Venezuela quake death toll rises to 4,118, with 16,740 injured
The death toll from the devastating twin earthquakes that hit Venezuela on June 24 has risen to 4,118, with the injured amounting to 16,740, the government said Friday.
Cuba hit by second nationwide blackout in a week
Cuba was hit by another nationwide blackout on Friday, as the country's power system completely collapsed at 4:30 p.m. local time, according to the National Electric Union.
The latest outage was announced in a post on X, and it follows the total outage in Cuba's national power system that occurred Monday. The union said Wednesday that all provinces had been reconnected to the national grid early that day and that electricity supply had been restored nationwide.
Due to U.S. sanctions, Cuba has long struggled to import fuel and equipment needed to repair its severely degraded power plants, leaving the country's electricity supply strained.
Trump says U.S.-Iran talks to continue as ceasefire unravels
U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that Washington has agreed to continue negotiations with Iran, although it has informed Tehran that the ceasefire is over.
"The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue 'talks.' We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Qatari negotiators have traveled to Iran after coordinating with the Trump administration in an effort to de-escalate tensions and revive the U.S.-Iran talks, CNN reported Friday, citing a diplomat familiar with the effort.
A new round of U.S.-Iran negotiations is expected to be held next week, possibly in Switzerland, according to a report from U.S. media outlet Axios, citing a source with knowledge of the matter.
U.S. forces carried out repeated strikes against Iran earlier this week in response to several attacks on commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
Israel limits operations in Lebanon following U.S. demand: report
Israel's political leadership has ordered the military to refrain from carrying out "unusual" operations in southern Lebanon following a demand from the United States, Israel's state-run Kan TV News reported on Friday.
According to Kan, the directive remains in effect until further notice, pending developments in the U.S.-Iran tensions and the ongoing negotiations between Israel and Lebanon.
The channel noted that the United States, recently consumed by its own escalation with Iran, has expressed concern that Israel could get involved in the conflict.
An Israeli security source told Kan that Israel is prepared to exploit any Iranian attack against it to launch significant strikes in Iran, but, in light of a demand from the White House, the Israeli military was instructed to hold off.
Kan also reported that the Israeli military is expected to begin withdrawing from two areas in the "security zone" it holds in southern Lebanon as early as next week, coinciding with the resumption of peace talks between Lebanon and Israel in Rome.
This withdrawal is part of a framework agreement signed in Washington between Israel and Lebanon in late June.
East China provinces elevate typhoon emergency response as Bavi approaches
East China's Zhejiang and Fujian provinces have raised their typhoon emergency responses to Level II on Friday, as this year's 9th typhoon Bavi edges closer to the country's southeastern coast, with forecasts showing it is likely to make landfall in the border area between the two provinces.
As of 11 a.m., Bavi was tracking over the sea about 1,016 km southeast of Wenzhou city in Zhejiang, packing typhoon-level winds near its center, according to the Zhejiang Meteorological Observatory.
11 dead, 19 missing in southern Spain wildfire
At least 11 people were confirmed dead and 19 others remained missing after a major wildfire broke out on Thursday afternoon in Spain's southern Andalusia region, regional authorities said Friday.
Andalusian regional government President Juanma Moreno said the death toll could rise to 12, as a suspected additional victim had been located but had yet to be officially identified.
Antonio Sanz, acting regional minister for Health, the Presidency, and Emergencies, described the blaze in Los Gallardos as the deadliest wildfire on record in Andalusia and an "unprecedented tragedy."
The victims were believed to include British, Belgian and Spanish nationals, although their identities and nationalities had yet to be formally confirmed, Sanz said.
Eight other people were injured, including four who suffered severe burns and remained hospitalized.■
