Experts examine whether the war involving Iran and the United States, together with the deadlock around Hormuz, could continue for months. Their analysis focuses on the obstacles standing in the way of a lasting deal. The assessment centres on the difficulty of overcoming the barriers that have prevented an agreement. No quick resolution is assumed as the standoff continues.

US-Iran warHormuz Straitdiplomacy

A US Senate committee has voted to hold Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress. The move follows his refusal to answer questions at a hearing focused on his handling of the Covid pandemic. The committee will now refer the matter for potential prosecution. The vote escalates the dispute over his testimony into a possible criminal case.

Anthony FauciUS Senatecontempt of CongressCovid-19

A Senate panel has voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress. The action concerns Fauci’s invocation of the Fifth Amendment during a hearing on Covid-19. Live updates are being followed as the matter develops.

US SenateAnthony Faucicontempt of CongressCovid-19 hearing

The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs voted to hold Dr. Anthony Fauci in contempt of Congress. The action followed his refusal to answer questions about COVID. During his appearance before the committee, Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination more than 100 times.

US SenateAnthony Faucicontempt of CongressCOVID-19

Mexican TikToker Cesar Gastelum was shot and killed while livestreaming. His death is being discussed alongside the killing of fellow TikToker Valeria Marquez last year. The report focuses on who Gastelum was after the fatal shooting.

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The Iranian footballers were among seven members of the national team granted humanitarian visas while they were in Australia for the Women’s Asian Cup. Five of the other players later changed their minds and went back home. The players who stayed have now become Australian citizens, after defying Tehran by choosing not to return.

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Fatemeh Pasandideh and Atefeh Ramezanisadeh refused to sing Iran’s national anthem during the Asian Cup. The two female footballers have now been granted Australian citizenship. They say they are ‘proud’ to become Australian after the anthem protest. Their citizenship follows the public gesture made at the tournament.

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Israel has charged settler Yinon Levi over the killing of prominent Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen in the West Bank in July 2025. The indictment marks the first case since the October 7, 2023 attacks in which an Israeli has been charged over the death of a Palestinian in the occupied territory, according to Israeli rights group B’Tselem. The case concerns a death that took place in the West Bank. B’Tselem highlighted the significance of the charge in its account.

IsraelWest BankPalestinianslegal proceedings

Israeli prosecutors have charged a settler in connection with the killing of Palestinian community leader Awdah Hathaleen. The death occurred last year in the occupied West Bank. The case brings a criminal accusation against the settler over the killing of the Palestinian activist. Prosecutors’ action marks a formal step in the case. Hathaleen is described as a community leader and activist.

IsraelWest BanksettlerPalestinian activist

The Goa bench of the Bombay High Court has overturned a 2021 trial court ruling that cleared Tarun Tejpal of every charge. The Indian journalist has now been convicted in the rape case. The decision reverses the earlier acquittal and changes the legal outcome of the case.

Tarun TejpalIndiarape casecourt ruling

Egyptian footballer Mohamed Salah has signed a two-year deal with Trabzonspor. He left Liverpool last season after spending nine years with the Premier League club. The agreement moves Salah to the Turkish side following his departure from Liverpool.

footballMohamed SalahTrabzonspor

Scholar Jason Arday has announced his resignation from his Cambridge professorship. His departure comes as a new investigation into his qualifications gets under way. The allegations concern plagiarism.

Jason ArdayCambridge Universityplagiarism allegations

German authorities have arrested a Ukrainian national suspected of espionage for a foreign intelligence service. Investigators say the suspect photographed a defense site in Bavaria. They allege the activity was carried out in preparation for possible sabotage against the site or related operations.

Germanyespionage allegationsdefense security

German police said on Thursday that they had detained a Ukrainian national suspected of acting as a low-level agent for a foreign intelligence agency. The 33-year-old man was arrested on August 2, according to a statement from police in Bavaria. The case concerns alleged spying connected to a defence firm. Authorities have described the suspected role as limited in level.

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German prosecutors say they have detained a 33-year-old Ukrainian national. The man is suspected of collecting information at the premises of a defence company in southern Germany. Prosecutors allege that the information gathering was intended to support sabotage. The case centers on suspected espionage activity targeting a defence firm.

Germanyespionage allegationsdefence company

Russia has found more than 470 Ukrainian troops guilty over the Kursk incursion. Those convicted include 36 foreign mercenaries from 13 countries.

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More than 40 residents of Russkoye Porechnoye were allegedly tortured to death during the invasion of Kursk by Kyiv’s forces, according to the report. The villagers were said to have been held in basements, where they were tortured before being killed. The account further says that some residents were shot, while others were killed with grenades.

Kurskcivilian casualtiesRussia-Ukraine conflict

Svetlana Petrenko, a spokesperson for Russia’s Investigative Committee, has disclosed details of Ukraine’s incursion into the Kursk Region. According to her account, 640 civilians were killed. More than 560 others were wounded in the episode, she said.

Russia-Ukraine warKursk Regioncivilian casualties

Dozens of health workers at the center of Congo’s Ebola outbreak protested on Thursday. They are demanding payment of wages they say remain unpaid. The workers are operating in the outbreak’s epicenter. Their protest centers on delayed compensation for their work.

CongoEbolahealth workersunpaid wages

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday that Ebola is spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo faster than efforts to contain the outbreak. Families in Ituri province, the epicentre, reported that many frontline health workers had stopped work over pay disputes. The walkout is making access to healthcare even more difficult for affected communities.

Democratic Republic of the CongoEbolahealth worker strike

Iran’s Foreign Ministry says consultations with Oman on establishing a new route through the Strait of Hormuz have reached the “final stage of coordination.” The proposed route has been described by several U.S. media outlets as leading into the Persian Gulf.

IranOmanStrait of Hormuz

An Iran-Oman arrangement concerning the Strait of Hormuz could give Tehran control over shipping traffic, a news agency said. The agency described such a development as one of the major concessions made to Iran so far. The reported deal would therefore affect how maritime movement through the strait is handled.

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Li Zixin cautioned that an agreement between Iran and Oman concerning the Strait of Hormuz would create room for maneuver. He said that if the question of control over the strait remains unresolved, the situation is highly likely to escalate further. In his assessment, such an escalation could potentially trigger a new conflict.

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Iran and Oman are discussing a transit fee for the Strait of Hormuz. The rate under consideration ranges from 3% to 7%. Iran insists that a fee of 5% to 7% should be introduced.

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Oil prices moved between modest gains and losses after Iran said it had reached an agreement with Oman on a proposed shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz. Traders are weighing whether the arrangement could ease energy flows. The market reaction came as oil extended a three-day decline. Attention remains focused on the prospects for smoother passage through the strategic waterway.

oil pricesIranOmanStrait of Hormuz

FIFA President Gianni Infantino held a crisis meeting in Morocco on Wednesday after controversy erupted over opening the World Cup to private investors. In a joint letter with Secretary General Mattias Grafström, Infantino admitted that “mistakes” had been made and that consultation had been lacking. FIFA officials nevertheless reaffirmed their “full support” for the organisation’s president despite the backlash.

FIFAWorld Cupprivate investment

FIFA’s leadership has apologized for a controversial proposal to open the World Cup to private investment. The proposal was later scrapped. Following a crisis meeting, FIFA President Gianni Infantino will remain in his position. The decision leaves the organization’s current leadership in place despite the controversy.

FIFAGianni InfantinoWorld Cupsports governance

FIFA’s leadership has reaffirmed its full backing for president Gianni Infantino. It also apologised for how it handled a now-abandoned proposal to open the World Cup to private investment. The organisation acknowledged that the plan should have been managed differently. The proposal had prompted a fierce international backlash.

FIFAGianni InfantinoWorld Cupprivate investment

Gianni Infantino is facing a leadership crisis after a plan involving World Cup commercial rights collapsed. UEFA, the AFC and Concacaf have threatened to take drastic action over the proposal. FIFA has pledged to defend its president amid the confrontation. The dispute has intensified pressure on the organisation’s leadership and commercial governance.

FIFAGianni InfantinoWorld Cup rightsfootball governance

FIFA says it apologized for mistakes linked to Gianni Infantino’s unsuccessful proposal to sell stakes in the World Cup. The organization said senior staff who attended a summit in Morocco reaffirmed their “full support” for Infantino’s presidency. The statement followed a meeting described as a “crisis meeting” with top staff.

FIFAGianni InfantinogovernanceWorld Cup

The association representing European soccer leagues is calling for reforms to FIFA’s governance. Its demand adds to the pressure facing FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Infantino had already come under scrutiny after his plan to sell stakes in the World Cup failed. The latest development followed a meeting described as a crisis gathering.

FIFAsoccer governanceGianni Infantino

Gianni Infantino has remained in his position after a FIFA crisis meeting, despite widespread demands for his resignation. In a press release, the FIFA board said it had “reaffirmed their full support for Gianni Infantino.” The board described the meeting in Rabat as “constructive and positive.” The statement allows Infantino to continue for now, even as pressure for his departure persists.

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