“As of 19:00 today, we have provided assistance to more than 4,300 injured people. Most of them suffered minor injuries, but there are also patients in moderate to severe condition, many required surgery,” Alvarado said on state television channel VTV.

He said some 235 people were admitted to hospitals “already lifeless or died immediately after arrival at medical facilities.”

The minister said the most critical situation remains in the state of La Guaira, where the highest number of deaths and injuries has been recorded.

Alvarado said that immediately after the earthquake, the state emergency response mechanism was activated nationwide, and more than 5,000 medical workers, including over 1,200 doctors, were deployed to provide assistance in the hardest-hit areas.

He said that not only state but also private clinics have joined the effort. More than 150 patients are being treated in private medical facilities, and many injured people with minor injuries have already been discharged.

Two powerful earthquakes measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude struck Venezuela on Wednesday. They were followed by 30 aftershocks. Many homes were destroyed, infrastructure and hospitals were damaged, and the country’s main airport was closed.

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences over the tragic consequences of the devastating earthquake. Moscow voiced its readiness to assist Caracas.

“We expect a complete Ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, Hezbollah, and Israel,”

Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social on Thursday.

“The United States is committed to PEACE, and we encourage everyone in the Middle East Region to maintain their commitment to allowing our negotiations to beautifully unfold,” he added.

Trump signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Wednesday with Iran in France, launching a 60-day negotiation period beginning Thursday aimed at reaching a final agreement,

according to Xinhua.

The MoU calls for “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon.”

However, Israel has said it does not intend to withdraw its forces from Lebanon.

“We have said from the very beginning that enriched materials will not be taken from the country. One option is down-blending within Iran. This is not a new option,” he said on Iranian television.

The diplomat made this statement after the announcement of the signing of a memorandum with the United States on ending the conflict, which is expected to be followed by negotiations on the Iranian nuclear programme and sanctions against Iran.

The United States will withdraw troops from areas adjacent to Iran within 30 days of the final agreement, and will not deploy additional forces until then, Iranian news agency IRNA reported, citing the text of the memorandum.

“The United States also undertakes to withdraw troops from areas adjacent to Iran within 30 days of the signing of the final agreement,” the fourth paragraph of the memorandum read.

At the same time, according to the ninth paragraph, the United States will not send additional forces to the region after the signing of the memorandum, the document added.

Agencies Evian-Les-Bains (France): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday emphasised that keeping the Strait of Hormuz open is very important for global economy. During his bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of G7 Summit in Evian, Prime Minister Modi stressed on ensuring freedom of navigation. Mr Modi added that for maritime trade, lakhs of Indian seafarers are providing their services in different regions of the world.
Highlighting seafarers’ contribution, PM Modi said their safety is of paramount importance.He also commended President Trump for the progress in peace efforts in West Asia. Mr Modi hoped that lasting peace will return to the region. He expressed happiness that the trade talks between India and US are progressing smoothly.
Earlier, on the margins of the meeting in Evian, Prime Minister Modi and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz today exchanged views on regional and global developments, including the situation in West Asia and the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The two leaders also reviewed the progress in bilateral engagements and expressed satisfaction at the renewed momentum in the India-Germany Strategic Partnership, with the successful visit of Mr Merz to India and the conclusion of the India-EU FTA negotiations earlier this year.
As India and Germany celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties in 2026, the two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen cooperation across diverse sectors, including trade and investment, defence and security, green and sustainable development, technology, innovation, education and mobility.
They welcomed the signing of the Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap and the operationalisation of a transit visa waiver for Indian nationals transiting through Germany. Mr Merz invited the Prime Minister for the 8th India-Germany Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) scheduled to be held later this year in Germany.
Prime Minister Modi also held a meeting with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council António Costa on the sidelines of the Summit. The leaders exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest and welcomed recent developments in West Asia.
They reaffirmed their shared commitment to promoting a resilient multipolar global order that supports peace, stability, prosperity and sustainable development. The leaders noted the recent conclusion of negotiations on the India-European Union Free Trade Agreement, describing it as a historic achievement.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi also addressed a crucial working session themed “Promoting balanced, inclusive and sustainable economic growth for the benefit of all” at the ongoing G7 Summit in Evian, France. In his address, the Prime Minister underscored the need for international financial institutions to develop mechanisms that impart economic resilience to developing countries.
He also proposed connectivity projects linking Africa, Latin America and the Pacific Island countries. He also suggested the creation of International Mobilization Partnership for Accelerating Connectivity and Trade (IMPACT), in which G7’s capital, India’s talent and Global South’s ownership could be combined. During the session Mr Modi also highlighted that tangible growth leads to inclusion and well-being of the people and spoke about India’s growth story underpinned by “Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas”.
The high-level session was attended by G7 member nations, partner countries, and key representatives from the International Monetary Fund and the OECD. PM Modi also participated in a working lunch focused on “Ensuring the safe, rapid and effective deployment of artificial intelligence. The meeting brought together G7 member countries, partner nations, and the CEOs of leading AI companies to discuss the future of digital innovation.

“Iran has agreed to never have a Nuclear Weapon! Also, the story that the U.S. is paying Iran 300 million Dollars is Fake News, put out by the Dumocrats!!!” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.

His remarks came just hours after Vice President JD Vance suggested that Iran “could have access” to a $300 billion reconstruction fund if it complies with the terms of a deal, with funding expected to come from Gulf nations.

“That’s the sort of thing they could have access to, funded by the Gulf Coast coalition, so long as they honor their end of the obligation,” Vance said in an interview with CBS.

Vance was likely referring to the Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Moreover, CNN quoted US official’s earlier briefing to reporters, saying, “We discussed the possibility of releasing frozen funds, sanctions relief, you know, a big $300 billion fund to rebuild their country, and all of these things are going to be tied to performance.”

“And what will be discussed with them is, you’ll see in the MOU, we discussed the possibility of releasing frozen funds, sanctions relief, you know, a big $300 billion fund to rebuild their country,” a senior US official said.

The New York Times earlier reported that a draft agreement included a potential $300 billion reconstruction investment fund for Iran, citing Iranian and diplomatic sources.

However, senior U.S. officials clarified that the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed digitally over the weekend is only an initial step, with detailed technical negotiations expected to begin later in the week and led by Vance.

Before the MOU was signed over the weekend, the vice president said Tehran would not be “receiving any cash” under the agreement with the U.S.

“First, the Iranians are not receiving any cash, and no funds are being released for simply signing a deal or attending a meeting,” Vance wrote on X. “The deal is structured to ensure that the US and its allies concerns are prioritized, and that if the Islamic Republic of Iran meets its obligations, then economic benefits will flow to them and to the entire region.”

“The Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all!” Trump said on TruthSocial.

Following the announcement of the Iran deal, Trump announced that he was authorising the lifting of the US naval blockade.

“I hereby fully authorise the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorise the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade. Ships of the World, start your engines. Let the oil flow!” Trump said on the social media platform.

Earlier, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that a deal between the US and Iran had been reached. Both the countries had agreed to an immediate and permanent ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon. The deal between the US and Iran would be signed on June 19 in Switzerland.

“Following intensive talks, we are pleased to announce that the Peace Deal between the United States of America and Islamic Republic of Iran has been REACHED,” Sharif said on X.

“Both sides have declared the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon. The official signing ceremony will be on Friday, 19 June in Switzerland,” he added.

‎Speaking at the inauguration of the Bharat Innovates 2026 event in Nice, Macron highlighted India’s demographic strength, engineering talent and technological achievements, while positioning France as Europe’s leading innovation hub and a natural partner for India’s growth ambitions. ‎”You have the demographic dividend,” Macron said, referring to India’s population of 1.4 billion and its vast pool of skilled professionals.

‎”A country that trains as many engineers as Europe and the United States combined — more than one million every year — is spearheading global innovation,” he said, adding that India’s advances in research and frontier technologies were helping drive innovation worldwide. ‎Pointing to India’s achievements in the space sector, Macron cited the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission as a testament to the country’s technological capabilities.

‎”The Chandrayaan-3 mission and the first-ever landing near the Moon’s south pole demonstrated India’s strength in innovation, its capacity for implementation and its industrial capabilities,” he said. ‎Emphasising the changing global perception of India, Macron said the country had emerged as a major technological force. ‎”India is not only a country promising talent and delivering it. It is not only a country full of contractors. Absolutely not. It is a country of innovation and a country of technologies,” he said. ‎

Macron was addressing the Bharat Innovates event, which he jointly inaugurated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as part of efforts to deepen cooperation between India and France in innovation, research and emerging technologies.

‎”We respect the Make in India initiative. France has been part of it in diverse sectors,” Macron said. ‎”India is a country of innovation. India and France have a true partnership in critical sectors such as artificial intelligence and climate change,” he added. ‎

The French President also identified civil nuclear energy as an area with significant potential for future collaboration. ‎”There is scope to expand bilateral cooperation in the civil nuclear energy sector, including in the area of Small Modular Reactors,” he said. ‎

Bharat Innovates 2026 is a flagship initiative aimed at showcasing India’s deep-tech startups, research ventures and innovation ecosystem on the global stage while fostering partnerships with international investors and technology leaders. ‎Using the occasion to promote France’s innovation credentials, Macron described his country as Europe’s most attractive destination for investment for seven consecutive years.

‎”We have shown this recently with Choose France, with 93 billion euros of investment confirmed. For seven years, France has been the most attractive country in Europe,” he said. ‎Highlighting France’s strengths in artificial intelligence, aerospace, quantum technologies and clean energy, Macron stressed that the global race for AI leadership would be determined by access to computing power, talent and reliable energy supplies. ‎”The AI race is a race for computing capacity, talent and energy,” he said. ‎

Macron noted that France’s largely decarbonised energy mix provides a major advantage in supporting the expansion of data centres and advanced AI infrastructure. ‎”France is the only country in Europe with a large language model ecosystem capable of competing with China and the United States through Mistral AI,” he said. ‎

Calling for deeper collaboration between the two countries, Macron said Bharat Innovates would serve as an important bridge between India’s innovation ecosystem and France’s technology and investment landscape. ‎”This meeting is particularly meaningful today. It brings together India’s innovation capacities through Bharat Innovates and France’s innovation ecosystem through Choose France and France 2030,” he said. ‎

Macron also announced that he would join Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the VivaTech technology conference in the coming days, underscoring the growing strategic importance of India-France cooperation in technology, innovation and investment. ‎His remarks reflected the expanding partnership between New Delhi and Paris, which has increasingly focused on emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, clean energy, space cooperation and industrial innovation as both countries seek to strengthen technological sovereignty and drive sustainable economic growth.UNI

“Final negotiations on ‘Peace’ are proceeding, subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The blockade will remain in place, and in full force and effect, until a ‘Final Deal’ is reached. Things should move quickly.”

Trump has been signaling for weeks that a preliminary agreement to end the conflict is close, but a deal has yet to materialize.

Trump’s statement comes after Iran and Israel indicated a willingness to halt strikes against each other.

According to The Times of Israel, a regional official said the United States had informed Iran that there would be no further Israeli attacks if Tehran halted its missile strikes. The report added that Israel had agreed, for now, to suspend attacks.

An Israeli official told Hebrew media outlets that the decision was made at Trump’s request, while stressing that Israel would continue operations against Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

“The sense is that this round of fighting is behind us. We are awaiting a final decision from the political leadership,” the official said.

Israel’s Channel 12 reported, citing a senior Israeli official, that Israel was suspending attacks on Iran at Trump’s request. The report added that Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon would continue if Hezbollah attacks Israel.

There have also been reports in both Israeli and US media of a phone call between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, although details of the conversation have not been made public.

Iran said it had suspended military operations against Israel but warned that it would resume them if attacks continued, including in southern Lebanon, where Israel is carrying out ongoing operations.

“The powerful Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in support of the oppressed people of Lebanon, delivered a painful response to this regime (Israel),” Iran’s military said in a statement cited by Tasnim news agency.

“Should the aggressions and hostile acts continue – including in southern Lebanon – far more severe and crushing measures than before will be forthcoming,” it said.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office said in a message to government ministers on Monday that Israel “will not accept the regime in Tehran’s attempt to create a new equation,” whereby strikes on targets in a Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut “are met with Iranian attacks on population centers in Israel,” an Israeli official told CNN earlier.

“We will continue to operate throughout Lebanon, as required, to remove the Hezbollah terror threat to our citizens,” the statement said.

Reports are emerging that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is likely to convene the security cabinet to discuss escalating tensions between Israel and Iran.

Israel Defense Forces stated that Iran fired nearly 30 ballistic missiles at Israel, while two missiles were also launched by the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.

Trump earlier called on both sides to agree to a ceasefire and “immediately stop shooting” in a post on Truth Social.

The IDF said it had completed a large-scale strike on “strategic defence systems” in Iran, while Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps claimed it had targeted two Israeli air bases, according to Iranian media reports.

The Indian Embassy in Kuwait confirmed the death and said it was coordinating with local authorities to support the victim’s family.

According to Kuwait’s Health Ministry, at least 63 people were injured, including airport staff and passengers. Kuwaiti authorities reported damage to airport infrastructure and nearby diplomatic facilities during the attack. One person was killed, while several others sustained injuries.

Moreover, flight operations at Kuwait International Airport were temporarily suspended following the incident.

Kuwait’s health ministry also informed that seven people require emergency surgeries.

Terminal 1 of the airport sustained severe damage, forcing a suspension of all flight operations before services resumed from Terminal 4 after safety assessments were completed, as per the Kuwaiti News Agency KUNA.

The Kuwaiti military said it intercepted 13 ballistic missiles and 17 drones since dawn, though debris fell across several residential areas.

The attacks drew swift condemnation from across the region. Saudi Arabia strongly condemned Iranian attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait on Wednesday as a “clear violation” of international law.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry expressed its “strongest condemnation and denunciation of the brutal Iranian aggression and the blatant violation” of the sovereignty of Bahrain and Kuwait.

Reiterating its “categorical rejection” of the attacks, the ministry said the strikes constitute a “clear violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations” and undermine international efforts aimed at restoring security and stability in the region.

It renewed its solidarity with Bahrain and Kuwait and “full support” for any measures they take to safeguard their sovereignty, security and stability.

UAE presidential adviser Anwar Gargash called for a unified Gulf response, warning that the strikes carried broader implications.

“The aggression does not target one country alone, but all of us,” he said.

Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun also condemned the strikes on civilian sites in Kuwait and Bahrain, while in Bahrain authorities reported intercepting three missiles and several drones. Iran claimed its forces had targeted the headquarters of the US Fifth Fleet, an airbase, and military helicopters in the region.

US Central Command said the Iranian strikes largely failed to reach their intended targets. Washington confirmed it had carried out operations near the Strait of Hormuz, including action against a tanker heading toward Iran. The strikes Tehran condemned as violations of international law and an existing ceasefire framework dating to 8 April.

Iran’s foreign ministry warned it would “utilise all capacities to counter aggressive actions”, placing responsibility on Kuwait and Bahrain for allegedly permitting their territory to be used in operations against Iran.

Global oil prices rose more than 2% amid mounting concern over security in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route handling a significant share of the world’s oil and gas exports.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump claimed Iran had agreed not to pursue nuclear weapons and said Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei was involved in discussions with Washington.

Iran, however, has consistently maintained its nuclear programme is intended solely for peaceful purposes.