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The manager of a care home in Sri Lanka was arrested on Thursday, a day after a fire at the facility killed at least 12 residents and left six others injured, officials said. The arrest came after forensic experts searched the burnt building and found seven more bodies, raising the death toll to 12. The fire broke out at the Maupiya Sewana Elders Home on Wednesday. An AFP photographer saw the manager, wearing handcuffs, being taken to the site as police questioned survivors and local residents. The facility housed elderly people as well as some young residents with mental health conditions. Police said the youngest victim was a 17-year-old boy. According to police spokesman Fredrick Wootler, 51 residents and staff members who were rescued from the fire have been moved to a nearby government-run facility. Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine the cause of the fire. Source: NDTV

Britain's competition regulator has ordered Google to give news publishers and website owners the option to stop their online content from being used for the company's AI-powered search features and other artificial intelligence services. The UK's competition watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), announced the move on Wednesday, describing it as a world-first measure aimed at giving publishers greater control over how their content is used by AI systems. The decision is part of broader efforts to reduce Google's dominance in the UK's online search market. Under the new rules, Google must provide effective tools that allow publishers to prevent their content from being used in generative AI services, including AI-powered search features such as AI Overviews and AI Mode. Google will also be required to clearly identify and link to publisher content used in AI-generated search results. In addition, publishers will be able to opt out of having their content used to train or improve Google's AI models. According to the CMA, the new measures will strengthen publishers' position when negotiating content agreements with Google. The rules apply to anyone who publishes content online that is accessible to users in Britain. The regulator had previously proposed the changes after designating Google as a strategic player in online search advertising under new digital competition laws. The CMA has also found that some news publishers experienced a decline in website traffic following the launch of Google's AI Overviews, as users increasingly obtained information directly from AI-generated summaries rather than clicking through to original articles. The new requirements will also cover major AI-related search updates unveiled by Google in May. Google said it is working with regulators, including the CMA, to ensure website owners have the tools they need as search habits continue to evolve. The company said it has begun testing a new feature that allows website owners to control how their content and links appear in AI-powered search results. CMA Chief Executive Sarah Cardell said the measures would promote fair treatment, greater transparency and more meaningful choices for businesses and consumers, while helping millions of users better understand and trust the information shown in search results.

North Korea has revealed a new facility believed to be used for producing nuclear bomb fuel, with leader Kim Jong Un announcing plans to expand the country’s nuclear capabilities “at an exponential rate.” The development signals Pyongyang’s continued push to strengthen its nuclear programme, despite ongoing international sanctions and calls for denuclearisation. According to North Korea’s state media Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), Kim visited the site on Wednesday and reviewed what officials described as an “ambitious future plan” to significantly boost nuclear forces. Experts believe the newly disclosed site is a uranium enrichment plant, although its exact location was not revealed. South Korea’s military also assessed it as such and said it is working closely with the United States to monitor North Korean nuclear activity. KCNA released images showing Kim walking through what appeared to be a centrifuge hall lined with metal pipes and equipment. Another photo showed him in a meeting room with officials, with a blurred diagram of a cone-shaped object placed on a table. This is the third time North Korea has publicly shown a uranium enrichment facility, after similar disclosures in 2010 and 2024. Analysts say the country is believed to operate multiple such sites, including at its Yongbyon nuclear complex. During the visit, Kim said rising tensions with what he called “the most ferocious enemies,” widely understood as the United States and South Korea, have made it necessary to expand nuclear deterrence both in scale and capability. He also claimed that North Korea’s production of nuclear materials has more than doubled in the past five years, a statement that cannot be independently verified. Pyongyang has long insisted it must be recognised as a nuclear weapons state and has shown little interest in returning to denuclearisation talks unless sanctions are lifted. The United States has repeatedly called for dialogue, with President Donald Trump expressing willingness to restart negotiations. However, North Korea has demanded recognition of its nuclear status as a precondition for talks. Since the collapse of nuclear diplomacy in 2019, Kim has overseen a series of weapons tests while pledging to rapidly expand the country’s arsenal. Experts estimate North Korea may now possess more than 100 nuclear warheads, though exact figures remain uncertain. Questions also remain over whether the country has fully mastered the technology needed for long-range nuclear missiles, including warhead re-entry and multiple warhead deployment systems. North Korea last conducted a nuclear test in September 2017.

The US House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a war powers resolution aimed at halting US military operations against Iran, marking a rare bipartisan rebuke of President Donald Trump as several Republicans joined Democrats in the vote. The measure passed by a narrow 215-208 margin and reflects growing political opposition in Congress to the ongoing conflict, which has reshaped domestic and international politics over the past three months. House Speaker Mike Johnson had previously attempted to block the measure, briefly halting floor proceedings two weeks ago when it was close to passing. However, support for the resolution increased amid rising dissatisfaction with the prolonged conflict. Democratic Representative Gregory Meeks of New York, the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, led the push for the resolution. “Enough is enough,” Meeks said, adding, “It is time for the president to do the right thing. The people are tired of suffering because of his war of choice — suffering at the gas pump, suffering at the supermarkets.” Although the resolution passed the House, its future remains uncertain. President Trump is expected to reject any congressional effort that limits his authority as commander-in-chief. Nonetheless, the vote was seen as a significant political setback, drawing applause in the chamber. Opposition to the conflict has been gradually increasing, with this marking the fourth attempt by the House to limit US military involvement in Iran. The Senate also advanced a similar measure last month, with some Republican senators breaking ranks with the administration. The conflict began after US forces joined Israel in launching strikes on Iran on February 28. Since then, tensions have persisted, with intermittent military exchanges continuing despite a declared ceasefire in April that remains fragile. House Speaker Johnson said he had recently met President Trump and that the administration is focused on restoring stability in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global shipping route disrupted by the conflict. He added that reopening the waterway is a priority due to its importance for global energy supplies. The prolonged conflict has contributed to rising fuel prices and broader inflationary pressures in the United States, according to lawmakers. Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned lawmakers that restricting presidential authority could weaken diplomatic leverage, arguing that Iran might interpret congressional action as a sign that Washington’s response options are limited. While the House also advanced other foreign policy-related measures, including support for Ukraine and a potential resolution concerning Lebanon, none have yet been finalised. Under the US Constitution, Congress holds the authority to declare war, while the president serves as commander-in-chief, creating ongoing legal and political tensions over war powers. The White House has argued that a declared ceasefire means active hostilities have ended, complicating the applicability of the War Powers Act timeline.

Hezbollah is likely to demand firm guarantees that Israeli forces will withdraw from southern Lebanon before committing to any ceasefire arrangement, according to a regional expert. Randa Slim, Middle East programme director at the Stimson Center, said previous ceasefire agreements between Israel and Lebanon have not been fully implemented. “Even the last one that has been mediated by Mr Trump himself has not been implemented,” Slim told Al Jazeera. She said Israel has continued to insist on maintaining operational freedom in southern Lebanon. “Israel has demanded and insisted on having the freedom of manoeuvring in the south of Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah assets, targeting Hezbollah officials,” she said. According to Slim, Hezbollah is expected to seek assurances that Israel will honour any withdrawal commitments under a future ceasefire agreement. “Hezbollah… in response to this ceasefire announcement, will say: What’s going to be the guarantee if we leave the south, that Israel will withdraw from the south of Lebanon? “What’s the guarantee that they will respect the sovereignty of Lebanon and not attack us in the southern suburbs of Beirut or somewhere else?” she said. Her comments come amid ongoing discussions over efforts to reinforce a ceasefire arrangement between Israel and Lebanon. #From Al Jazeera

A statement issued by the US State Department said Israel and Lebanon have agreed to implement a ceasefire following US-led negotiations. According to the statement, the ceasefire depends on the complete halt of Hezbollah attacks and the withdrawal of all Hezbollah fighters from areas south of the Litani River. However, the agreement does not establish a new ceasefire. Rather, it reaffirms adherence to an existing truce that was extended in May for an additional 45 days after an earlier ceasefire arrangement. One of the key outcomes of the talks is the creation of pilot zones in southern Lebanon, where the Lebanese Armed Forces would take sole responsibility for security and prevent the presence of any non-state armed groups. US diplomats had expressed optimism ahead of the latest round of negotiations. Earlier on Wednesday, a State Department official indicated that while the discussions began slowly, significant progress was made over the course of the day. Throughout the process, US officials have stressed that the continuation of dialogue itself represents an important achievement, regardless of the pace of progress. #From Al Jazeera

Portugal and Austria defeated Germany for seats on the powerful but deeply divided U.N. Security Council on Wednesday in a hotly contested race after intense campaigning. The 10 rotating seats on the 15-member Security Council are earmarked for different regions of the world. The assembly elects five countries by secret ballot every year to serve two-year terms alongside the council’s five permanent veto-wielding members — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France. In the other contested race, after four rounds of voting in the 193-member General Assembly, Kyrgyzstan defeated the Philippines by a vote of 143-49 and will join the council for the first time. Zimbabwe, the African candidate, and Caribbean candidate Trinidad and Tobago had no opponents and both were elected with more than 180 votes. In the race for the two seats for the group of mainly Western nations, Portugal received 134 votes and Austria 131 votes, while Germany, Europe’s economic powerhouse which had served six previous terms on the council, received 104 votes. Austria’s foreign ministry said its election capped a 15-year campaign and is a “strong international sign of confidence” in the country. Kyrgyzstan’s Foreign Minister Jeenbek Kulubayev told reporters “we understand now is a turbulent time” and said Kyrgyzstan will work together with other council members. The five new members will take up their seats on Jan. 1. They will replace Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia. The Security Council is mandated under the U.N. Charter with ensuring international peace and security, but it has failed in the three major current conflicts because of the veto power of Russia on Ukraine and of the United States, Israel’s closest ally, often on Gaza and on Iran. There have been decades of efforts to reform the Security Council to reflect the geopolitical realities of the current world, not of the post-World War II era 80 years ago, when the United Nations was established. But they have all failed, though a new attempt is underway.

US President Donald Trump has confirmed that he described Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “crazy” during a phone conversation earlier this week, expressing frustration that Israel’s military operations against Hezbollah in Lebanon were complicating ongoing efforts to reach a peace agreement with Iran. In an interview released Wednesday on The New York Post’s “Pod Force One,” Trump acknowledged tensions with Netanyahu but emphasized that their relationship remains strong. “We’ve worked very well together. I like Bibi a lot. And I work very well with him,” Trump said, referring to the Israeli leader by his nickname. Trump said he was “a little bit perturbed” by Israel’s actions in Lebanon, which he believes have hindered diplomatic progress with Tehran. The remarks come as the US administration faces increasing pressure to end the regional conflict amid concerns over rising energy prices, economic uncertainty and their potential political impact ahead of midterm elections. Despite the challenges, Trump said negotiations involving Iran were continuing, although he declined to provide a clear timeline for a resolution. He noted that the strategically important Strait of Hormuz could remain closed through the US Labor Day holiday on Sept. 7 but expressed confidence that the situation would likely be resolved sooner. “I think this will resolve itself fairly quickly,” Trump said. The US president also said Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is playing a role in ongoing peace discussions despite reportedly suffering injuries in an earlier airstrike. According to Trump, Iranian officials continue to seek Khamenei’s approval on key decisions. Meanwhile, tensions remained high in Lebanon. An Israeli strike hit a vehicle on a busy highway south of Beirut on Wednesday, just hours before a second round of Lebanon-Israel talks in Washington. It was not immediately clear whether the targeted individual was killed. The strike came days after Lebanon and Israel reached a US-mediated understanding under which Israel agreed not to target Beirut’s southern suburbs and Hezbollah pledged to halt attacks on northern Israel. The arrangement was reached shortly after Israel had announced plans for major strikes near the Lebanese capital. The US State Department said progress had been made during the first day of talks on Tuesday. Lebanon is seeking a broader nationwide ceasefire, while Israel is demanding the immediate disarmament of Hezbollah before ending military operations and withdrawing troops from several Lebanese towns and villages. Shortly after Wednesday’s strike, the Israeli military reported intercepting what it described as a hostile aircraft originating from southern Lebanon, though it did not directly blame Hezbollah. The group has not claimed responsibility for any cross-border attacks since the recent agreement was reached.

Somali security forces, backed by international partners, have killed 29 al-Shabaab militants including a senior commander during a joint operation in the Middle Shabelle and Hiran regions of central Somalia, officials said. The National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) confirmed in a statement issued on Tuesday that the allied forces had launched two separate, coordinated raids after intelligence reports revealed that dozens of group members were gathering to organize terrorist activities across the region. "The forces killed 23 al-Shabaab militants near Masjid Ali Gudud in Middle Shabelle in the first operation, and they later killed five and a commander at Buq Aqable in the Hiran region," NISA said.

A senior Iranian official has warned that Tehran will not allow the United States to “overreach” in ongoing negotiations or in any ceasefire process, while vowing a strong response to any future attacks. Mohsen Rezaee, a member of Iran’s Expediency Discernment Council and former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), said any aggression against Iran would be met with a forceful military response. “The response to every shot and aggression will be a barrage of missiles and drones,” Rezaee wrote in a post on X. “History will not turn back, and the aggressor will be swiftly punished.” Rezaee also stressed that Iran would not permit Washington to exert excessive influence in either diplomatic negotiations or efforts related to a ceasefire. “Neither in negotiations nor in the ceasefire process will we allow America to overreach,” he added. The remarks come amid heightened regional tensions and continuing diplomatic efforts involving Iran, the United States and other regional actors. Rezaee’s comments reflect Tehran’s firm stance on safeguarding its interests while warning against any perceived external pressure or military escalation. Source: Al Jazeera