has announced that its newly opened seaside resort will not be receiving foreign tourists.

The Wonsan Kalma Coastal Tourist Zone, opened on 1 July, has been touted as a key part of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's ambitions to boost tourism.

In the lead-up to its opening, the resort was promoted as an attraction for both locals and foreigners. But as of this week, a notice on North Korea's tourism website says that foreigners are "temporarily" not allowed to visit.

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🇸🇾Syrian presidency to send new force to halt clashes in south

The Syrian presidency says it will deploy a new force to halt the deadly sectarian clashes between Bedouin and Druze fighters in the south of the country.

Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa's office urged "all parties to exercise restraint", amid reports of renewed fighting near the city of Suweida on Friday.

Almost 600 people are reported to have been killed since the violence erupted on Sunday. Government troops deployed to the area were accused by residents of killing Druze civilians and carrying out extrajudicial executions.

Israel later struck targets in Syria to force the troops to withdraw from Suweida province. On Friday, the US ambassador to Turkey said that Israel and Syria had agreed a ceasefire.

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🇨🇩Hope for peace as DR Congo and M23 rebels sign deal in Qatar

The Democratic Republic of Congo and M23 rebels have signed a ceasefire deal in Qatar to end fighting between the warring sides.

Dubbed the Declaration of Principles, Saturday's agreement seen by the BBC, says both sides must refrain from attacks, "hate propaganda" and "any attempt to seize by force new positions on the ground".

The declaration is intended as a roadmap towards a permanent settlement.

The two sides agreed to implement the deal's terms by July 29. A final peace deal is due by 18 August and must align with last month's US-brokered deal between DR Congo and Rwanda, which denies accusations it backs M23.

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🇺🇦Ukraine seeks new round of talks with Russia

Ukraine has proposed a new round of peace talks with Russia, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said, in a move aimed at restarting negotiations that halted last month.

Senior security official Rustem Umerov has offered to meet the Russian side next week, Zelensky said in his evening address, adding that everything had to be done to get a ceasefire.

Zelenksy also repeated his readiness to meet Russia's Vladimir Putin face-to-face. "A meeting at the leadership level is needed to truly ensure peace," he said.

The proposal came hours after Ukraine was hit with another widespread air bombardment by Russia, which killed three people.

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🇮🇱World Health Organization condemns Israeli attacks on facilities in Gaza

The World Health Organization (WHO) says Israel's ground offensive in central Gaza has compromised its efforts to continue working, after its facilities came under attack.

The UN agency accused Israeli forces of attacking a building housing its staff and their families in the city of Deir al-Balah on Monday and mistreating those sheltering there. Its main warehouse was also attacked and destroyed.

The Israeli military has not yet commented.

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🇮🇳Indian vice president's resignation sparks speculation

The sudden resignation of India's Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday night has sparked speculation about what prompted the move.

Dhankar, also the chairman of the upper house of the parliament, announced his resignation on the first day of the monsoon session, citing health concerns.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which had nominated him for the post, has yet to comment on his resignation.

But many opposition leaders have expressed surprise at the move, with one MP saying there was more to it "than meets the eye".

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🇳🇬Suspended Nigerian senator behind harassment claim refused entry to parliament

A Nigerian senator who was suspended after accusing the senate president of sexual harassment, which he denies, has been refused entry to the parliamentary complex.

Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan has linked the six-month suspension to her accusation but the senate leadership said it was because of "unruly and disruptive" behaviour during a legislative session.

On Tuesday, her convoy was halted at the outer gate of the National Assembly in Abuja. Continuing on foot she was stopped by security at the inner gate.

Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of just four women out of 109 senators, had vowed to return to work on Tuesday following a federal high court ruling that she said ordered the Senate to allow her to do so.

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🇺🇸🇵🇭Philippines goods to face 19% tariff, Trump says

The US will levy a 19% tax on imports from the Philippines, US President Donald Trump has announced after meeting with the country's president at the White House.

Trump wrote on social media on Tuesday that the new tariff was part of a wider pact, in which the Philippines would remove duties on US goods and the two countries would cooperate militarily.

"It was a beautiful visit, and we concluded our Trade Deal," he wrote on social media, offering no further details about the apparent agreement.

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🇺🇸🇯🇵Trump says US has struck trade deal with Japan

President Donald Trump says the US has agreed to a "massive" trade deal with Japan, one of the country's largest trading partners.

Japan has agreed to invest $550bn (£407bn) in the US while its goods sold to America would be taxed at 15% when they reach the country - below the 25% tariff Trump had threatened.

Trump said on social media that Japan would open its economy to US goods, including cars, trucks, rice and certain agricultural products.

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🇨🇦Carney says Canada won't settle for a 'bad deal' on US tariffs

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has said his country "will not accept a bad deal" simply to reach a trade agreement with the US, as a deadline of 1 August looms before US President Donald Trump begins to impose new tariffs.

"Our objective is not to reach a deal whatever it costs," Carney told reporters in Ontario. "We are pursuing a deal that will be in the best interest of Canadians."

US importers buying in goods from Canada will face a 35% tax if no deal is reached before the deadline.

The neighbours are among each other's largest trading partners, but have been in a standoff after Trump returned to the White House earlier this year and unleashed a sweeping programme of tariffs.

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😭Malnutrition in Gaza at alarming levels, WHO warns as aid airdrops resume

The World Health Organization has warned malnutrition has reached "alarming levels" in Gaza with rates on a "dangerous trajectory", as aid airdrops resumed in the Strip.

Jordan said it had worked with the United Arab Emirates and dropped 25 tonnes of aid into Gaza on Sunday after Israel began what it called a "tactical pause" in fighting.

Israel had said it would halt military operations for 10 hours a day in parts of Gaza and allow aid corridors for UN convoys, to "refute the false claim of intentional starvation". Hamas accused it of "whitewashing its image".

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💶🇺🇸EU and US agree trade deal, with 15% tariffs for European exports to America

The United States and European Union have agreed a trade deal, ending a months-long standoff between two of the world's biggest economic partners.

After make-or-break negotiations between President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Scotland, the pair agreed a US tariff on all EU goods of 15%.

That is half the 30% import tax rate Trump had threatened to implement starting on Friday. He said the 27-member bloc would open its markets to US exporters with zero per cent tariffs on certain products.

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🇨🇮Ivory Coast president, 83, says he will run for fourth term

Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara has announced he will run for a fourth term in October's election.

In a statement, the 83-year-old said his health was not an issue and his candidacy was driven by a need to "preserve national stability amid ongoing security and economic challenges".

Ouattara argues a new constitution approved in 2016 reset his two-term limit, meaning he is allowed to stand.

He will be the poll's frontrunner, as several potential challengers have already been barred from the race.

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⚠️Tsunami warning sparks evacuations in Japan and US after powerful Russia earthquake

A powerful earthquake off the coast of Russia has triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific, prompting emergency evacuations in Russia's far-east, northern Japan, Hawaii and the US west coast.

The 8.8 magnitude quake struck near Russia's far-eastern Kamchatka Peninsula at 11:25 local time on Wednesday (23:00 GMT on Tuesday).

It is one of the 10 most powerful earthquakes ever recorded, the US Geological Survey said.

In Russia, the tremor triggered tsunami waves of up to 5m (16ft) in some areas. Pictures showed waves surging through the port town of Severo-Kurilsk, home to around 2,000 people, but no serious injuries or damage has been reported.

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🇺🇸🇮🇳Trump says 'good friend' India may face up to 25% tariffs

India could face tariffs as high as 25% if it fails to finalise a trade deal with the US this week, President Donald Trump has said.

"Yeah, I think so," he told reporters on Tuesday when asked whether Delhi would face higher tariffs in the absence of an agreement.

The US has set a 1 August deadline for India and several other countries to either reach a trade agreement or face increased tariffs.

Indian and American officials have been negotiating a trade deal for the past few months, but officials have alternated between sounding optimistic and cautious about when it will be announced.

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