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India and Pakistan went to war in May this year. The military clashes have ceased, but the narrative battle continues.

In this series, a first of its kind on Al Jazeera, journalist Sreenivasan Jain interviews leading voices from both sides of the border and examines what India’s new normal – which Pakistan calls a new “abnormal” – means for both countries.

In this episode, Jain speaks with Hina Rabbani Khar, a former Pakistani minister and a key face of Pakistan’s public diplomacy. Jain asks Khar whether Islamabad has been able to successfully convince the world that India acted like a rogue state, or has its messaging fallen short?

You can also watch Jain’s interview with Indian politician Milind Deora here:

US president says Ukraine must be able to defend itself and is ‘getting hit very hard’.

United States President Donald Trump has said his administration will send more weapons to Ukraine after an earlier decision to halt some arms shipments drew condemnation from Kyiv and its supporters.

Speaking to reporters ahead of a dinner with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, DC on Monday, Trump said the new shipments would be primarily comprised of “defensive weapons”.

“We’re going to send some more weapons. We have to. They have to be able to defend themselves,” Trump said.

“They are getting hit very hard now.”

Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed Trump’s comments later on Monday, saying that Washington would provide “additional defensive weapons” to “ensure the Ukrainians can defend themselves while we work to secure a lasting peace and ensure the killing stops”.

Parnell added that Trump would continue to evaluate military shipments overseas in accordance with “our America First defence priorities”.

Trump’s pledge came after Russia announced on Monday that it had captured the Ukrainian village of Dachne, in Dnipropetrovsk, following a months-long push to seize territory in the central region.

The decision also follows an announcement by the Pentagon last week that it would halt deliveries of some weapons, including air defence missiles and precision-guided artillery, out of concern that stockpiles were running too low.

After a phone call with Trump on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he had agreed with his US counterpart to work to strengthen Ukraine’s air defences.

“We spoke about opportunities in air defence and agreed that we will work together to strengthen protection of our skies,” Zelenskyy said in a post on X.

Trump on Friday described the call as “very good” and said his administration was “looking at” selling more Patriot missiles to Kyiv.

“They need them for defence. I don’t want to see people killed,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One.

This story was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center.

Taichung City, Taiwan – Bernard keeps a low profile.

Heading to work on the streets of Taiwan, the 45-year-old Filipino migrant worker dodges glances and often checks his face mask to make sure his appearance is concealed.

To hide his accent, he often speaks in a near-whisper.

Often, he declines invitations to social occasions from his fellow countrymen, worried that a “Judas” among them might report him to the authorities.

Hired at one of Taiwan’s many electronics factories, Bernard came to the island legally in 2016.

But since June 2024, he has been among Taiwan’s growing population of undocumented workers. He blames his broker, a private employment agent to which migrants are usually assigned, for his current predicament.

Bernard’s broker tried to confiscate his passport, he said, then tried to convince him to resign and forgo severance payments from his employer.

He refused both times, he said, causing a rift between them.

“They [brokers] only speak to you when they come to collect payments or when they want to trick you,” Bernard, who asked to use a pseudonym out of fear of repercussions, told Al Jazeera.

Brokers in Taiwan take a cut of their clients’ wages and have significant influence over their conditions and job prospects, making their relationships prone to abuse.

When Bernard’s contract expired in 2022, he said, his broker blacklisted him among other employers.

Desperate to support his daughter’s education in the Philippines, Bernard ditched his broker and decided to overstay his visa to work odd construction jobs, he said.

These days, he said, he feels “like a bird in a cage”.

In public, Bernard would not even utter the word “undocumented” in any language, only gesturing with his hands that he ran away.

Taiwan’s undocumented workforce is rising fast.

The number of unaccounted-for migrants on the island has doubled in the last four years, reaching 90,000 this January, according to the Ministry of Labor.

Despite Taiwan’s image as one of the region’s rare liberal democracies, a growing number of Southeast Asian migrant workers are living under the constant threat of deportation and without access to social services.

Taiwan institutionalised its broker system in 1992 in a bid to streamline labour recruitment.

Brokers influence almost every aspect of a migrant worker’s life, from where they live, to their meals, to the terms of their employment contracts, and even how they access public services.

Migrant rights advocates say it is precisely this level of control that is prompting large numbers of workers to flee their workplaces.

Over a third of all complaints made by migrants to the Ministry of Labor are broker-related, according to official data.

As of January 2025, Vietnamese made up the biggest share of the undocumented at 57,611, followed by Indonesians at 28,363, and Filipinos at 2,750.

Joy Tajonera, a Catholic priest who runs the Ugnayan Center, a migrant shelter in Taichung City, said the Taiwanese government has taken a lax approach to the issue.

“The system allows the brokers a power to be used to the disadvantage of migrants,” Tajonera told Al Jazeera.

“Meanwhile, employers play innocent.”

Brokers typically charge migrants a monthly service fee of $50 to $60, and also collect fees for job transfers, hospital insurance, leave, and most of the necessary documentation to work in Taiwan.

In some cases, they impose age limits for certain jobs.

Tajonera said many undocumented workers can actually earn more without a broker, “but then you lose all social protections and health insurance. It’s not that they want to run away. It’s their situation, they can’t take it any more.”

‘Shameless and stupid’

Taiwan’s Labor Ministry said in a statement that the increase in undocumented migrants was driven by pandemic-related disruption to deportations.

It said it has taken various steps to improve conditions for migrant works, including raising the minimum wage, conducting regular inspections of recruitment agencies, introducing a new suspension mechanism for agencies with high rates of absconding workers, and encouraging labour-sending countries to reduce agency fees.

“Through pre-employment orientation for industrial migrant workers and one-stop orientation sessions for household caregivers, the ministry aims to enhance workers’ awareness of legal requirements, inform them of the risks and consequences of going missing, and ensure employers fulfill their management responsibilities,” the ministry said.

However, since last year, the Taiwanese government has also increased the maximum fines for migrants caught overstaying their visas from $330 to $1,657.

Lennon Ying-Da Wang, director of the public migrant shelter Serve the People Association, called the government’s move to increase penalties “shameless and stupid”.

“Instead of addressing the reasons for running away, this will just prevent people from surrendering,” he told Al Jazeera.

Wang said a lack of protections, particularly for those working in childcare and fisheries, is the key reason why many migrants abscond from their workplaces.

Neither industry is subject to Taiwan’s monthly minimum wage of $944, according to Taiwan’s Labor Standards Act.

Wang said migrants in practice often receive half that amount minus deductions by brokers.

“Migrants just want a decent salary,” Wang said. “But there’s an unspoken rule among some brokers not to hire migrant workers who ask for help from shelters. That forces them to run away.”

Despite his sympathies, Wang, as the director of a state-funded facility, is not allowed to take in migrants who have absconded from their employers as they are subject to deportation.

On a quiet, nondescript road at the edge of Taipei lies Harmony Home, an NGO catering to undocumented young mothers and children.

While the women and children who stay at Harmony Home cannot be deported for humanitarian reasons, the state is not obligated to shoulder the costs of their care or medical needs.

Harmony Home, which has taken in more than 1,600 children over the past two decades, has recently seen a sharp uptick in minors coming through its doors, founder Nicole Yang said.

“Last year, we had about 110 new kids. By April this year, we’ve already got 140,” Yang told Al Jazeera.

“We also care for 300 others who live at home while their mother works.”

Li-Chuan Liuhuang, a labour expert at National Chung Cheng University, said that while the broker system will be difficult to “uproot immediately”, the government could improve oversight by “making the recruitment procedure and cost structure more transparent”.

In Lishan, a mountainous area of Taichung, hundreds of undocumented Southeast Asians pick peaches, pears and cabbages for local landowners. The presence of runaway migrants, many of whom fled fishing trawlers, is not only tolerated but relied upon for the harvest.

Liuhuang said she would like to see such migrants being allowed to work on farms with proper labour protections, but she believes this would not be easy for the public to accept.

“The government will have to commit more efforts for this kind of dialogue,” she told Al Jazeera.

Mary, who asked to use a pseudonym, said she absconded from her job as a childcare worker to work illegally at various mountain farms after becoming frustrated at earning less than half the minimum wage and having her grievances ignored by her broker.

Sitting beside a cabbage patch, Mary, 46, said she always felt anxious around the police in the city.

But in Lishan the rules are different, she said, as landowners have an unwritten agreement with the authorities about the runaways.

“There’s no way the boss doesn’t have connections with the police. He always knows when they come and tells us not to go out,” she told Al Jazeera.

Even so, there is no guarantee of avoiding mistreatment in the mountains.

After the harvest, employers sometimes withhold payments, threatening anyone who complains with deportation, Mary said.

“If I complain that the boss doesn’t give me the salary, I will get reported. Who will help me?” she said.

The government’s admission about sex offender signals a retreat from a narrative once pushed by President Trump’s administration.

A United States government review has found no evidence that sex offender Jeffrey Epstein kept a secret client list, and reaffirmed that he died by suicide in federal custody in 2019, undercutting years of conspiracy theories.

The acknowledgement that Epstein did not maintain a list of clients who received underage girls marks a clear retreat from a narrative once promoted by members of US President Donald Trump’s administration. Earlier this year, Attorney General Pam Bondi even claimed in a Fox News interview that such a document was “sitting on my desk”, awaiting her review.

The memo, released on Monday by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI, stated that a “systematic review revealed no incriminating ‘client list’.” It also found no credible evidence that Epstein blackmailed prominent figures, or grounds to pursue investigations against uncharged third parties.

“After a thorough investigation, FBI investigators concluded that Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City on August 10, 2019,” the memo said. “This conclusion is consistent with previous findings, including the August 19, 2019 autopsy findings of the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the November 2019 position of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York in connection with the investigation of federal correctional officers responsible for guarding Epstein, and the June 2023 conclusions of DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General.”

It concluded by saying that “no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted”.

The Justice Department also released 10 hours of surveillance footage from the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York. The footage revealed that no one entered Epstein’s cell on the day he died by suicide.

‘We were all told more was coming’

Conservatives who have sought proof of a government cover-up of Epstein’s activities quickly expressed outrage at the announcement.

Far-right influencer Jack Posobiec posted: “We were all told more was coming. That answers were out there and would be provided. Incredible how utterly mismanaged this Epstein mess has been. And it didn’t have to be.”

Separately, former Trump ally, billionaire Elon Musk, shared an image of a scoreboard reading, “The Official Jeffrey Epstein Pedophile Arrest Counter”, which was set at zero.

On June 5, Musk claimed that Trump appeared in the Epstein files and later posted a video on X showing Trump at a party with Epstein. These posts, now deleted, were part of an ongoing feud between Musk and Trump linked to Trump’s new tax cuts and spending bill.

What’s the time? Oh look, it’s no-one-has-been-arrested-o’clock again … pic.twitter.com/CO9xJz68Tf

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 7, 2025

Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones wrote, “Next the DOJ will say ‘Actually, Jeffrey Epstein never even existed’,” calling the conclusion “over the top sickening”.

‘Epstein’s crimes and death’

On Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the Justice Department’s “exhaustive investigation”.

When questioned about the client list mentioned in February’s Fox News interview, Leavitt clarified that Bondi was actually referring to the broader collection of Epstein case files.

Epstein was found dead in his jail cell in August 2019, weeks after his arrest on sex trafficking charges, in a suicide that foreclosed the possibility of a trial.

The Justice Department and FBI’s disclosure that Epstein took his own life is hardly a revelation, even though conspiracy theorists have continued to challenge that conclusion.

In November 2019, for instance, then-Attorney General William Barr told the Associated Press news agency that he had reviewed security footage that revealed that no one entered the area where Epstein was housed on the night he died, and expressed confidence that Epstein’s death was a suicide.

However, Epstein’s ties to the rich and famous have led many to believe, without evidence, that others were behind his death, in an effort to cover up their own crimes.

If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, these organisations may be able to help.

United States President Donald Trump is set to impose 25 percent tariffs on two key US allies, Japan and South Korea, beginning on August 1 as the administration’s self-imposed deadline for trade agreements of July 9 nears without a deal in place.

On Monday, the Trump administration said this in the first of 12 letters to key US trade partners regarding the new levies they face.

In near-identically worded letters to the Japanese and South Korean leaders, the US president said the trade relationship was “unfortunately, far from Reciprocal”.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has said that he “won’t easily compromise” in trade talks with the Trump administration.

The US imports nearly twice as much from Japan as it exports to the country, according to US Census Bureau data.

Currently, both Japan and South Korea have a 10 percent levy in place, the same as almost all US trading partners. But Trump said he was ready to lower the new levels if the two countries changed their trade policies.

“We will, perhaps, consider an adjustment to this letter,” he said in letters to the two Asian countries’ leaders that he posted on his Truth Social platform. “If for any reason you decide to raise your Tariffs, then, whatever the number you choose to raise them by, will be added onto the 25% that we charge.”

Trump also announced the US will impose 25 percent tariffs each on Malaysia and Kazakhstan, 30 percent on South Africa and 40 percent each on Laos and Myanmar.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said earlier on Monday that he expected several trade announcements to be made in the next 48 hours, adding that his inbox was full of last-ditch offers from countries to clinch a tariff deal by the deadline. Bessent did not say which countries could get deals and what they might contain.

In April, the White House said it would have 90 trade and tariff deals established within 90 days. That did not happen, and since that time, the administration has solidified two agreements — one with Vietnam, and the other with the United Kingdom.

“There will be additional letters in the coming days,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, adding that “we are close” on some deals. She said Trump would sign an executive order on Monday formally delaying the July 9 deadline to August 1.

BRICS tensions 

Trump also put members of the developing nations’ BRICS group in his sights as its leaders met in Brazil, threatening an additional 10 percent tariff on any BRICS countries aligning themselves with “anti-American” policies.

The new 10 percent tariff will be imposed on individual countries if they take anti-American policy actions, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters news agency.

The BRICS group comprises Brazil, Russia, India and China and South Africa along with recent joiners Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Trump’s comments hit the South African rand, affecting its value in Monday trading.

Russia said BRICS was “a group of countries that share common approaches and a common world view on how to cooperate, based on their own interests”.

“And this cooperation within BRICS has never been and will never be directed against any third countries,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

European Union at the table

The European Union will not be receiving a letter setting out higher tariffs, EU sources familiar with the matter told Reuters on Monday.

The EU still aims to reach a trade deal by July 9 after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Trump had a “good exchange”, a commission spokesperson said.

It was not clear, however, whether there had been a meaningful breakthrough in talks to stave off tariff hikes on the largest trading partner of the US.

Adding to the pressure, Trump threatened to impose a 17 percent tariff on EU food and agriculture exports, it emerged last week.

The EU has been torn over whether to push for a quick and light trade deal or back its own economic clout in trying to negotiate a better outcome. It had already dropped hopes for a comprehensive trade agreement before the July deadline.

“We want to reach a deal with the US. We want to avoid tariffs,” the spokesperson said at a daily briefing.

Without a preliminary agreement, broad US tariffs on most imports would rise from their current 10 percent to the rates set out by Trump on April 2. In the EU’s case, that would be 20 percent.

Von der Leyen also held talks with the leaders of Germany, France and Italy at the weekend, Germany said. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has repeatedly stressed the need for a quick deal to protect industries vulnerable to tariffs ranging from cars to pharmaceuticals.

Germany said the parties should allow themselves “another 24 or 48 hours to come to a decision”. And the country’s auto company Mercedes-Benz said on Monday its second-quarter unit sales of cars and vans had fallen 9 percent, blaming tariffs.

Markets respond

US markets have tumbled on Trump’s tariff announcements.

As of 3:30pm in New York (19:30 GMT), the S&P 500 fell by 1 percent, marking the biggest drop in three weeks. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index was down by a little more than 1 percent, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average also fell by more than a full percentage point.

US-listed shares of Japanese automotive companies fell, with Toyota Motor Corp down 4.1 percent in mid-afternoon trading and Honda Motor off by 3.8 percent. Meanwhile, the US dollar surged against both the Japanese yen and the South Korean won.

Germany shattered the world record for largest string orchestra as 1,353 musicians performed Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.” The intergenerational event brought together players of all ages, beating the previous record set in Hong Kong in 2018.

Deadly anti-government protests have been taking place in Kenya for more than a year, but a key event from over 30 years ago is providing crucial inspiration. Al Jazeera’s Malcolm Webb explains from on the ground in Nairobi.

Israel attacked Iran just days before Tehran and Washington were to meet for a new round of nuclear talks.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said he believes Tehran can resolve its differences with the United States through dialogue, but trust would be an issue after US and Israeli attacks on his country.

“I am of the belief that we could very much easily resolve our differences and conflicts with the United States through dialogue and talks,” Pezeshkian told US right-wing podcaster Tucker Carlson in an interview conducted on Saturday and released on Monday.

His remarks came less than a month after Israel launched its unprecedented June 13 bombing campaign against Iran, killing top military commanders and nuclear scientists.

The Israeli attacks took place two days before Tehran and Washington were set to meet for a new round of nuclear talks, stalling negotiations that were aimed at reaching a deal over Iran’s atomic programme.

A week later, in separate attacks on June 21, the US also bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.

Iranian state media said on Monday that the death toll from the 12-day war had risen to at least 1,060.

Pezeshkian blamed Israel, Iran’s archenemy, for the collapse of talks with the US.

“How are we going to trust the United States again?” he asked.

“How can we know for sure that in the middle of the talks, the Israeli regime will not be given the permission again to attack us?”

Iran’s president also accused Israel of attempting to assassinate him during the June attacks.

“They did try, yes. They acted accordingly, but they failed,” Pezeshkian told Carlson in response to a question on whether he believed Israel had tried to kill him.

“It was not the United States that was behind the attempt on my life. It was Israel. I was in a meeting … they tried to bombard the area in which we were holding that meeting,” he said, according to a translation of his remarks from Persian into English.

On June 16, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also did not rule out plans to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, saying it would “end the conflict” after reports emerged at the time that US President Donald Trump had vetoed the move.

While a ceasefire between Iran and Israel has been in place since June 24, during the interview with Carlson, Pezeshkian accused Netanyahu of pursuing his “own agenda” of “forever wars” in the Middle East and urged Trump not to be drawn into war with Iran by the Israeli leader.

Netanyahu is visiting Washington on Monday for talks at the White House.

“The United States’ president, Mr. Trump, he is capable enough to guide the region towards peace and a brighter future and put Israel in its place. Or get into a pit, an endless pit, or a swamp,” Pezeshkian said.

“So it is up to the United States president to choose which path.”

Trump said he expected to discuss Iran and its nuclear ambitions with Netanyahu, praising the US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites as a tremendous success.

On Friday, he told reporters that he believed Tehran’s nuclear programme had been set back permanently, although Iran could restart efforts elsewhere.

The international legal order loses its effectiveness when faced with the unilateralism of hegemonic powers as well as acts that flout universally accepted norms. If such practices remain unaddressed, there is a risk that the order will lose its foundational purpose: the protection of justice, peace, and the sovereignty of nations.

The attack by the United States and Israel on Iran, including the targeted killings of scientists and intellectuals, bombing of IAEA-approved nuclear facilities, and strikes against residential, medical, media, and public infrastructure, is a prime example of illegal, unilateral action that must not remain unaddressed. It is a wrongful act and a clear violation of fundamental norms of international law.

In this context, the principle of state responsibility, which dictates that states are held accountable for wrongful acts, must be applied. This principle was codified by the International Law Commission ILC in its 2001 Draft Articles on Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts, which have since been widely recognised and cited by international courts and tribunals.

Per their provisions, the commission of a wrongful act – such as the unlawful use of force – constitutes a violation of an international obligation and imposes a binding duty on the responsible state to provide full and effective reparation for the harm caused.

In the case of the illegal acts committed by the United States and Israel, the scope of legal responsibility goes far beyond ordinary violations. These acts not only contravened customary international law, but also breached peremptory norms, the highest-ranking norms within the international legal hierarchy. Among these, the principle of the prohibition of aggression is a core and universally binding rule. No state is permitted to derogate from this norm, and violations trigger obligations, requiring all members of the international community to respond collectively to uphold the law.

There are at least two relevant legal precedents that can guide the application of the principle of state responsibility and the obligation for reparations in the case of Iran.

In 1981, the United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 487 in response to Israel’s attack on Iraq’s nuclear facilities. It unequivocally characterised this act of aggression as a “serious threat to the entire safeguard regime of the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA]”, which is the foundation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The resolution also fully recognised the inalienable sovereign right of all states to establish programmes of technological and nuclear development to develop their economy and industry for peaceful purposes.

Article 6 stipulates that “Iraq is entitled to appropriate redress for the destruction it has suffered, responsibility for which has been acknowledged by Israel”. By mandating that the aggressor compensate the victim for the resulting damages, the resolution provides a clear legal precedent for pursuing redress in similar cases.

Thus, given the fact that the attacks by the US and Israel were carried out with public declarations confirming the operations and are well-documented, the application of the principles and provisions of Resolution 487 to the Iranian case is not only appropriate and necessary but also firmly grounded in international law.

Another relevant document is UN Security Council Resolution 692, which was adopted in 1991 and established the United Nations Compensation Commission (UNCC) following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait. The commission was tasked with processing claims for compensation of losses and damages incurred as a result of the invasion.

The creation of UNCC demonstrated the capacity of international mechanisms to identify victims, evaluate damage, and implement practical compensation – setting a clear model for state responsibility in cases of unlawful aggression.

This precedent provides a strong legal and institutional basis for asserting the rights of the Iranian people. It is therefore both appropriate and necessary for the UN to establish a rule-based mechanism, such as an international commission on compensation, to redress Iran.

Such a commission, initiated and endorsed by the UN General Assembly or other competent UN bodies, should undertake a comprehensive assessment of the damages inflicted by the unlawful and aggressive acts of the US and the Zionist regime against Iran.

The establishment of reparative mechanisms – whether through independent commissions, fact-finding bodies, or compensation funds operating under international oversight – would contribute meaningfully to restoring trust in the global legal system and provide a principled response to the ongoing normalisation of impunity.

Iran also has another avenue for pursuing justice for the illegal attacks it was subjected to. In the lead-up to them, the IAEA published biased and politically motivated reports about the Iranian nuclear programme, which facilitated the commission of aggression by the US and Israel and breached the principle of neutrality.

This places Iran in a position to seek redress and claim damages from the agency under Article 17 of the IAEA Safeguards Agreement. As a state harmed by the agency’s manifest negligence, Iran is entitled to full reparation for all material and moral damages inflicted upon its peaceful nuclear facilities and scientific personnel.

In this context, pursuing accountability for the IAEA, alongside the aggressor states, is a vital element of Iran’s broader strategy to uphold accountability within the international legal order. By relying on recognised, legitimate, and binding international mechanisms, Iran will steadfastly defend the rights of its people at every forum.

Ultimately, responsibility for the recent crimes of this war of aggression does not lie solely with the direct perpetrators, the US and Israel, and those who aided them, the IAEA. All states and international organisations bear an undeniable obligation to implement effective legal measures to prevent such crimes.

The international community as a whole must respond decisively. Silence, delay, or any form of complicity in the face of aggression and atrocities would reduce the principle of state accountability under international law to an empty slogan.

In its pursuit of accountability, Iran will exhaust all available resources and will not relent until the rights of its people are fully recognised and they receive adequate redress. It will continue to seek the prosecution and accountability of those responsible for these crimes, both domestically and internationally, until justice is fully achieved.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance.

Thousands of daredevils ran, skidded and tumbled out of the way of six charging bulls at the opening run of the San Fermin festival in Spain.

Monday was the first of nine morning runs during the famous celebrations held in the northern Spanish city of Pamplona.

The bulls pounded along the twisting cobblestone streets after being led by six steers. Up to 4,000 runners take part in each bull run, which takes place over 846 metres (2,775 feet) and can last three to four minutes.

Most runners wear the traditional garb of white trousers and shirt with a red sash and neckerchief. The expert Spanish runners try to sprint just in front of the bulls’ horns for a few death-defying seconds while egging the animals on with a rolled newspaper.

Thousands of spectators watch from balconies and wooden barricades along the course. Millions more follow the visceral spectacle on live television.

While goring is not rare, many more people are bruised and injured in falls and pile-ups with each other. Medics rush in to treat the injured and take the seriously hurt to a hospital.

Unofficial records say at least 15 people have died in the bull runs over the past century. The deadliest day on record was July 13, 1980, when four runners were killed by two bulls. The last death was in 2009.

The rest of each day is for eating, drinking, dancing, and cultural entertainment, including bullfights, in which the animals that run in the morning are slain in the bullring by professional matadors each afternoon.

The festival was made internationally famous by Ernest Hemingway’s classic 1926 novel, The Sun Also Rises, about American bohemians wasting away in Europe.

The Money Saving Club team are on hand to bring you all the latest news, tips and deals that can help parents stretch their budget for the summer holidays

The school summer holidays are nearly upon us, and while that means plenty of quality time with the kids, it also means having to come up with plenty of ways to enjoy that quality time with the kids.

Any parent will know the pressure of trying to navigate hiked up prices during the holidays, trying to find days out, alternatives for rainy days and generally trying to keep the kids entertained for six to seven weeks.

As well as having to get creative, that all comes with plenty of costs and it can feel like your summer budget quickly disappears even if you’re minding the pennies and trying to limit how often you end up eating out or dashing to the cinema when the British weather doesn’t play nicely.

That’s where the Money Saving Club can step in to help. The dedicated team seek out all of the best deals, money-saving tricks and latest news that they hand pick and send in a weekly newsletter, to help you stretch that holiday budget.

It’s free and easy to sign up – simply click here, enter your email address and then select the topics that are most relevant for you. Each week you’ll receive an email direct in your inbox with a round-up of the latest news and tips that have caught the team’s eye, whether it’s a warning from an expert over changes to government schemes, or an easy trick a fellow mum or dad has discovered that has been a game-changer for their household bills.

Although you can choose from a wide array of topics, this summer you may want to closely follow their round-up of all the latest travel and shopping news, especially if you’re trying to stick to a tighter budget due to the cost of living.

The Money Saving Club team round-up the latest news and tips they think you’ll love, with something for everyone whether you’re opting for a staycation or taking the kids abroad.

We’re talking discounted days out, free activities for the families, and simple money-saving hacks shared by fellow parents. If you’re heading abroad, they offer plenty of tips including how to cut costs on holidays and swerve fines or hidden costs, how to save before you head abroad and even how to get the best value for your money while you’re away.

Of course alongside that there are plenty of day-to-day tips and tricks including cheap and cheerful ways to stay cool in those pesky heatwaves, or the latest money news and deadlines you’ll want to be aware of whether it’s to cut your bills or sign up to a government scheme that can help you with your finances.

You can sign up to the Money Saving Club here to receive your weekly dose of money tips direct in your inbox, with topics including travel, shopping and discounts, utilities and plenty more.

Blazes break out in France, Greece, Turkiye and Syria, with several other nations on high alert amid warnings of scorching weather.

Countries across the Mediterranean are battling fast-spreading wildfires and soaring temperatures as a heatwave sweeps through Southern Europe and parts of the Middle East, prompting evacuations and emergency alerts.

Blazes broke out in Greece, Turkiye, France and Syria on Sunday, with several other nations on high alert as forecasters warned that the scorching weather would intensify in the coming days.

From Spain to Italy, authorities urged residents to protect vulnerable people and avoid unnecessary travel during the region’s first severe heatwave of the summer.

Emergency teams and ambulances were stationed near popular tourist destinations, while meteorologists warned that extreme heat events – supercharged by climate change – are becoming more frequent and intense.

In western Turkiye, wildfires erupted on Sunday in Izmir province, fanned by strong winds. Firefighters, supported by aircraft, fought to control the blaze. Local authorities said five neighbourhoods in the Seferihisar district were evacuated as a precaution.

Authorities said firefighters have battled more than 600 fires in the drought-hit nation over the past week.

Turkish authorities arrested 10 suspects in relation to wildfires that broke out across the country over the past week, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Friday.

The wildfires killed at least three people in the western coastal province of Izmir.

Firefighters were still trying to control a blaze in the southern coastal area of Dortyol in Hatay province.

Meanwhile, in Greece, more than 160 firefighters, 46 fire trucks and five aircraft were deployed to combat flames in southern Evia.

The blaze, which began late on Friday, burned through forested areas and forced two villages to evacuate, officials said. Fires also broke out near Athens.

France also saw wildfires break out in the Corbieres region of Aude in the southwest, where temperatures soared above 40C (104F). A campsite and a historic abbey were evacuated.

Meteo France placed 84 of the country’s 101 departments under orange-level heat alerts on Monday.

In Spain, the national weather agency AEMET reported temperatures reaching 44C (111F) in parts of Extremadura and Andalusia.

“I feel that the heat we’re experiencing is not normal for this time of year,” said Diego Radames, a 32-year-old photographer in Madrid, speaking to the AFP news agency. “Madrid just keeps getting hotter.”

Italy placed 21 cities on red alert, including important ones, such as Rome, Milan and Naples. Emergency rooms reported a 10 percent rise in heatstroke cases, according to Mario Guarino of the Italian Society of Emergency Medicine.

Portugal also faced extreme conditions, with the capital, Lisbon, under a red warning until Monday night. Two-thirds of the country was on high alert for wildfires and extreme heat.

On the island of Sicily, firefighters tackled 15 blazes on Saturday alone.

Scientists warn that climate change is intensifying the heat.

“Heatwaves in the Mediterranean have become more frequent and more intense in recent years,” Emanuela Piervitali of Italy’s Institute for Environmental Protection and Research told AFP. “We’ll need to adapt to even higher extremes in the future.”

As players continue to ask the Grand Slams for more prize money, the chair of the All England Club has suggested those questions would be better directed to the regular tour events.

Representatives of top 10 players met officials at Wimbledon last week to discuss increasing prize money and having a greater say in the running of the Grand Slams.

The Professional Tennis Players’ Association, meanwhile, has begun legal action against the ATP Tour, the WTA Tour, the International Tennis Federation and the International Tennis Integrity Agency.

It claims prize money is artificially restricted and the 11-month season is “unsustainable”.

Players have frequently pointed to the vast revenues generated by the Grand Slams, and feel they deserve a significantly larger return.

“For a lot of players, it’s playing for Slams that provides the income for [financing a year on] the whole tour – so the sport needs to look at itself,” Debbie Jevans, chair of the All England Club, told BBC Sport.

“Something like golf, where they earn the majority of money on the tour and less at the majors, is flipped over in tennis.

“As much as we’re asked to look at ourselves, I do think the tour events need to look at themselves as well.”

Jennifer Geerlings-Simons to lead the impoverished Latin American country through crisis before oil wealth arrives.

Suriname has elected Jennifer Geerlings-Simons as its first female president, with parliament backing the 71-year-old physician and lawmaker to lead the crisis-hit South American nation.

Her election came after a coalition deal was struck in the National Assembly, which voted by a two-thirds majority on Sunday.

The move followed inconclusive May polls and mounting pressure to replace outgoing President Chandrikapersad Santokhi, whose tenure was marred by corruption scandals and harsh austerity.

Geerlings-Simons, leader of the National Democratic Party, ran unopposed and will take office on July 16.

“I am aware that the heavy task I have taken on is further aggravated by the fact that I am the first woman to serve the country in this position,” she said after her confirmation.

She will be joined by running mate Gregory Rusland, as the pair inherit a country struggling under the weight of economic hardship, reduced subsidies, and widespread frustration. While Santokhi’s government managed to restructure debt and restore macroeconomic stability with IMF backing, it also triggered mass protests over deep cuts.

With Suriname expected to begin producing offshore oil in 2028, Geerlings-Simons has promised to focus on stabilising state finances. She has previously pledged to boost revenues by tightening tax collection, including from small-scale gold miners.

Economists warn she faces a rocky road ahead. Winston Ramautarsingh, former head of the national economists’ association, said Suriname must repay about $400m annually in debt servicing.

“Suriname does not have that money,” he said. “The previous government rescheduled the debts, but that was only a postponement.”

Geerlings-Simons will now be tasked with steering the Dutch-speaking country of 646,000 people through a fragile period, balancing public discontent with the promise of future oil wealth.

As Suriname prepares to mark 50 years since gaining independence from the Netherlands this November, the small South American country is pinning its hopes on a new era driven by oil wealth and deepening ties with China.

In 2019, it joined China’s Belt and Road Initiative, becoming one of the first Latin American states to sign on to the vast infrastructure project.

Suriname is one of the continent’s poorest nations, despite its rich ethnic tapestry that includes descendants of Africans, Indigenous groups, Indians, Indonesians, Chinese, and Dutch settlers.

A jury in Australia on Monday found a woman guilty of murdering her estranged husband’s parents and aunt using poisonous mushroom-laced beef Wellington, its verdict capping weeks of courtroom depositions in a case that has gripped the country and made headlines worldwide.

Erin Patterson, the convict, had denied the charges, and her defence team had called the deaths a “terrible accident”.

Here is all you need to know:

What happened?

On July 29, 2023, Patterson hosted her former in-laws for lunch at her home in Leongatha, a town 135km (84 miles) southeast of Melbourne, in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria.

Her guests included her mother-in-law, Gail Patterson; father-in-law, Donald Patterson; Gail’s sister, Heather Wilkinson; and Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson. Her estranged husband, Simon Patterson, declined the invitation.

Patterson, now 50 years old, served her guests individual beef Wellingtons, a baked steak dish where beef tenderloin is wrapped in a mushroom paste and puff pastry, with mashed potato and green beans on the side. Patterson ate beef Wellington, too.

All four of the guests fell sick within hours of eating the meal and were hospitalised. Gail, Donald, and Heather passed away, while Ian survived after spending weeks in an induced coma. Gail and Donald were both aged 70 at the time of their deaths, while Heather was 66 years old. Patterson’s lawyers argued that she also fell sick after lunch and presented her medical test results as evidence. It was later found out that the Wellingtons were laced with poisonous death cap mushrooms.

Prosecutors said Patterson was separated from Simon, but the two had remained amicable afterwards. Patterson had two children with Simon, who were also present at the house during the lunch, but did not eat the Wellingtons.

Patterson was arrested in November 2023 and has been in custody ever since. She was charged with the murders of Gail, Donald and Heather, alongside the attempted murder of Ian. These charges carry a life sentence.

What did the jury announce, and what about sentencing?

The jury had been sequestered last week, as they discussed and deliberated on a decision. On Monday morning, it became clear that they had arrived at a verdict:

• Guilty, on the three charges of murder, pertaining to the three people killed.
• Guilty, on the charge of attempted murder of Ian Wilkinson.

The judge did not announce a sentencing date. That will be the next stage in the legal proceedings.

What are death cap mushrooms?

Amanita phalloides, commonly known as death caps, are the deadliest mushroom species for humans. The mushrooms are small, plain and yellow or brown, appearing like several other nonpoisonous or edible mushroom species. While the species is native to Europe, these mushrooms are also found in North America and Australia, typically growing under oak trees.

They contain toxins which inhibit DNA production, leading to kidney and liver failure. If an individual consumes these mushrooms, initial symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea start appearing within six to 12 hours.

All parts of the mushrooms are poisonous, and cutting or cooking them does not rid them of the toxins. One mushroom is enough to kill an adult.

What happened during the trial?

The jury trial opened on April 29 this year at Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court, located in the former coal-mining town of Morwell in Victoria. Justice Christopher Beale is presiding over the case. Relatives and friends of Patterson testified during the trial.

Prosecution

The prosecution is led by Nanette Rogers, an advocate who has accused Patterson of foraging the poisonous mushrooms, using a kitchen scale to weigh out the fatal dose and adding them to her guests’ beef Wellingtons and not her own. Rogers has also pointed to how Patterson lied to the police when she was asked whether she foraged mushrooms or owned a food dehydrator.

The police found a food dehydrator in a landfill near Patterson’s house, in which traces of death cap mushrooms were found.

The prosecution also found that Patterson had looked at a website listing locations of death cap mushrooms.

Ian’s testimony

The sole survivor of the incident, Ian, testified on the sixth day of the trial.

Ian, a 71-year-old church pastor, told the trial that on the day of the lunch, Patterson seemed “reluctant” to let her guests go inside her pantry. “Both Heather and Gail were offering to help plate up the food. The offer was rejected and Erin plated,” Ian said.

Ian said he and his wife experienced vomiting and diarrhoea that night, but they dismissed the symptoms as gastroenteritis.

Defence

Patterson’s defence is led by barrister Colin Mandy, who told the trial that Patterson had no intention to kill her guests. However, the defence has not denied that there were death caps in the meals.

Mandy said Patterson panicked and lied about foraging mushrooms to the police. “She panicked when confronted with the terrible possibility, the terrible realisation, that her actions had caused the illness of people she liked,” he said.

He also added that Patterson fell sick from the same meal and did not fake her symptoms, something the prosecution alleges. Mandy told the trial, “She was not as sick as the other lunch guests, nor did she represent she was.” He added that blood test results show indicators of sickness “that can’t be faked”, such as low potassium levels and elevated haemoglobin.

Patterson also revealed that she ate a smaller portion of the meal at lunch and binged on an orange cake that Gail Patterson had brought to share, after the guests left. Patterson testified that after eating about two-thirds of the cake, she threw up, which, if true, might explain why her body had lower levels of toxins from the beef Wellington than the others.

Since her arrest in November 2023, Patterson has maintained her innocence and has pleaded not guilty to all counts. She holds that the poisoning was a “terrible accident”.

Mandy told the trial that Patterson had developed an interest in foraging during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, and it was not unusual for her to gather knowledge about death cap mushrooms.

Motive

“You do not have to be satisfied what the motive was or even that there was one,” Rogers told the jury on April 30.

“The prosecution will not be suggesting that there was a particular motive to do what she did.”

Rogers also presented messages Patterson had sent to friends on Facebook, expressing frustration over her in-laws not getting involved in a child support dispute between her and Simon.

In December 2022, she wrote: “I’m sick of this s*** I want nothing to do with them. I thought his parents would want him to do the right thing but it seems their concern about not wanting to feel uncomfortable and not wanting to get involved in their sons personal matters are overriding that so f*** em.”

In another message, she wrote: “This family I swear to f****** god.”

When Mandy asked Patterson how she felt about these messages, she said: “I wish I’d never said it … I feel ashamed for saying it, and I wish the family didn’t have to hear that I said that. They didn’t deserve it.”

What do we know about the jury?

There were initially 15 jurors, but one of them was dismissed in May for discussing the case with friends and family. Justice Beale told the jurors to refrain from researching the case or discussing it outside the courtroom.

The 14-member jury was later reduced to 12 by ballot, which eventually returned the verdict.

On July 1, Justice Beale urged the jurors to put emotions and sympathy aside while returning the verdict.

“The issue is not whether she is in some sense responsible for the tragic consequences of the lunch, but whether the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that she is criminally responsible,” Beale said. “Emotions, such as prejudice and sympathy, must have no part to play in your decision.”

Israeli attacks across Gaza have killed at least 82 people as negotiations between Israel and Hamas towards a ceasefire deal begin in Qatar.

On Sunday, at least 39 people were killed in Gaza City alone. A midnight attack on the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood in the region also trapped victims under debris.

Witnesses have described apocalyptic scenes as neighbours retrieve body parts, including those of children.

Mahmoud al-Sheikh Salama, a survivor of one strike, said it took place at 2am (23:00 GMT on Saturday) while he was sleeping.

“We heard a loud explosion and shortly after, another one. We rushed over… and people were trapped under the rubble – four families, a large number of residents,” he told Al Jazeera.

“We tried to search for survivors and managed to pull out two people alive from under the debris after about three hours of struggle and breaking through. We got two out alive – the rest were martyred and are still trapped.”

Reporting from Gaza City, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud said Israel’s current military escalation in Gaza is “a chilling and brutal reminder” of the opening weeks of the war because of the intensity and scale of each attack.

“In the span of two hours, we have counted at least seven air strikes across the Gaza Strip,” he said.

“A local community kitchen in the northern part of Deir el-Balah was also struck and three people were killed, including the main operator behind it.”

Attacks near aid sites

Besides Gaza City, medical sources at hospitals told Al Jazeera that at least nine Palestinians were killed by Israeli army fire near aid distribution centres operated by the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) since the morning.

Five were killed near the Netzarim Corridor, located just south of Gaza City, which splits the Strip down the middle. The Palestinian Ministry of Health said Israeli forces killed at least 743 Palestinians in attacks at sites run by the GHF since late May.

The GHF has drawn widespread criticism, with multiple reports that its contractors, as well as Israeli forces, have opened fire on desperate aid seekers. Two American contractors were wounded with non-life-threatening injuries on Saturday during an attack on an aid site.

“The attack – which preliminary information indicates was carried out by two assailants who threw two grenades at the Americans – occurred at the conclusion of an otherwise successful distribution in which thousands of Gazans safely received food,” the GHF said.

The United States on Saturday blamed Hamas for the attack. Gaza’s Government Media Office rejected these accusations.

“We categorically and unequivocally reject the claims issued by the US State Department alleging that the Palestinian resistance threw explosives at American personnel operating at sites run by the so-called ‘Gaza Humanitarian Foundation – GHF,’” the media office said in a statement.

Possible ceasefire?

Meanwhile, indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas towards a ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip have begun in Qatar.

“Negotiations are about implementation mechanisms and hostage exchange, and positions are being exchanged through mediators,” an unnamed official told the AFP news agency.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday said that there is “a good chance” a Gaza captive release and ceasefire deal could be reached with Hamas this week, “as they’re close”.

Trump told reporters such a deal meant “quite a few hostages” could be released. Trump is set to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday at the White House.

The US president said last week that Israel has agreed to the conditions for a 60-day ceasefire, and negotiators could meet to carve out a path to finally end Israel’s nearly 21-month war on Gaza.

On Friday, Hamas said it responded to a US-backed Gaza ceasefire proposal in a “positive spirit”.

On Sunday, before boarding his flight to Washington, DC, Netanyahu also said he believed his discussions with Trump on Monday would help advance talks on a Gaza deal.

“I believe the discussion with President Trump can certainly help advance these results,” he said, adding that he is determined to ensure the return of captives held in Gaza and remove the threat of Hamas to Israel.

Analysts, however, say that Netanyahu wants to continue the retaliatory war on Gaza until he can gain enough political leverage to dismiss the court cases against him in Israel and build enough popular support to remain the country’s leader.

Netanyahu is on trial for corruption and is still widely blamed in Israeli society for the security failures that led to Hamas’s deadly attack on October 7, 2023.

“Israel and Netanyahu are not interested in reaching a ceasefire,” Adnan Hayajneh, a professor of international relations at Qatar University, told Al Jazeera, adding that there is a “very slim chance” of a ceasefire.

“What Israel wants is clear… a land without a people,” Hayajneh said.

“So, Palestinians are given three choices… starve to death… get killed… [or] leave the land. But Palestinians have so far proven they will not leave the land, no matter what.”