The death toll from the devastating twin earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24 has risen above 4,000, according to the country’s government, while thousands of people remain missing.

Parliament chief Jorge Rodriguez said in a Telegram post that at least 4,118 people have died and 16,740 others have been injured in the back-to-back earthquakes. The powerful tremors caused widespread destruction across the coastal state of La Guaira, reducing residential buildings and entire neighbourhoods to rubble.

Twin earthquakes caused widespread devastation

The disaster began with a 7.2-magnitude earthquake, followed just 39 seconds later by an even stronger 7.5-magnitude quake. Authorities described the second earthquake as the strongest to hit Venezuela in more than a century.

The twin shocks caused severe structural damage, with several high-rise apartment buildings collapsing completely. Thousands of people are still listed as missing as families continue searching through the debris for their loved ones.

Although official rescue teams have concluded search operations for survivors, many relatives remain at the disaster sites in the hope of recovering the bodies of missing family members for proper burial.

Recovery efforts face major challenges

The humanitarian response continues to face significant obstacles as Venezuela works to recover from one of the country’s deadliest natural disasters. The scale of rebuilding is expected to be enormous, particularly as the nation continues to grapple with long-standing economic difficulties that have affected public services.

Adding to public concern, a 3.0-magnitude tremor struck central Caracas on Friday, briefly triggering panic and prompting evacuations from several buildings.

The United Nations has appealed for nearly $300 million in emergency funding to support earthquake relief operations.

Meanwhile, Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez has urged the release of frozen national assets held overseas to assist with reconstruction efforts. She also said she had requested King Charles III to release around 30 tonnes of Venezuelan gold frozen under UK sanctions to help finance the country’s recovery.

Iran has issued a fresh warning to the United States, saying any breach of commitments will be met with a “reciprocal action”, days after US President Donald Trump declared that the ceasefire agreement with Tehran was “over”.

Speaking through state television, Iran’s foreign ministry said it would respond if Washington failed to honour its commitments. The ministry also dismissed Trump’s assertion that Tehran had requested the continuation of talks with the US.

According to the ministry, Iran did not seek negotiations with Washington but accepted a visit by Qatari mediators to facilitate discussions.

Iran says conflict will not end with surrender

Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said the country would not end the conflict by surrendering, stressing that Tehran remained prepared to defend itself if the US failed to honour the understanding reached between the two sides.

He said ending the conflict was important for countries around the world but maintained that Iran would continue to safeguard the rights of its people. Ghalibaf also claimed he had informed US Vice President JD Vance during negotiations that Iran had no trust in the United States.

He further remarked that those capable of negotiating with the US were those prepared for the possibility of war.

Ali Khomeini, grandson of Islamic Republic founder Ruhollah Khomeini, also commented on the negotiations, saying they should not be viewed as peace talks and reiterating Iran’s longstanding position against compromise with the US.

Fragile ceasefire amid renewed tensions

The latest statements come as tensions between Iran and the US remain high despite an agreement reached last month.

According to the information provided, both sides have exchanged fire in the Middle East since the deal was signed, leaving the ceasefire in a fragile state. The exchanges reportedly eased during the week-long funeral of former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. However, explosions were reported in Iran a day after the funeral, while the US denied any involvement.

Despite the renewed tensions, Trump has agreed to continue negotiations with Iran. Meanwhile, a delegation from Qatar, which has been acting as a mediator, arrived in Iran on Friday for further discussions, according to local media.

France captain Kylian Mbappe etched his name into FIFA World Cup history after becoming the first footballer to score 20 World Cup goals before the age of 30 during France’s 2-0 quarter-final victory over Morocco in Boston.

Mbappe broke the deadlock in the second half with his eighth goal of the ongoing tournament. The strike also saw him draw level with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot while reaching a milestone never previously achieved in World Cup history.

According to the available records, Messi is the only other player to have reached the 20-goal mark at the FIFA World Cup, having scored 21 goals in the competition.

Mbappe recovers after first-half penalty miss

The France skipper had an opportunity to score earlier in the match after winning a penalty following a challenge from Noussair Mazraoui. However, Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou denied him from the spot.

The penalty award sparked debate as television replays appeared to indicate that Mbappe had gone to ground before any contact from Mazraoui.

Despite the setback, Mbappe responded in the second half by opening the scoring and later set up France’s second goal, which was finished by reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele.

France march into World Cup semi-finals

Mbappe was substituted in the 76th minute after appearing to experience some discomfort, with head coach Didier Deschamps deciding not to take any risks.

France’s victory sends Les Bleus into the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals, where they will take on either Spain or Belgium in Dallas next Tuesday.

The 2018 world champions and 2022 runners-up remain on course for a third successive World Cup final under Deschamps, who is overseeing his final World Cup campaign as France coach.

Morocco, playing without injured Ismael Saibari, struggled to create enough attacking opportunities as France controlled the contest to seal another place in the last four.

Mbappe once again underlined his reputation as one of football’s leading goal-scorers, adding another historic achievement to his World Cup career.