The Palestinian group Hamas said yesterday it would not take part in a new round of Gaza ceasefire talks slated for today in Qatar, dimming hopes for a negotiated truce that Iranian sources say could hold back an Iranian attack on Israel.`

Real estate tycoon Srettha becomes the fourth Thai premier in 16 years to be removed by verdicts by the same court, after it ruled he violated the constitution by appointing a minister who did not meet ethical standards.

The claims were "propaganda... with the aim of disrupting the country's peace and stability," the junta said in a statement, accusing those sharing the news of being "traitors".

Belgorod borders Ukraine's Kharkiv region and neighbours Kursk, where Ukraine has launched a surprise offensive in the most significant cross-border attack on Russian soil since World War II.

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which has governed Japan almost uninterrupted since 1945, is due to hold an internal leadership contest next month. Its popularity ratings have slumped because of rising prices.

The sale comes as Biden has pressed Israel and Hamas to reach a ceasefire after 10 months of bloodshed, although the weapons would take years to reach Israel

One of the sources, a senior Iranian security official, said Iran, along with allies such as Hezbollah, would launch a direct attack if the Gaza talks fail or it perceives Israel is dragging out negotiations.

Data from Nasa’s Mars InSight lander shows evidence of liquid water far below the surface of the fourth planet, advancing the search for life there and showing what might have happened to Mars’ ancient oceans.

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi will visit Myanmar and Thailand from August 14 to 17, Beijing’s foreign ministry said yesterday.

Two ships yesterday reported nearby explosions off the coast of Yemen, maritime security agencies said, though neither event resulted in damage or injuries.

The United Nations said yesterday their human rights offices in Sanaa had been stormed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, with the UN’s rights chief demanding they leave immediately and return all seized assets.

Russian forces yesterday struck back at Ukrainian troops with missiles, drones and airstrikes in actions that one senior commander said had halted Ukraine’s advance after the biggest attack on sovereign Russian territory since the war began.

The ancient trade route over the Himalayan passes of Hunderman once brought communities together, but the rugged peaks are now used as fortifications by nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan.

Russian President Vladimir Putin yesterday told Palestinian Authority President Mahmud Abbas that Moscow was “concerned” about civilian deaths in Gaza.

The African Union’s health watchdog yesterday declared a public health emergency over the growing mpox outbreak on the continent.

In Gaza, the sky is full of menace. As well as the missiles that rain down on schools and shelters, the brutal rays of the sun have made the summer unbearable for those struggling to survive in a ravaged landscape of ruins and rubble.

Crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by the Myanmar military have “escalated at an alarming rate”, UN investigators warned yesterday, citing systematic torture, gang rape and abuses against children.

Taliban authorities yesterday accused Pakistani forces of killing three civilians -- a woman and two children -- in clashes along their northern border.

Iran yesterday rejected Western calls to stand down its threat to retaliate against Israel for the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran late last month.

Now the stifling heat is denying him the rest he needs to recover his strength. He sweats all the time and this is irritating his leg and making it swell.