Thursday

Controversies of Hassan Sheikh Mohamud

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says that ships entering the Strait of Hormuz must cooperate with the Iranian Navy. (The Guardian)

The White House says that China and the United States have both agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open during the Trump-Xi summit. (AA)

China–Iran relations

Russian forces launch overnight strikes in Kyiv, Ukraine, hitting among other targets, a residential building in eastern Darnytskyi district, killing 16 people and wounding 57 others, including several children. (Ukrainska Pravda) (BBC News) (CBC) (NPR)

The internationally-recognized Yemeni government and the rival Supreme Political Council, which includes the Houthis, sign a deal in Amman, Jordan, following 14 weeks of negotations to release over 1,600 detainees in the largest prisoner swap in the civil war's history since 2014. (AP)

It is announced that South Korean band BTS, American singer Madonna and Colombian singer Shakira will headline the ​first-ever FIFA World Cup final halftime show at the ‌MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, United States, on July 19, 2026. (Reuters)

Cuba announces it has completely run out of diesel fuel due to a U.S. blockade of the island as blackouts in Havana now exceed 20-22 hours per day. (UPI)

Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. president Donald Trump, along with business leaders from both countries, meet in Beijing, China. (CNN) (The Guardian)

Xi warns Trump that there could be conflict if the issue of Taiwan is mishandled. (Nikkei Asia)

A Russian senior security official says that Russia will establish a "full-fledged partnership" with the Taliban government in Afghanistan, urging other countries to do the same. (Reuters)

Hungary summons the Russian ambassador to the country in response to a massive Russian drone attack on Zakarpattia Oblast, Ukraine, which is home to a large Hungarian community. (AP)

Philippine presidential communications undersecretary Claire Castro and senate president Alan Peter Cayetano separately announce that senator Ronald dela Rosa, who has an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity related to a drug war, has left the Senate building at early morning, hours after gunshots were heard in the area the previous day. (Reuters) (The Philippine Star) (UPI)

Warsaw registers its first same-sex marriage following a ruling by the Supreme Administrative Court demanding officials to recognize the marriage of two Polish men in Germany. (AP)

Somali pirates increase their ransom demands to US$10 million for the release of the Togo-registered MV Eureka tanker hijacked off Somali waters. (Garowe Online) (Hiiraan Online) (Middle East Monitor)

Wes Streeting resigns as the United Kingdom's Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, saying he has "lost confidence" in prime minister Keir Starmer following the recent local elections. (Al Jazeera) (BBC News) (CNN)

Josh Simons steps down as MP for Makerfield to trigger a by-election for Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham to run for a seat in parliament. Burnham is widely considered the favourite candidate to replace Starmer in the event of a Labour Party leadership election. (ITV News)

Burnham confirms he has requested the permission of the National Executive Committee to stand in the upcoming Makerfield by-election. (Bloomberg) (BBC News)

A report authorized by Pope Leo XIV written by a Vatican working group gives detailed testimonies from gay Catholics for the first time, while condemning conversion therapy and calls for deeper understanding of same-sex marriages to overcome internal church polarization. (Church Times)

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is unanimously re-elected Chairman of the Fatah movement. (Al Jazeera)

Researchers from Thailand publish the discovery of the Nagatitan chaiyaphumensis in Chaiyaphum province, the largest dinosaur species ever discovered in Southeast Asia. (NPR)