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Concerns about efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz cause oil to climb.

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NEW DELHI, Aug. 7 (Reuters) - Amidst additional worries about the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, oil continued to rise on Friday. Iran, in collaboration with Oman, proposed prohibiting vessels deemed unfriendly from the strait and imposing steep fines on those who disobeyed the proposed regulations. By 0634 GMT, Brent crude futures were up about 85 cents, or 1.03%, at $83.34 per barrel. West Texas Intermediate futures for the United States increased 52 cents, or 0.67%, to $77.81. As Iran considered a measure to prohibit American and Israeli ships from passing thru the Strait of Hormuz, which regularly carried about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas before the conflict started at the end of February, oil futures settled up more than $3 per barrel on Thursday. Prices fell ⁠earlier in the week as a possible solution to the ongoing conflict looked more likely, but benchmark ​Brent breached $80 on Thursday after falling below that for the first time since July 13....

President Trump of the United States issues new directives restricting birthright citizenship.

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One of Mr. Trump's orders aims to prevent individuals who participate in commercial "birth tourism" from entering the nation. Weeks after the Supreme Court overturned his direction, U.S. President Donald Trump signed two executive orders to restrict birthright citizenship eligibility and combat birth tourism. One order that Mr. Trump signed on Thursday, August 6, 2026, aims to prevent those who participate in commercial "birth tourism" from entering the nation. The other broadens the list of those who it claims are not eligible for birthright citizenship, including offspring of foreign nationals who work as lobbyists for foreign governments. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the more than a century-old belief that almost everyone born in the United States is a citizen on June 30 by overturning Trump's executive order attempting to abolish birthright citizenship. Speaking to reporters at the Oval Office following the signing of the executive orders, Mr. Trump at...

As they continue to exchange attacks, Russia and Ukraine report casualties.

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Russia bombs Dnipropetrovsk and a cargo ship near Odesa, while Ukraine repeatedly targets Russian oil refineries. Local officials claim that fresh midnight strikes between Russia and Ukraine have resulted in casualties on both sides. According to Oleksandr Hanzha, commander of the regional military administration, a Russian attack on the Nikopol district of Dnipropetrovsk in Ukraine resulted in two fatalities and three injuries. He said on Telegram that drones, artillery, and aerial explosives had struck four regions more than twenty times. Andrei Bocharov, the regional governor of Volgograd, Russia, reported on Telegram on Friday that a Ukrainian drone attack had killed one person and injured eight. According to regional governor Yuri Slyusar on Telegram, a woman in the town of Gukovo in the southern Russian province of Rostov was hurt by a drone attack. Three logistical hubs in Sarapul, Kazan, and Volgograd were among the Russian infrastructure targeted by Ukrainian deep and mid-...

War in West Asia LIVE: White House cues Trump is considering further attacks on Iran.

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Iran's Revolutionary Guard, a paramilitary group, claimed to have hit two more tankers in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, July 31, 2026, while Kuwait claimed to have intercepted drones. However, there were no American strikes on Iran overnight. As the United States urges Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and adhere to the parameters outlined in a truce agreement the two sides struck last month, which swiftly collapsed, the White House hinted that U.S. President Donald Trump is considering launching fresh strikes on Iran. The Revolutionary Guard, Iran's paramilitary group, said on Friday, July 31, 2026, that it had hit two more tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, while Kuwait claimed to have intercepted drones. However, the United States did not strike Iran overnight. The U.S. administration is once again frustrated, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who claimed that Tehran signed a memorandum of understanding on a truce with the United States last mon...

Trump Declares "Historic" Agreement for "Complete Disarmament" of Hamas in Gaza

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Violence has persisted in Gaza despite the ceasefire; according to health officials, Israeli strikes on Thursday killed at least four Palestinians, including two children. An agreement for the "complete disarmament" of Hamas was announced on Thursday by US President Donald Trump, who described it as a crucial step toward a new Palestinian government in Gaza. According to senior Hamas officials who spoke to AFP, the agreement with Israel contains clauses pertaining to the group's weapons and the Israeli army' gradual pullout from the Gaza Strip.On the subject of weaponry, an agreement has been achieved.Additionally, a senior Hamas official stated that an agreement had been struck about the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip. Israel did not immediately make a statement. Trump's declaration followed reports that the Palestinian Islamist organization was moving closer to a settlement including the decommissioning of its weapons, according to pe...

After a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Japan, 13 people died.

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According to a government source who spoke to the Kyodo news agency, a gas explosion appears to have destroyed the mall in the town of Kashima, causing walls and ceilings to collapse. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reported that a significant earthquake in Japan on Tuesday claimed 13 lives."Thirteen people have passed away," Takaichi reported on Wednesday. According to a government source who spoke to the Kyodo news agency, a gas explosion appears to have destroyed the mall in the town of Kashima, causing walls and ceilings to collapse.A representative for the mall's operator, Aeon, told AFP that the explosion happened after the patrons and employees had left. Five of the eight persons who were rescued from the mall had injuries, a local official said AFP. According to authorities reported by broadcaster NHK early on Wednesday, the number was "lower than that" despite early reports that suggested up to 20 to 30 individuals were trapped within.The precise figure...

War in West Asia LIVE: As enemies hold fire, Trump believes there is a "good chance" of progress in the Iran negotiations.

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Tehran had earlier denied that there were any talks with the U.S. to end the conflict. As the two countries held their fire for a third day in a row, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed hope on Monday, July 28, 2026, regarding the possibility of a negotiated peace agreement with Iran. On Air Force One, Mr. Trump declared, "I have a lot of patience... We'll see what happens." "I believe the likelihood of something happening is quite high." Tehran had previously denied holding any negotiations to put an end to the confrontation with the United States. "We may receive signals about current events in the region from the American side through mediators. However, we are not currently in talks with the United States," stated Esmaeil Baqaei, a spokeswoman for Iran's foreign ministry. Tehran had previously denied holding any negotiations to put an end to the confrontation with the United States. As Israel gets ready to leave two "pilot zones" i...