New Champions Rise as Kaju Shines at -63kg and Arbuzov Stuns in -81kg at Budapest 2025
Budapest sets the stage for the middleweights on day 4 of the OTP Bank World Judo Championships.
At -63kg, Haruka KAJU made her World Championship debut, demonstrating a groundwork masterclass on her way to the final. With only two World Tour appearances leading to two Grand Slam golds, could she continue her perfect unbeaten record here in Budapest?
Facing her in the final was Catherine BEAUCHEMIN-PINARD. Already with a World silver to her name, she was determined to walk away with the red backpatch. She too showed impressive ne-waza throughout the preliminaries, she wasn't prepared to settle for second place again.
In a tightly contested final, it came down to golden score - the next point would determine the World Champion. A decisive piece of groundwork continued KAJU's ne-waza success as she held her way to the top of the World.
World Rowing President & IOC Member Mr Jean-Christophe ROLLAND awarded the medals.
At -81kg, triple World Champion Tato GRIGALASHVILI arrived in Budapest as the man to beat on his quest for a fourth title. The Georgian superstar has dominated the category with his explosive techniques and was determined to extend his reign at the top of world judo. All eyes were on him as he worked his way through the preliminaries and towards history.
Timur ARBUZOV stepped up to repeat last year's World final, but this time he was looking to flip the script and take the gold medal for himself. His performances throughout the day were confident and composed and now with the gold medal match in sight, ARBUZOV looked ready to rewrite his story. He wasn't just chasing gold, he was chasing redemption.
In the final, ARBUZOV needed to overcome one of judo's greats to claim his place at the top. He stayed calm under pressure and scored big with an ippon that may mark the start of a new era.
IOC Member Mr Balazs FÜRJES awarded the medals.
That's it for day 4 here in the Hungarian capital, see you tomorrow.
US President Donald Trump departed the Group of Seven – or G7 – summit being held in a resort town in the Canadian Rockies on Monday night due to the intensifying conflict between Israel and Iran and growing regional instability in the Middle East.
World leaders at the summit scrambled to find a way to contain the five-day old conflict which has taken the lives of dozens of people across Israel and Iran.
Earlier, Trump had warned that Tehran needs to dismantle its nuclear programme before it's 'too late'.
The US president said Iranian leaders would 'like to talk' but they had already had 60 days to reach an agreement on their nuclear ambitions and failed to do so before an Israeli aerial assault began four days ago. 'They have to make a deal,' he said.
Summie host, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the world is looking to the G7 for leadership during these testing times.
'We're gathering at one of those turning points in history,' Carney said. 'The world's more divided and dangerous.'
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz convened for an informal meeting lasting one hour shortly after their arrival at the summit late on Sunday.
Merz, speaking to reporters at the summit, said his country is planning to draft a final communique proposal on the conflict, stressing that Iran must under no condition 'be allowed' to acquire nuclear weapons-capable material.
Trump said Iran "is not winning this war. And they should talk and they should talk immediately before it's too late.' The US president was also asked on whether Washington will join Israel in its military operation in Iran, but Trump declined to comment on the matter.
Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Monday that they have signed a trade deal which will slash tariffs on UK auto and aerospace industry imports.
The new deal was announced on the sidelines of the summit. Trump and Starmer did however note that negotiations are still ongoing on the steel production sector.
Trump insists that the deal with the UK is 'fair for both', adding that he expects it to produce a lot of jobs and income for both nations. Starmer took a similar tone to Trump as he addressed reporters saying the deal is a sign of strength and a 'very good day' for both countries.
Reaching an agreement is significant as Trump has threatened much of the world with substantial import tariffs that have caused market instability and heightened the risk of a global trade war.
Although he has backed off on several of his suggested tariffs, he has persisted in indicating that officials from his administration are vigorously engaged in negotiations for new trade agreements with numerous nations — despite the fact that very few have come to fruition.
The agreement follows the leaders' announcement in May revealing that they'd reached a framework for a trade pact. This pact aims to significantly reduce US import taxes on British cars, steel, and aluminium in exchange for enhanced access to the British market for US goods, such as beef and ethanol.
However, the agreement reached on Monday exclusively addresses British cars and aerospace materials, with further negotiations required for steel.
London says the new deal would give British firms like Rolls Royce which produces engines for airplanes as well as high-end luxury vehicles a major boost, receiving an exemption from the 10% tariffs originally imposed.
The US president also stirred controversy at the summit as he suggested that the G7 should expand to the G8, including Russia, or even the G9 with China.
Trump expressed his preference for the organisation's expansion despite the fact that Russia and China are authoritarian regimes within a group whose members are democratic nations.
Trump asserted that it was a 'very big mistake' to remove Russia in 2014 after it annexed Crimea, a move that preceded Russia's wider invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The comments added more complexity regarding Trump's interests as he is set to meet on Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about ending the brutal war started by the invasion.
'The G7 used to be the G8. Barack Obama and a person named Trudeau didn't want to have Russia in,' Trump said, referring to Justin Trudeau, who was elected prime minister a year after Russia's removal. Stephen Harper was the Canadian prime minister at the time.
'I think you wouldn't have a war right now if you had Russia in, and you wouldn't have a war right now if Trump were president four years ago,' Trump said. 'They threw Russia out, which I claimed was a very big mistake, even though I wasn't in politics then.'
Asked by a reporter if China should also be added, Trump said: 'It's not a bad idea. I don't mind that if somebody wants to see just China coming in.'
The US president said it's important for world leaders to be able to speak with one another at summits.
'Putin speaks to me. He doesn't speak to anybody else," Trump said. "He doesn't want to talk because he was very insulted when he got thrown out of the G8, as I would be, as you would be, as anybody would be.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
11 hours ago
- Euronews
Hundreds reported dead as Israel-Iran conflict continues into day four
Welcome to day 3 of the OTP Bank World Judo Championships here in Budapest! In the -57 kg, World bronze and silver medallist Momo TAMAOKI was here to finally claim the elusive World title. She fought her way through the preliminaries and earned her place in the final for the second time. There she met Georgia's Eteri LIPARTELIANI, a rising star who made it to her first World final after an outstanding day of judo. She impressed the crowd with her big techniques and fearless approach to every contest. With momentum on her side and the world title within reach, she stepped onto the tatami ready to challenge for gold. In the final, it was LIPARTELIANI who dominated the contest, controlling the pace from the very beginning. With two big waza-ari scores she left no doubt as to who deserved the victory, earning herself the coveted red backpatch. In front of a roaring Budapest crowd, she delivered the performance of her career and etched her name into the history books as she became the first ever female World Champion for Georgia. A truly landmark moment for her and her country. Former President of Croatia & IOC Member Mrs Kolinda GRABAR-KITAROVIC awarded the medals. In the -73 kg, Joan-Benjamin GABA was having the best run of his career, scoring ippon in every contest on his way to the final. It was no holds barred from the Frenchman, who fought with fearless commitment, determined to make this his moment. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, GABA's eyes were fixed on one goal - walking away with the world title. In the final he would face Daniel CARGNIN who was looking to upgrade his previous bronze to gold. Could the Brazilian take the top spot? The pressure was on in golden score and the first point would win the title. A waza-ari from GABA was enough to claim the top spot on the podium. A golden moment that crowned the performance of a lifetime. A fearless run to the top of the world. ANOCA President & IOC Member Mr Mustapha BERRAF awarded the medals. From beautiful Budapest, that's all for Day 3. Iran launched a new wave of missile attacks on Israel early on Monday, triggering air raid sirens across the country as emergency services reported projectiles striking and shrapnel falling in Israel's north and centre, wounding at least 67 people. Authorities in the central Israeli city of Petah Tikva near Tel Aviv said that Iranian missiles had hit a residential building there, charring concrete walls, blowing out windows and heavily damaging multiple apartments. Israel's Magen David Adom (MDA) emergency service said five were killed and 92 wounded on Monday over the course of Iranian missile strikes on the country — an increase of one on the previous four deaths. The casualties were from strikes on four sites in central Israel, the MDA said in a statement, adding those killed included 'two women and two men around the age of 70, as well as one additional fatality'. Iran on Sunday raised its death toll to 224 people, according to its health ministry. Health authorities also reported that 1,277 were wounded, without distinguishing between military officials and civilians. More than 230 people are reported dead across Israel and Iran since Israel launched its first strikes on Friday, leading to an ongoing exchange of attacks with no end in sight. On Sunday night, emergency responders were still struggling to contain fires started by strikes on the northern port city of Haifa. In Haifa, an oil refinery was damaged, the firm operating it said. Israel's main international airport and airspace was closed for a third day. Claiming to operate almost freely in the skies over Iran, Israel said its attacks Sunday hit Iran's Defence Ministry, missile launch sites and factories producing air defence components. Iran also acknowledged Israel had killed more of its top generals, including the Revolutionary Guard intelligence chief, Mohammad Kazemi. But Israeli strikes have also extended beyond Iranian military installations to hit government buildings including the Foreign Ministry and several energy facilities, Iranian authorities said, most recently sparking fires Sunday at the Shahran oil depot north of Tehran and a fuel tank south of the city. The strikes raised the prospect of a broader assault on Iran's heavily sanctioned energy industry that is vital to the global economy and markets. Israel, which has aimed its missiles at Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear programme and military leadership, said Iran has fired over 270 missiles since Friday, 22 of which slipped through the country's sophisticated multi-tiered air defences and caused havoc in residential suburbs, killing 14 people and wounding 390 others. Israel, the sole though undeclared nuclear-armed state in the Middle East, has said this attack — its most powerful ever against Iran — was to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. The latest round of talks between the US and Iran on the future of Tehran's nuclear program had been scheduled Sunday in Oman but were cancelled after Israel's attack. EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas will convene an emergency meeting of the 27-nation bloc's foreign ministers Tuesday to discuss the conflict between Israel and Iran. The meeting, to be held via video link, 'will provide an opportunity for an exchange of views, coordination on diplomatic outreach to Tel Aviv and Tehran, and possible next steps,' Kallas' office said Sunday. 'We will continue to contribute to all diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions and to find a lasting solution to the Iranian nuclear issue which can only be through a negotiated deal,' it said. US President Donald Trump in a social media post Sunday said that Iran and Israel 'should make a deal, and will make a deal,' comparing his efforts to agreements that had stopped hostilities between India and Pakistan and in other global hotspots. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said if Israeli strikes on Iran stop, then 'our responses will also stop.' Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency has confirmed the death of the Islamic Revolutionary Corps intelligence chief Mohammad Kazemi and his deputy Hassan Mohaqiq. It added that a third IRGC intelligence officer, Mohsen Bagheri, was also killed in the strike in Tehran. They were reportedly killed in an Israeli strike on Sunday. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had already stated earlier that Kazemi and Mohaqiq had been killed. Israel and Iran launched attacks on each other for the third day in a row on Sunday, killing scores of civilians, and raising fears of a wider conflict. As the death toll continues to rise, both sides have threatened to unleash even greater force. At least 14 people have been confirmed dead in Israel. Iranian state media announced on Sunday that the death toll of Israel's attacks on Iran had climbed to 224 since Friday, adding that the majority were civilians. For the first time, Iran also launched a daytime barrage against Israel. At least one of the missiles launched on Sunday evening hit a building in the coastal city of Haifa, injuring four people, bringing the number of wounded across the country to 15. Israelis have now been told they can leave shelters, after the missile attack caused several light injuries and damage in both the north and south of the country. In Iran, images from the capital showed the night sky lit up by a huge blaze at a fuel depot after Israel began strikes against its oil and gas sector. Meanwhile, US-Iran nuclear talks were called off on Sunday, and a US official says that President Donald Trump has rejected a plan by the Israelis to kill Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Euronews
12 hours ago
- Euronews
New Champions Rise as Kaju Shines at -63kg and Arbuzov Stuns in -81kg at Budapest 2025
Budapest sets the stage for the middleweights on day 4 of the OTP Bank World Judo Championships. At -63kg, Haruka KAJU made her World Championship debut, demonstrating a groundwork masterclass on her way to the final. With only two World Tour appearances leading to two Grand Slam golds, could she continue her perfect unbeaten record here in Budapest? Facing her in the final was Catherine BEAUCHEMIN-PINARD. Already with a World silver to her name, she was determined to walk away with the red backpatch. She too showed impressive ne-waza throughout the preliminaries, she wasn't prepared to settle for second place again. In a tightly contested final, it came down to golden score - the next point would determine the World Champion. A decisive piece of groundwork continued KAJU's ne-waza success as she held her way to the top of the World. World Rowing President & IOC Member Mr Jean-Christophe ROLLAND awarded the medals. At -81kg, triple World Champion Tato GRIGALASHVILI arrived in Budapest as the man to beat on his quest for a fourth title. The Georgian superstar has dominated the category with his explosive techniques and was determined to extend his reign at the top of world judo. All eyes were on him as he worked his way through the preliminaries and towards history. Timur ARBUZOV stepped up to repeat last year's World final, but this time he was looking to flip the script and take the gold medal for himself. His performances throughout the day were confident and composed and now with the gold medal match in sight, ARBUZOV looked ready to rewrite his story. He wasn't just chasing gold, he was chasing redemption. In the final, ARBUZOV needed to overcome one of judo's greats to claim his place at the top. He stayed calm under pressure and scored big with an ippon that may mark the start of a new era. IOC Member Mr Balazs FÜRJES awarded the medals. That's it for day 4 here in the Hungarian capital, see you tomorrow. US President Donald Trump departed the Group of Seven – or G7 – summit being held in a resort town in the Canadian Rockies on Monday night due to the intensifying conflict between Israel and Iran and growing regional instability in the Middle East. World leaders at the summit scrambled to find a way to contain the five-day old conflict which has taken the lives of dozens of people across Israel and Iran. Earlier, Trump had warned that Tehran needs to dismantle its nuclear programme before it's 'too late'. The US president said Iranian leaders would 'like to talk' but they had already had 60 days to reach an agreement on their nuclear ambitions and failed to do so before an Israeli aerial assault began four days ago. 'They have to make a deal,' he said. Summie host, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the world is looking to the G7 for leadership during these testing times. 'We're gathering at one of those turning points in history,' Carney said. 'The world's more divided and dangerous.' British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz convened for an informal meeting lasting one hour shortly after their arrival at the summit late on Sunday. Merz, speaking to reporters at the summit, said his country is planning to draft a final communique proposal on the conflict, stressing that Iran must under no condition 'be allowed' to acquire nuclear weapons-capable material. Trump said Iran "is not winning this war. And they should talk and they should talk immediately before it's too late.' The US president was also asked on whether Washington will join Israel in its military operation in Iran, but Trump declined to comment on the matter. Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Monday that they have signed a trade deal which will slash tariffs on UK auto and aerospace industry imports. The new deal was announced on the sidelines of the summit. Trump and Starmer did however note that negotiations are still ongoing on the steel production sector. Trump insists that the deal with the UK is 'fair for both', adding that he expects it to produce a lot of jobs and income for both nations. Starmer took a similar tone to Trump as he addressed reporters saying the deal is a sign of strength and a 'very good day' for both countries. Reaching an agreement is significant as Trump has threatened much of the world with substantial import tariffs that have caused market instability and heightened the risk of a global trade war. Although he has backed off on several of his suggested tariffs, he has persisted in indicating that officials from his administration are vigorously engaged in negotiations for new trade agreements with numerous nations — despite the fact that very few have come to fruition. The agreement follows the leaders' announcement in May revealing that they'd reached a framework for a trade pact. This pact aims to significantly reduce US import taxes on British cars, steel, and aluminium in exchange for enhanced access to the British market for US goods, such as beef and ethanol. However, the agreement reached on Monday exclusively addresses British cars and aerospace materials, with further negotiations required for steel. London says the new deal would give British firms like Rolls Royce which produces engines for airplanes as well as high-end luxury vehicles a major boost, receiving an exemption from the 10% tariffs originally imposed. The US president also stirred controversy at the summit as he suggested that the G7 should expand to the G8, including Russia, or even the G9 with China. Trump expressed his preference for the organisation's expansion despite the fact that Russia and China are authoritarian regimes within a group whose members are democratic nations. Trump asserted that it was a 'very big mistake' to remove Russia in 2014 after it annexed Crimea, a move that preceded Russia's wider invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The comments added more complexity regarding Trump's interests as he is set to meet on Tuesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about ending the brutal war started by the invasion. 'The G7 used to be the G8. Barack Obama and a person named Trudeau didn't want to have Russia in,' Trump said, referring to Justin Trudeau, who was elected prime minister a year after Russia's removal. Stephen Harper was the Canadian prime minister at the time. 'I think you wouldn't have a war right now if you had Russia in, and you wouldn't have a war right now if Trump were president four years ago,' Trump said. 'They threw Russia out, which I claimed was a very big mistake, even though I wasn't in politics then.' Asked by a reporter if China should also be added, Trump said: 'It's not a bad idea. I don't mind that if somebody wants to see just China coming in.' The US president said it's important for world leaders to be able to speak with one another at summits. 'Putin speaks to me. He doesn't speak to anybody else," Trump said. "He doesn't want to talk because he was very insulted when he got thrown out of the G8, as I would be, as you would be, as anybody would be.'
Euronews
a day ago
- Euronews
Liparteliani makes history for Georgia as Gaba claims gold on unforgettable Day 3 in Budapest
Welcome to day 3 of the OTP Bank World Judo Championships here in Budapest! In the -57 kg, World bronze and silver medallist Momo TAMAOKI was here to finally claim the elusive World title. She fought her way through the preliminaries and earned her place in the final for the second time. There she met Georgia's Eteri LIPARTELIANI, a rising star who made it to her first World final after an outstanding day of judo. She impressed the crowd with her big techniques and fearless approach to every contest. With momentum on her side and the world title within reach, she stepped onto the tatami ready to challenge for gold. In the final, it was LIPARTELIANI who dominated the contest, controlling the pace from the very beginning. With two big waza-ari scores she left no doubt as to who deserved the victory, earning herself the coveted red backpatch. In front of a roaring Budapest crowd, she delivered the performance of her career and etched her name into the history books as she became the first ever female World Champion for Georgia. A truly landmark moment for her and her country. Former President of Croatia & IOC Member Mrs Kolinda GRABAR-KITAROVIC awarded the medals. In the -73 kg, Joan-Benjamin GABA was having the best run of his career, scoring ippon in every contest on his way to the final. It was no holds barred from the Frenchman, who fought with fearless commitment, determined to make this his moment. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, GABA's eyes were fixed on one goal - walking away with the world title. In the final he would face Daniel CARGNIN who was looking to upgrade his previous bronze to gold. Could the Brazilian take the top spot? The pressure was on in golden score and the first point would win the title. A waza-ari from GABA was enough to claim the top spot on the podium. A golden moment that crowned the performance of a lifetime. A fearless run to the top of the world. ANOCA President & IOC Member Mr Mustapha BERRAF awarded the medals. From beautiful Budapest, that's all for Day 3. Iran launched a new wave of missile attacks on Israel early on Monday, triggering air raid sirens across the country as emergency services reported projectiles striking and shrapnel falling in Israel's north and centre, wounding at least 67 people. Authorities in the central Israeli city of Petah Tikva near Tel Aviv said that Iranian missiles had hit a residential building there, charring concrete walls, blowing out windows and heavily damaging multiple apartments. There was no immediate word on the number of casualties from that strike as rescuers searched through the ruins. Over 230 people are reported dead across Israel and Iran since Israel launched its first strikes on Friday, leading to an ongoing exchange of attacks with no end in sight. On Sunday night, emergency responders were still struggling to contain fires started by strikes on the northern port city of Haifa. In Haifa, an oil refinery was damaged, the firm operating it said. Israel's main international airport and airspace was closed for a third day. Iran raised its death toll on Sunday to 224 people. Health authorities also reported that 1,277 were wounded, without distinguishing between military officials and civilians. Claiming to operate almost freely in the skies over Iran, Israel said its attacks Sunday hit Iran's Defence Ministry, missile launch sites and factories producing air defence components. Iran also acknowledged Israel had killed more of its top generals, including the Revolutionary Guard intelligence chief, Mohammad Kazemi. But Israeli strikes have also extended beyond Iranian military installations to hit government buildings including the Foreign Ministry and several energy facilities, Iranian authorities said, most recently sparking fires Sunday at the Shahran oil depot north of Tehran and a fuel tank south of the city. The strikes raised the prospect of a broader assault on Iran's heavily sanctioned energy industry that is vital to the global economy and markets. Israel, which has aimed its missiles at Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear programme and military leadership, said Iran has fired over 270 missiles since Friday, 22 of which slipped through the country's sophisticated multi-tiered air defences and caused havoc in residential suburbs, killing 14 people and wounding 390 others. Israel, the sole though undeclared nuclear-armed state in the Middle East, has said this attack — its most powerful ever against Iran — was to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. The latest round of talks between the US and Iran on the future of Tehran's nuclear program had been scheduled Sunday in Oman but were cancelled after Israel's attack. EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas will convene an emergency meeting of the 27-nation bloc's foreign ministers Tuesday to discuss the conflict between Israel and Iran. The meeting, to be held via video link, 'will provide an opportunity for an exchange of views, coordination on diplomatic outreach to Tel Aviv and Tehran, and possible next steps,' Kallas' office said Sunday. 'We will continue to contribute to all diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions and to find a lasting solution to the Iranian nuclear issue which can only be through a negotiated deal,' it said. US President Donald Trump in a social media post Sunday said that Iran and Israel 'should make a deal, and will make a deal,' comparing his efforts to agreements that had stopped hostilities between India and Pakistan and in other global hotspots. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said if Israeli strikes on Iran stop, then 'our responses will also stop.'
