CNN
–

Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei attended a religious gathering on Saturday, according to Iran’s national media outlet news television, which was released for the first time in weeks.

Khamenei has not appeared in public since his country fell into conflict on June 13, when Israel unilaterally bombed Iran’s military and nuclear sites. The United States later joined, bombing three important Iranian nuclear sites before President Donald Trump declared a ceasefire.

In a video posted by Press TV on X, Khamenei waves to the crowd of black-clad worshippers marking the eve of Ashura, Shia Muslims mourn the death of Hussain Ibn Ali, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad. The crowd greeted the clergy in turn with cheers and hymns.

Khamenei, the Middle East’s longest dominant leader, reportedly hid the 12-day conflict between Israel and the United States in a bunker with little access to external communication. During the conflict, both Israeli politicians and Trump had openly debated about overthrowing Khamenei’s government and forcing him to abdicate.

After reportedly rejecting Israel’s plan, Trump said in late June that the clergy were “a simple target.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also refused to target Khamenei by saying his death would “not escalate the conflict” and “end it.”

In a recorded statement posted from an unpublished location since the start of the ceasefire, Khamenei was rebellious and declared victory over both Israel and the United States. Khamenei took the time to respond directly to President Donald Trump, who had called for Iran’s “unconditional surrender” shortly before he ordered a US airstrike.

“This (the conflict) is not about our nuclear program,” Khamenei said. “This is about Iran’s surrender… In his statement, (Trump) revealed the truth and he showed his hand. Americans have had fundamental problems with Islamic Iran since our revolution.”

“And that’s never going to happen,” Khamenei said of Trump’s demand.

Nevertheless, the conflict between Israel and the US is likely to have hurt Khamenei’s reputation in Iran, analysts told CNN in June. Israel’s first strike, in its depth, killed some of the country’s top military leaders on the first day.

“The Islamic Republic had one social contract with society. It meant that they had taken all their freedom. “Now that image is shattered into the eyes of Iranian people.”

Khamenei’s new public figure, the day after Trump told Air Force reporters, said the US would not allow Iran to resume its nuclear program.

“If they started, there would be problems. They wouldn’t allow that to happen,” Trump said Friday.

Trump said he will discuss his previous strike with Netanyahu, who is scheduled to visit Washington on Monday.

The comments said in the aforementioned remarks made by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Friday that his country must maintain a “air superiority” over Iran to prevent it from restructuring its nuclear or missile production program.

Trump reiterated his claim that Iran would like to meet with the US for consultation. Iranian officials have repeatedly denied it.

The Trump administration has discussed the possibility of helping Iran support $30 billion in access to create a nuclear program for private energy production, ease sanctions and freeing billions of dollars with Iran’s limited funds.

CNN
–

The Japanese government on Saturday warned about the possibility of a stronger earthquake in the waters southwest of the major island, but urged its people not to believe the unfounded predictions of a major disaster.

Authorities on Friday evacuated some residents of a remote island near the epicenter of a 5.5 magnitude tremor from the tip of Kyushu’s southernmost island.

The earthquake is strong enough to stand, one of more than 1,000 tremors on Kagoshima Prefecture Island in the last two weeks, and has promoted rumors derived from comic book predictions that this month’s disaster will fall on the country.

“With our current scientific knowledge, it is difficult to predict the exact time, location or scale of an earthquake,” said Ayataka Evita, director of the earthquake monitoring department at the Japan Meteorological Agency, after the 5.4 magnitude earthquake again shook the area on Saturday.

“We ask that people understand based on scientific evidence,” Evita told a press conference.

The comic, which was interpreted as predicting a catastrophic event on Saturday, urged some travelers to avoid Japan. According to the latest data, arrivals from Hong Kong, which are widely circulated, fell 11% from the same month last year.

Japan has recorded record visits this year, with monthly highs of 3.9 million travelers in April.

Ryo Tatsuki, the artist behind the manga “The Future I Saw,” which was first published in 1999 and re-released in 2021, said she was “not a prophet” in a statement published by the publisher.

Earthquakes are common in Japan and are one of the most seismically active regions in the world. This accounts for about a fifth of earthquakes around the world.

CNN
–

For the first time in more than a century, Parisians and tourists can have a refreshing dip on the Seine. Following last year’s 1.4 billion euro ($1.5 billion) cleanup project suitable for Olympic Games, the long-term contaminated waterway has opened as a summer swimming spot.

Three new swimming sites in Paris Riverbank will open on Saturday. One is near Notre Dame Cathedral, the other is near Eiffel Tower and the third in eastern Paris.

Swimming on the Seine has been illegal since 1923, with a few exceptions, due to the pollution and risks brought about by river voyages. For safety reasons, it is still prohibited to consume bathing areas outside.

The Seine was one of the stars of the 2024 Parisio Games, whether it was the ambitious opening ceremony or the scene of a triathlon and marathon swimming event. It didn’t go without challenging hurdles such as bacteria with increased levels of rainfall.

City officials have given green light for public disclosure, and water quality results have consistently achieved results in line with European regulations.

“Reclaiming the river is an iconic moment,” said sports coach and influencer Lucille Woodward, who will be taking part in the first amateur open water competition on the Seine on Sunday.

Woodward, who enjoyed a dip with Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo just before the Olympics began, is sure things will go well.

“We’ll swim there, we’ll be there and set an example,” she said. “When people see it in the end, there are hundreds of people who enjoy it and enjoy it, so everyone wants to go!”

“It’s extraordinary for the family, to soak up with the kids and make a small splash in Paris,” Woodward added.

Olympic athletes competing on the river were an epic reward for the cost of their cleanup efforts.

In the preliminary stage of the game, authorities opened new disinfection units and created a huge storage basin intended to prevent as much drainage as possible, including bacteria, when rain falls.

Houseboats that previously empty sewage directly into the river had to be connected to the city’s sewer system. In a house upstream from Paris, we saw wastewater connected to the therapeutic plants instead of a stormwater system flowing directly into the river.

Pierre Labadin, vice mayor of Paris, said the water is being inspected daily to ensure it is safe. Like French beaches, flags of different colors will let visitors know if they are able to enter.

“Green means good water quality, red means it’s not good or it’s too much current,” he said.

Rabadan said there were only two exceptions due to rain and boat-related pollution.

“We can’t bet on the number of days we have to close this summer, but the water quality seems to be better than last year,” he added. “We are in the natural environment… so there is an inevitable impact on fluctuations in weather conditions.”

Several athletes got sick after competing in triathlons and open water races during the Olympics last year, but it was not clear in most cases if the river was due to their illness.

World Aquatics highlighted that the conditions met the sport’s accepted threshold.

“The legacy of these efforts is already clear, and the Seine is currently open for public swimming. This is a positive example of how sports promote long-term community benefits,” the organization said in a statement to the Associated Press.

Scepticism remains about water quality

Dan Angelescu, founder and CEO of Fluidion, a water monitoring technology company based in Paris and Los Angeles, has been testing bacterial levels on the Seine on a daily basis and independent basis for several years. Despite being in line with current regulations, official water testing methods are limited and underestimates bacteria, he said.

“What we’re looking at is that the water quality of the Seine is very diverse,” Angelesch said. “We only have a few days during the swimming season, but we say the water quality is acceptable for swimming.”

“What we can say is that we can raise our hands and say what we look. Science today doesn’t support the current assessment of water safety used in rivers around Paris, and I think there’s a huge risk that we’re not caught at all,” he said.

Some Parisians have expressed skepticism about the idea of ​​swimming in the Seine. Often, the senses are enhanced by the murky colour of water, floating trash, and multiple tourist boats.

Real estate agent Ennis said he was “a little tired of swimming.”

Until the end of August, the swimming site will be open for free at scheduled times to those who are 10 or 14 years of age, depending on location. The lifeguard carefully looks at those first dips.

“It’s an opportunity and dreams come true,” said Clea Montanari, project manager in Paris. “If the Seine can drink, will that be the ultimate goal? But it’s really good to be already swimming.”

CNN
–

US President Donald Trump said a ceasefire contract in Gaza could be agreed next week after Hamas announced that he had “submitted a positive response” to his 60-day truce proposal with Israel.

“We have to get through that,” Trump said Friday. “We have to do something about Gaza.”

Israel and Hamas have long had conflicting demands that negotiators cannot bridge, but both agree to the revised proposal, and it appears that the agreement will be within scope for the first time in a few months.

The new effort has gathered post-ceasefire steam between Iran and Israel, but reflects our pressure and changing Israeli war goals. Here’s what you need to know.

Since the ceasefire between Israel and Iran on June 24, mediators Qatar and Egypt, as well as the United States, have doubled their calls for a new Gaza ceasefire. A Qatar Foreign Ministry spokesman told CNN that the Israeli-Iran agreement created “momentum” for the latest talks between Israel and Hamas.

The Netanyahu government faces international criticism of the suffering that the Palestinians in Gaza are being subjected to.

Israel imposed a comprehensive lockdown on humanitarian delivery in March. The lockdown was somewhat eased in May after a global expert chorus warned that hundreds of thousands were soon hungry.

Hundreds of Palestinians in Gaza have been recently killed by an Israeli strike. And the distribution of aid has been undermined by violence, killing hundreds of people on their way to get food from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial US aid aid initiative that began operating at the end of May.

Pressure is also growing from within Israel on Netanyahu.

His government is supported by far-right figures who want to escalate the fighting in Gaza, but opposition leader Yair Lapid said Wednesday that he has joined the coalition government to enable hostage trade. Polls have repeatedly shown that the majority of the country wants a contract to bring hostages home, even if it means ending the war.

What is Israel’s demand?

In addition to his purpose of bringing hostages into the house, Netanyahu was not shaking from his greatest purpose: disarmament in Gaza and the destruction of Hamas’ military and governance capabilities.

However, last weekend, the Prime Minister brought about a rhetorical change by laying out Israeli goals. The return of hostages was the first priority before what was once called “the most objective” of defeating Hamas.

Netanyahu said “many opportunities have been opened” following Israeli military operations in Iran. “First, to save the hostages,” he said. “Of course we need to solve the Gaza problem and defeat Hamas, but I think we’ll complete both missions.”

Comments were welcomed by hostage families held in Gaza. Gaza criticized him for not releasing what was ionized as Israel’s main target. Rather than being released under trances, only a few hostages have been rescued in military operations.

This week’s Israeli forces recommended pursuing a diplomatic path in Gaza after nearly two years of fighting and the removal of many of Hamas’ senior leaders.

On Tuesday, military officials told CNN that Israel has not fully achieved all war goals, but as Hamas’ troops have been shrinking and becoming more and more susceptible, it has made it even more difficult to effectively target the rest of the militant group. “It’s hard to achieve tactical goals now,” the official said.

Hamas announced on Friday that “the movement is fully prepared to submit a positive response to mediators and to quickly enter negotiations on mechanisms to implement this framework.”

There are three main demands for extremist groups: The enduring end of the battle, the UN’s humanitarian aid provided by the UN, and the renewed attacks and occupying the northern part of the strip before Israel retreated to its position held on March 2 this year.

A Hamas official told CNN in late May that the group was “prepared to return hostages in one day. There’s a need for assurance that war will not come again afterwards.” Hostages were Hamas’ important leverage in negotiations, with extremist groups refusing to agree to release without a path to end the conflict.

In response to a previous Trump administration-backed ceasefire proposal in May, Hamas asked us to assure us that permanent ceasefire negotiations would continue and that combat would not resume after a 60-day suspension.

Whether a ceasefire is temporary or a path to a permanent ceasefire is the biggest sticking point between the parties fighting.

Israel wants to eradicate Hamas following the October 7 attack, but the group has shown little willingness to abandon political and military power in Gaza.

Group officials issued contradictory statements about Hamas’ role in postwar Gaza. Hazem Qassem, a spokesman for the group, said the group doesn’t need to be part of the arrangement “in the next phase.”

Details of the proposal have not yet been made public, but it is clear that the revised plan is an attempt to fill some of the differences between Israel and Hamas.

A source familiar with the negotiations said the latest proposal timeline calls for the release of 10 living Israeli hostages and 18 dead hostages over 60 days of 10 days.

According to the Israeli government, of the 50 hostages still in Gaza, at least 20 are believed to be alive.

On the first day of the truce, similar to the previous ceasefire, Hamas released eight living hostages. In exchange, Israel released an unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners and detainees and withdraws its forces from ready-made locations in northern Gaza.

Israel and Hamas will also enter into negotiations for a permanent ceasefire soon after the first ceasefire is implemented, sources said.

Under this contract, hostages will be released without a ceremony or fanfare, in response to Israel’s request. This is different from when Hamas staged a public promotion event on the relocation of hostages that sparked rage in Israel.

Humanitarian aid will soon begin flowing into Gaza at the start of a ceasefire that includes the United Nations and other aid organizations, similar to the previous ceasefire that began on January 19th.

This leaves the US-backed fate of GHF and its role in Gaza unknown.

The US and mediators are offering stronger assurances about reaching a settlement to end the war in Gaza as part of the updated proposal, Israeli officials told CNN. Officials did not provide a specific language for the document, but said the language was stronger than previous guarantees.

Both sides accepted the proposal, but more consultations must be held before the ceasefire begins.

In these proximity consultations, which are likely to take place in Doha and Cairo, negotiators went back and forth between the two sides and presented final details of the contract.

Sources say one important issue to resolve during close consultations is the timeline and location of Israeli forces’ withdrawal in Gaza during a 60-day ceasefire.

In the 21-month war between Israel and Hamas, the ceasefire is only in place for a total of nine weeks.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 57,000 children have been killed in Gaza during the battle.

The first ceasefire came into effect in November 2023, but lasted only a week. Meanwhile, 105 hostages were released from Gaza in exchange for the Palestinian prisoner scores.

The second ceasefire was not hit until January 2025 just before Trump returned to the White House. In the first “stage” of the ceasefire, more than eight weeks, Hamas released 33 hostages, and Israel released about 50 Palestinian prisoners for all that the Israelites were released.

In the second phase planned, Israel was to agree to a permanent ceasefire. However, Israel said it had resumed its attack on March 18, crushing the ceasefire, derailing consultations and putting pressure on Hamas to release the remaining hostages.

CNN’s Jeremy Diamond, Kristen Holmes, Kylie Atwood, Dana Karni, Michael Schwartz and Orenly Berman contributed to this report.