US President Donald Trump on June 21 threatened to restart war with Iran even as Vice President JD Vance met Iranian officials for the first talks under an interim peace deal, overshadowed by Tehran’s announcement it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz.
The talks in the Qatari-owned mountaintop resort of Buergenstock in Switzerland were the first to be held under the terms of a memorandum of understanding agreed a week ago.
It calls for the strait to be reopened and a halt to all hostilities, including in Lebanon, which US ally Israel invaded in March. But Iran, arguing that Washington had failed to meet its commitment to halt fighting in Lebanon, said it had shut the strait again and that June 21’s talks would not cover substantive issues such as Iran’s nuclear programme.
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PHOTO: REUTERS
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on June 21 blamed US President Donald Trump for the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, calling for the vital waterway to be reopened.
“Ultimately, the cork in the bottle neck of the Strait of Hormuz was pushed in by Donald Trump, not by us, but we have an interest in getting it out again,” Pistorius said in an interview with broadcaster ARD.
The Strait of Hormuz, a key conduit for oil and gas shipments, was effectively blockaded during the hostilities that began on Feb 28 with US-Israeli attacks on Iran.
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Inspired by Lamine Yamal, Spain strolled to a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia in Group H on June 21, where Mikel Oyarzabal restored his reputation with two goals and Luis de la Fuente’s side found their groove after an underwhelming World Cup opener.
Yamal opened the scoring in the 10th minute and Oyarzabal, who failed to register a touch in the opening half hour in June 15’s scoreless draw with Cape Verde, scored twice in quick succession as Spain had the game wrapped up by halftime.
An own goal shortly after the interval failed to re-open the floodgates, as Spain used the opportunity to make changes and rest their scorers.
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Qatar’s interior ministry said an explosion resulting from a “technical accident” occurred on Sunday at a factory in Ras Laffan, an industrial city north of the capital Doha and site of the country’s core LNG processing operations.
It said several injuries were reported but no leak that “threatens safety”.
The ministry did not give the exact location of the explosion, but a source with knowledge of the matter said it occurred at the Barzan gas plant in Ras Laffan and was due to an “operational error”.
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PHOTO: AFP
American great Serena Williams will make a stunning return to singles at this year’s Wimbledon after being handed the final wildcard by the All England Club on Sunday.
The seven-time Wimbledon singles champion was already assured of a return to the championships for the first time in four years after accepting a doubles wildcard with sister Venus.
“This is not a drill,” the tournament wrote in a post on its Instagram account.
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