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Beijing, Jul 16 (Prensa Latina) Foreign Minister Wang Yi assured today that China will maintain its support to Iran in safeguarding its national sovereignty and dignity, in resisting the politics of power and intimidation.

China will continue to support the people and government of Iran in defending their legitimate rights and interests through political negotiation, as well as adhering to the principle of good neighborliness and friendship to continuously improve and develop relations with its neighboring countries, the Chinese foreign minister said.

Wang made the remarks during a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, who is in China for the Meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Member States.

As a comprehensive strategic partner, China is willing to work with Iran to deepen mutual trust, strengthen cooperation, expand exchanges and promote the long-term and stable development of bilateral relations, Wang said.

For his part, Araghchi thanked Beijing for its support, while expressing support for China's role as the rotating chairman of the SCO and its preparations for the upcoming summit of the regional bloc.

Iran is willing to strengthen high-level exchanges between the two countries, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and continue to support each other firmly and reciprocally, the visitor said.

Damascus, Jul 16 (Prensa Latina) Israeli fighters bombed today the building that houses the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff in Damascus, the Syrian capital, Prensa Latina reported here.

Five violent raids left the military headquarters located in the emblematic Umayyad Square almost destroyed, while the National Library, the Opera House, the Radio and Television and residential buildings were damaged.

Ambulances rushed to the scene amid initial reports of dozens of military personnel and civilians among the dead and wounded.

Earlier, Israeli warplanes resumed their missile attacks on Syrian army positions in the southern city of Sweida, where violent clashes between Druze militias and government forces have left at least 200 dead and more than 400 wounded since last Sunday.

Israel escalated since last Sunday its air raids against government forces in the provinces of Sweida and Deraa, in the south of the country.

According to the official news agency SANA, several soldiers lost their lives and material damage was caused.

Tel Aviv assured that it would continue its bombardments unless the government forces withdrew from the province of Sweida, inhabited by the Druze minority which Israel claims it wants to protect.

They include disembarkation operations, fast-rope insertion, crane rescue extraction, and maritime communication drills. On Monday, more than 100 special forces from Panama and the United States began training exercises aimed at defending the interoceanic canal and other strategic infrastructure in the Central American country.

Over five days, the “Panamax Alpha 2025 – Phase 1” exercise will involve air, land and sea units, including Panamanian police forces and the U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Task Force-Bravo (JTF-B).

This year’s edition of Panamax Alpha Phase 1 includes 80 Panamanian personnel from the National Aeronaval Service (Senan), the National Border Service (Senafront), and the National Police, along with 47 U.S. military personnel.

“The exercise consists of training and preparing our units in the air, land, and maritime domains for the defense of the Panama Canal… The intention is to combine the capabilities of each institution… and work as one group to address potential threats to the Canal,” said Senan Deputy Commissioner Maicol Palacio.

Phase 1 of Panamax Alpha 2025 includes embarkation and disembarkation operations, fast-rope insertion, crane rescue extraction, and maritime communication drills. The exercise includes the arrival of three helicopters from the U.S. Joint Task Force-Bravo: two UH-60 Black Hawks and one CH-47 Chinook.

Palacio explained that the aim of this first phase is “to train and prepare” Panamanian agents for the second phase of the Panamax exercise, which involves real-time execution and will take place in September.

U.S. Col. Lance Awbrey stated that the exercise is conducted every year with Panama and is “very important for improving the relationship and interoperability” between the two nations’ security forces. “Everything we do is in coordination with the Government of Panama,” he added.

Joint exercises between the U.S. and Panama — which has lacked a standing army since 1990 following the 1989 U.S. invasion — are frequent. This year, however, a memorandum of understanding signed between the U.S. Department of Defense and Panama’s Security Ministry has sparked major controversy. The agreement allows for an increased U.S. military presence in the country on a temporary and rotating basis.

Some Panamanian sectors have labeled the agreement a violation of national sovereignty and of the Neutrality Treaty that governs the Canal. President Jose Raul Mulino has rejected those claims, stating that over the past 30 years more than 20 security cooperation agreements have been signed.

The controversy has intensified because the memorandum was signed around the same time that U.S. President Donald Trump spoke about reclaiming the Panama Canal for the U.S., citing alleged Chinese influence in its administration. The Mulino administration has strongly and repeatedly rejected that claim.

The United States built and operated the Panama Canal for more than 80 years until its transfer to Panamanian control on Dec. 31, 1999, under the terms of the 1977 Torrijos-Carter Treaties.

The 82-kilometer waterway, which links the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, is governed by the Neutrality Treaty in effect since 1979, which guarantees full Panamanian sovereignty over the Canal.

The militant group Al Shabaab has captured the town of Tardo in Somalia’s central Hiiraan region, dislodging government-allied Macwiisleey clan fighters and triggering the displacement of over 12,500 families, according to Somali military officials and local leaders.

Major Mohamed Abdullahi of the Somali National Army described Tardo as a “strategic junction linking several bigger towns,” warning that the insurgents are now advancing toward other key areas.

The fall of Tardo follows Al Shabaab’s recent capture of Moqokori, another vital town in the region. Both had served as logistics hubs for Somali forces and clan militias, playing a crucial role in defending nearby population centers.

Local elder Ali Hussein and clan fighter Ahmed Moallim confirmed the takeover, noting that control of the crossroads could facilitate Al Shabaab’s push toward larger towns such as Mahas, which has remained outside militant control for over a decade.

Somali forces and Macwiisleey fighters are reportedly mobilizing for a counter-offensive, with 100 soldiers deployed as reinforcements. However, no official response has been issued by the federal government or the Hiiraan regional administration.

Al Shabaab, which has waged an insurgency since 2007, seeks to overthrow Somalia’s internationally backed government and impose its strict interpretation of sharia law. Despite recent setbacks, including the loss of villages near Mogadishu, the group continues to demonstrate its ability to mount large-scale maneuvers.

Photos released by Al Shabaab show fighters inside Tardo and their black flag raised over key buildings, underscoring the symbolic and tactical significance of the capture.

The humanitarian impact is severe. Thousands of displaced families are now seeking refuge in surrounding areas, with aid agencies warning of limited access to food, water, and medical care.

Security analysts caution that the fall of Tardo may signal a renewed offensive aimed at destabilizing central Somalia and threatening supply routes to the capital.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu following explosive allegations of corruption and interference in criminal investigations, triggering a political storm and renewed scrutiny of the country’s law enforcement institutions.

The allegations were made by Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, KwaZulu-Natal’s Provincial Police Commissioner, who accused Mchunu and Deputy Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya of colluding with criminal syndicates and dismantling a task force investigating politically motivated killings.

In a televised address, Ramaphosa stated that Mchunu would be placed on immediate leave of absence to allow a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to operate without obstruction. “The allegations call for an urgent and comprehensive investigation,” he said, warning that failure to act could undermine public trust in the justice system.

The commission, chaired by Acting Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, will investigate whether senior officials aided criminal activity, ignored intelligence warnings, or benefited politically or financially from syndicate operations.

Ramaphosa appointed Professor Firoz Cachalia, a law scholar and former Gauteng safety official, as acting Minister of Police, a move that drew mixed reactions. While some praised the appointment as a stabilizing measure, others questioned its legality and criticized the president for not removing Mchunu outright.

Opposition parties, including the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Democratic Alliance (DA), slammed the decision as insufficient. “This so-called ‘special leave’ is a cowardly deflection,” said EFF spokesperson Sinawo Thambo, accusing Ramaphosa of shielding a compromised minister.

Mkhwanazi’s allegations include digital evidence such as WhatsApp messages and claims that over 100 case files were removed from the disbanded unit, effectively stalling investigations into high-profile killings.

Mchunu, a senior figure in the African National Congress (ANC), denied the accusations, calling them “baseless insinuations” and pledging full cooperation with the inquiry. Analysts say the scandal could derail his rumored bid for ANC leadership in 2027.

The controversy has reignited concerns over state capture, a term used to describe systemic corruption during the Zuma era. Civil society groups warn that criminal infiltration of law enforcement remains a threat to national stability.

The inquiry is expected to deliver a preliminary report within three months and a final report within six, with powers to summon witnesses and recommend prosecutions.

The Executive Director of UNICEF, Catherine Russell, has denounced the “unconscionable killing” of children in Gaza, following the deaths of seven minors in an Israeli airstrike on a water distribution center in Deir al-Balah. The attack occurred while families were waiting for vital humanitarian aid, marking the second such incident in less than a week.

On July 10, another Israeli strike killed 15 Palestinians, including nine children and four women, as they queued for food supplies distributed by Project Hope, a UNICEF partner. At least 30 others were injured, 19 of them children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Among the victims was Mohammed, a one-year-old boy whose mother, Donia, was critically wounded and found clutching his tiny shoe. Another survivor, Reema, age 10, witnessed the deaths of multiple children during a separate attack on a nutrition center in the same city.

Russell called the incidents a “cruel reality” for Gaza’s families, emphasizing that no parent should have to face such tragedy. She urged Israel to review its rules of engagement and conduct a thorough, independent investigation, citing violations of international humanitarian law.

The humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels. UNICEF reports that over 5,800 children were diagnosed with malnutrition in June alone, including more than 1,000 with severe acute malnutrition—a figure that has risen for four consecutive months.

The agency warns that 71,000 children and 17,000 mothers will require urgent treatment for acute malnutrition in the coming months. UNICEF’s stocks for preventing malnutrition have run out, and supplies for therapeutic treatment are critically low.

Fuel shortages have further crippled aid delivery, with hospitals, water systems, and bakeries on the brink of collapse. UN agencies warn that without consistent fuel access, lifesaving operations will cease, exposing 2.1 million people to deadly disease outbreaks and starvation.

UNICEF and WFP have called for an immediate ceasefire, the unimpeded entry of humanitarian aid, and the protection of civilians, especially children. “Hunger and acute malnutrition are a daily reality for children across the Gaza Strip,” Russell stated. “We have repeatedly warned of this trajectory and call again on all parties to prevent a catastrophe”.

President Sheinbaum has also repeatedly called for stopping the illegal flow of U.S. weapons into Mexican territory. On Monday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said the U.S. government must take responsibility in the fight against drug trafficking in the same way Mexico has fulfilled its part.

She emphasized that her administration has repeatedly called for stopping the illegal flow of weapons from U.S. territory into Mexico, as well as for the arrest of individuals involved in drug trafficking in the neighboring country.

Her statements came after U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened to impose new tariffs on Mexican products. As in previous instances, the Republican leader justified his threat by claiming Mexico’s efforts to curb drug trafficking were insufficient.

Sheinbaum noted that Trump has issued pressure-laden messages not only toward Mexico but also toward other countries. She also mentioned that after their meeting at the G-7 summit, it was agreed to establish a bilateral working group to address these issues.

That meeting included key officials from the U.S. cabinets of security, trade, and energy, along with Mexican representatives from the foreign affairs and security sectors, led by Foreign Affairs Minister Marcelo Ebrard.

During the G7 summit, the Mexican delegation was formally notified of a letter regarding the imposition of tariffs. The two countries also outlined work and negotiation pathways that will continue through Aug. 1, a deadline by which both nations hope to reach agreements to avoid the tariffs.

Sheinbaum reiterated her confidence that an understanding will be reached. However, she warned that Mexico will take the necessary steps to protect its interests if an agreement is not achieved.

On security matters, she stressed that results are beginning to show and clarified that the agreements made do not, under any circumstances, include the presence of foreign troops on Mexican territory.

The U.S. president made the announcement at the start of a meeting with NATO Secretary Rutte. On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Russian President Vladimir Putin with indirect tariffs of about 100% on his country if a peace agreement in Ukraine is not reached within 50 days.

The Republican politician made the remarks at the start of a meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte in the White House’s Oval Office in Washington, D.C. “One of the reasons you’re here today is because I’m very unhappy with Russia,” Trump said, expressing growing frustration in recent weeks over Putin’s refusal to halt airstrikes on Ukraine. “We’re going to impose very severe tariffs if we don’t reach a deal in 50 days. Tariffs of approximately 100%, what we would call secondary tariffs,” the U.S. president said.

Secondary tariffs are duties imposed on third-party countries or entities that trade with a sanctioned nation. Trump’s remarks signal a shift in tone toward Putin. When he took office on Jan. 20, he had initially sought to engage with the Russian president in hopes of brokering a deal to end the war in Ukraine.

When Trump announced a wide-ranging package of global sanctions in April, he excluded Russia, arguing that the country was already subject to significant financial penalties. A turning point came on July 3, during a phone call between the two leaders, when Putin informed Trump that he would not abandon his objectives in Ukraine — a move that reportedly enraged the U.S. president.

In recent weeks, Trump has repeatedly threatened to impose new sanctions on Russia if no progress is made toward a peace agreement, but until now, he had not specified a tariff figure.