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Putin, Macron discuss Iran, Ukraine in first phone call in nearly three years

France and Russia are both permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin had a “substantial” phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron on the Iran-Israel conflict and Ukraine, the Kremlin said on Tuesday, the first such exchange between the two leaders since September 2022, Reuters reported.

In Paris, Macron’s office said the call lasted two hours and that the French leader had called for a ceasefire in Ukraine and the start of negotiations on ending the conflict.

A French diplomatic source said Macron had talked to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy before and after his call with Putin to brief him on the talks. Macron also talked to U.S. President Donald Trump about the exchange.

According to the Kremlin press service, Putin said it was necessary to respect Iran’s right to the peaceful development of nuclear energy as well as its continued compliance with its obligations under the nuclear nonproliferation treaty.

The French president’s office said Macron, who sees the Iranian nuclear threat as sufficiently serious to justify the involvement of all five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, had also stressed the need for Iran to cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency, read the report.

Iran’s parliament approved a bill last month to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog, after Israel and the United States bombed Iran’s nuclear sites, aiming to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Iran has denied seeking one.

Macron “expressed his determination to seek a diplomatic solution that would lead to a lasting and rigorous resolution of the nuclear issue, the question of Iran’s missiles, and its role in the region,” his office said, adding that the two leaders had decided to “coordinate” their efforts.

France and Russia are both permanent members of the U.N. Security Council.

On Ukraine, Putin reiterated his position to Macron that the war was “a direct consequence of the West’s policy,” which he said had “ignored Russia’s security interests” over the past few years.

Any possible peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine should have a “comprehensive and long-term character” and be based on “new territorial realities,” the Kremlin quoted Putin as saying.

Putin has previously said Ukraine must accept Russia’s annexation of swaths of its territory as part of any peace deal.

Macron has said Ukraine alone should decide on whether or not to accept territorial concessions.

During Tuesday’s call, Macron’s office said, “the president emphasised France’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Macron and Putin aim to continue their discussions on Ukraine and Iran, the French president’s office said.

Macron and Putin held regular discussions around the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which was criticised by some European allies, with Macron also visiting Putin in Russia shortly before the invasion in February 2022, Reuters reported.

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Three killed, two injured in shooting at Idaho shopping center

Authorities said at least two other people were wounded and transported for medical treatment. Their conditions were not immediately released.

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Three people, including the suspected gunman, were killed and at least two others were injured after a shooting at a busy shopping area in Twin Falls, Idaho, on Saturday, local authorities said.

The incident occurred at around 2:30 p.m. local time near an In-N-Out Burger restaurant in a high-traffic commercial district, according to Josh Palmer, the city’s public information coordinator.

Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said the suspected shooter was among the dead and confirmed that the threat to the community had been eliminated.

“At this point, the shooter is no longer a threat,” Hicks told reporters, adding that investigators are working to identify the suspect and determine a motive for the attack.

Authorities said at least two other people were wounded and transported for medical treatment. Their conditions were not immediately released.

Following the shooting, the Twin Falls Police Department temporarily closed roads surrounding the scene, including a nearby bridge, as officers secured the area and launched an investigation.

Twin Falls, with a population of about 47,400, is located in Idaho’s Magic Valley region.

Police have not yet released additional details about the victims or the circumstances surrounding the shooting, and the investigation remains ongoing.

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Saar: Trade shifts from Pakistan to Central Asia and Iran discussed

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US to make visa bond program permanent for people from dozens of countries

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The U.S. State Department will make permanent a visa bond program ‌that could require applicants from 50 countries, mostly from Africa, to post bonds of up to $20,000 when seeking U.S. visas, according to a federal noticeposted online on Friday.

The Federal Register notice applies ​to B1 and B2 visas, which are issued for business and tourism ​travel.

“Consular officers may require covered nonimmigrant visa applicants to post ⁠a bond of up to $20,000 as a condition of visa issuance, as determined ​by the consular officers,” the notice said.

“The 2025 visa bond pilot, which provided a ​framework for the Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of the Treasury to assess the feasibility of administering a visa bond program, has provided sufficient ​data to suggest that a visa bond program is an effective tool for ​enforcing compliance among bonded visa holders.”

In the pilot program, consular officers could require bonds of $5,000, $10,000 or up ‌to $15,000. ⁠The final rule eliminates the $5,000 option and raises the maximum bond to $20,000.

The final rule goes into effect on August 3 when it is scheduled for publication in the Federal Register. In the list of 50 countries for whose citizens this program applies, ​30 are from ​Africa.

U.S. officials say the ⁠policy is intended to reduce visa overstays. Immigration advocates argue it will deter legitimate travel to the United States.

Rights advocates say ​President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown violates free speech and due ​process, while creating ⁠an unsafe environment for ethnic minorities and encouraging racial profiling. Trump has defended the measures as necessary to bolster national security.

While Trump says he wants to curb illegal immigration, his ⁠administration ​has made legal immigration more difficult, for example, ​by imposing new and expensive fees for applicants of certain visas and by enforcing social media vetting for applicants ​and immigrants already in the country.

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