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July 31 (UPI) — Some 6.5 million cruise passengers visited Mexico during the first half of 2026, a 17.1% increase from the same period a year earlier, government figures show.

Pacific destinations, in general, showed increases in visits, while the Mexican Caribbean maintained its position as the country’s main hub for maritime tourism, the Tourism Secretariat said.

Between January and June, 1,839 cruise ships called at Mexican ports, a 12.2% increase compared with the first half of 2025, according to the Secretariat of the Navy.

The Pacific Coast recorded the strongest growth. Puerto Chiapas, in the southern state of Chiapas, led during the first half by nearly doubling its number of passengers compared with the previous year.

According to the Mexican government, the port is the main maritime gateway to southern Mexico and the Soconusco region, where excursions depart for coffee plantations, the Izapa archaeological site and the mangroves along the Chiapas coast.

Mazatlán, one of the Mexican Pacific’s main cruise ports, also stood out, recording an increase of more than 60% in passenger traffic. The destination is known for connecting routes along the so-called Pacific nautical ladder and for its beaches, oceanfront promenade and historic downtown.

Cabo San Lucas, situated at the southern tip of the Baja California Peninsula, also reported passenger growth of more than 60%. The port is one of the main stops on Mexican Pacific cruise itineraries and is known for natural attractions, such as El Arco, and for marine wildlife watching excursions, according to tour operator Civitatis.

Tourism Secretary Josefina Rodríguez Zamora said the results reflect the confidence that the world’s leading cruise lines have in Mexico and highlighted that each cruise ship creates economic opportunities for communities that depend on tourism activity at the country’s ports.

Although the Pacific was the fastest-growing region, the Mexican Caribbean continued to account for most of the activity.

The ports of Cozumel and Mahahual, in the state of Quintana Roo, jointly welcomed more than 4.2 million cruise passengers between January and July, equivalent to nearly 64% of the national total, according to data from the Quintana Roo Comprehensive Port Administration, or Apiqroo, published by Reportur.

Cozumel, considered Mexico’s leading cruise port, received 795 cruise ship calls through July 19, an 8% increase from the same period in 2025. Mahahual, meanwhile, saw more than 1.29 million passengers during the first half of the year, consolidating its position as the state’s second-largest cruise destination.

Apiqroo Director Vagner Elbiorn Vega attributed part of the growth to a season with favorable weather conditions, allowing cruise ships to maintain their itineraries without the storm-related diversions required last year, Reportur reported.

If the trend continues, Apiqroo expects Cozumel to end 2026 with about 1,377 cruise ship calls, which would make it one of the port’s busiest years on record.

FIFA’s World Cup 2026 expansion was their first since 1998, but the 2030 edition could rise to 64 teams.

FIFA is studying whether to expand the World Cup from 48 to 64 teams for the 2030 edition in a move that could reshape football’s showpiece tournament when it celebrates its centennial.

World football’s governing body wants to appoint an independent agency to assess the ambitious expansion plan, which would add another 16 nations to ⁠a tournament that had already grown from 32 to 48 teams in 2026.

“FIFA wishes to appoint an independent agency to determine whether and how expanding the FIFA World Cup from 48 to 64 participating national teams, starting with the 2030 edition, would impact on the tournament proposition,” it said in a research brief seen by the news agency Reuters.

South American confederation CONMEBOL had officially proposed hosting the 2030 World ‌Cup with 64 teams last year, allowing more countries the opportunity to join in the celebrations for the tournament’s centennial edition.

The 2026 edition in the US, Canada and Mexico was the first since 1998 to move away from the 32-team format, adding four more groups and an extra knockout round in the process, resulting in 104 matches over more than five weeks.

The accelerated study comes on the heels of FIFA’s plan to create a $20bn subsidiary to run the World Cup and its other events with external investors, a move that has attracted criticism and a ⁠UEFA decision to boycott FIFA events.

Al Jazeera has contacted FIFA for comment.

UEFA and FIFA could be on another World Cup collision course

UEFA President ⁠Aleksander Ceferin said last year that expanding the World Cup to 64 teams was not a good idea.

The European governing body’s position has not changed since then, while Asian Football Confederation President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa had also voiced opposition, questioning last year where further expansion ⁠might end.

FIFA’s proposed analysis is meant to assess whether the proposed expansion can strengthen the tournament or whether concerns such as competition dilution, calendar congestion, operational complexity and market saturation ⁠outweigh the potential benefits.

The study will examine the potential impact of expanding ⁠the tournament to 64 teams, including the effects on the competition, competitive balance, qualification, player welfare and the international calendar.

It will also estimate the revenues that could be generated from ticket sales, sponsorship and media rights under the proposed format.

“The final recommendation should demonstrate not only whether a 64-team tournament ‌can generate incremental value, but whether that value is sustainable,” the document added.

FIFA said a decision on selecting the agency would be made on August 14 and they would have only four weeks to deliver their analysis by September 11.

The ‌2030 ‌World Cup is being jointly hosted by Morocco, Portugal and Spain, while Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay will host one match each to celebrate the tournament’s 100th anniversary.

FIFA is already facing a dispute with its confederations due to a plan to sell stakes in World Cups and other events to private investors.

File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo

July 31 (UPI) — The U.S. State Department has apologized for using an incorrectly labeled map of Africa during a presentation at the global AIDS conference in Brazil.

The presentation that took place on Sunday had a map that included six incorrectly identified countries and misshapen borders.

The map detailed about $500 billion in potential U.S. funding to Africa.

The State Department said in a statement that it takes “full responsibility for the confusion and misrepresentation it caused for attendees, including our African partners.”

The map included an AI watermark.

Nigeria, Mozambique and Ivory Coast are placed in the completely incorrect locations on the map. Malawi and Uganda are in the generally correct region but the borders are unrecognizable. Cameroon is named on the map but it does not have a line marking its location like the other countries and is in the wrong location..

Mozambique was marked in the eastern horn of Africa, rather than its correct position in the southern part of the continent.

Ivory Coast, or Côte d’Ivoire, a coastal nation as its name suggests, was landlocked in eastern Africa rather than its rightful place on the opposite side of the continent.

Cameroon was roughly where Ivory Coast belonged and just over half of its actual size.

Nigeria was in another incorrectly landlocked location, just north of its accurate placement on the western coast bordering Cameroon.

Uganda was the closest to its correct position, needing to be moved a few hundred miles to the west, but the border was completely wrong.

Malawi’s borders were also drawn incorrectly and it was too far to the south.

“What an embarrassment,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., wrote on social media. “This is what happens when [the State Department] fires career experts and tries to have AI conduct diplomacy.”

July 31 (UPI) — British oil giant BP announced plans Friday to sell off its North Sea business, ending six decades of exploration and extraction in the U.K. Continental Shelf since the company first struck gas there in 1964.

The firm said that nothing would change for the time being while a buyer was found, vowing in a news release that it was fully committed to continuing to run its operations, prioritizing safety and dependability, while delivering for its customers, partners and investors.

The outcome of a review of its portfolio, BP said the goal was to enhance the value of the company by making it simpler and stronger through adhering to its approach of allocating capital in a rigorous fashion.

“The North Sea remains integral to the U.K.’s energy system. However, as we focus our portfolio and direct capital to our highest-value opportunities, we believe our North Sea business will be better positioned as part of another company. It has world-class people, resilient assets and a proud heritage, and it is precisely these qualities that can attract an owner ready to back its next chapter,” said BP.

“We are seeking an outcome that recognizes that value.”

CEO Meg O’Neill stressed that Britain would remain of key importance to the company going forward, saying BP was proud of the employment it generated, its input to the economy and its role in keeping energy flowing every day.

As recently as May, O’Neill described the North Sea basin as one of “untapped potential.”

The share price gained slightly on the news, rising a little more than 1% to $7.36 in mid afternoon trade on the London Stock Exchange on Friday.

BP has 24 fields across five main nodes in the North Sea, including its key Clair Ridge and Schielhallion fields of the Shetland Islands, with 1,100 workers pumping a little under 100,000 barrels of gas and oil daily.

Energy consultant Rystad, which estimates the North Sea business was worth $2.6 billion, told the Financial Times that it believed that the TotalEnergies-HitecVision-Repsol joint venture Neo Next +, Delek Group of Israel or Eni of Italy were in the running to buy it.

July 31 (UPI) — The British teen serving a 52-year sentence for the Southport killings of three young girls was charged Friday with additional crimes allegedly committed while in prison, including aggravated assault and weapons offenses.

Axel Rudakubana, 19, is accused of assaulting emergency workers in two separate attacks, one count of aggravated assault and possession of an offensive weapon between May and late October 2025

Police said all the alleged incidents took place at HMP Belmarsh in London.

Rudakubana is scheduled to go before Westminster Magistrates’ Court on September 11 to answer the charges.

He will appear via video-link from Broadmoor Hospital, a high-security psychiatric facility west of London to which he was transferred from prison last week.

Officials determined he was too dangerous for a regular penal institution following an independent clinical assessment, but the Justice Ministry stressed that would be returned to prison to complete his sentence once his mental state had improved and he was assessed as well enough to do so.

A psych evaluation after he carried out the July 2024 knife rampage that killed Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, and seriously injured eight other children and two adults, found him fit to stand trial.

Following a trial in January 2025, Rudakubana was sentenced to a record 52 years in prison, minus time spent on remand.

The judge was unable to impose a so-called whole-life sentence normally applied for crimes of this seriousness, where the offender remains in prison until they die, as Rudakubana was 17 at the time of the attack.

He will become eligible for parole in 2076, just shy of his 70th birthday, but is unlikely to ever be released from prison.

The initial phase of an official inquiry into the killings concluded in April that Rudakubana could have been stopped but for the “catastrophic” and “irresponsible” failures of authorities and his parents.

Former Appeal Court judge Sir Adrian Fulford, said the attack woud likely have been prevented if Rudakubana’s parents had reported what they knew and law enforcement, child and mental health agencies responded appropriately to the risk he was known to present.

July 31 (UPI) — Spain said Friday that it was deploying troops to Ceuta, an autonomous Spanish principality on the coast of North Africa, to deal with an influx of tens of thousands of migrants who illegally crossed from Morocco.

Authorities requested assistance from Madrid after the security situation descended into chaos on Thursday with border integrity completely overwhelmed and at least 15 people drowned after attempting to swim to Ceuta.

“The armed forces will reinforce the Civil Guard in the exercise of its powers and any others that may be necessary to maintain security in the city of Ceuta,” said Spain’s Interior Ministry.

It added that it was coordinating with Morocco to address the flow of migrants and that both governments were committed to coming up with and implementing measures for the swift return “of all people who have entered illegally.“

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was due to hold emergency talks with officials in Ceuta on Friday.

In a post on X, he reassured Ceuta President Juan Jesus Vivas that his administration was deploying all necessary resources and partnering with Moroccan and international authorities to “restore normalcy as soon as possible.”

Separated from the Spanish mainland by the Gibraltar Strait, just 10 miles wide, Ceuta is a key staging post in the journeys of migrants trying to reach Europe, with the influx apparently triggered by a recent Spanish Supreme Court ruling that people intercepted en route to Ceuta cannot be returned to Morocco.

The interior ministry blamed organized human traffickers using the decision to “encourage the flow of undocumented migrants.”

Implications for the other European countries, due to so-called Schengen free travel area that, once on the soil of any member nation, allows people to move around the continent passport-free, prompted France to tighten its border with Spain.

“In response to the situation observed in the Ceuta enclave, I gave instructions as of last night to immediately strengthen the controls at the Spanish border. Furthermore, I am activating the Rapid Intervention Border Force for in-depth checks,” Interior Minister Laurent Nunez announced on X on Friday morning.

FIFA face global mutiny as Asian Football Confederation stand with Europe and North America after their boycott threats.

The ‌Asian Football Confederation has said it “stands in solidarity” with regional ⁠bodies UEFA and ⁠CONCACAF in opposing plans to sell a stake in the World Cup to private investors but stopped short of threatening ⁠to boycott events run by FIFA, global football’s governing body.

The confederation in a statement on Friday expressed “deep concern” over the proposed establishment of a $20bn commercial ⁠subsidiary, FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE), to run the World Cup and FIFA’s other events.

“The fact that the situation has reached the point where the real possibility of a FIFA World Cup boycott has entered public discourse should concern everyone ‌who cares about the future of our game,” the statement said.

“Football should never have been placed in such a position.”

UEFA, European football’s governing body, voted unanimously on Thursday to boycott all FIFA events unless the plans were dropped. CONCACAF, the regional federation for North America, Central America and the Caribbean, has also rejected ⁠FIFA’s proposal.

On Thursday, AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa had said the way the proposal had been made was “totally unacceptable”, in a letter to member associations.

The AFC said “the proposed FFE cannot realistically achieve the necessary broad consensus and ⁠unity required to move forward.

“The FIFA World Cup ⁠is the pinnacle of global football and derives its strength from the participation of all confederations and the world’s leading football nations.”

The AFC also made a thinly veiled attack on the ⁠governing body’s president, Gianni Infantino, saying the plan “has exposed fundamental weaknesses in FIFA’s consultation and decision-making processes that ⁠must now be addressed”.

Even after FIFA issued ⁠a new statement on Friday, saying each national association “should be allowed to review the proposal and have a say in shaping their own future”, the AFC said “central concerns surrounding governance, ‌institutional process and meaningful consultation remain unanswered”.

It said the furore must become a catalyst for institutional reform at FIFA, and that “meaningful democracy is not ‌measured ‌solely by the opportunity to vote.

“It begins with transparent governance, timely consultation, informed deliberation and genuine participation throughout the decision-making process.”

July 30 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s state-run housing guarantor failed to properly investigate debtors and recover claims after paying about 15 trillion won, or $10.3 billion, under defaulted guarantees over the past five years, a government audit found Thursday.

The Housing and Urban Guarantee Corporation, commonly known as HUG, has yet to recover about 12 trillion won, or $8.2 billion, of that amount.

The Board of Audit and Inspection released the findings of its regular audit of the corporation, identifying problems in guarantee issuance, project financing reviews, debt collection and customer refunds.

HUG provides guarantees intended to protect tenants if landlords fail to return jeonse deposits.

Jeonse is a housing rental arrangement widely used in South Korea in which a tenant provides a large refundable deposit instead of paying, or in exchange for paying less, monthly rent.

Corporation undercharged guarantee fees

Auditors found that HUG undercharged a corporate rental business by about 2.77 billion won, or $1.9 million, when issuing guarantees covering 12,752 homes.

HUG’s rules required it to calculate the fee using the company’s credit rating on the date the guarantee was issued. Employees instead used an earlier, more favorable credit rating from the application date.

The audit board called for disciplinary action against the employees involved and instructed HUG to review ways of collecting the unpaid fees.

HUG has reported financial losses since 2022 as rental deposit guarantee defaults increased, including cases involving large-scale jeonse fraud.

Its operating loss grew from 242.9 billion won, or about $166 million, in 2022 to 2.19 trillion won, or about $1.5 billion, in 2024.

Weak reviews led to $261 million in PF guarantees

The audit also found deficiencies in HUG’s reviews of housing project financing guarantees.

Such guarantees rely largely on a developer’s projected income from future home sales, making an accurate assessment of expected cash flow essential.

Auditors found that HUG accepted financial data in which developers had arbitrarily delayed construction payments, improving the projects’ apparent debt-service capacity.

As a result, HUG approved a combined 382 billion won, or about $261 million, in guarantees for three projects that should have been rejected under its own standards.

HUG also incorrectly graded two other projects and collected about 1.64 billion won, or $1.1 million, less in guarantee fees than it should have.

Thousands of debtors were not investigated

The audit board also found major gaps in HUG’s efforts to identify assets belonging to debtors after paying claims on their behalf.

An examination of seven regional management centers found no record of an asset investigation for 2,915 of 9,003 debtors, or 32.3%.

The rate varied widely among regional offices. The Seoul Northern Center investigated the assets of only 21.6% of the debtors assigned to it, compared with 99.8% at the Seoul Western Center.

HUG’s headquarters failed to adequately monitor or address those differences, auditors said.

Tenants missed refunds

HUG also failed to refund fees to some tenants who had been enrolled in both a landlord rental deposit guarantee and a tenant jeonse deposit return guarantee.

The audit identified 1,699 cases involving about 173 million won, or approximately $118,000, in unreturned fees.

It also found 454 guarantee-default cases in which money owed to tenants had not been properly returned.

The audit board instructed HUG to analyze the causes of the problems and develop improvements in its core operations, including guarantee reviews, issuance procedures and debt recovery.

It also called for disciplinary or corrective action against employees responsible for improper decisions.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260730010011338

July 31 (UPI) — Rescue crews searching for 10 missing mountaineers following an avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak mountain found four bodies, officials said Friday.

The expedition was led by renowned mountaineer Nirmal Pruja and included American climber and wellness entrepreneur Mallory Geis.

Maj. Gen. Irfan Arshad Khan, president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, said in a statement posted on Instagram on Friday that the bodies had been located.

“Search-and-rescue operations remain ongoing, and we urge the public to await verified updates before drawing conclusions,” the club said in a separate statement.

“The Alpine Club of Pakistan extends its continued thoughts to the climbers and their families during this difficult time.”

The club did not say whether the bodies had been recovered.

The avalanche occurred midday Thursday on Broad Peak, which at 26,401 feet is of the world’s 12th-highest mountain, in Pakistan’s Karakoram mountain range.

The Alpine Club of Pakistan said in a statement that one of its expeditions had gone missing. It was last in communication with the group before the avalanche occurred, it said.

The 10 expeditions members were identified as Purja, Geis, Sohail Sakhi of Pakistan, Wang Zhong of China, Nadhira Ahmed Abdullah Al Harthy of Oman and Nepalese mountaineers Pur Bahadur Gurung, Kili Pemba Sherpa, Nima Sherpa, Nawang Thindu Sherpa and Gyalu Sherpa.

A sweeping package of new Russian sanctions has cleared its first hurdle in the United States Congress, and, if passed, could trigger huge tariffs for countries such as India and China which continue to buy oil from Moscow.

The bill, which was advanced in the US Senate this week, has been named for the late Lindsey Graham, whose funeral was attended by world leaders including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier in the week.

Here’s what we know:

What happened in the Senate?

The “Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia Act of 2026” was advanced overwhelmingly by the Senate this week in a vote of 86 to 12, meaning it can now proceed to the House of Representatives for further deliberation.

Named for the late Senator Graham, a staunch Ukraine supporter who died unexpectedly this month, the bill moved forward with the support of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who was in Washington to attend Graham’s funeral and watched the proceedings from the gallery.

“It was an honour to be present as the votes were counted – 86 senators supported the bill,” he wrote on X afterwards. “This is the first step towards implementing Lindsey [Graham]’s plans, and certainly a step towards peace. It is important that this tool works.”

After clearing the Senate, there will be a delay before the bill can move forward to the House, which is now in summer recess.

On Wednesday this week, US President Donald Trump ordered lawmakers to amend the bill to include tariffs covering Iran as well. This will likely delay the bill further if it deters Democrats from supporting it, analysts said.

David Smith, an associate professor at the University of Sydney’s US Studies Centre, told Al Jazeera: “One of the things they’re worried about is how the tariff power in relation to Iran is going to be expanded. They’re going to be ok with tariff powers on Russia but they’re worried about tariff power on countries buying Iranian oil, which means China. I think there are going to be a lot of Democrats that are going to say these powers should be limited to sanctions and not tariffs.”

Without the Iran addition, he said he would have expected the bill to pass once the House resumes given strong Democratic support for Ukraine.

“Democrats have been genuinely worried about the Trump administration abandoning Ukraine. Something like this, which is ramping the pressure up on Russia so much, I just think there will be a large critical mass of Democrats who will vote for this,” he said.

What’s in the bill?

The bill makes use of sanctions and tariffs to target Russia and cut off the economic pipeline that has kept the Ukraine war going.

Major provisions include new sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin as well as on more than 20 top officials and companies which work with the Russian defence industry. It also targets Russia’s “shadow fleet” of oil tankers and the network it uses to evade international sanctions on its energy exports.

The bill gives the president authority to impose sanctions by invoking the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Under it, he would be able to apply tariffs of up to 100 percent on exports to the US from the top five purchasers of Russian energy, military equipment or countries facilitating Russian sanctions evasion.

Tariffs of up to 500 percent can also be applied to Russian imports directly into the US. The US imported $3.8bn in goods from Russia in 2025.

Which countries are likely to be targeted?

China, India and Türkiye are potential targets of the bill, as they are among the largest buyers of Russian energy, according to data compiled by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).

China has historically responded to Trump’s tariffs with tariffs of its own on US exports. Even Pay, a director at the Beijing-based consultancy Trivium China, told Al Jazeera that the US may wait to impose tariffs as Trump is due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping later this year.

Trump would still welcome the option, she said, after the Supreme Court struck down many of his tariffs in February.

“If passed and signed into law [which is still a big if at this point], the legislation would give Trump something he’s wanted for a while, namely, the legislature’s permission to impose high tariffs on China, alongside the small handful of other countries that import Russian oil,” Pay told Al Jazeera.

India is in a tricky position as its attempts to diversify away from Russian energy were disrupted by the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, according to Maia Nikoladze, a deputy director of the Economic Statecraft Initiative at the Atlantic Council.

Due to the disruptions, it has also applied for and received US sanction waivers to continue buying Russian oil in the interim, Nikoladze wrote in a report this week, and it is expected to do the same in the future.

“India will face a trade-off between maintaining energy security and managing the risk of US tariffs, potentially prompting it to again seek waivers and exemptions,” Nikoladze said.

What do critics say about the bill?

Critics like Senator Maggie Hassan say the bill gives Trump too much power to impose tariffs while also potentially harming both the US taxpayer and allied countries.

Turkiye, for example, buys Russian energy but it is also a US ally and NATO member, while “major non-NATO ally” Brazil and “major security cooperation partner” Singapore both buy Russian oil products, according to CREA.

In a post on X, Hassan wrote that while she supports sanctioning Russia, she does “not think tariffs, which are paid for by American businesses and consumers, will help Ukraine win”.

The bill is also opposed by lobby groups such as the US Chamber of Commerce, which also says the true cost will be passed on to US businesses and consumers, as with past tariffs.

While many of Trump’s tariffs have already been struck down by the Supreme Court, the Russia tariffs could have more staying power because they would be imposed on a stronger legal basis, according to Smith.

That’s because it is new legislation which has been crafted using the powers of the IEEPA.

“Previously what Trump has done is to go back to old pieces of legislation and invoke from those his power to use tariffs in ways they haven’t been used before and in ways courts have subsequently found less lawful, whereas this looks like new legislation that is going to lawfully expand his tariff authority,” he told Al Jazeera.

July 31 (UPI) — Fourteen nations have backed the formation of a Saudi-led coalition to protect shipping routes from Houthi attacks in and around the Red Sea, drawing more countries into the Iran-U.S. war.

The kingdom’s defense ministry announced their support for the multinational defensive maritime alliance Thursday following a meeting in Riyadh attended by the defense ministers and representatives of 43 countries.

According to a statement, the alliance is aimed at “strengthening maritime security, protecting freedom of navigation, securing international trade routes and energy supply routes and safeguarding shared maritime interests in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.”

“The alliance is exclusively defensive in nature and does not target any state, alliance or international organization,” it said.

The statement said participation in the alliance’s activities and operations “will remain a sovereign decision” for each state, meaning any member country can opt out of specific missions.

It also identifies Saudi Arabia its founding state and the alliance’s leader and says thee kingdom will host its permanent headquarters.

A second statement added that other countries that had participated in the meeting “expressed support for the initiative and are in the process of completing the necessary domestic procedures and approvals to join the joint statement.”

The 14 countries are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Yemen, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Sudan, Djibouti and Somalia, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The alliance was formed after the Iran-backed, Yemen-based Houthis early last week announced a maritime blockade targeting Saudi vessels traveling through the Red Sea via the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, accusing Riyadh of conducting an “unjust and oppressive siege on our people.”

The blockade threatens energy shipments that exit ports along the western side of the oil-rich nation at a time with Iran is exercising a similar blockade of commercial vessels at the Strait of Hormuz near Saudi Arabia’s eastern side.

The move is expected to further strain energy supplies, potentially causing fuel prices to surge and trigging an international energy crisis. Yemen’s Houthi forces have already claimed to have attacked Saudi oil tankers in the region for allegedly violating its maritime ban.

July 30 (Asia Today) — South Korean police have referred a woman in her 20s to prosecutors on allegations that she spread false information about the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement on Instagram.

The Seodaemun Police Station in Seoul said Thursday that the woman, whose identity was withheld, was recently referred without detention on suspicion of violating a special law concerning the 1980 democracy movement.

The woman allegedly posted a comment May 15 describing the movement as an armed insurrection carried out by anti-state forces.

She posted the comment under an Instagram message promoting benefits offered in Gwangju and other areas to commemorate the anniversary of the movement.

She then captured an image of her comment and shared it through the Instagram Stories feature on her account, police said.

The May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement began in May 1980, when citizens protested martial law and military rule. Government troops violently suppressed the demonstrations.

South Korean law prohibits knowingly spreading false information about the movement through newspapers, broadcasts, the Internet or other publicly accessible channels.

A conviction can carry a prison sentence of up to five years or a fine of up to 50 million won, or about $34,200.

Police began investigating after receiving a complaint through the government’s online civil petition service May 21.

“Historical distortion concerning May 18 not only insults victims and their families and damages their reputations but can also create social confusion by spreading a false understanding of history,” a police official said.

Police said they would strictly investigate the deliberate creation and distribution of clearly false information that exceeds the legally protected boundaries of free expression.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260730010011422

July 30 (UPI) — Seattle Police Department Chief Shon Barnes resigned on Thursday, as city officials have come under criticism following a mass shooting Sunday at the Bite of Seattle food festival that left three people dead and four others wounded.

Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson announced that she had accepted Barnes’ resignation and said he “served this department and this city with dedication.”

“I share Chief Barnes’ hope that we can return our focus to addressing youth gun violence and ensuring that every family can feel safe in their neighborhood and across the city,” Wilson said in a Thursday afternoon press release.

His exit comes as city officials face mounting criticism over their response to the shooting, particularly the lack of communication with the public in its immediate aftermath. Barnes also faced criticism for being out of town when the shooting occurred, renewing scrutiny of how frequently he was away from Seattle.

In a statement issued to local media by his attorney, Barnes said Wilson had requested his resignation on Wednesday. Though he was “surprised” by the request, he believed that the city should be focused on investigating thee shooting, securing justice for the victims and helping the community heal.

“I want to emphasize that it has been one of the greatest honors to lead the Seattle Police Department and to serve the citizens of the City of Seattle,” he said.

Deputy Chief Andre Sayles has been named interim chief, according to the mayor’s office. Wilson said a thorough search will be conducted to find a permanent replacement.

In a recorded statement published to social media later Thursday, Wilson addressed criticism of the city’s lack of communication with the public, stating that a review “revealed real gaps.”

“Information could and should have gone out much faster through social media, the emergency alert system, the SPD blotter and-or an off-site press conference,” she said.

“The public should have heard sooner about outstanding suspects and the status of the Seattle Center campus.”

She vowed her office would work with the police department ensure that, if a similar situation arose again, information would released more quickly.

She acknowledged that she had been wrong to defend the city’s decision not to use its emergency system, saying the review revealed a miscommunication between departments that resulted in no alert being issued. She also cited a miscommunication between her office and the police department over the timing of a Sunday night press conference.

Following the shooting, SDP issued a statement on its social media platform. No further information was released by the department until a late-night press conference. The Seattle Fire Department provided UPI with an update on the shooting.

“What I did not fully understand in that moment was how little information had reached the public or the press since the incident began at 6 p.m.,” she said.

“Had I known that, I would have pushed for an immediate briefing, rather than waiting for a press conference to be organized.”

MyNorthwest, KING 5 and Fox 13 Seattle, citing unnamed sources, had earlier reported that Barnes had been dismissed.

Barnes, 51, was reportedly not in Seattle when the shooting took place. During a press conference on Monday, reporter Connor Nash of The South Seattle Emerald asked Barnes about reports that he is often out of town, leading to a heated confrontation.

“I don’t have to tell you where I go,” Barnes responded. “I have been working as hard as I can for this city from the day I got here. Do you got that?”

Barnes was at the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives Conference in Dallas on Sunday when the shooting took place, he said.

Barnes was scheduled to give an interview with KING 5 on Wednesday but the interview was canceled about 30 minutes before it was set to begin.

Three people were killed and four others were wounded, including a 2-year-old, during the shooting at the food festival. Police say it was a targeted, gang-related shooting.

A 15-year-old was arrested at the scene. A 19-year-old suspected to have been involved in the shooting was among those killed. The 15-year-old was charged on Wednesday with one count each of assault in the first degree with a firearm enhancement and unlawful possession of a firearm in the second degree.

The Seattle Police Department has published Barnes’ 2026 schedule to date, showing four trips to Chicago and some trips to conferences.

Barnes was appointed Seattle’s police chief in 2024 by then-Mayor Bruce Harrell. Wilson retained Barnes when she became mayor on Jan. 1. He was the police chief in Madison, Wis., from 2021 until taking the position in Seattle.

Barnes has overseen reductions in violent crime during his tenures in Madison and Seattle.

Prior to Sunday’s shooting at the food festival, there had been 15 homicides recorded in Seattle. The city also recorded its first June since 1970 without a homicide. Homicides have decreased in Seattle each year since recording 74 in 2023.

Barnes also oversaw an increase in female representation during his tenure with the Madison Police Department. The rate of female staff increased to 28%.

July 30 (UPI) — Negotiators implementing the Gaza cease-fire plan and Iran-backed Hamas have reached a framework for disarming militant groups in the Palestinian enclave, President Donald Trump announced Thursday.

The tentative agreement could mark a significant breakthrough toward ending Israel’s war in Gaza, though it is contingent on Israel agreeing to withdraw its troops. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu‘s administration has yet to comment.

“This agreement is a critical step towards Gaza finally being governed by a new Palestinian government that will work closely with the Board of Peace to help the Palestinian people,” Trump said in a statement.

“At the same time, Israel will have the security it deserves, with Gaza no longer used as a base for terror attacks.”

Trump’s so-called Board of Peace — a coalition of 28 countries, including Israel and weighted toward Middle Eastern and smaller or midsize nations — was formed in January and is tied to a U.N.-backed, 20-point plan for the stabilization and reconstruction of Gaza, which has been devastated by the war.

According to a late Thursday statement from the Board of Peace, the agreement concludes months of negotiations and is the first time Hamas has committed to disarmament.

The board said that under the agreement, Israeli forces are to withdraw from Gaza after Hamas and other militant groups in the Palestinian enclave relinquish their weapons.

Trump said that after Israel withdraws, the International Stabilization Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to assume responsibility for security of Gaza.

The agreement “holds the promise of delivering significant benefits to the people of Gaza, who have waited for too long for a better future, and security to the people of Israel,” the board said.

Egypt, Qatar and Turkey mediated the agreement, Trump said.

This is a developing story.

Dozens of Israeli soldiers have abandoned their weapons and walked out of the Sde Teiman military base in a dispute with a senior commander reportedly trying to restore discipline. Soldiers at the base have long been accused of flagrant violations of laws, including torture of Palestinian detainees.

July 30 (Asia Today) — Residents near South Korea’s border with North Korea were briefly ordered to evacuate Thursday after the military detected an unidentified aircraft that was later confirmed to be a U.S. drone involved in a training exercise.

South Korean troops detected the aircraft south of a general outpost in northern Gyeonggi province and responded in accordance with established operational procedures, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

“After checking, it was confirmed to be a U.S. drone participating in training,” a Joint Chiefs official said.

The aircraft was detected by South Korean personnel using thermal observation equipment. The military initially could not determine whether it belonged to South Korea, North Korea or another operator.

Residents living north of the Civilian Control Line near Cheorwon in Gangwon province received emergency messages at about 2:30 p.m. telling them that a drone had been detected and instructing them to move to nearby shelters or leave a restricted checkpoint area.

The Civilian Control Line marks a restricted zone south of the Demilitarized Zone where civilian access is limited for security reasons.

The military identified the aircraft as a U.S. drone about an hour after the warning was issued and ended the emergency response.

U.S. Forces Korea later said the incident occurred during combined training involving U.S. Marines and South Korea’s 1st Marine Division.

“The U.S. Marine Corps is assessing the circumstances surrounding the incident and remains in coordination with the Republic of Korea Marine Corps and relevant local authorities,” U.S. Forces Korea said.

It remained unclear whether the drone’s flight plan had been shared in advance with all South Korean units responsible for monitoring the border area.

South Korean military officials said further investigation was needed to determine the aircraft’s specific unit and why its operation was not immediately identified.

The incident raised the possibility that incomplete communication about the U.S. training exercise caused confusion among South Korean troops and local authorities.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260730010011478

July 30 (Asia Today) — The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington arrived in the central Vietnamese city of Da Nang on Thursday, one day after a Russian naval group completed a visit to Cam Ranh International Port.

The five-day port call is the fourth visit by a U.S. aircraft carrier to Vietnam since the two countries normalized diplomatic relations in 1995. It comes as the U.S. Navy has concentrated some of its carrier forces in the Middle East during the conflict with Iran.

The George Washington, flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5, arrived with the guided-missile cruiser USS Robert Smalls and the guided-missile destroyer USS Shoup. The ships are scheduled to remain in Da Nang through Monday.

The Nimitz-class carrier is based in Yokosuka, Japan, and is the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier.

Its air wing includes F-35C Lightning II stealth fighters, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growlers, E-2D Hawkeyes, CMV-22 Ospreys and MH-60 helicopters.

The visit is the first by the George Washington to a Vietnamese port. The carrier previously hosted Vietnamese delegations at sea in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

The USS Carl Vinson became the first U.S. aircraft carrier to visit Vietnam after the war when it called at Da Nang in 2018. The USS Theodore Roosevelt followed in 2020 and the USS Ronald Reagan visited in 2023.

Vietnam’s Defense Ministry said the latest visit would contribute to maintaining and developing relations between Hanoi and Washington.

The U.S. Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City said the visit reaffirmed the U.S. Navy’s commitment to a shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The United States and Vietnam elevated their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership in September 2023, Vietnam’s highest diplomatic classification.

The two countries have since expanded defense discussions, including maritime security, information sharing, defense trade and efforts to address the consequences of the Vietnam War.

The ships’ scheduled activities include public tours, performances by a U.S. Navy band and sporting and cultural exchanges with Vietnamese participants.

Visit follows Russian naval stop

The U.S. carrier arrived one day after a Russian Pacific Fleet group completed a four-day visit to Cam Ranh International Port in south-central Vietnam.

The Russian vessels, including the Kilo-class submarine Ufa, visited from Sunday through Wednesday and participated in submarine rescue training with the Vietnamese Navy.

The close timing of the Russian and U.S. visits reflects Vietnam’s effort to maintain defense relations with multiple major powers without entering a formal military alliance.

Chinese, Indian and Japanese naval vessels have also visited Vietnamese ports in recent months.

Vietnam’s 2019 defense white paper established its “Four No’s” policy: no military alliances, no alignment with one country against another, no foreign military bases or use of Vietnamese territory against another country and no use or threat of force in international relations.

Vietnam has expanded defense cooperation with the United States but continues to purchase and operate large amounts of Russian-designed military equipment.

Differences in cost, maintenance systems and compatibility have limited Vietnam’s purchases of U.S. weapons.

China likely to monitor visit

The George Washington entered the South China Sea after passing through the Luzon Strait on July 22, following two recent confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels in disputed waters.

Carl Thayer, emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales in Australia, said the visit signals that U.S.-Vietnam engagement is continuing despite the transfer of some American military assets to the Middle East.

He said China would likely monitor the carrier strike group with ships and aircraft but avoid the sharp public criticism it often directs at the Philippines.

Beijing has generally sought to avoid pushing Vietnam into a closer military relationship with Washington, despite disputes between China and Vietnam in the South China Sea.

The port call illustrates Hanoi’s broader strategy of welcoming military vessels from competing powers while maintaining its formal policy of strategic independence.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260730010011465

July 30 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s military began inspecting front-line Army units Thursday after a corps changed its guard procedures and stopped loading live ammunition into heavy weapons deployed near the border with North Korea.

The review follows concerns that the change could weaken the military’s ability to respond quickly during an emergency.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said the Army Ground Operations Command began an on-site inspection of the 1st Corps on Thursday and plans to examine other front-line corps under its command.

Military officials will consider additional measures after completing the inspections.

The Ground Operations Command oversees five regional corps – the Capital, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th corps – as well as the 7th Maneuver Corps. The inspections will cover front-line units in some of the five regional corps.

The 1st Corps, which is responsible for the western section of the inter-Korean border, reportedly changed its procedures during the first half of this year.

Under the revised procedures, soldiers at guard posts and general outposts did not load live ammunition into crew-served weapons, including K6 heavy machine guns and K4 automatic grenade launchers.

The ammunition was instead stored in ammunition boxes near the weapons.

South Korean front-line units are generally required to keep live ammunition loaded in weapons used for guard operations. The 1st Corps reportedly made an exception under the authority of its commander, Lt. Gen. Han Ki-sung.

The measure was reportedly intended to prevent accidental discharges, but critics said it could delay the military’s response to a North Korean attack or other emergency in the heavily fortified border area.

Questions have also been raised about whether Han’s decision was influenced by an accidental discharge that occurred while he commanded the Army’s 25th Infantry Division last year.

During that incident, a K6 machine gun round was accidentally fired toward North Korea while soldiers at a general outpost were inspecting the weapon.

A military official said inspectors would examine whether it was appropriate for a commander to change ammunition-loading procedures at his discretion, along with other operational issues.

“The use of firearms at front-line guard posts and general outposts is based on the principle that live ammunition must be loaded,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

The military said it would take necessary action after examining units operating under exceptions to that rule.

Detailed information cannot be disclosed because of operational security, it said.

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

© Asia Today. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution prohibited.

Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260730010011169

United States economic growth slowed in the second quarter of 2026 amid a growing deficit and increasing inflationary pressures.

US gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 1.5 percent between April and June. That is a sharp decline from 2.1 percent growth in the first quarter of the year, according to a Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) report released on Thursday.

A widening trade deficit is a key reason why GDP is slowing, as is a jump in petrol prices, experts say.

“It’s a classic supply shock. The combination of tariffs and oil price spikes is exactly what a macroeconomist would expect to happen,” Michael Klein, professor of international economic affairs at The Fletcher School at Tufts University, told Al Jazeera.

The US has increased purchases of goods like semiconductors, telecommunications equipment, and industrial equipment, according to BEA data. Business investment in equipment rose by more than 15 percent in the second quarter. Those are essentially the elements needed for the ongoing investment boom to support the growth of artificial intelligence (AI).

“Imports rose due to the investment and consumption driver, and so net exports were a drag on overall growth. Overall, the US is investing and consuming more but not producing more,” Rachel Ziemba, adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, told Al Jazeera.

Exports have not kept pace. The trade deficit in May grew to $77.6bn, a 42 percent increase from the month before, according to BEA data.

Exports tumbled by 3.2 percent to $317.7bn, and imports rose by 3.3 percent to $395.3bn.

This comes as countries around the globe seek to reduce their dependence on the US due to President Donald Trump’s tariff policies.

Among them is Canada, historically one of the US’s biggest trading partners. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has pursued new trade deals with China and Saudi Arabia in recent months, for example, as Trump has slapped steep tariffs on the country, threatened to annex it and called it the 51st state, and refused to renew a trade deal with Canada and Mexico.

Are US tensions with Iran a factor?

In the second quarter, energy prices fluctuated greatly over the past few months. For US consumers, that was mostly reflected in petrol prices. During the second quarter, US petrol prices hit $4.48 per gallon (3.78 litres) in May.

They later retreated to $3.96 per gallon by the end of June. But the reprieve was short-lived as a fragile peace deal failed to take hold, with petrol prices increasing throughout July after the deadline for data to be included in second-quarter GDP had passed. Prices have since moved back above the $4 mark.

Petrol prices drove inflation for much of the second quarter. Between March and April, petrol prices jumped 5.4 percent. The next month, they jumped another 7 percent. They eased between May and June, falling 9.7 percent as global benchmark prices pulled back.

According to analysis from Bank of America, discretionary spending surged in June, the final month of the second quarter, as spending on products outside of petrol jumped while fuel prices temporarily eased.

“With gasoline prices easing in June, total card spending excluding gas surged 5.6% YoY [year over year] – also the strongest growth since April 2022,” the report said.

How can the GDP recover?

US consumers have ramped up spending on prescription drugs, automobiles like light trucks, and new furniture. There was also increased spending in areas like restaurants and hotels, suggesting that consumers remain somewhat resilient.

But, says Fletcher School’s Klein, that spending is by high-income earners, a trend that indicates a K-shaped economy, which is when the wealthy thrive, while lower-income consumers and small businesses face tougher economic conditions.

“The continued consumption growth of those who are better off depends upon things like the stock market staying strong and housing prices staying strong, because people feel wealthier through the value of their house or their stock portfolios, so they’ll spend more. But by a number of measures, the stock market seems to be very highly valued,” Klein, who also authors the EconoFact economic analysis website, told Al Jazeera.

Overall, consumer confidence fell for the third straight month in July, according to a Conference Board report released on Tuesday. Consumers attributed the decline to “current business conditions”, and the organisation expects “little improvement” for the remainder of the year.

Business investment would also need to surge more broadly to lift the wider economy. While there has been a boom in the AI sector, other industries have not been as eager to keep their inventories stocked.

Klein says consistent trade policies would change that.

“The pervasive uncertainty in the economy will affect businesses’ decisions on hiring and investing. That can also contribute to the slowdown, because, in an uncertain environment, businesses don’t want to make decisions that have long-lasting consequences when they have little idea of what the future will look like,” Klein said.

Creating economic conditions that encourage consumers and businesses to spend would help drive up GDP in the coming quarters. However, uncertain trade policies and concerns about widespread layoffs, as has been the case in several tech companies, have made consumers more cautious with the pocket books.

“If people were more secure and felt that their jobs would be there next year; if they felt that things weren’t more expensive and they could afford to spend more. But those are not easy fixes, right? And talk is not going to change what people rightly perceive as a fraught situation,” Klein added.

July 30 (UPI) — The ABC network has accused the Federal Communications Commission of attempting to censor what it broadcasts by pressuring its local stations to apply for early renewal of their licenses.

In its regulatory filing, which is a response to the FCC’s request that ABC-owned broadcast stations reapply for their licenses, ABC alleged that FCC chair Brendan Carr’s criticism and actions at the agency have amounted to “attempted censorship,” Politico reported.

The network said in the filing that actions by the agency and Carr have been aimed at shaping news reports across the media in ways that violate U.S. Constitutional freedom of the press.

The FCC, in a statement on Thursday to The Hill, contended that it is operating in the public interest, based on what it said are “equal opportunity regulations” as it accused the network of operating “in the narrow or partisan interests of a political party.”

The Trump administration, and President Donald Trump, have long alleged that members of the media — print, online or television — who are critical or engage in satire of him during his two terms as president are violating federal law.

“The retaliation against ABC is a signal to every media company in the country: accommodate the administration’s view of what news coverage should look like or pay the price,” the network said in the filing.

“Across the government, regulatory and contracting carrots and sticks have been trained on other disfavored speakers,” ABC said. “The tools vary; the objective does not: a media industry too fearful of official reprisal to report the news freely.”

BEIRUT, Lebanon, July 30 (UPI) — The widespread destruction left behind by Israeli forces in Zawtar al-Gharbieh — the first U.S.-backed “pilot zone” in southern Lebanon — was beyond anything its returning displaced residents could have imagined, providing a glimpse of the devastation across the southern region and the extensive reconstruction needs ahead.

Situated in the central sector of southern Lebanon near the strategic Litani River, Zawtar al-Gharbieh represents the testing ground for the success of the pilot zones — the cornerstone of the U.S.-brokered framework agreement reached between Lebanon and Israel on June 26.

It was the first village designated by Israel to begin withdrawing its troops, allowing for the deployment of the Lebanese Army and return of displaced residents. Yet, it reveals the significant and complex challenges facing the process.

The residents rushed back to the village when the Lebanese Army moved in July 21, returning each morning and waiting at the entrance for five days before they were finally allowed to enter and inspect their homes and properties.

The army was carrying out security inspections of all homes and removing missiles and unexploded ordnance remaining from the Israeli military presence.

“We were shocked by the scale of the destruction. It was much, much more than we had expected,” Mayor Abed Ezzedine told UPI.

Ezzedine said Israeli forces “spared nothing,” destroying or damaging everything in their path — from homes and schools to places of worship, shops and the municipality building.

He said the water infrastructure was torn up, the electricity networks blown up and burned, and the village’s only water well destroyed.

“In this life, everything has limits. Even war should have limits,” he added. “They changed the face of the village beyond recognition.”

Some 250 housing units — representing up to 80% of the village’s homes — have been destroyed, while the remaining houses have suffered severe damage and are no longer habitable.

Several of Zawtar al-Gharbieh’s 4,500 to 5,000 residents were killed, including entire families, while others were injured as they fled Israeli attacks and advancing troops three months ago, according to Ezzedine, who said “they showed no mercy to anyone.”

Although Israel stopped targeting the village after the Lebanese Army deployment, he said its drones never left the sky, hoovering at very low altitude “over our heads.”

“What kind of cease-fire or arrangement this is?” Ezzedine asked rhetoically.

Very few residents were able to stay — those who were fortunate enough to still have one room in their homes standing and safe. However, they lacked the basic necessities to continue living, including water, electricity and even Internet access.

The vast majority, meanwhile, spent their days in the village and returned at night to their shelters.

Ezzedine struggled to locate his home among the rubble — one of 25 houses in his neighborhood that had been reduced to ruins.

The rapid reconstruction of Zawtar al-Gharbieh will be a key factor in determining the success of the pilot zones, easing residents’ suffering, restoring confidence in the Lebanese state and reducing the likelihood of them turning again to Hezbollah.

“We want to see action on the ground. This is a test of good faith,” Ezzedine said.

According to a Lebanese official source, the main obstacle is the lack of necessary funding.

The source emphasized that rebuilding the village is an important step in supporting Lebanon’s diplomatic approach and consolidating the success of the pilot zones.

He told UPI that the government faces two options: organizing a reconstruction conference for southern Lebanon, which would require considerable time, or quickly rallying support from friendly states such as Saudi Arabia and Qatar to rebuild the first pilot village.

However, success also largely depends on Israel, which has insisted that it will not withdraw from parts of southern Lebanon it is occupying — specifically its self-declared “yellow zone” — or from Gaza and Syria.

Lebanese and Israeli negotiating teams are scheduled to meet Aug. 4 to 5 to evaluate progress on the pilot zones, the U.S.-led verification mechanism and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from additional occupied Lebanese territories.

The official source told UPI that the United States, which does not want to have boots on the ground in southern Lebanon, would have to “find an acceptable formula for all parties” for the verification process, potentially involving countries such as Italy, France or Spain — proposals reportedly rejected by Israel — or others to carry out the mission.

The source confirmed Lebanon’s commitment to the framework deal, saying, “We will not back out of it,” despite knowing that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not prepared to withdraw from southern Lebanon at this stage, ahead of the October 17 Israeli elections.

Netanyahu remained firm that the disarmament of Hezbollah is a precondition for Israel’s complete withdrawal from southern Lebanon.

A well-informed source expects “tough negotiations” at next week’s Rome talks over the establishment of additional pilot zones, as Israel continues “its aggressions, infiltrations and systematic house demolitions” in violation of the framework agreement.

The Lebanese Army warned this week that Israeli aggressions are hindering completion of its deployment, delaying the return of displaced residents to their villages and undermining efforts to consolidate stability in southern Lebanon.

The source told UPI that the U.S. is exerting pressure on Israel, but “not enough,” adding that Israel “is trying to find an excuse” to withdraw from the framework agreement, which aims to end the nearly three-year war between Israel and Hezbollah and pave the way for peaceful relations between Lebanon and Israel.

More than 1,500 migrants have reached Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta by sea over the past week, many swimming from Morocco using wetsuits and inflatables. Local authorities say reception centres are overwhelmed and have called for an emergency response.