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Russia bans diesel exports to ensure domestic supply after targeted Ukrainian drone strikes

MOSCOW, July 8 (Reuters) - Russia introduced a ban on diesel exports on Wednesday as part of a raft of measures to support the domestic fuel market after systematic Ukrainian drone attacks on oil refineries triggered shortages and price spikes in some regions.

Drivers in many regions are facing hours-long lines to refuel, as intensifying Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure squeeze supplies of diesel and gasoline.

Russia's Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak speaks during a session of the Russian Energy Week international forum in Moscow, Russia, October 15, 2025. REUTERS/Ramil Sitdikov

Trump's Board of Peace planning pilot humanitarian zone in Gaza, official says

July 8 (Reuters) - Donald Trump’s Board of Peace is planning a pilot humanitarian zone for Gazans as a way to kickstart the U.S. president's stalled peace plan, regardless of whether a deal is reached with Hamas on the peace plan's second phase, a board official said.

The official didn't specify the location, but said the Trump-appointed board had identified secure areas that could host tens of thousands of Gazans, where goods and services could be scaled up to meet the humanitarian needs of those willing to move there.

Trump says he thinks Israel will withdraw troops from southern Lebanon

ANKARA, July 8 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he thought Israel would withdraw troops from southern Lebanon because it wanted to take that step, despite comments from Israel's leader indicating otherwise.

Trump told reporters at the NATO Summit in Ankara that he had discussed a withdrawal with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"Yeah, I think they're going to. I think they want to," Trump said. "So we have a deal with Israel and Lebanon. Yeah, they'll leave. And I think it's going to work out very well."

An Israeli tank and an APC maneuver on the Israeli side of the Israel-Lebanon border, after crossing the border into Israel, July 1, 2026. Picture taken with a mobile phone. REUTERS/Avi Ohayon

Trump on Iran: US will probably hit them again Wednesday night

By Gram Slattery and Humeyra Pamuk

ANKARA, July 8 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to attack Iran again after saying an initial ceasefire deal with the Islamic Republic was "over", though he has not made clear whether Washington would be returning to full-on war with Iran.

US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (not pictured) on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, 08 July 2026. The NATO Summit takes place from 07-08 July.  FILIP SINGER/Pool via REUTERS

Qatari LNG tanker awaits salvage off Oman after projectile strike

By Jonathan Saul, Marwa Rashad and Andrew Mills

LONDON/DOHA, July 8 (Reuters) - A Qatari LNG tanker remained stranded off Oman on Wednesday after a projectile strike sparked a fire in its engine room, though industry sources said the vessel's cargo appeared secure and the risk of an explosion was low for now.

An archive photo taken on May 9, 2015 of Qatari LNG tanker Al Rekayyat, that a source said on July 7, 2026 had sent out distress signals seeking assistance after it was hit on its port side, at an unknown location. Ivan Meshkov/Handout via REUTERS

Israeli jails a 'graveyard,' says freed Palestinian journalist

A Palestinian journalist said Israeli prisons have become a "graveyard" for the living, following a dramatic decline in his health after being released earlier this year. In late April, Israel released 60-year-old journalist Ali Al-Samoudi from Jenin after a year in detention.
Mujahed Bani Mufleh, 37, spent six months in jail after being accused of inciting violence against Israel through his journalistic work

IMF cuts 2026 world growth forecast, flags risks from new Mideast fighting

The IMF cut its 2026 global growth projection again Wednesday, flagging "uncertainty and risks" to the economic outlook as fighting reignited in the Middle East. "Developments overnight illustrate the uncertainty and risks that surround the outlook," said Petya Koeva Brooks, deputy director at the IMF's research department.
The International Monetary Fund says renewed hostilities in the Middle East underscore the uncertainty behind the global economic outlook

Trump told NATO leaders he wants to keep US in alliance, source says

By Sabine Siebold

ANKARA, July 8 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump told NATO allies he wanted to keep the United States in the alliance at a leaders' meeting in Ankara on Wednesday, a source familiar with the talks told Reuters.

Inside the closed summit meeting, he also said the U.S. was prepared to continue selling weapons to allies no matter how they were put to use, the source said, requesting anonymity.

The source quoted Trump as having told NATO leaders: "We want to remain with you".

U.S. President Donald Trump arrives for a family photo during the NATO leaders summit at the Bestepe Presidential Compound in Ankara, Turkey, July 8, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Explainer-What are the risks of an LNG tanker explosion?

By Marwa Rashad

LONDON, July 8 (Reuters) - A Qatari tanker loaded with liquefied natural gas (LNG) was at risk of exploding, one source said, after it sustained significant damage in an attack on the Omani side of the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday.

While the LNG industry has experienced a few accidents at onshore facilities, there has never been a catastrophic LNG cargo-tank explosion on a commercial LNG carrier at sea. Recent targeting of energy shipping vessels by belligerents in both the Ukraine and Iran wars has raised concerns, however.

An archive photo taken on May 9, 2015 of Qatari LNG tanker Al Rekayyat, that a source said on July 7, 2026 had sent out distress signals seeking assistance after it was hit on its port side, at an unknown location. Ivan Meshkov/Handout via REUTERS

Trump says interim accord with Iran to end war is "over"

ANKARA, July 8 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the memorandum of understanding signed with Iran to end the conflict was "over", adding he didn't want to engage with Tehran.

The interim ceasefire agreement signed between Washington and Tehran — under the mediation of Pakistan — was intended to provide a 60-day window for negotiations on a permanent agreement, but indirect talks in Qatar ended last week with no sign of headway and the U.S. military unleashed a new wave of strikes against Iran on Tuesday.

ANKARA, TURKIYE - JULY 07: US President Donald Trump at Ankara Airport, who is paying an official visit to Turkey ahead of the 36th NATO Heads of State and Government Summit in Ankara, Turkey, on July 07, 2026. Dogukan Keskinkilic/Pool via REUTERS