Ben-Gvir prays at the Temple Mount. Hamas opens talks on aid for hostages

Today's highlights: Japanese Prime Minister ready to approve extra budget to mitigate impact of Trump tariffs; At least 140 children among hundreds of victims in Pakistan floods; Singapore hotel magnate Ong Beng Seng found guilty but will not go to prison; Over 60 dead in the sinking of a migrant ship off the coast of Yemen.

ISRAEL - PALESTINE

Almost 25 years after Ariel Sharon's famous ‘walk’ at the Western Wall (or Temple Mount, for Jews) in Jerusalem, yesterday, on the Jewish holiday of Tisha b'Av, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir repeated the gesture by walking and praying at Islam's third holiest site. His colleague, Defense Minister Israel Katz, has promised to “strengthen” Israel's ‘hold’ on the area. For the Palestinian Authority, the gesture - which violates the “status quo” of the holy sites - constitutes “crossing a red line.” Meanwhile, Hamas is ready to provide aid to Israeli hostages still held in the Gaza Strip, after a video of a prisoner in poor condition sparked international criticism and protests.

JAPAN

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has said the government plans to approve an extra budget to mitigate the economic impact of US tariffs, a move that would add further pressure to already deteriorating finances. After suffering a heavy defeat in the Senate elections in July, the minority coalition is under pressure to accept the opposition's demand to increase public spending and reduce sales tax.

PAKISTAN

At least 140 children are among the 299 victims - in addition to over 700 injured - caused by sudden flooding linked to torrential rains that have hit several areas of Pakistan since the end of June. This was reported by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), which also reported widespread destruction: at least 1,676 homes were damaged, including 562 completely destroyed, and 428 head of livestock were lost.

SINGAPORE

Hotel magnate Ong Beng Seng pleaded guilty today to obstructing justice in a landmark corruption case that led to the imprisonment of former transport minister S. Iswaran last year. Ong was accused of giving expensive gifts, including Formula 1 tickets and a private jet tour, to Iswaran. However, the prosecution and defense agreed to commute the prison sentence to a fine on health grounds.

YEMEN - AFRICA

Over 60 migrants died when a boat carrying about 150 people sank yesterday off the coast due to bad weather. The accident occurred off the coast of the Ahwar district in Yemen's southern province of Abyan on the Arabian Sea. The International Organization for Migration says Yemen continues to see significant increases in the influx of irregular migrants from Africa.

IRAN

The main security body yesterday approved the establishment of a National Defense Council in response to June's “12-day war” with Israel, which represented the most serious military challenge since the 1980s conflict with Iraq. The new body will be tasked with reviewing defense plans and improving the capabilities of Iran's armed forces in a centralized manner.

RUSSIA - INDIA

According to Bloomberg, at least four large Russian oil tankers are stuck near the Indian coast: Achilles, Elyte, Destan, and Horae. The ships are unable to reach their ports of destination after Donald Trump threatened to impose a 25% tariff on all Indian products for purchases of Russian energy materials, which could rise to 100%.

TAJIKISTAN - ISLAM

The first Islamic investment company, Birževoj Broker, has been founded in Tajikistan, based on the principles of Islamic banking to build long-term infrastructure for private and institutional investors. It received licenses for operations and deposits from the Ministry of Finance in Dushanbe during a solemn ceremony attended by senior government officials, business leaders, and Muslim financial institutions.

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