Middle East War: Pakistani Prime Minister Sharif says “US and Iran have reached an agreement on the text of the deal”

Today’s headlines: A military aircraft has crashed in north-eastern India; The Arakan Army in Myanmar has stepped up attacks on the city of Sittwe; New medical assessment for former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte; China is focusing on cruise ships to boost consumption.

USA – IRAN

Pakistani Prime Minister Shebaz Sharif announced yesterday that Iran and the United States have reached an agreement on the wording of the deal, a ‘final and agreed text’ that should bring an end to the war in the Middle East. “Peace has never been as close as it is now,” Sharif added in a post on X. Yesterday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iranian state television that both sides were working towards signing a preliminary agreement declaring an end to the war “on all fronts, including Lebanon”.

INDIA

A Russian-made Indian military transport aircraft crashed this morning whilst landing at an air force base in the north-east of the country. “An Indian Air Force An-32 aircraft was involved in an accident today whilst landing at Jorhat. An inquiry committee has been set up to ascertain the causes of the accident,” reads the statement issued by the authorities, who did not provide details on casualties.

MYANMAR

The Arakan Army (Arakan Army, AA) is stepping up attacks on the Burmese regime’s naval base at Shwe Min Gan, north-east of Sittwe, the capital of the western state of Rakhine, and on the outposts surrounding the Regional Operations Command (ROC) to the north, with clashes now reported near the village of Naryi Kan, less than 2 km from the ROC. Residents have reported that fighting has intensified around four villages near the town of Sittwe, approximately 2 km from the ROC.

PHILIPPINES

The International Criminal Court has ordered a medical assessment of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to determine whether he is fit to stand trial, which is due to begin in November. This is the second time that Duterte, accused of crimes against humanity for his war on drugs that has caused thousands of deaths, has undergone a court-ordered medical examination. In January, it was determined that he was fit to participate in the preliminary stages of the trial.

CHINA

Beijing is seeking to promote large cruise ships to boost consumer spending and as an alternative to holiday travel, which often causes major overcrowding within the country. Preparations were underway on the outskirts of Shanghai for the departure of the Adora Magic City, which can accommodate 5,200 people. The ship entered service in January 2024 and is the first cruise ship built entirely in China. On board are restaurants and bars, a theatre with nearly 1,000 seats and a four-storey-high water slide.

KAZAKHSTAN

Kazakhstan’s ruling party, Amanat, announced yesterday its merger with the Adilet party, created earlier this year by allies of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for August. The decision is part of a wider process of reorganising Kazakhstan’s political system, which is tightly controlled by the government, with Tokayev set to step down at the end of his term in 2029.

RUSSIA

Despite the readmission of Russian players to various international sporting competitions, the board of the International Chess Federation (FIDE) has suspended the Russian Chess Federation due to its failure to comply with the ruling of the Court of Arbitration for Sport within the stipulated timeframe. However, the decision does not prevent Russian chess players from participating in tournaments, but the FIDE Council “reiterates its commitment to protecting the rights and interests of individual chess players”.