BRICS moves to expand Global South cooperation for inclusive, sustainable global governance

Leaders of BRICS countries, gathering here on Sunday and Monday for the 17th BRICS Summit, reiterated their commitments to reforming and improving global governance by expanding Global South cooperation.

The meeting adopted the Rio de Janeiro Declaration, which calls for strengthening multilateralism and reforming global governance, promoting peace, security and international stability, as well as deepening international economic, trade and financial cooperation.

Addressing the summit's plenary session themed "Peace and Security and Reform of Global Governance" on Sunday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang called on BRICS countries to strive to become pioneers in advancing the reform of global governance, safeguard world peace and tranquility, and boost the peaceful settlement of disputes.

Trump signals new sanctions on Russia

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday he has approved sending additional weapons to Ukraine and is considering new sanctions on Russia.

"We're sending some defensive weapons to Ukraine, and I've approved that," Trump said during a cabinet meeting at the White House.

Trump also expressed dissatisfaction with Russian President Vladimir Putin. "I'm not happy with Putin. I can tell you that much right now," Trump said, noting that Russian and Ukrainian soldiers are dying in the thousands.

Trump said he is considering whether to support a bipartisan Senate bill that will impose sweeping sanctions on Russia.

Trump says to impose 50 pct tariff on copper

U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday a new tariff of 50 percent will be imposed on all copper imported into the United States, but did not give a specific time when the new tariff will take effect.

At a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, Trump said: "I believe the tariff on copper, we're going to make it 50 percent," adding that he is still planning tariffs on select industries, including drugs, semiconductors and metals.

According to a CNBC report following the Cabinet meeting, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said his department has finished the investigation into copper and he expected the new tariff "likely to be put in place end of July -- maybe August 1."

Trump also said on the same occasion that new tariffs as high as 200 percent might be put on foreign-made pharmaceutical products, but may not take effect in the near term for purposes of getting more companies to move to the United States.

Iran denies seeking talks with U.S.

Iran has not requested any meeting with the United States, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Tuesday, according to the semi-official Tasnim news agency.

He made the remarks while rejecting a claim made by U.S. President Donald Trump the day before that Iran had "requested a meeting," the report said.

Trump, in an address to reporters along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday, said the United States would hold talks with Iran.

He noted, "We have scheduled Iran talks, and they want to talk," adding, "They've requested a meeting and I'm going to go to a meeting, and if we can put something down on paper, that would be fine."

60 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza

At least 60 Palestinians, including six freed prisoners and a paramedic, were killed in Israeli airstrikes and gunfire across Gaza on Tuesday, according to Palestinian sources.

Six people were killed by Israeli shelling on two tents housing displaced persons in Khan Younis, southern Gaza and the town of al-Zawaidain, central Gaza, Spokesperson for the Civil Defense in Gaza Mahmoud Basal told Xinhua.

Hamas said in a press statement that the six were prisoners released from Israeli prisons and deported from the West Bank to Gaza.

West of Gaza City, an Israeli airstrike on a gathering of Palestinians in the al-Rimal neighborhood killed six people, including two children and two women, and an Israeli airstrike on a house in the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood killed four, including an infant, Basal said.

5 Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza blast

Five Israeli soldiers were killed and 14 others injured in an explosion in the northern Gaza Strip, the Israeli military said on Tuesday.

The troops from the Kfir Brigade's Netzah Yehuda Battalion were surrounding a booby-trapped building in Beit Hanoun when explosive devices were detonated, according to a military statement.

During evacuation, the rescuers came under fire in a combined ambush by Palestinian fighters, then the wounded personnel were "evacuated to a hospital to receive medical treatment," said the statement.