President Masoud Pezeshkian has declared that Iran will not surrender to US pressures and excessive demands, saying the country’s negotiators will ensure the full restoration of the nation’s rights through the diplomatic process.

Speaking at a meeting with members of the Chamber of Commerce on Monday, Pezeshkian noted that after failing on the military front, the enemy has now concentrated its efforts on economic warfare.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran will not surrender to excessive pressures and demands under any circumstances,” he said.

On February 28, the United States and Israel initiated an unprovoked war against Iran with the assassination of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei and several high-ranking military commanders.

In response, the Iranian Armed Forces carried out 100 waves of counterattacks over 40 days, targeting US and Israeli military assets, which resulted in significant damage.

A Pakistani-mediated two-week ceasefire was brokered on April 8, enabling the ongoing negotiations in Islamabad.

The president added that despite the enemy’s shift to economic warfare following its military failures, “the government and the private sector, through solidarity, cohesion, and joint cooperation, will successfully navigate this phase as well.”

Pezeshkian praised the role of the private sector and economic actors in managing the country’s sensitive situation, describing them as pioneers of the economic front in the enemy’s comprehensive hybrid war.

He said that maintaining market stability, preventing economic volatility, and meeting the country’s needs under wartime conditions have been made possible through the efforts, dedication, and effective presence of economic actors and producers.

“During the recent crisis, no noticeable shortage of goods or serious market disruption was observed,” the president added.

Britain broke its record on Monday for the hottest day in May, according to the national weather agency, with the mercury rising to 33.5℃ near London as the country baked in a sweltering heatwave.

The previous hottest May day saw 32.8℃ heat, first registered in 1922 and again in 1944.

It is just the latest temperature record to tumble in the UK, which saw its hottest year on the books in 2025, with scientists warning that the country is unprepared for the ever-more frequent heatwaves driven by man-made climate change.

The Met Office had earlier forecast highs of 35℃, after heatwave conditions spread to parts of southeast England and London by Sunday night.

“Temperatures at Heathrow have recently reached 33.5℃, provisionally beating the all-time May record,” the Met Office wrote on social media.

“Records are usually only broken by tenths of a degree — making this heatwave unprecedented for the time of year,” the weather agency added earlier.

Monday is also expected to be the hottest bank holiday ever.

“We rarely see temperatures above 35℃, even in the summer months, so to see temperatures getting close to 35℃ in May is, as I say, pretty historic,” Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan told the domestic Press Association news agency.

“It’s nice to have it, but it is much, much hotter than it should be in the UK,” Andrea Quaine, a 41-year-old mother, told AFP in London as temperatures exceeded 30℃ on Sunday.

“I am worried about it because it obviously shows that global warming is happening,” she added.

“The weather here, it’s like a mini version of hell. It’s boiling. It’s like really hot. The sunscreen, it will protect me, but it’s really hot,” said 10-year-old Liza Nizari, who was visiting London from Manchester in the northwest.

Scientists say human-induced climate change is making extreme weather events like heatwaves, droughts and floods more intense, resulting in temperature records being broken more frequently.

Climate advisers last week warned the UK government that the country was “built for a climate that no longer exists” and urged it to adapt infrastructure like schools and hospitals for a warming planet.

• Rights group criticises govt for blocking account.
• BJP Minister Kiren Rijiju dismisses group’s claims.
• Minister questions authenticity of group’s followers.
  

A viral social media account focusing on the concerns of India’s Gen Z has come under attack, with its founder alleging hacking and threats to his family after it won millions of followers disenchanted with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.

The satirical “Cockroach Janta Party” (CJP) account garnered more than 22 million followers on Instagram within days, reflecting mounting unease among young users on issues it highlighted, from unemployment to the leaks of exam questions.

“The government has taken down our iconic website,” founder Abhijeet Dipke wrote on X, adding that its X account had been withheld in India while the group’s Instagram account had been compromised and his family had received threats.

Reuters could not independently verify the claim of a government takedown. The government has not publicly confirmed any action against the website or the Instagram account.

India’s home and IT ministries did not respond to requests for comment.

State electoral wins by Modi’s party

The surge in popularity of the account contrasts with recent electoral victories by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in key states, beefing up its position after more than a decade in power nationally.

Digital rights group the Internet Freedom Foundation criticised the alleged blocking of the X account as an arbitrary bid to curb free speech.

On social media, federal minister Kiren Rijiju, a senior BJP leader, dismissed the phenomenon, saying he pitied those who sought their social media followers from outside the country.

“Those who are heroes of the anti-India gang cannot be heroes of India,” Rijiju said on X in a post that made no mention of the viral CJP. “We have complete faith in Indian democracy and Indian youth.”

Reacting to the minister’s remark, Dipke posted a demographic analysis of his Instagram account, saying, “More than 94% of the audience is from India.”

On his X handle, he asked, “Why is a union minister, Kiren Rijiju, labelling Indian youth as Pakistani?”

Youth anxiety

A survey by polling agency Cvoter found the concerns flagged by the account resonated with younger Indians, as more than 60% of respondents aged between 18 and 24 said they felt anxious about their future.

Six in ten survey respondents said it reflected frustrations over unemployment and governance issues such as exam paper leaks, including one for a recent medical entrance test that affected about 2.3 million candidates.

Joblessness among India’s urban youth stands at 14%, which is far higher than overall unemployment of about 5%, official data show.

A majority of survey respondents said any state action to block such social media platforms would not be justified.

Activist and lawyer Prashant Bhushan said the online movement could gain adherents if it spread beyond social media.

“If they want to take it forward, they will have to organise and mobilise on the ground,” he said.