03 World

Israel says it has serious concerns with Hamas disarmament deal– abcnews.com
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TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel has shared “serious security concerns” with the White House regarding the proposed disarmament deal with Hamas, an Israeli official said as Israeli strikes overnight and into Sunday evening killed at least 17 people, including children, in Gaza.

The remarks by Doron Spielman, spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, were some of the first public comments since U.S. President Donald Trump announced the agreement.

Spielman told The Associated Press that Israel’s intelligence assessment is that Hamas remains committed to rebuilding its military rather than genuinely demilitarizing. He said the Israeli military would not withdraw from Gaza — where it controls more than 60% of the territory — before Hamas disarms.

Trump denounces Justice Department decision to drop Reflecting Pool charges | Donald Trump News– www.aljazeera.com
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United States President Donald Trump has criticised his own Department of Justice after it decided to drop criminal charges against a former Olympic athlete for the alleged vandalism of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, DC.

Trump voiced his opposition to the decision on Saturday, a day after US Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced she was dismissing the charges against 67-year-old competitive canoeist David Hearn.

Brazil’s Lula, 80, says he is ‘in great shape’ as he launches fourth term bid– www.france24.com
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Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, 80, said Sunday he was “in great shape” as he launched his candidacy for October elections, with pressure from President Donald Trump‘s administration looming over the campaign.

Lula, a leftist titan of Latin American politics who is loved and despised in near-equal measure in Brazil, highlighted what he called his stamina and good health as he addressed a convention of his Worker’s Party (PT) in Sao Paulo attended by around 3,000 people.

“I want to fight against old age. I don’t want to be shuffling along. That’s why I work out my legs. That’s why I work out my arms. That’s why I walk for an hour,” said the veteran leftist, adding he was far fitter than when he was first elected in 2002.

The former metalworker and union leader made a dramatic comeback when he returned to power three years ago after a stint in jail on corruption charges that were later annulled.

New York Times reveals Trump administration subpoena over North Korea story | Freedom of the Press News– www.aljazeera.com
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The US Justice Department faces criticism for its increasing use of subpoenas in attempts to compel journalists to reveal their sources.

The New York Times has revealed that another journalist is facing a subpoena from the administration of United States President Donald Trump, this time about reporting conducted into a secret military operation in North Korea.

On Saturday, the newspaper — one of the most prominent in the country — identified freelance reporter Matthew Cole as the target of the subpoena.

UK PM Burnham vows to be ‘relentless’ on Channel migrant crossings | Migration– www.aljazeera.com
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NewsFeed

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said his government will be “relentless” in tackling small boat crossings across the English Channel, saying crossings are down by 50% compared with the same period last year despite Britain recording its highest daily arrival figure of 2026 last week.

Brent falls below $82 per barrel, first time since July 13 – Business & Economy– tass.com
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MOSCOW, August 3. /TASS/. The price of Brent crude futures contract with September delivery on the ICE exchange in London fell below $82 a barrel for the first time since July 13, according to trading data.

As of 1:00 Moscow time (10:00 p.m. GMT, August 2), Brent was down 6.74% at $82 a barrel.

By 1:10 Moscow time (10:10 p.m. GMT, August 2), Brent had pared losses to trade at $82.89 a barrel, down 5.73%.

Spain installs floating barrier in Ceuta after migration influx– www.france24.com
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Spain said migrant crossings into its North African enclave of Ceuta stopped overnight, as police began installing a 500-metre (1,640-foot) floating barrier on Saturday off its border with Morocco following a mass rush that killed at least 67 people.

According to Spanish authorities, about 60,000 people had crossed ​into Ceuta by land ‌and sea from Thursday in an unprecedented surge at one of the European Union‘s only land borders with Africa. More than ⁠48,000 of them returned to Morocco within 48 hours, Spain said.

Reuters video on Saturday showed Spanish soldiers and police patrolling a mostly empty Tarajal beach shrouded in fog.

13 Killed In Suicide Blast During “Peace Rally” In Pakistan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa– www.ndtv.com
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The moment the explosion happened in Pakistan’s Swat

New Delhi:

Thirteen people were killed and 22 others were injured in an explosion targeting Pakistani police personnel in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province today. Visuals of the explosion have surfaced on social media.

The blast happened when a “peace rally” was going on in a town in Swat district.

The explosion looked like a suicide attack, although there is no immediate official confirmation about it, news agency PTI reported.

U.S. investigating if Iran was behind cyberattack on water systems in 7 states, including Minnesota and Michigan– www.cbsnews.com
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Malicious cyber activity affected technology at water systems in at least seven states this week, including Minnesota and Michigan, forcing some utilities to switch to manual operations as state and federal authorities dig into who is behind the attack, CBS News has learned.

Investigators are probing to determine whether the activity is the work of Iranian hackers, according to U.S. officials and sources familiar with the incident. Sources cautioned that since they had not definitively attributed the attack, their assessment could change as additional technical evidence is collected. They are also probing whether the actor could have attempted to appear Iran-based as a way of stirring the pot amid the ongoing U.S. conflict with Iran.

The FBI reported incidents in “at least seven states” but didn’t identify them. On Saturday, Michigan joined Minnesota in reporting cyberattacks on the state’s water systems but an official said all systems were operating “safely.”

Dale George, the director of communications at the state’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, told CBS News in a statement that the state received “a small number of reports from Michigan communities indicating activity consistent with what federal agencies described.”

Saudi Arabia Establishes New Defense Alliance For Crucial Sea Lane– trendingpoliticsnews.com
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Saudi Arabia has announced the establishment of the Multinational Maritime Defense Alliance, a framework for collective maritime defense cooperation focused on the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden. The announcement follows years of insecurity in the vital sea lane due to threats from the Iran-backed Houthi militant group.

The announcement followed a meeting hosted in Riyadh by the Saudi Ministry of Defense, attended by chiefs of staff and representatives from 43 countries along with a European Union delegation. Of the 51 countries and organizations invited, these participants discussed the proposed alliance’s draft charter, organizational structure, command-and-control arrangements, operational mechanisms, and next steps.

As part of the agreement, 14 countries issued a joint declaration supporting the alliance as founding members. This includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Türkiye, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti, and Somalia. The United Arab Emirates and Oman were notably not among those listed in the initial joint statement.

Houthis push back on report of planned Red Sea shipping fees– thehill.com
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Yemen’s Houthi-run maritime authority pushed back on Saturday against reports that the group is considering charging toll fees to commercial vessels passing through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, saying ships can continue to pass through the waterway without paying. The Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center said in a statement that its safe-passage service is voluntary and does…

Spain deploys military after thousands breach Morocco’s border– www.boston.com
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Spain will deploy its military to restore order at its border with Morocco in Ceuta after thousands of migrants streamed into the tiny Spanish territory, with at least nine dying in the attempt.

The announcement came after local authorities in Ceuta had asked the central government in Madrid for reinforcements to manage a border crisis that boiled over Thursday with large crowds of people breaching the border fence.

Spain’s government said it would send the Armed Forces to help the Civil Guard “maintain security in the city of Ceuta.” It also announced that Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez would join Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska in a visit to Ceuta on Friday.

“The situation is absolute chaos,” Rachid Sbihi, head of the association that represents Spain’s Civil Guard officers who police the border in Ceuta, told The Associated Press. “It’s not possible to give precise numbers, but there are thousands of migrants crossing,” he said, adding that the border had “totally collapsed.”

Achraf Maimouni, a member of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights in northern Morocco, described the situation as “exceptional.”

“The Tarajal border was opened under unusual circumstances this morning and people crossed,” he said.

Yemen’s Houthis claim missile attack on Saudi Arabia oil tanker | Houthis News– www.aljazeera.com
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Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group says it has fired ballistic missiles at a Saudi oil tanker, more than a week after imposing a naval blockade on Saudi vessels in the Red Sea.

In a post on X, Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesman, said the group had “carried out a military operation targeting the Saudi oil tanker (NCC GHAZAL) for violating the maritime navigation ban” that the group had imposed on Saudi vessels.

He added that the group had used several ballistic missiles and forced the vessel to retreat.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a maritime security monitor, said a tanker reported an explosion while transiting the Red Sea, adding that the crew is safe and no environmental damage was reported.

The Houthis seized the capital Sanaa in 2014 and have fought the internationally recognised Yemeni government, which Saudi Arabia backs, for more than a decade.

On July 20, the Houthis announced their maritime blockade, accusing Saudi leaders of imposing “an unjust and oppressive siege” on Yemen for nearly 12 years, “plundering our resources and imposing a comprehensive blockade”.

It went on to affirm “the right of our great people to respond to the blockade with a blockade”.

U.S. walks out on UN meeting following France’s human rights criticism – National– globalnews.ca
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U.S. diplomats walked out as their French counterparts were speaking at the United Nations on Monday after America’s close European ally criticized the Trump administration’s human rights record.

The surprise move during a U.N. Security Council meeting on Ukraine followed U.S. opposition to giving U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk another four-year term. The reappointment on Friday got overwhelming support, including from France.

The U.S. walkout reflects not only the more strained relations between President Donald Trump and his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, but also wider tensions between the U.S. and Europe. These include questions over Trump’s commitment to NATO, possible changes to U.S. troop deployments in Europe, and Trump’s desire to control Greenland, which belongs to NATO member Denmark.

Trump has complained that Europeans, who weren’t consulted, did not help the U.S. during the Iran war. Amid the tensions, Macron has taken a lead in trying to build up Europe’s military and ensure a nuclear umbrella as one of the continent’s two nuclear powers, along with Britain.

Netanyahu Will Attend UN General Assembly in New York City– legalinsurrection.com
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed he will attend the UN General Assembly in New York City in September.

I figured Netanyahu would, even though communist Mayor Zohran Mamdani threatened to arrest him and encouraged people to “protest” him.

Netanyahu told Sean Hannity:

But I’m definitely going there. I’m going to speak the truth in front of this, you know. There’s just hate spewing elected official who’s pitting one group of New Yorkers against the others. He’s turning them against New York Jews. I mean, what, are we in the 1930s? What is this? You know, so much hate, so many lies.

Khanna: Call to Arrest Netanyahu ‘Not Talking About Americans Who Are Subject to Our Own Law’– www.breitbart.com
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On Tuesday’s broadcast of CBS’s “The Takeout,” Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) said that “We should not allow people in our jurisdiction who have an arrest warrant by the ICC.” But this isn’t a danger for Americans because “They don’t have any American arrest warrants. This is not talking about Americans who are subject to our own law. But that seems to be a consistent principle of international law, and I’d apply it to Putin like I’d apply it to Netanyahu.”

Khanna said, “Now, my view on Netanyahu is the same as my view on Putin, if you have a warrant for your arrest by the ICC, and you’re coming here — not to the U.N., because the U.N. has its own rules — but you’re coming to the United States, then you should be arrested. We should not allow people in our jurisdiction who have an arrest warrant by the ICC.”

He added, “People say, what about Americans? They don’t have any American arrest warrants. This is not talking about Americans who are subject to our own law. But that seems to be a consistent principle of international law, and I’d apply it to Putin like I’d apply it to Netanyahu.”