The United States and Iran appear closer than ever to a deal that would end a war that has engulfed the Middle East and disrupted the global oil market. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the world might “get some good news” soon after President Donald Trump announced an agreement had been “largely negotiated” and would include the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Before Trump’s announcement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei spoke of “a trend towards rapprochement” with Washington, but warned that “it does not necessarily mean that we and the United States will reach an agreement on the important issues.” He said on state television that Iran’s “intention was first to draft a memorandum of understanding, a kind of framework agreement,” before a final deal is reached within 30 to 60 days. What do we know about the possible agreement? Nuclear question Baghaei said that the nucle...
More than 20 people are trapped under the rubble of a building under construction in the Philippines that collapsed on Sunday, officials said, as rescue efforts continued. Five people were confirmed trapped, including two in contact with rescuers, and 18 more were feared under the rubble, officials said. "We have five confirmed trapped victims, and we have a figure of 18 workers from the list of construction workers on duty today, but no feedback yet from their families. This brings the estimated number of trapped victims to 23 as of today," Maria Leah Sajili, information officer at the regional Bureau of Fire Protection, told a press briefing. At the site of the collapsed multi-storey building under construction in the city of Angeles, north of the capital Manila, rescuers were seen clambering over a mound of concrete slabs and mangled steel, covered in green netting, searching for survivors. The number of rescued, including those in the vicinity, remai...