Trump rejects Iran's Hormuz plan; Yemen forces advance in Taiz

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The natural springs and ancient pools of the occupied West Bank have long provided a respite from the oppressive summer heat. They also have been a lifeline for Palestinian communities, which rely on them for tourism and irrigation for their farmland.

But for the 2.8 million Palestinians who live in the territory, those springs and the stone reservoirs they fill are increasingly out of reach as Israeli settlers — encouraged by a hard-line government facing reelection — have stepped up efforts both to seize the springs and other heritage sites.

In one case this summer, water from a natural spring to the Palestinian village of Fasayil was illegally diverted to an ancient pool nearby. Whoever siphoned the water used it to fill up that pool, declaring it a new tourist attraction named after Herod, the Roman-appointed king of Judea.

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Oscar-nominated actor Florence Pugh has said she was never "scared" to speak up for Palestine, while promoting her new movie East of Eden.

In an exclusive interview with Variety, the actor said no one ever advised her to keep quiet on the issue, and she was confused about why so many weren't voicing their support.

"I don't know why it took so long for people to start talking and for people to actually feel sympathy," Pugh told Vanity Fair.

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ussian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said at the UN Saturday that Moscow is ready to help stabilize the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Gulf region, as the US-Iran conflict drags on.

"We need trust in the relationships between the Gulf states, the Arab states, and Iran. We need stable regional architecture," Lavrov told leaders at the UN General Assembly.

"Russia, together with other responsible states, stands ready to constructively contribute to stabilizing this strategically important region."

 Attacks targeting Libya's energy infrastructure, or any actions that could undermine it, may constitute grounds for sanctions under relevant UN Security Council resolutions, the UN Support Mission in Libya said on Saturday.

The warning comes as the Sharara-Zawiya oil pipeline remains closed, causing losses in crude production and public revenues and raising risks to fuel supplies and electricity generation, the mission said in a statement.

US intelligence agencies have assessed that Saudi Arabia has not ruled out developing a nuclear weapons programme, according to classified documents provided to Congress and described to The Washington Post by US officials.

The assessment is raising fresh questions about US President Donald Trump’s agreement to help Riyadh establish a civilian nuclear industry. Some US lawmakers fear the deal could give Saudi Arabia the means to produce nuclear material that might eventually be used as a weapon, although the intelligence finding does not say the kingdom has decided to build one.

The agreement, announced in July, would allow US companies to pursue nuclear energy projects in Saudi Arabia. The Trump administration says the partnership will strengthen ties with Riyadh, uphold non-proliferation standards, and reduce the prospect of the kingdom turning to Russia or China for nuclear technology.

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The University of Southern California (USC) ended the sale of human cadavers for Israeli military training on Thursday, closing a programme that ran for over five years.

A report by Annenberg Media in 2024 revealed that the University of California San Diego (UCSD) supplied bodies to the University of California (USC), which were then sold to the US Navy and used for training Israeli army medics.

The revelation sparked public outcry, with protests demanding an end to the programme.

USC's medical school said it would not renew its cadaver contracts because it would no longer supply bodies for the US Navy programme.

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Israeli drone strike inside the so-called "ceasefire" zone in west Nuseirat, Gaza, kills at least one Palestinian and injured multiple others, according to local media.

US President Donald Trump said Saturday that he had rejected a plan proposed by Iran on the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran says would have opened the waterway within seven days.

"I reject their proposal," Trump told reporters outside the White House.

"They want to make a deal where they open the Strait immediately because they're losing so badly," he said. "They want to make a deal and I think that's fine. I like making a deal too."

Players from Ireland's football team voted on Saturday to fulfil a Nations League tie with Israel despite player unease over the war in Gaza.

"We carried out a vote amongst the squad to establish their sentiment on fulfilling the (Israel) fixtures," Football Association of Ireland head David Courell told reporters in Debrecen, Hungary, where the game will take place on Sunday.

"It was a significant majority that was returned with the intention to continue," he said.

Egypt’s then-intelligence chief travelled to Israel 11 days before Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack and warned that the group appeared to be preparing a major assault, according to an investigation by The Atlantic.

The report comes amid intensifying pressure on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to allow an independent inquiry into Israel’s failures ahead of the attack, as the country approaches an election next month.

Abbas Kamel arrived in Israel on 26 September 2023 aboard a plane linked to Egyptian intelligence, The Atlantic reported on Friday, citing an Israeli airport flight log and officials from Israel, Egypt and other countries who were briefed on the visit after the attack. The plane spent 67 minutes on the ground before returning to Cairo.

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Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti Saleh bin Fawzan al-Fawzan has exhorted the coalition forces fighting against Yemen's Houthis to be ready to sacrifice their lives in the conflict, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday.

Addressing soldiers on the frontlines of the conflict and in stationed along the country's borders, the mufti's statement comes as Yemen slides further back into civil war, with the Houthis advancing on government-held territory.

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Ireland cancelled their pre-match press conference ahead of Sunday's Nations League game against Israel in Hungary, and their training session has also been delayed, the Israeli FA press officer said on Saturday.

The game has been under the spotlight since the sides were drawn together in February, with Ireland one of Europe's most outspoken critics of Israel's genocidal war in Gaza. There have been numerous protests in Ireland asking for the team not to fulfil the fixtures with Israel.

Ireland were due to hold the press conference on Saturday but shortly before the scheduled start at 10:15 a.m. local time (0815 GMT), reporters were informed that this would now take place following the team's training session at the stadium in Debrecen.

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Iran's top security body denies that Iran is planning for military moves over bans on Iranian flights, according to state media.

Thousands of people rallied in Madrid on Saturday to protest the Spanish government's handling of a recent migrant influx into Ceuta, accusing it of failing to protect the country's borders and calling for an early general election.

Demonstrators, many waving red and yellow Spanish flags, chanted "Ceuta is not for sale, Ceuta must be defended" as they marched through the centre of the Spanish capital.

Ceuta, a Spanish territory located in North Africa, has been embroiled in a humanitarian crisis since more than 70,000 migrants arrived from neighbouring Morocco on July 30 and 31.

Most returned in the following hours, but thousands have remained for weeks, many sleeping on the streets, straining the small city's resources and creating a political crisis for Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

The protest was organised by right-leaning civil society platform Sociedad Civil Espanola and backed by the conservative People's Party (PP) and far-right Vox.

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US actor Adam Brody said he wants a "free Palestine" on Friday while promoting his show Nobody Wants This, after several Hollywood actors were arrested during a protest against the arrival of Israel's ICC fugitive Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

In an interview with GQ, Brody, known for his breakout role in the series The O.C., said he wants to noted as being among those who believe a genocide is occurring in Gaza.

“Put me down as thinking it’s a genocide. Put me down as wanting a free Palestine,” Brody said when asked if he would like to speak about the topic.

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One person injured following reported Israeli fire in the Beit Lahia area of northern Gaza, according to Palestinian media.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran's new plan to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz was coordinated with supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, state media reported Saturday, quoting an interview with US media.

Pezeshkian also told broadcaster CBS that the Islamic republic would fulfil its obligations were the United States to agree to the proposal, according to excerpts released by state news agency IRNA.

The strait is crucial for the world's oil supply and central to the conflict between the US and Iran, which remains deadlocked after nearly seven months.

"Coordination with the leader of the revolution (the supreme leader)... has been carried out," Pezeshkian said.

"If the US accepts it and fulfils its obligations, we will do the same, and there will be no issue in this regard," he added.

Pezeshkian said that a six-member team in Iran has been meeting for discussions and has "the authority to make decisions".

This team includes representatives from "various organisations and bodies, including the military, the parliament and the government".

The Ireland team’s press conference the day before the first of its Nations League games against Israel has been delayed as pressure to boycott the matches grows.

Journalists in Debrecen, Hungary — where Israel’s "home" game is to be played Sunday — were left waiting Saturday after being told the press conference was being pushed back until after training. That was 15 minutes before it was supposed to begin.

Training was also delayed, however, with Irish broadcaster RTÉ reporting the players were still in their hotel when it was supposed to begin.

The team has been coming under increasing pressure in Ireland, where affinity with Palestinians is strong, to boycott the two games — the first on Sunday and the second, Ireland’s “home” game, in Backa Topola, Serbia on Oct. 4.

Ireland midfielder Jason Knight said after Thursday’s 1-0 loss in Kosovo that the players were in a difficult situation and that he didn’t think the matches should be going ahead.

The Iraqi government said Saturday it was holding talks with the United States to secure an exemption from the ban on Iranian airlines, which has disrupted travel for patients, students and pilgrims.

All Iraqi airports enforced the ban this week, resulting in major disruption at the airport of the holy city of Najaf, the main destination for Iranian flights to Iraq.

"The Iraqi government is holding direct talks with the American side to exempt certain Iraqi airports from these measures," the prime minister's media office said.

An exemption would allow flights to resume "for humanitarian reasons, including medical treatment, education, religious visits, and for the interest of civilians," it added.

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Israeli forces use artillery shelling to target the outskirts of Yater in southern Lebanon, according to local media.

Israeli forces and military vehicles are stationed by Birzeit University north of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian media.

The university, meanwhile, has condemned the Israeli military raid, claiming "intimidation" of students during final exams is "flagrant and explicit violation" of conventions and laws that protect education.

Saudi Arabia's military spokesperson, Maj. Gen. Turki al-Malki, claimed early Saturday that a ballistic missile launched by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in neighboring Yemen was intercepted and destroyed.

Al-Maliki said the missile was fired toward the southwestern city of Khamis Mushait.

There was no immediate statement of responsibility, though it can take days for the Houthis to issue one.

A regional body representing Arab Gulf states, the Gulf Cooperation Council, condemned the latest Houthi attacks as a "grave escalation and threat to regional security" and urged the international community to respond.

A passenger bus overturned in Iran, killing 11 people and injuring 24 others, state television reported Saturday.

The crash occurred on the Saveh-Hamedan freeway in central Markazi province. Provincial traffic police said driver fatigue and drowsiness caused the crash.

Authorities did not immediately say where the bus was headed.

Iran has one of the world’s worst traffic safety records. Crashes kill more than 17,000 people a year. Experts blame the high toll on unsafe vehicles, widespread disregard for traffic regulations and inadequate emergency services.

Earlier this month, a fuel tanker crashed into other vehicles and exploded near the western city of Sanandaj, killing 11 people and injuring seven others.

Libya's National Oil Corporation said on Saturday it has shut down one of the refining units at the Zawiya refinery due to the continued forced closure of the Sharara crude pipeline valve by armed groups belonging to the Petroleum Facilities Guard.

The corporation warned that ongoing disruptions to the flow of crude could directly impact state oil revenue, increase fuel import costs and harm the national economy.

The closure has reduced cumulative production at the Sharara field by 942,376 barrels over five days through Friday, causing direct financial losses of about $95 million, the NOC said.

Lost output on Friday alone totalled 222,014 barrels, according to NOC.