Iran inflation surges to 66%

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will visit Syria on Saturday. It will be the first visit by a serving UN secretary-general to the country since 2009. The visit comes at a major turning point for Syria. The country is trying to rebuild after years of war, political instability and international isolation. Syria’s conflict began in 2011. It continued for almost 14 years. The war killed hundreds of thousands of people. Millions more were forced to leave their homes. The conflict ended with the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024. Syrian opposition forces removed Assad from power after a rapid offensive. The country is now being led through a transitional period under President Ahmed al-Sharaa. His administration is seeking to establish a new political system and restore Syria’s relations with the international community. Guterres is expected to meet Sharaa during his visit to Damascus. He will also hold talks with Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani. The UN secretary-general is also expected to meet other Syrian officials. He will hold discussions with representatives of civil society as part of his visit. The United Nations says Guterres will focus on Syria’s future. He is expected to underline the importance of creating a stable, inclusive and prosperous country. The visit is also expected to highlight the need for national reconciliation. Syria faces major challenges after years of destruction and displacement. The country’s transition has not been without difficulties. Sectarian violence remains a serious concern. Large numbers of Alawites were killed in violence in Syria’s coastal region last year. The Alawite community was closely associated with the former Assad government. Violence later affected the Druze community in southern Syria. Hundreds of people were reportedly killed during clashes. Guterres has expressed concern over both episodes of violence. He has called for accountability and protection for Syria’s minority communities. The new Syrian government is also working to restore diplomatic relations. Damascus wants to move beyond the alliances that dominated the country during Assad’s rule. Syria had long relied heavily on Russia and Iran. The new leadership is now seeking broader international engagement. Sharaa has already taken steps towards rebuilding Syria’s global diplomatic presence. Last year, he became the first Syrian president since 1967 to attend the UN General Assembly in New York. Washington has also taken steps towards improving relations with Damascus. The United States has removed most of its broad sanctions on Syria. US President Donald Trump has also indicated that Washington intends to remove Syria from its list of state sponsors of terrorism. Guterres is expected to address Syria’s new parliament on Monday. The speech could focus on the country’s political transition and its future relationship with the international community. He will also visit a UN peacekeeping force operating near the Israeli-Syrian frontier. The force has maintained a buffer zone between Israeli and Syrian forces for decades. The situation in southern Syria remains sensitive. Israeli forces have occupied additional areas in the region since Assad’s removal. The Syrian government has demanded the withdrawal of Israeli troops. Damascus has also called for a return to the 1974 disengagement agreement. Guterres’ visit therefore carries significant diplomatic importance. It comes as Syria attempts to rebuild its institutions, economy and international relationships. For the United Nations, the visit also provides an opportunity to engage directly with Syria’s new leadership.

Independent ballistic and forensic experts have confirmed to the BBC that injuries sustained by protesters during the 20 July demonstrations in Delhi were caused by birdshot from 12-gauge pellet guns. The protests, led by the Cockroach Janta Party over repeated exam paper leaks, faced a heavy police and paramilitary crackdown near parliament. While government ministers and Delhi Police have denied deploying pellet guns, insisting only batons and tear gas were used, hospital records, X-rays, and multiple victims verify dozens of small metal pellets embedded in bodies. Among the injured is 19-year-old student Sahil Lochab, who risks losing an eye, and a journalist who documented 30 pellet wounds. If officially verified, this represents the first instance of Indian security forces using pellet guns for crowd control within the capital.

Environmental groups and scientists have warned that early work on a luxury resort linked to the Trump family has already caused lasting damage to one of Albania’s most environmentally sensitive coastal areas. They say construction activity has affected wildlife habitats and fragile ecosystems even before the main development has begun. According to satellite images reviewed by AFP, major changes took place over a period of 25 days in May. Workers cleared a new road, removed large areas of forest and built a bridge across the channel connecting the Narta Lagoon to the Adriatic Sea. Conservationists argue that these early activities have already disrupted a protected landscape known for its rich biodiversity. Marine biologist Olsi Nika, who heads the environmental organization EcoAlbania, said heavy machinery operating on the beaches has damaged nesting areas used by endangered loggerhead sea turtles. He also said the construction of access roads through sand dunes and the removal of trees have disturbed important breeding grounds for many bird species. Environmental experts further warned that work on the water channel linking the lagoon to the sea has interfered with the natural flow of water that is essential for maintaining the surrounding wetlands. Scientists describe the impact as severe, warning that the destruction of habitats could have long term consequences for local wildlife. Ferdinand Bego, a professor at the University of Tirana, said much of the damage to the protected area cannot easily be reversed, even though some construction work has been paused following public protests. The project, valued at approximately 4.5 billion euros, was first announced in 2024 by Jared Kushner, the son in law of US President Donald Trump. Plans include the construction of luxury hotels near flamingo habitats and on a nearby uninhabited island. Trump’s daughter Ivanka has previously spoken publicly about the site’s attractive coastline, lagoon and white sand beaches, describing it as an exceptional location for tourism development. Opposition to the project has grown steadily over recent months. Local residents and environmental activists have staged daily demonstrations, with protests becoming more intense after barbed wire fencing was installed to mark the boundaries of the planned resort. Tensions increased further when private security guards confronted demonstrators during one of the protests, leading to continued public rallies against the development. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has defended the investment, describing it as one of the country’s most important tourism projects. His government argues that the development will attract international investment, create jobs and help Albania compete with neighboring coastal destinations such as Montenegro, Greece and Croatia. Officials believe the project could significantly strengthen the country’s tourism industry and economic growth. In June, a team of scientists visited the site to assess the environmental impact of the preparatory work. Their report concluded that turtle nesting sites, bird habitats and coastal sand dunes had already been affected. Researchers warned that continued development without stronger environmental protections could place additional pressure on the area’s unique ecosystem. The campaign against the project has also received international attention. British singer Dua Lipa, whose family has roots in Kosovo, has publicly expressed support for those opposing the development. Environmental campaigners hope that growing international concern will encourage Albanian authorities to strengthen protections for the coastline. The European Union has also raised concerns as Albania continues its efforts to join the bloc by 2030. European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos recently said Albania had agreed to reverse changes made to laws governing protected areas and strategic investments. Environmental experts say such reforms will be important if the country wants to meet European environmental standards during its accession process. Professor Friedrich Schiemer of the University of Vienna, who inspected the site in June, stressed that immediate action is needed to limit further damage. He warned that large tourism developments in ecologically sensitive areas could permanently alter the region’s natural environment if stronger safeguards are not introduced before construction continues.

Poland’s main opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party has fractured following a severe internal dispute over its political strategy, with former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and dozens of his allies breaking ranks with longtime leader Jarosław Kaczyński. The split occurred after Kaczyński issued an ultimatum demanding all PiS lawmakers sign a strict loyalty oath committing them not to collaborate with outside political groups. Dozens of parliamentarians, led by Morawiecki, refused to sign the pledge before the deadline, leading Kaczyński to declare that those who abstained had effectively resigned from the party. The former prime minister confirmed that his faction includes 40 members of parliament, three members of the European Parliament, and one senator, though he maintained that his group sought to preserve unity while broadening the right-wing electoral base toward younger, centre-right voters. The division threatens PiS’s status as the largest party in the Polish parliament, a position it held despite losing power to Donald Tusk’s pro-European coalition in 2023. As the conservative vote increasingly fragments across competing factions ahead of the 2027 parliamentary elections, the formal expulsion of the dissident lawmakers is scheduled to be processed at a party leadership meeting.