Washington, June 12: US President Donald Trump said that the United States and Iran are close to finalising an agreement that would bar Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, raising the prospect of a signing ceremony within days and a broader easing of tensions across the Middle East.

Speaking at the White House, Trump said negotiations had advanced to the point where final documents were being prepared.

“We just made a great settlement of the war with Iran, and we’re going to be subject to finalization of documents, which should get done over the next few days,” Trump told reporters. “We have a deal that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.”

Trump said the agreement could be signed “very soon,” possibly over the weekend in Europe, although he indicated Vice President JD Vance would represent the administration at any formal ceremony.

The President said he had spoken with leaders from several countries involved in the diplomatic effort, including Israel, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait.

A central element of the proposed deal, according to Trump, is Iran’s commitment to permanently forgo nuclear weapons.

“They will not purchase, develop in any way, any shape, in any way, shape or form a nuclear weapon,” he said. “They will not have a nuclear weapon.”

Asked whether Iran’s Supreme Leader had approved the arrangement, Trump replied: “Sir, I understand the answer is yes.”

Trump described the framework as “a very strong memorandum of understanding” and said it had been endorsed by countries with significant influence in the region.

“It’s a very detailed memorandum of understanding, also agreed to by many other countries that have great influence over them,” he said.

The President also said the maritime blockade linked to the conflict would end once the agreement is signed.

“The Strait will open as soon as we have it signed,” Trump said. “Maybe it’ll be Saturday or Monday.”

He claimed the United States had been conducting operations to secure shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy transit routes.

“We brought many, many ships across and millions, hundreds of millions of barrels of oil were brought across,” Trump said.

Trump argued that recent military pressure had altered Tehran’s calculations and increased its willingness to reach an agreement.

“They’ve taken a pounding,” he said. “They want to make the deal a lot more than I do.”

He further claimed that Iran’s military capabilities had been severely degraded during the conflict.

“Their navy is gone, their air force is gone, their anti-aircraft is gone,” Trump said. “But we found them to be rational and they’re going to make a deal.”

Throughout his remarks, Trump repeatedly returned to what he called the core objective of the negotiations.

“Iran will in no way, shape or form have a nuclear weapon or purchase a nuclear weapon,” he said.

Mumbai, June 11: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday said that it has successfully secured the deportation of Red Notice subject Ganesh Balaso Kale from Thailand to India.

The deportation process was carried out in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), and the Embassy of India in Bangkok.

According to the officials, Kale is wanted in connection with cybercrime fraud, in which victims were lured by the offer of online part-time jobs. They were asked to make certain deposits as monetary investments and were later defrauded.

Investigators said that the accused used to operate a network of cyber financial criminals by involving various unsuspecting persons in the scam. “He used to lure individuals by promising interest/commission in exchange for allowing the use of their bank accounts for the transfer of illicit funds and subsequently utilised such accounts to cheat multiple innocent victims,” the officials said.

“The subject also allegedly instructed co-accused persons to arrange mobile phones and procure fake SIM cards to facilitate the commission of offences,” the CBI officials added.

Based on the Interpol Red Notice, the accused was located in Thailand. He was detained by the Thai Authorities on May 24 in Bangkok. Following due legal proceedings and close coordination between Indian and Thai authorities, the accused was successfully deported to India.

Officials announced that a Red Corner Notice for Kale was issued in May. He was successfully located, apprehended, and returned to India within about 20 days of the notice.

On Thursday, the accused arrived at Mumbai Airport, where he was taken into custody by the Maharashtra Police’s Cyber Cell.

“The CBI, as the National Central Bureau for INTERPOL in India, coordinates with all Law Enforcement Agencies in India through BHARATPOL for assistance via INTERPOL channels,” officials said.

Investigators said that over 160 wanted criminals have been successfully brought back to India in the last few years through coordination between different agencies.

Tokyo, June 11: Bear attacks have left at least 27 people injured or dead across nine prefectures in Japan during the current fiscal year as of Wednesday noon, according to a tally by a public broadcaster.

According to the Ministry of the Environment, four of the victims were confirmed to have died after being attacked by bears.

By prefecture, Fukushima recorded the highest number of casualties with eight, followed by Akita with five, Iwate with four, Yamagata and Toyama with three each, and Tokyo, Niigata, Hokkaido, and Miyagi with one each, reports Xinhua news agency, quoting public broadcaster NHK.

Based on available information, at least 11 of the 27 victims were attacked within human living areas, including urban districts, farmland, and areas near their homes.

On June 2, four people were injured in a series of bear attacks in a neighbourhood of Fukushima City where businesses and residences are located.

On Tuesday, an elderly woman in her 80s in Yurihonjo City, Akita Prefecture, fell and suffered injuries to her arm and other areas after coming face-to-face with a bear in front of her home. The same day, a woman was attacked by a bear at a shrine parking lot in a mountainous area of Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture, sustaining injuries to her face and shoulder.

In addition, at least nine people, including three of those who died, are believed to have been attacked while visiting forests or mountainous areas to gather wild edible plants.

Meanwhile, more bear sightings have been recorded in urban areas, raising public concern. On Tuesday, a roughly 100 kg bear was cornered and tranquilised following four days of repeated sightings in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, prompting the temporary closure of all 94 municipal elementary and junior high schools. Another bear was captured Wednesday night near Amanohashidate, a famous scenic spot in Kyoto Prefecture, according to Kyodo News.

To help prevent bear attacks, the Ministry of the Environment urges people to carry radios or bear bells, travel in groups rather than alone, deliberately make loud noises in areas with poor visibility, avoid leaving food waste or other attractants that may draw bears, and check the latest bear sighting information issued by local governments.