Iran warns of regional oil disruption

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the joint defence agreement signed by Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia will strengthen security cooperation and contribute to peace and stability in the region. In a statement posted on his X account, Erdogan said he visited Makkah at the invitation of Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman. During the visit, Erdogan said he met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The three leaders subsequently signed a joint defence agreement, according to Erdogan. He said the agreement is based on the principle of collective defence and would further strengthen security and military cooperation among the three countries. Erdogan said the pact would also encourage joint projects in the defence industry and facilitate stronger cooperation in combating terrorism. The Turkish president said the agreement reaffirmed the right to self-defence recognised under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. He stressed that the agreement was not directed against any country. Instead, Erdogan said the pact remained open to brotherly countries that seek peace, prosperity and stability in the region. He added that Türkiye would continue to pursue its principled position of resolving conflicts and crises through dialogue and diplomacy. Erdogan also expressed hope that the visit to Makkah and the agreement reached by the three countries would bring peace, stability and prosperity to the wider region. The agreement marks a significant step in defence cooperation between Türkiye, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia and establishes a framework for closer coordination against shared security threats.

Dubai has introduced a new initiative offering special discounts and benefits to residents who invite friends and family members to visit the emirate. The move aims to support the tourism sector, which has faced challenges due to regional tensions and declining visitor activity. Under the programme, residents can invite their relatives and friends to Dubai and receive benefits worth more than AED 3,000, including hotel stays, dining offers, entertainment experiences and attraction tickets. The initiative, called “A Dubai Invite,” encourages residents to become ambassadors for the city by promoting Dubai as a travel destination among their personal networks. The programme will continue until the end of October. Residents can register and nominate guests through an official platform, allowing invited visitors to access the available offers and experiences during their stay. The campaign comes during the summer season, which is traditionally a slower period for tourism in the United Arab Emirates due to extremely high temperatures that can reach around 50 degrees Celsius. Dubai remains one of the world’s leading tourism destinations, attracting millions of visitors every year with its luxury hotels, shopping centres, entertainment venues and iconic landmarks. However, the emirate’s tourism industry has faced pressure following regional security concerns. Earlier tensions in the Middle East affected travel patterns, with some tourists cancelling trips and hotels experiencing lower occupancy levels. The tourism sector has gradually shown signs of recovery after a ceasefire reduced tensions in the region. Industry officials said many hotels have increasingly relied on domestic visitors and local tourism activity during the recovery period. The Dubai government has also introduced financial support measures to help businesses affected by regional disruptions. Previous relief packages included fee reductions, exemptions for certain sectors and support measures for hospitality and aviation-related businesses.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is facing acute political pressure following a contentious cabinet reshuffle that triggered widespread friction within his conservative ranks. The internal discord comes at a critical juncture, as the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) pulls ahead in national opinion polls ahead of key regional elections in September. The shake-up was prompted by the abrupt departure of party heavyweight Jens Spahn over his decision to have a child via surrogacy abroad, a practice banned in Germany and previously opposed by Spahn himself. Merz appointed his chief of staff, Thorsten Frei, to replace Spahn as leader of the conservative parliamentary group, whilst moving Health Minister Nina Warken into the chancellery. However, additional dismissals, including Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder and junior minister Tino Sorge, provoked sharp backlash from party members in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saxony-Anhalt, who accused Merz of poor communication and unfair treatment. With approval ratings for the CDU/CSU alliance slipping to 21% behind the AfD’s 27%, the upcoming state elections in Saxony-Anhalt and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern present a formidable test. Merz has urged patience, predicting internal tempers will cool before parliament reconvenes in September. However, growing discontent within the coalition leaves the chancellor in a precarious position as he attempts to push forward economic and social reforms.

US President Donald Trump has publicly rejected the findings of his own Justice Department after federal prosecutors concluded that construction problems, rather than vandalism, were responsible for damage to the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington. In a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, Trump said he strongly disagreed with US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro and insisted that vandals were responsible for the damage. He argued that although there may have been issues with the construction work, the main cause of the deterioration was deliberate vandalism. The disagreement follows a court filing submitted on Friday by Jeanine Pirro and Assistant US Attorney Michael Spence, who asked a judge to dismiss the government’s case against David Hearn, a 67 year old former Olympian. Hearn had been accused of damaging the Reflecting Pool, an allegation that became part of a wider debate over the Trump administration’s renovation project in the nation’s capital. According to the filing, newly received documents from the Department of the Interior showed that the problems were linked to a rushed and defective installation process. Prosecutors said the pool’s lining experienced repeated failures during construction and that extensive peeling occurred across the surface because of installation defects rather than intentional damage. The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool underwent a renovation costing around 14.7 million dollars. Soon after the project was completed, the site experienced several problems, including algae growth that turned the water green and sections of the blue lining peeling away. The issues attracted public criticism and raised questions about the quality of the renovation work. Throughout the controversy, Trump repeatedly claimed that vandals had deliberately damaged the pool. Following the Justice Department’s decision to withdraw the case, he continued to defend that position. In another social media post, the president shared previously released video footage from the US Park Police that he said supported his claim. He argued that the footage showed people damaging the Reflecting Pool while maintenance workers were cleaning algae from the water. However, the video does not clearly show acts of vandalism. It remains unclear whether the individuals seen in the footage were intentionally damaging the lining or simply handling material that had already begun peeling because of the reported construction flaws. The Justice Department has not publicly responded to Trump’s criticism. Jeanine Pirro’s office also did not immediately comment on the president’s remarks. The dispute highlights a rare public disagreement between President Trump and his own administration’s legal team. While federal prosecutors have concluded that faulty construction caused the damage, the president continues to argue that criminal vandalism was primarily responsible, keeping the controversy surrounding the renovation project in the public spotlight.