Ambassadors from the EU’s 27 member states met in Brussels in an effort to resolve remaining disagreements over what would become the bloc’s 21st sanctions package since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The urgency stems from existing EU regulations governing the oil price cap on Russian exports. Without a new agreement by Wednesday, the cap is set to rise from its current level of $44 per barrel to better reflect higher international oil prices, which have climbed amid conflict in the Middle East.

The European Commission has sought to prevent that automatic adjustment by extending the existing cap for several more months through the new sanctions package, arguing that maintaining the lower threshold would continue to limit the Kremlin’s oil revenues.

Negotiations have been complicated by objections from several member states over specific measures contained in the proposal.

Diplomatic sources said Bulgaria opposed plans to add Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill to the EU sanctions list.

Germany also raised concerns over a proposal to ban imports of Russian Alaskan pollock, a fish commonly used in processed food products, including children’s meals, according to diplomats familiar with the discussions.

Member states also sought to soften a proposal that would impose broad visa restrictions on Russian nationals who participated in the war in Ukraine.

Diplomats said several outstanding issues remained unresolved, leaving uncertainty over whether a final compromise could be reached before the oil price cap deadline.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said after a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday that member states were “quite close” to reaching an agreement.

She said the bloc’s objective remained securing unanimous approval for the sanctions package but added that alternative options would be explored if consensus proved impossible.

Any failure to approve the package would come at a politically sensitive moment as European leaders seek to maintain pressure on Moscow while supporting Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is scheduled to visit Kyiv on Wednesday for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Separately, the Kremlin rejected accusations by the European Union and Britain that Russian intelligence agencies were responsible for a campaign of cyberattacks across Europe.

The EU and the United Kingdom announced coordinated sanctions on Monday targeting individuals linked to Russia’s GRU military intelligence agency over what they described as persistent cyber operations aimed at destabilizing European countries.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed the allegations, saying Russia did not accept the accusations and describing them as unsubstantiated.

Peskov also condemned the sanctions as illegal and said they would not alter Moscow’s policies. He said Russia had adapted to the large number of sanctions imposed since the start of the war and had developed ways to reduce their economic impact.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said it was working to verify the circumstances surrounding the reported sinkings but had not yet confirmed how many people were aboard either vessel or where the incidents occurred.

“We are deeply concerned by the potential loss of life and are working to verify further details,” the agency said in a statement.

UNHCR declined to provide additional information while its investigation continues.

The reported maritime disaster comes as growing numbers of Rohingya attempt dangerous sea journeys in search of safety and better living conditions, driven by conflict, persecution and deteriorating humanitarian conditions in Myanmar and refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh.

Around 1.2 million stateless Rohingya, most of them Muslims, remain in overcrowded camps in Bangladesh after fleeing successive waves of violence by Myanmar’s security forces. The United States has described the military’s 2017 campaign against the minority as genocide.

The military continues to rule Myanmar, leaving few prospects for the voluntary return of Rohingya refugees. Those who remain in Rakhine State face severe movement restrictions, while many continue to live in internment camps.

Humanitarian conditions have worsened in recent months as reductions in foreign assistance from the United States and other donor countries have led to cuts in food rations for refugees in Bangladesh. At the same time, fighting between Myanmar’s military and an ethnic armed organization in Rakhine has added to instability in the region.

Those pressures have prompted more Rohingya to board overcrowded and often unseaworthy vessels in an attempt to reach Malaysia across the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea.

The UN refugee agency said thousands of Rohingya have died during such crossings over the years, including women, children and infants. It also noted that boats carrying Rohingya have frequently remained without timely rescue despite reports of distress at sea.

Calling for greater regional cooperation, UNHCR said saving lives at sea remains both a humanitarian obligation and a longstanding responsibility under international maritime law. The agency urged governments to strengthen search-and-rescue operations and called on regional authorities and the broader international community to increase support for people undertaking perilous maritime journeys.

According to UNHCR, more than 6,500 Rohingya fled by boat in 2025, with nearly 900 reported dead or missing, making it the deadliest year on record for Rohingya attempting sea crossings and the world’s highest mortality rate among major refugee and migrant maritime routes.

The agency said more than 5,400 Rohingya have attempted similar journeys so far in 2026, with 540 people reported dead or missing.

The incident occurred in Kohat district, where prolonged rainfall weakened the structure of the home before the roof gave way, according to Bilal Faizi, a spokesperson for the provincial emergency service.

Rescue teams recovered the bodies of 11 victims from the debris and handed them over to their families for burial, Faizi said. Authorities did not immediately provide further details about the identities of those killed.

The fatal collapse came as seasonal monsoon rains continued to affect several parts of Pakistan, bringing widespread disruption and increasing the risk of floods and landslides.

In the mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan region, heavy rainfall on Monday triggered multiple landslides that blocked key roads and damaged homes, according to regional emergency services.

The government has advised tourists to avoid travel to northern Pakistan because of the heightened threat of landslides, flash floods and other weather-related hazards during the ongoing monsoon season.

Pakistan experiences intense monsoon rainfall each year, with flooding and landslides regularly causing casualties, displacement and extensive damage to infrastructure and property.

The country’s vulnerability to extreme weather was highlighted in 2022, when unprecedented monsoon rains and catastrophic flooding submerged nearly one-third of Pakistan. According to official figures cited in the report, the disaster claimed 1,739 lives and caused an estimated $30 billion in economic losses.

Emergency authorities continue to monitor weather conditions as forecasts indicate further rainfall in several parts of the country, raising concerns about additional flooding and landslides in vulnerable areas.

Speaking at a public event in Sao Paulo state on Monday, Lula responded to Trump’s announcement that the United States would reinstate a blockade of Iranian ports on the Strait of Hormuz and levy a 20% charge on cargo transported through the strategic waterway.

Trump said the proposed fee would help cover the costs of maintaining security and keeping the strait open for international shipping following renewed tensions with Iran.

Lula rejected the proposal, arguing that charging commercial vessels for passage through one of the world’s most important maritime routes would contradict the United States’ longstanding position against piracy.

He said the United States had historically fought piracy and should not now assume a role that resembled the practice it had opposed.

The Brazilian leader also warned that renewed instability in the Gulf was contributing to higher prices for fuel and essential food products in Brazil, including beans, rice, tomatoes and onions, increasing pressure on consumers.

The latest comments come as fighting involving the United States and Iran has reignited after a temporary easing of tensions under an interim agreement reached in June.

Iran had restricted shipping linked to its ports in the Strait of Hormuz after U.S. and Israeli military operations earlier this year. Those restrictions were eased following the interim agreement, but Trump has pledged to restore the blockade after renewed hostilities.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most strategically important maritime chokepoints, carrying a significant share of global crude oil and natural gas shipments. Any disruption to navigation through the waterway has the potential to affect international energy markets and shipping costs.

Brazil has sought to cushion the domestic impact of higher oil prices. Lula said revenue generated from a 12% tax on crude oil exports, introduced in March, was being used to help offset rising fuel costs.

The 80-year-old leftist leader is seeking a fourth presidential term in Brazil’s elections scheduled for October, with inflation and living costs expected to remain central issues in the campaign.

The fires, which began on Sunday, spread rapidly through the Fontainebleau forest, a UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve, as northern France endured another intense heatwave. The Seine-et-Marne fire department said the burned area exceeded 1,900 hectares by Tuesday morning, adding that the figure was expected to rise as the fires continued to spread.

Paul-Edouard Laurain, spokesperson for the Seine-et-Marne departmental fire and rescue service, said around 850 firefighters were working to contain the fires during the day.

The first blaze expanded quickly, consuming nearly 1,200 hectares by Monday afternoon, according to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez. A second fire later broke out and destroyed about 100 hectares, prompting the evacuation of around 1,000 residents in and around Fontainebleau.

Authorities said one of two people arrested in connection with the fires was an 18-year-old man with no prior criminal record. A source close to the investigation said he was detained with soot on his hands and carrying a lighter.

Officials are investigating whether the fires were deliberately set. Nunez said investigators identified around 10 separate ignition points within a one-kilometer area, a pattern he said suggested the possibility of intentional arson.

The scale of the emergency prompted an unprecedented aerial firefighting response in the greater Paris region. Authorities deployed four Canadair water-bombing aircraft, two Dash planes and three helicopters, with rescue officials reporting 187 aerial water drops during Monday’s operations.

Although firefighting efforts continued overnight with around 600 personnel rotating on the ground, rescue commander Jean-Marc Sicard said weather conditions remained unfavorable and the fire was still advancing despite brief periods of reduced activity.

The wildfires disrupted transport during one of France’s busiest holiday travel periods. Sections of the A6 motorway linking Paris with southeastern France were closed, while railway infrastructure damaged by the fire temporarily halted high-speed train services between Paris and Lyon before repairs allowed operations to resume.

Residents and local farmers joined emergency efforts by transporting water in tractors and making private water supplies available to firefighters. Some homeowners evacuated their properties but later returned to assist rescue crews.

President Emmanuel Macron said all available national resources had been mobilized to combat what he described as an exceptionally large wildfire.

France has experienced its third heatwave in less than three months, with multiple wildfires breaking out across the country in recent weeks. Scientists have linked the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme heat and wildfire conditions to human-induced climate change.

Official figures show more than 2,000 excess deaths were recorded during France’s June heatwave, with a further 300 linked to unusually high temperatures in late May.

Civil security authorities said wildfires have burned about 25,000 hectares across France since the beginning of the year, roughly double the area affected during the same period in 2025. Forecasts indicated high temperatures would persist through Bastille Day celebrations on Tuesday, maintaining elevated wildfire risks across the country.

More than 70 people were injured in the fire at the Rong Beer Na Ladprao bar, with 24 remaining in critical condition, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. The blaze broke out late Sunday in northern Bangkok and took firefighters about 30 minutes to bring under control.

Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt said most of the victims died from smoke inhalation. Emergency officials said dozens of survivors remained hospitalized as medical teams continued to treat those with severe injuries.

Police and forensic investigators spent Monday examining the single-story building, which was cordoned off while authorities searched for evidence. The venue’s windows had been blown out, and investigators inspected debris scattered throughout the premises as they worked to determine how the fire began.

The bar, which describes itself as a brewery or beer hall, says it can accommodate up to 600 customers. Authorities have not said how many people were inside when the fire started.

National Police Chief Kittharath Punpetch said most of the victims were found trapped in windowless bathrooms near one of the building’s rear exits, where they may have sought refuge from the flames.

He said investigators were examining whether access to the exit had been obstructed by a table placed in a hallway or whether darkness caused by the power outage prevented people from locating the escape route. He added that another exit near the kitchen may also have been partially blocked by shelving and lockers, while there were indications that some exit doors might have been locked.

Investigators are also focusing on the ceiling above the performance stage, where decorative materials were installed. Police are examining whether flammable materials were used in the interior and whether the building’s electrical wiring complied with safety standards.

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said a musician performing at the venue told him smoke was seen emerging from a circuit breaker near the stage before the electricity failed. According to the musician’s account, an explosion followed, after which thick smoke rapidly filled the building.

Video shared on social media showed flames engulfing the structure as patrons fled through smoke-filled exits.

Buddhist monks visited the site on Monday to offer prayers for the victims, while health workers distributed face masks to protect people from lingering smoke. Authorities also established a registration center to help families locate relatives who had been inside the bar.

Singer Sukanya Wongwongwai said she rushed to the scene after learning several members of her band were performing at the venue. She said one band member died and three others were hospitalized. Another musician initially reported missing was later found receiving treatment in hospital.

The bar issued a statement expressing condolences to the victims’ families and said it was cooperating fully with investigators. It added that the owner had suffered serious injuries and remained in intensive care.

Relatives gathered at Bangkok’s Institute of Forensic Medicine to identify those killed. Among them was Keo Oudone Poungpany, whose younger brother, a migrant worker from neighboring Laos employed at the bar, died in the fire. Poungpany said he had been outside the building when the blaze erupted and was unable to re-enter because of the intense heat.

The tragedy is the latest in a series of deadly entertainment venue fires in Thailand. Fourteen people were killed in a music bar fire in eastern Thailand in 2022, while a New Year’s Eve fire at Bangkok’s Santika nightclub in 2009 claimed 67 lives and injured more than 200 others.

Youlin Chen, 54, a U.S. citizen who lives in Boston, Massachusetts, was arrested by Chinese state security officers on Nov. 5, 2024, at Beijing International Airport as he prepared to return to the United States after visiting family and delivering lectures at two Chinese universities, according to his wife, Yufang Rong, and hostage advocate Eric Lebson.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated Chen as “wrongfully detained” on March 19, elevating his release as a priority for the U.S. government. Rong said the Trump administration has not publicly announced the designation in order to preserve space for diplomatic efforts aimed at securing her husband’s release.

A U.S. official familiar with the matter said the administration remained focused on obtaining Chen’s release from what it described as an unjustified detention but declined to discuss sensitive diplomatic exchanges.

According to Rong, President Donald Trump raised Chen’s detention during a state visit to Beijing in May, where Chinese President Xi Jinping said he would look into the case. Reuters could not independently confirm that account, although the U.S. source said Chen’s detention was among numerous issues in the broader U.S.-China relationship and that no single issue defined bilateral ties.

Chen is currently the only American in China formally designated by Washington as wrongfully detained, according to his wife and hostage advocacy groups. The Foley Foundation, which tracks Americans held abroad, believes at least 12 U.S. citizens are being unjustly held in China, including individuals subject to exit bans.

Rong said she fears Chinese authorities have already decided the outcome of her husband’s case before trial. She believes proceedings will be conducted behind closed doors, noting that espionage convictions in China can carry sentences ranging from lengthy imprisonment to life in prison or, in especially serious cases, the death penalty.

According to Rong, Chinese investigators have questioned Chen more than 100 times about his research into the seismic signatures of North Korean nuclear tests.

Eric Lebson, whose organization Global Reach is assisting Chen’s family, said he believes Chinese authorities are interested in Chen’s scientific expertise regarding techniques used to detect underground nuclear tests. Lebson said Chen’s work relied on publicly available data, was conducted in collaboration with Chinese academics, and never involved classified information.

Chen is employed by a U.S. government contractor but has never held a U.S. security clearance or performed classified work, Lebson said. His research received funding from the U.S. State Department and the Air Force Research Laboratory.

A 2020 paper reviewed by Reuters analyzed seismic data from North Korea’s six known nuclear tests and methods for distinguishing nuclear explosions from earthquakes. The document stated that it had been prepared for the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Arms Control and was approved for public release.

Human rights organizations have argued that China’s state-secrets legislation gives authorities broad powers to retroactively classify previously public information as national security secrets, potentially exposing researchers who relied on open-source material to criminal prosecution.

Rong said her husband initially endured harsh detention conditions, including prolonged periods of forced sitting without access to reading materials or exercise. She said he was also denied medication for diabetes and other health conditions during the early months of his detention.

She added that Chen has since lost between 30 and 40 pounds while in custody and receives inadequate food and poor-quality medication. U.S. embassy officials have visited him several times, she said, but Chinese officials have always been present, preventing private conversations. His Chinese lawyer was permitted to meet him only after more than 13 months in detention.

Chen was formally charged with espionage on May 1, 2025, but has not yet been brought to trial. U.S. Senator Ed Markey, who led a bipartisan appeal urging the State Department to designate Chen as wrongfully detained, said he remained deeply concerned about the scientist’s safety and wellbeing and expressed hope that increased international attention would lead to his release.

Representatives Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, Teresa Leger-Fernández of New Mexico, Maxine Dexter of Oregon and Delia Catalina Ramírez of Illinois traveled to Cuba last week for meetings with Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, government ministers, medical professionals and business leaders during a visit that concluded on Monday.

The lawmakers said the U.S. energy embargo, introduced in January after the capture of then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, had intensified an economic crisis that Cuba has faced for the past five years. The measures included restrictions on fuel supplies to the island and threats of tariffs against countries exporting fuel to Cuba.

According to the delegation, the sanctions have compounded longstanding domestic economic problems, including the effects of monetary reforms and previous U.S. restrictions.

Speaking to reporters in Havana, the lawmakers said there were currently no formal negotiations underway between Washington and Havana aimed at lifting the energy embargo, despite contacts that both governments have previously acknowledged between their officials.

Pocan criticized Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s approach toward Cuba, suggesting policy decisions had become personal rather than professional. Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, began his political career in Miami with support from anti-Castro exile groups.

The lawmakers pointed to the effects of the embargo on daily life across Cuba, including prolonged electricity outages, disruptions to public transportation, flight cancellations, declining tourism, shorter working hours and broader economic paralysis.

Pocan said a Cuban resident had described the situation as a “silent Gaza,” a characterization he said reflected the hardships created by the prolonged shortages. He said that while Cuba was not experiencing active bombardment, many residents struggled to work, preserve food, obtain medicines and maintain normal daily life because of the energy crisis.

Leger-Fernández said she saw no justification for policies that imposed widespread hardship on the Cuban population.

Dexter, a physician, and Ramírez said they would seek legislative amendments in Congress aimed at reducing the humanitarian impact of the sanctions and limiting the executive branch’s ability to take additional unilateral measures affecting Cuba without congressional approval.

The Trump administration and Rubio have argued that economic pressure is intended to weaken Cuba’s communist government, which they accuse of mismanagement and inefficiency. Cuban authorities have consistently condemned the embargo, describing it as collective punishment against the country’s population.

The congressional delegation’s visit marked the second trip by U.S. lawmakers to Cuba in three months, as discussions over the future of U.S.-Cuba relations continue despite the absence of formal bilateral negotiations.

The 146,000-barrel-per-day El Palito refinery, located in central Venezuela, has gradually brought its operational units back online after the earthquakes disrupted electricity supplies and temporarily halted normal processing.

One refinery worker said the fluid catalytic cracker (FCC) had resumed operations after several restart attempts and was currently processing about 35,000 barrels per day as operators worked to increase output.

The FCC is one of the refinery’s most important units because it converts heavier petroleum products into higher-value fuels, including gasoline, making its return a significant step toward restoring domestic fuel production.

Venezuela’s Oil Ministry said over the weekend that fuel supplies remained guaranteed across the country, particularly in regions affected by the earthquakes, including the coastal state of La Guaira.

The ministry did not disclose production or distribution volumes. However, gasoline queues at service stations have remained relatively short, suggesting fuel distribution has continued without major disruptions.

The twin earthquakes did not inflict significant damage on Venezuela’s oil infrastructure, allowing crude oil production and exports to continue uninterrupted, according to the report.

Public utilities have been affected more severely than the energy sector, with electricity and water services remaining the areas hardest hit following the earthquakes.

El Palito is one of Venezuela’s key refining facilities and plays an important role in supplying transportation fuels to the domestic market as the country continues efforts to stabilize operations across its energy sector after the recent natural disasters.

Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said more than 80 percent of those returned were citizens of Malawi. Authorities did not specify how many people were formally deported and how many accepted voluntary repatriation.

The campaign has been supported by several African governments, which dispatched aircraft and buses to transport their nationals home as anti-immigrant sentiment intensified in South Africa, Africa’s most industrialized economy.

Police said they had arrested 350 people on charges including public violence, intimidation and conducting unauthorized immigration checks after civilians attempted to stop suspected migrants and demand proof of their legal status.

Authorities are investigating the deaths of three migrants—two from Mozambique and one from Malawi—during the recent unrest. Nigeria has also said two of its citizens were killed in anti-immigrant protests, although South African authorities have disputed that the deaths were connected to the demonstrations.

Officials said the deportees and repatriated migrants were primarily from Malawi, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, while smaller numbers came from Nigeria, Uganda and Kenya.

President Cyril Ramaphosa last month announced measures to strengthen border security and tighten enforcement of immigration laws, acknowledging growing public concern over migration while warning citizens against taking the law into their own hands.

The measures followed increasing demonstrations by anti-migrant groups, which have alleged, without presenting evidence, that undocumented immigrants are responsible for high unemployment and crime levels in South Africa.

One of the largest protests took place on June 30, when anti-immigrant groups declared an unofficial deadline for undocumented migrants to leave the country. The government rejected the ultimatum but subsequently saw thousands of Malawian nationals gather at a temporary immigration center in Durban seeking assistance to return home.

South African officials said some migrants left voluntarily, while many others were deported after being found to be living in the country without valid documentation.

Authorities also reported that more than 20,000 migrants were processed through a temporary immigration center established in Musina, a town near South Africa’s northern border.

South Africa has long attracted migrants from neighboring countries because of its comparatively stronger economy, but migration has repeatedly fueled xenophobic tensions. Deadly attacks on foreign nationals in 2008 claimed more than 60 lives, and sporadic outbreaks of violence have continued in subsequent years.

Sabina Tadera of the Southern Africa Network for Immigrants and Refugees said many Malawians who sought repatriation held legal status in South Africa but chose to leave because they feared becoming targets of attacks.

“There is a misconception that all people on the move are undocumented,” Tadera told The Associated Press.

The latest crackdown has also strained relations between South Africa and several neighboring countries, whose governments have criticized what they describe as an increasingly hostile climate toward foreign nationals.

Laura Freeman, an independent human rights and migration consultant, said South Africa has historically attracted migrants seeking economic opportunities unavailable in their home countries, but recurring waves of xenophobic violence risk undermining that reputation.