Iran foreign minister in dramatic visit to G7 summit
Biarritz (France): Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif flew into Biarritz in southern France for the G7 summit on Sunday in an unexpected and dramatic attempt to break a diplomatic deadlock over Tehran's disputed nuclear programme.
Zarif's presence had not been announced and represented an attempt by French host Emmanuel Macron to find a way to soothe spiralling tensions between Iran and the United States.
He was not expected to hold face-to-face talks with US President Donald Trump but the presence of the two men in the same place sparked hopes of a detente.
"Zarif... has arrived in Biarritz... to continue talks regarding the recent measures between the presidents of Iran and France," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi tweeted, after flight tracking sites spotted that Zarif's plane had landed in Biarritz.
The French presidency confirmed his arrival but emphasised no talks were planned with the American side.
US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said that Trump had in the past said that if Iran "wants to sit down and negotiate he will not set preconditions," adding he would not make any more comments about "who's here" at the G7.
Macron held talks with Zarif in Paris on the eve of the G7 summit and has been leading efforts to bring Tehran and Washington back to the negotiating table.
Trump's policy of applying "maximum pressure" on Tehran via crippling sanctions has been criticised by European powers and is seen as raising the risk of conflict in the Middle East.
Macron has urged the US administration to offer some sort of relief to Iran, such as lifting sanctions on oil sales to China and India, or a new credit line to enable exports, French officials have said.
This is seen as a first step to get Iran back to the negotiating table, which could then lead to a new international agreement to limit its nuclear programme.
Last year, Trump unilaterally pulled the US out of a landmark deal on the nuclear programme reached between Iran, the US, European powers, Russia and China.
Despite the tensions, Trump proclaimed Sunday that the G7 summit was going "beautifully," but there was no masking over cracks between the US president and his allies on many issues.
Leaders of the G7 countries -- Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States -- put on a united front as they spent a second day in the high-end French surfing town of Biarritz.
Trump arrived in Biarritz fresh from having drastically upped the ante in the trade war with China. European leaders lined up to press for caution and on Sunday Trump gave a glimmer of hope that he was reconsidering his all-or-nothing approach to the dispute between the world's two biggest economies.
Asked whether he was having second thoughts about the trade war, Trump, in a rare moment of public self-doubt, replied: "I have second thoughts about everything."
Then in an extraordinary turnaround, Trump's spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said just hours later that the president had been understood.
He did have regrets, she said, but not what everyone thought. "He regrets not raising the tariffs higher," she explained.
At a breakfast meeting, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson became the latest of the G7 partners to urge Trump to step back from a trade war that critics fear could tip the world economy into recession.
"Just to register a faint, sheep-like note of our view on the trade war -- we are in favour of trade peace on the whole," Johnson told Trump.
The meeting with Johnson, who is sometimes compared to a British version of the populist, nationalist Trump, underlined the White House's dislike for the powerful European Union.
Trump has repeatedly threatened the EU with trade wars and right before his departure from Washington he warned that he would slap wine import tariffs on France if Macron does not retreat on a tax against US tech giants.
The jovial breakfast with Johnson, who is trying to steer the Brexit process taking Britain out of the EU, emphasized that budding new alliance.
Predicting that Johnson would manage to untangle the mess of Brexit, Trump described in typically undiplomatic terms the EU as "an anchor around their ankle." The 73-year-old US leader then promised Johnson a "very big trade deal, bigger than we've ever had."
The Basque resort of Biarritz, which at this time of year usually teems with surfers and sunbathers, has been turned into a fortress for the G7 event with over 13,000 police on duty.
An anti-capitalism demonstration in nearby Bayonne turned ugly Saturday night when the crowd of several hundred tried to get through police barricades and was repelled with water cannon and tear gas.
The leaders will not catch a glimpse of the discontent, with demonstrators forced to gather miles away from Biarritz itself.
But they have enough discord of their own to deal with: in a break with G7 tradition, no joint statement is planned for the end of the talks.
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Visionary leader, scholar Dr. Muhammad Manzoor Alam passes away at 80
New Delhi: Dr. Muhammad Manzoor Alam, a noted scholar, educationist, and social thinker, passed away peacefully on the morning of January 13, 2026. He was 80. His death has left a deep void in academic, social, and religious circles in India and abroad, where he was widely respected for his lifelong work in education, minority empowerment, and ethical scholarship.
Dr. Alam was born on October 9, 1945, in Bihar, to the late M. Abdul Jaleel. From an early age, he showed a strong inclination towards learning and social issues. He pursued higher studies in economics and earned his PhD from Aligarh Muslim University. During his academic years, he developed a keen interest in Islamic social sciences, economic reform, and the role of knowledge in bringing positive change in society.
Dr. Alam had a long and distinguished professional career that took him across several countries. Over the years, he held key academic and advisory positions, including serving as an Economic Advisor at the Ministry of Finance in Saudi Arabia. He was also an Associate Professor of Islamic Economics at Imam Muhammad bin Saud University in Riyadh, where he taught and guided students from different parts of the world.
He played an important role in religious and scholarly work as the Chief Coordinator for the translation of the Quran at the King Fahd Printing Complex in Madinah. He also served as the Chief Representative of India at the International Islamic University in Malaysia and was an active member of the Islamic Development Bank Scholarship Programme Committee.
Dr. Alam was associated with several national and international bodies in leadership and advisory roles. These included the Institute of Objective Studies, the All India Milli Council, the Muslim Social Sciences Association, the Fiqh Academy, the Indian Association of Muslim Social Scientists, the Indo-Arab Economic Cooperation Forum, and other international advisory boards.
In 1986, Dr. Alam founded the Institute of Objective Studies in New Delhi. The institute was set up with the aim of building a strong research-based platform to address issues related to Indian Muslims and other marginalized communities. Under his leadership, IOS emerged as an important centre for academic research, policy studies, interfaith dialogue, and advocacy for minority rights.
Dr. Alam stressed the need for ethical scholarship, serious research, and practical solutions to real-life problems. During his tenure, the institute published several research works, organised national and international seminars, and supported young scholars and researchers. Many academics who worked with IOS credit Dr. Alam for shaping their intellectual and professional journeys.
Dr. Alam was closely connected with leading Muslim scholars and thinkers across the world. He worked and exchanged ideas with well-known intellectuals such as Prof. Ismail Raji Faruqi, Dr. Abdul Hamid AbuSulayman, and other scholars engaged in Islamic thought, economics, and social reform. His work helped strengthen global networks focused on education, research, and dialogue.
His areas of interest included Islamic economics, minority rights, interfaith understanding, education policy, and the broader project of linking knowledge with ethical and social responsibility. His contributions in these fields continue to be studied and discussed by scholars in India and abroad.
Dr. Alam wrote extensively on issues affecting Indian Muslims, global politics, media, education, and social justice. One of his notable works, The Final Wakeup Call, focused on media freedom, global narratives, and the need to amplify the voices of marginalized communities. Through his writings, he consistently argued for informed debate, intellectual honesty, and independent platforms for underrepresented groups.
Beyond his formal roles, Dr. Alam was known as a mentor to hundreds of students, researchers, and social activists. Those who worked closely with him often spoke about his calm approach, clarity of thought, and ability to connect ideas with action. He encouraged young scholars to think independently, work collaboratively, and remain grounded in ethical values.
Dr. Alam was widely admired for his leadership skills, organisational ability, and deep concern for the poor and the marginalized. He was known for his humility, discipline, and unwavering commitment to public service. Colleagues recall him as someone who combined strong principles with a practical understanding of social realities.
Dr. Muhammad Manzoor Alam leaves behind a rich legacy of scholarship, institution-building, and social engagement. The institutions he helped build and the people he mentored continue to carry forward his vision of knowledge-driven social change and justice.
He is survived by his family, students, and a wide circle of admirers across the world.
Condolence prayers have been offered, seeking Allah’s forgiveness for him, elevation of his status in Jannah, and the continuation of his work through future generations.
