Financial records became more useful once investigators knew who they were looking for. Bank accounts, ATM withdrawals and payments helped investigators identify addresses, locations and connections. After the attacks, the USA PATRIOT Act expanded requirements for identifying customers and sharing financial information, while the Financial Action Task Force expanded its work on terrorist financing. Attempts to create a financial profile that could identify future terrorists, however, failed because ordinary activities such as paying tuition, travelling or receiving international transfers could not reliably distinguish a suspect from anyone else.

The initiative seeks to coordinate regional efforts against criminal organisations and transnational threats. Fujimori said the growing reach of criminal groups required countries to work together across borders.

"This criminality does not respect borders, and hence the need to join efforts with other countries," she said.

Rubio said Washington viewed the expansion of criminal organisations as a threat to security across the hemisphere and pledged US support for participating countries.

"We are going to help you in every way possible ... because it is also in our national interest not to have criminal gangs operating with impunity across the hemisphere," Rubio said.

He described the Shield of the Americas as an alliance aimed at confronting criminal and terrorist groups, some of which he said had acquired resources and capabilities exceeding those of national armed forces. Rubio said 14 countries were currently participating and expected the initiative to expand.

Protester Carlos Enrique Fernandez Chacon said the demonstration was aimed at rejecting Rubio's presence and what he described as US interference in the region. "We do not ally with any imperialism, and we do ally with the peoples oppressed by them," he said.

Other demonstrators accused Washington of seeking control over natural resources and criticised US policies towards Iran and Venezuela . Protester Alejandra Cuentas also called on social organisations to continue opposing what she described as US imperialism.

The protest came ahead of Rubio's scheduled meeting with Peruvian President Keiko Fujimori on Thursday. Their agenda includes security , transnational organised crime, defence, investment, trade and cooperation in responding to the El Nino phenomenon.

US Southern Command said the vessels were linked to drug-trafficking operations and acted as floating resupply stations in international waters, while the fishermen disputed the account. Ecuador’s Permanent Committee for the Defence of Human Rights filed a habeas corpus petition on their behalf. The judge also ordered Ecuador’s Foreign Ministry to seek explanations from the US Embassy and called for a search for fishermen still missing after the operations.

"This offensive operation will continue as a lesson to the Americans until they regret their crimes," he said.

Kuwait's military said its air defences intercepted attacks by hostile Iranian drones late on Tuesday, while Jordan's armed forces said 13 ballistic missiles entered its airspace, with 10 intercepted and three falling in remote areas.

US Central Command, meanwhile, said American forces had launched a new round of strikes against IRGC targets in Iran following attempted attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and US personnel in the region.

"Co-operation does not mean subordination. Friendship does not mean renouncing our principles," Sheinbaum said. "I will firmly defend our sovereignty, our dignity and our independence."

On energy, Sheinbaum said the debt of state-owned oil company Pemex had been reduced by $20 billion, while production stood at 1.77 million barrels of oil and nearly five billion cubic feet of natural gas per day. She also highlighted a National Gas Pipeline Plan involving 141 billion pesos in projected investment through 2030.

Turning to security , Sheinbaum said intentional homicides had fallen by 51 per cent since she took office, equivalent to 44 fewer killings per day. She added that the daily average of high-impact crimes in 2026 had dropped by 54 per cent compared with 2018.

He warned that countries joining US economic measures would be considered enemies, adding that Tehran would initially seek talks before taking action against their interests.

Rezaei also threatened US commercial interests if Washington imposed further sanctions. "The US has many oil companies and economic interests around Iran and in other places; well, we will hit those," he said.

Trump announced a new economic pressure campaign last week, while US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has promised the "toughest sanctions in history."

Rezaei also argued that US and Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities had undermined confidence in the global non-proliferation system. Iran remains a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

He separately said Iran and Oman had agreed on a transit route through the Strait of Hormuz, although negotiations were not complete, and warned Washington against hostile military moves around the waterway.

"If they make any movement along the southern route [Strait of Hormuz], we will hit them," he said. Rezaei, a former commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, was appointed secretary of the Supreme National Security Council earlier this month.

Iran and the United States signed the Qatar- and Pakistan-mediated Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding on June 18, ending military operations and addressing navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Talks later stalled amid disagreements over maritime security and passage through the strategic waterway.

Araghchi said Iran and Oman had made progress on plans for new shipping routes, with experts working on maps to replace existing routes.

He stressed, however, that an agreement with Oman on a new maritime route "does not mean the opening of the Strait of Hormuz."

Araghchi said reopening the strait would depend on separate conditions being communicated to Washington through intermediaries.

"There is an official over there who does not like Brazil or Latin America and who is a Bolsonarist: the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio. He does not like us," Lula said.

Lula also referred to Rubio's Cuban heritage, describing him as "perhaps a frustrated Latin American because his family left Cuba" and claiming the US secretary of state "hates Cuba, hates Colombia and hates Brazil."

The remarks come after Washington imposed a 25 per cent tariff on many Brazilian goods in July, followed by an additional 12.5 per cent levy linked to US measures against countries it says do not adequately restrict imports made with forced labour. Some products are exempt.

Lula said he learned of the latest tariff increase through the media and claimed it would leave Brazil with a $7.4 billion shortfall.

In a security alert issued on Wednesday, the US Embassy in Mexico announced the suspension but did not disclose the nature of the threat. Michoacán Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla later said the inspections had been paused to protect personnel after recent arrests linked to extortion activities in the state.

The inspections, conducted by the US Department of Agriculture, are required before Mexican avocados can be exported to the United States. USDA personnel oversee plantations and packing facilities to ensure fruit complies with US phytosanitary standards. Similar security incidents have forced temporary suspensions in the past.

Michoacán, the source of most Mexican avocado exports to the United States, has long been a hotspot for organised crime, with several cartels operating in the region. Beyond drug trafficking , criminal groups have built lucrative extortion rackets targeting the avocado industry, often referred to locally as "green gold".

The move does not expel Viotti from the United States , but means she would need to apply for a new visa if she leaves the country. Washington described the measure as "reciprocal" and said the visa could be restored if Brazil approves ambassador-designate Daniel Perez.

Brasília condemned the decision, accusing Washington of escalating pressure for ideological reasons and attempting to influence the election. Brazilian officials also argued that the United States broke diplomatic protocol by publicly announcing Perez's nomination before receiving Brazil's formal approval, adding that no decision would be made before the first round of voting in October.

The dispute has widened beyond diplomatic appointments.

Last month Brazil refused entry to two senior US officials, saying their planned visit on election integrity and religious freedom amounted to interference in domestic politics . Washington rejected the accusation.

The latest confrontation adds to months of deteriorating relations between the region's two largest democracies, which have also clashed over trade tariffs, organised crime and broader regional policy.

Lula has accused the Trump administration of undermining Brazil's sovereignty, while Washington maintains it is responding to actions taken by Brasília and insists it remains committed to restoring normal diplomatic ties.

He said Iran was instead holding talks with Oman to establish a temporary route to ensure the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz. "We are seeking, in consultation and cooperation with Oman, to determine this route as soon as possible," Baghaei said.

Trump had earlier claimed he halted what he described as the "largest attack since World War II" after appeals from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar and Iran, saying Tehran wanted an agreement.

Baghaei also dismissed speculation that Iran's negotiating team had travelled abroad, saying all members remained in the country while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was visiting Iraq for the annual Arbaeen pilgrimage.

He further accused the United States of committing "war crimes" by striking residential areas in Qeshm, Minab and Lamerd, saying Iran would pursue legal action through international channels.

He also accused the United States of worsening Cuba's energy crisis through sanctions, including an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in January 2026 targeting countries and companies that supply fuel to Cuba.

"The economic and social implications of that collective punishment are humanly unbearable," Diaz-Canel said.

The Cuban leader also rejected what he described as attempts to portray Cuba as a threat to US national security , calling it a pretext for possible military aggression.

He further dismissed a recent US State Department report describing Cuba as the "capital of 21st-century communism", calling it a "propaganda pamphlet", while reaffirming his government's willingness to pursue dialogue based on mutual respect.

Trump said the initiative would help remove what he described as unqualified migrant drivers from US highways, claiming they had been involved in reckless driving that caused preventable deaths.

He also said more than 24,000 driver's licences issued to non-English speakers had been revoked, while over 28,000 licences issued to what he described as "illegal aliens" had been cancelled.

According to the White House, the programme will be jointly run by the Departments of Transportation , Veterans Affairs, Labour and War.

He argued that both communities were facing growing attacks.

"It's under attack from the rising tide of anti-Semitism and anti-evangelicalism. It's no accident that the two are coming under joint attack because we are one," he said.

According to the Prime Minister's Office, the evangelical leaders thanked Netanyahu for Israel's actions during the conflict with Iran .

"When you're faced with an attack, what do you do? Attack back," Netanyahu said, adding, "It's now time to fight, fight, fight."

Evangelical Christian groups have long been among Israel's strongest supporters in the United States , and Netanyahu has regularly met with their leaders during visits to Washington.

"Last week, Mayor Mamdani accused our prime minister of being a war criminal and accused our nation of committing genocide. Hours later, a Jewish man walked out of his synagogue... He was stabbed by a radical who yelled 'Allahu Akbar'," Danon said.

Police said two men, one Jewish and one Asian, were attacked in separate incidents and are expected to survive. Authorities have not established any connection between the attacks and Mamdani's remarks.

Addressing the Security Council's quarterly debate on the Middle East , Danon also accused Hamas of obstructing peace and criticised the UN for failing to hold the group accountable.

Palestine's UN envoy, Riyad Mansour, meanwhile, accused Netanyahu's government of exploiting the Gaza conflict for political gain and urged stronger international action to end the bloodshed.

Trump also renewed his criticism of the nuclear agreement negotiated under former President Barack Obama, describing it as "a road to a nuclear weapon."

He credited recent US military strikes, including B-2 bomber missions targeting what he described as Iranian nuclear infrastructure, with preventing Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.

"If that didn't happen, they would have had a nuclear weapon and there would be no Israel," Trump said, referring to the strikes. The US president further claimed that his administration's actions had prevented a wider regional catastrophe.

"If I wasn't here, if I wasn't president, there would be no Israel and there probably would be no Middle East ," he said, adding that he believed Iran would have used a nuclear weapon if it had obtained one.

Several protesters voiced strong accusations against the foreign missions. One demonstrator claimed that those involved in the rescue efforts were not genuine humanitarian actors but part of a broader agenda tied to geopolitical interests.

"As I said three months ago, the show must go on," Trump said. "We were backstage, and we both wanted to just have it go on, whether it was 2 o'clock, 3 o'clock in the morning, it didn't matter. But in the end, it made more sense to do it the way we're doing it."

The rescheduled event was held under heightened security , with Trump saying lessons had been learned from the attack.

"A lot was learned from that evening. A tremendous amount was learned about security and about other things," he said. He later joked that "the second time is always better" before adding that he was "only kidding."

The original dinner was abandoned in April after an armed man allegedly opened fire near a security checkpoint, prompting the evacuation of Trump, First Lady Melania Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other senior officials.

The suspect, 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen, was charged with four counts, including attempted assassination of the president, and pleaded not guilty in May.

"This is the 13th consecutive night of strikes aimed to hold Iran accountable and diminish threats from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to commercial shipping," CENTCOM said in a post on X.

The exact time and location of the footage could not be independently verified.

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was close to deciding whether to launch what he described as a "massive attack" on Iran, saying it would be larger than any strike carried out during the months-long conflict.

"I am considering a massive attack. Bigger than ever before. I am close to making a decision. We are all set for it," Trump said.

His remarks came after Houthi attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea and a fresh rise in oil prices above $100 per barrel, Viory reports.

The latest strikes come after the collapse of a Pakistan-brokered interim agreement signed in June, which had sought to halt the conflict that began on 28 February.

"We are demonstrating with this Sovereign Brazil III that there is no crisis that prevents Brazil from continuing its path, from continuing with a growing economy ... We are going to finish the term growing by almost 3 percent in the three years of government," Lula said.

He criticised Washington for imposing the tariffs without consultation, arguing that countries were increasingly diversifying their trading partners and currencies .

"The abrupt decision of the US government to think that by applying the tariffs it applied without informing anyone, without speaking to anyone, the world was going to collapse," he said.

Lula added that the dispute had helped accelerate trade negotiations with other partners, including the conclusion of the long-delayed Mercosur-European Union agreement. "We have the conditions to emerge stronger from this crisis," he said, adding that Brazil was also pursuing new trade opportunities with other countries.

The additional 25 percent US tariffs on Brazilian imports took effect on Wednesday, with some products exempted.

Together, the next eight nations, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Japan, Brazil , South Korea, Canada and Germany, trail far behind but still collectively account for a massive share of global demand.

According to figures compiled by Jagran Josh from U.S. Energy Information Administration data, the top 10 oil-consuming countries account for about 61 million barrels per day, or roughly 61 % of global consumption.

Their ranking reads: United States (20.01 million bpd), China (15.15), India (5.05), Russia (3.68), Saudi Arabia (3.65), Japan (3.38), Brazil (3.03), South Korea (2.55), Canada (2.41) and Germany (2.18).

With the International Energy Agency projecting global demand to hit 103.9 million barrels per day in 2025, these few countries wield outsized influence over oil markets.

The United States alone consumed about 20.25 million barrels per day in 2023, roughly 20 % of world petroleum use, with transportation the dominant sector. China, now the world’s largest crude‑oil importer, has seen demand surge from 2.3 million barrels per day in 1990 to around 16.2 million bpd in 2023.

India, consuming 5.05 million barrels per day, is the third‑largest consumer and has ramped up from 1.2 million bpd in 1990. It is also heavily reliant on imports; over 85 % of its crude comes from abroad, leaving it vulnerable to geopolitical shocks and price swings. India’s recent pivot back to Middle Eastern suppliers after Russia trimmed exports underscores this dependency.

A concise quiz from the UPSC portal Vajiram & Ravi points out that the top five oil consumers, the United States, China, India, Russia and Japan, together use nearly 48 % of the world’s oil. On the supply side, just five countries produce about half of all crudevajiramandravi.com, making the market doubly concentrated.

While developed economies still dominate oil consumption, Asia is closing the gap.

As China and India’s appetite grows, and as Western nations push toward cleaner energy, the future of oil will hinge on how these few big consumers balance growth with energy transition. In this high‑stakes landscape, policy decisions in Washington, Beijing and New Delhi will ripple through fuel prices, trade flows and global climate goals.

According to Investopedia , Russia is the world's most resource-rich nation as it boasts an estimated $75 trillion in natural resources.

Russia leads the list due to its abundant reserves of coal, natural gas , oil, gold, timber, and rare earth metals. These resources are pivotal not only to Russia’s economy but also to global markets, especially in energy and industrial production.

The United States comes in second, with $45 trillion in natural resources, including coal, timber, natural gas, gold, and copper. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia rounds out the top three with $34 trillion, largely attributed to its vast oil reserves.

Other notable entries include:

This ranking underscores the strategic importance of natural resources in shaping global economic influence. The world's shift towards renewable energy and technological advancement means that control over critical materials such as rare earth metals may prove even more valuable than traditional fossil fuels.

According to the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2022-2031, cheese consumption, however, varies significantly across the globe.

Switzerland, famous for its fondue and raclette, leads the world in cheese consumption, with an average of 22.48 kg per person annually. Swiss cheese varieties like Emmental and Gruyère are popular both domestically and internationally.

Israel follows closely, with an average consumption of 18.49 kg per person per year. Cheese is a staple in the Israeli diet, often enjoyed with bread and as part of various traditional dishes.

Norwegians consume around 18.18 kg of cheese per person each year. The United States also has an average cheese consumption of 17.92 kg per person annually.

Canada consumes about 14.10 kg of cheese per person per year. Australians enjoy approximately 13.04 kg of cheese per person annually.

While these  three countries  continue to use the imperial system, Liberia and Myanmar are gradually introducing metric units, which are widely used in some contexts.

In the United States, the metric is technically the preferred system, as established by the Metric Conversion Act of 1975, but the imperial system remains prevalent in everyday life.

The United Kingdom presents a unique case; it is officially metric, but imperial units are still commonly used, especially for distances, heights, and weights in daily life. For example, road signs in the UK display miles rather than kilometres, and people often use pounds and ounces for body weight.

The imperial system, with units like inches, feet, pounds, and gallons, traces its origins to everyday items or human body parts, making it less standardised and less easily divisible than the metric system. Supporters of the imperial system argue that its units feel more relatable, while critics see it as less practical for scientific and global consistency.

Conversely, some critics of the metric system, which was designed for straightforward conversion and reference, view it as arbitrary.

Overall, the global trend strongly favours the metric system, with increasing adoption even in the few countries where imperial units still hold sway.