Global Pulse

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  • Aussie brand’s trademark battle with rapper Eminem takes new twist

    Aussie brand’s trademark battle with rapper Eminem takes new twist

    A high-stakes David vs Goliath trademark dispute between global rap icon Eminem and small Australian swimwear label Swim Shady is set to continue, after the hip-hop star filed a last-minute appeal against a recent court ruling that favored the local brand.

    The conflict centers on the similarity between Swim Shady’s brand name and Eminem’s legendary alter ego, Slim Shady, a moniker the rapper has built a decades-long career around. Lawyers representing Eminem, whose legal name is Marshall Mathers, had previously blocked Swim Shady co-founders Jeremy Scott and Elizabeth Afrakoff’s 2024 application to register their brand as a trademark in Australia, arguing the name infringed on the rapper’s existing intellectual property rights.

    Earlier this month, however, Delegate of the Registrar of Trade Mark Benjamin Goldsworthy ruled in Swim Shady’s favor. The decision found that Eminem’s registered trademarks for “Shady” and “Shady Limited” had not been actively used on clothing, footwear, headwear, bags, or leather goods in Australia during the mandatory legal period required to enforce trademark protection. As a result, the court ordered Mathers to cover the small brand’s legal costs stemming from the challenge.

    Scott and Afrakoff, the husband-and-wife team behind the Australian beachwear label, welcomed the initial ruling, calling it a key milestone for their young business. Even at the time, however, the pair acknowledged that the legal fight might not be fully resolved, noting that additional proceedings remained pending after the first ruling.

    True to that expectation, Eminem’s legal team has now launched an appeal. Documents for the appeal were officially submitted to the Federal Court of Australia’s Victoria Registry on Wednesday, right before the July 22 deadline set in the original ruling. The move means the small Australian brand will have to continue defending its trademark against one of the biggest names in the global music industry, extending a legal battle that has drawn international attention to the clash between a giant entertainment corporation and a local small business.

  • South Korea woman acquitted of murdering newborn after hospital delivery

    South Korea woman acquitted of murdering newborn after hospital delivery

    In a high-profile ruling that has reignited national debate over South Korea’s unregulated abortion framework, an appellate court has overturned the murder conviction of a 20-something woman identified only by her surname Kwon, who was charged in connection with a 36-week pregnancy termination. The decision marks the latest dramatic turn in a case that has gripped the country and laid bare the dangerous legal vacuum that has existed for abortion access since the national ban was lifted five years ago.

    The case first emerged into public view in 2024, when Kwon shared a YouTube video detailing her experience seeking a late-stage pregnancy termination. The video triggered immediate public outcry, prompting South Korea’s Ministry of Health to file a formal criminal complaint that launched a full police investigation into Kwon and the two medical providers who assisted her.

    In the initial March 2025 trial, Kwon was convicted of murder and sentenced to a three-year suspended prison term. Both participating doctors also pleaded guilty to murder charges: the operating surgeon received an initial four-year sentence, while the hospital’s director was handed a six-year prison term. In Thursday’s appeal ruling, the court upheld the murder convictions for the two doctors but reduced their sentences: the surgeon’s term was cut to two-and-a-half years, and the director’s sentence was lowered to four years.

    Prosecutors had argued throughout proceedings that the fetus was born alive via cesarean section, then placed in a freezer to die, after which medical staff falsified Kwon’s records to falsely register the pregnancy as a stillbirth. Kwon’s defense centered on the claim that she had no prior knowledge that the fetus would be delivered alive and killed, arguing that a broker connecting her to the clinic had explicitly told her the fetus would be stillborn. While the initial trial judge ruled Kwon was aware the fetus would be born alive, the appellate court overturned that finding, accepting her defense that she had no advance knowledge of the outcome.

    During the trial, Kwon told the court she only discovered her pregnancy at seven months, and sought termination because she lacked stable financial support to raise a child. She also added that she had consumed alcohol and smoked throughout the unrecognized pregnancy, leading to fears that the fetus would be born with severe birth defects.

    The case has thrown a harsh spotlight on the legal chaos surrounding abortion in South Korea that has persisted since the Constitutional Court struck down the country’s decades-old total abortion ban in 2019. At the time of the ruling, the court directed the national parliament to draft new legislation establishing a clear regulatory framework, with a recommendation to allow abortion access up to 22 weeks of gestation. However, successive government-drafted bills have been stalled in the legislature, blocked by conservative lawmakers who oppose expanded abortion access on religious grounds. When the formal ban officially expired in 2021, no replacement regulatory regime was in place, leaving the country with no clear legal guidelines for gestational limits or safe abortion provision.

    Human rights and reproductive health advocates have welcomed Kwon’s acquittal, but warn that the unregulated legal landscape continues to put pregnant people at risk. Heekyoung Cho, executive director of Amnesty International Korea, emphasized in a post-ruling statement that the lack of clear abortion legislation “left pregnant people without clear legal protections and access to essential reproductive healthcare.” Cho called on the South Korean government to immediately enact regulatory reforms that remove barriers to safe abortion care and establish clear standards for abortion service provision. Even the initial trial court acknowledged the systemic gap in its 2025 sentencing, noting it had exercised leniency in Kwon’s case because she had no access to formal, legal support for her late-stage pregnancy.

  • A single photo captures the resolve behind India’s “Cockroach” protests

    A single photo captures the resolve behind India’s “Cockroach” protests

    MUMBAI, India — A viral photo captured outside a Mumbai police precinct tells a story of quiet defiance that has come to define India’s spreading “Cockroach” protest movement: a blue police van fills the shot, and 27-year-old Rhiya Ahir plants herself in its path, her hoodie soaked through from a sudden downpour, one palm pressed firmly against the van’s cold metal exterior. Behind the windshield, uniformed officers look on. Inside the vehicle, a group of young demonstrators sat detained, swept up during a mass protest Wednesday in India’s financial and commercial hub. What began as a spontaneous act of solidarity for Ahir has turned her into an unexpected face of a movement that started more than a month ago and now resonates far beyond its original roots.

    The protest movement, nicknamed the “Cockroach” protests by participants, first erupted over widespread allegations that highly competitive entrance exams for top medical school positions and coveted government jobs had been compromised by widespread question paper leaks. What started as outrage from young job and education seekers has rapidly swelled into a broader movement, drawing in working professionals, working-class families and longstanding critics of the government. It has become a public outlet for accumulated frustration across a wide swath of Indian society over systemic economic inequality, limited opportunities for young people, and perceived government indifference to widespread public concerns.

    On the day of the Mumbai demonstration, Ahir told reporters she had only been waiting to meet friends before joining the planned protest when she spotted the police van carrying detained protesters. Instead of turning away, she approached the officers and asked a straightforward question: did they have the legal required paperwork to justify the detentions of the young activists?

    Dissatisfied with the vague and inadequate response she received from the officers, Ahir first walked alongside the moving van as it prepared to depart, keeping pace to continue her challenge. When the vehicle accelerated and she could no longer keep up on foot, she made the split-second decision to step directly in front of the van, blocking its path completely.

    Ahir recounted later that she could not stand by and watch as peaceful demonstrators, who were ordinary Indian citizens, were treated like common criminals simply for exercising their right to protest. In response to her blockade, the van’s driver revved the engine loudly, the sudden roar of power a clear attempt to intimidate her into moving. Ahir admitted that in that moment, she acknowledged the very real risks: she could have been arrested, detained alongside the other protesters, or even seriously injured if the driver followed through on the implicit threat. Even so, she refused to step back. She held her position firmly, refusing to move until police agreed to release the detained young protesters. Eventually, officers conceded, and the demonstrators were set free.

    In an interview after the confrontation, which lasted roughly 40 minutes from start to finish, Ahir acknowledged she had been afraid throughout the standoff. But her conviction that she was acting in the right outweighed her fear. “I knew one thing,” she said. “If I had started this, I had to end it.” Her act of individual defiance is just one of many that have fueled the growing movement, which has now spread beyond Mumbai to other major Indian cities, with demonstrators holding mass sit-ins in the national capital even as police have stepped up efforts to crack down on gatherings.

  • Reports: Moriyasu to continue as Japan coach and replaced after Asian Cup by Oiwa

    Reports: Moriyasu to continue as Japan coach and replaced after Asian Cup by Oiwa

    Fresh reports out of Tokyo confirm a major leadership shift for Japan’s men’s senior national soccer team is set to take place following next year’s continental championship. Multiple local Japanese media outlets confirmed Thursday that current head coach Hajime Moriyasu will retain his position through the 2024 Asian Cup hosted in Saudi Arabia, after which he will depart his post.

    The Japan Football Association held an official meeting Thursday to discuss the future of the senior team’s head coaching role, and according to those same reports, current Japan Under-23 national team manager Go Oiwa has been tapped to take over the top job once the Asian Cup concludes.

    Moriyasu, who took over the reins of the senior national side immediately following the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, leaves behind a consistent track record of international results. Under his guidance, Japan advanced to the knockout stage of both the 2022 Qatar World Cup — falling to Croatia in a tense penalty shootout — and the 2023 World Cup, where the team exited the round of 32 after a narrow 2-1 defeat to five-time tournament champion Brazil.

    The upcoming 2024 Asian Cup, running from January 7 to February 5 in Saudi Arabia, already has 24 qualified teams, and Japan enters the competition as one of the pre-tournament favorites. Japan has been drawn into Group F for the group stage, where they will face off against Indonesia, defending champion Qatar, and Thailand.

    For incoming head coach Oiwa, the path to the top job follows a long career in Japanese soccer. A former defender with a modest playing career, Oiwa earned three senior caps for Japan before retiring and transitioning to coaching in Japan’s domestic professional league. He has held the role of Japan Under-23 manager since 2021, building experience with the next generation of Japanese soccer talent ahead of this promotion.

    The coaching vacancy did attract public interest from another high-profile Japanese soccer figure earlier this month: former Japanese international star Keisuke Honda, who recently stated he would be open to taking the senior head coaching role. A attacking midfielder with an decorated international career, Honda earned 98 caps for Japan and represented the country at three consecutive World Cups, with his final appearance coming at the 2018 tournament in Russia.

  • Driver arrested after police call bomb disposal unit to roadside

    Driver arrested after police call bomb disposal unit to roadside

    A major security incident unfolded in the Republic of Ireland this week, concluding with the arrest of a woman in her 20s after a specialized bomb disposal unit was called to the scene. The incident began at approximately 3 p.m. local time on Wednesday, when officers from An Garda Síochána, Ireland’s national police service, intercepted a vehicle being driven by the suspect on the N2 arterial route, just south of the town of Carrickmacross in County Monaghan.

    Following the stop, police determined there was sufficient potential risk to request backup from the Irish Defence Forces’ Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit, the country’s lead service for handling and investigating suspected explosive devices. The EOD team carried out a full forensic and security examination of the detained vehicle, but authorities have chosen not to disclose the findings of that inspection. In a statement issued after the operation, An Garda Síochána confirmed that no additional details would be released while the investigation remains active. The N2 route, which was temporarily closed to all traffic during the EOD’s work, has since been fully reopened to the public.

  • Africa prepares for historic Olympic moment at Dakar 2026

    Africa prepares for historic Olympic moment at Dakar 2026

    With just 100 days remaining until the opening ceremony, the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games is on track to make history as the first Olympic-sanctioned event ever held on African soil. For decades, the continent has produced some of the world’s most iconic champions in athletics, football, boxing and a host of other global sports, but it has never hosted a competition bearing the Olympic rings — a milestone the International Olympic Committee says will resonate far beyond the two weeks of competition.

    Dakar was first selected as the host city for the Youth Games back in October 2018. Initially scheduled to take place in 2022, the event was postponed to 2026 at the request of local organizers, pushed back to accommodate more robust, sustainable planning in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. When competition kicks off on 31 October, events will be spread across three locations: the Senegalese capital Dakar, the newly developed city of Diamniadio, and the coastal resort town of Saly.

    Local organizing committee leaders say preparations are proceeding firmly on schedule, and the entire nation is embracing the responsibility of acting as host for the entire continent. “We know we are going to be ambassadors for Africa during this period,” explained Thierno Cisse, deputy chief operating officer of the Local Organising Committee (LOC), in an interview with the BBC. “It’s really important for us as a country to proudly represent the whole continent and show that Africa meets global high standards.”

    The significance of hosting the Youth Games in Africa extends beyond symbolism: per United Nations data, Africa is the world’s youngest continent, with 70% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa under the age of 30. “The symbolism of having Africa hosting the global sports community is very strong,” said IOC official Christophe Dubi. “This is a very important first step.”

    Beyond the celebration of sport, many local residents hope the landmark event will shine a much-needed spotlight on the critical challenges facing young Senegalese people. Recent data from Senegal’s national statistics and demographics agency puts youth unemployment for 15 to 34-year-olds at more than 27%, driven largely by a lack of stable formal opportunities in the domestic economy. In recent years, high joblessness has also fueled a crisis of irregular migration, with hundreds of young Senegalese risking their lives each year to seek better prospects in Europe. Local resident Issa Diao told the BBC he expects the Games to generate immediate employment opportunities for local young people: “We are in a country where the rate of joblessness is very high, so when we have this kind of event here, it will help people to get jobs.”

    To raise global awareness of the event, organizers have tapped a roster of high-profile African and global figures as official Games ambassadors, including Senegal men’s national football team captain Kalidou Koulibaly, TikTok superstar Khaby Lame, and acclaimed French-Senegalese actor Omar Sy. The IOC has also selected 31 veteran athlete role models to provide mentorship and support to the young athletes competing in Dakar. As part of its pre-Games outreach, the IOC launched a skills development program last year that has already trained more than 400 young Africans across critical event management roles, including operations, logistics, digital technology, athlete accreditation, and venue coordination. Per Cisse, the volunteer recruitment strategy was intentionally opened up to the entire continent: “We have more than 30 countries represented from all around the world, but mainly from Africa as youth volunteers.”

    One of the most distinctive innovations of Dakar 2026 will be the debut of a dedicated youth refugee team at the Youth Olympic Games, building on the full refugee athlete delegation first introduced at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro senior Olympics. Working in partnership with the Olympic Refuge Foundation and international sports federations, the IOC has held identification trials and development programs across East Africa to identify young refugee athletes. All athletes selected for the delegation will receive ongoing support for education and mental wellbeing beyond the Games. Dubi noted that the team sends a powerful message of inclusion: “Even for people who have lived through extremely difficult circumstances, there is still hope. There is a place where you are welcomed.”

    While the Youth Games are smaller in scale than the flagship summer and winter Olympic Games, Dakar 2026 will still welcome roughly 2,700 athletes competing across 25 official sports. Additionally, 10 non-competitive engagement sports will be held to encourage participation among local Senegalese youth, helping expand access to new recreational activities. In a break from the common practice of building new, single-use venues for major events, Dakar 2026 organizers have prioritized the rehabilitation and reuse of existing urban spaces. Dubi highlighted that two prominent underused parcels in central Dakar were saved from being redeveloped into private housing and instead restored for public sports use: “This is about thinking beyond the Games.”

    That focus on long-term legacy does not erase questions around the cost of hosting the large-scale event. Public reports indicate Senegal invested roughly $270 million to construct the new Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio, which will host the Games’ opening ceremony, and the Senegalese sports ministry has estimated total Games organizing costs at around $60 million. The BBC’s requests to confirm these figures with the LOC and IOC went unanswered. Both organizations emphasized that the success of Dakar 2026 will not be measured by the 14 days of competition alone, but by the lasting infrastructure, opportunities and talent the event leaves behind. “The Games are opening a whole range of new sports that are not famous here,” Cisse said. “Maybe we’ll be able to say in 20 years from now that some champions were discovered.”

    The event also arrives at a moment of shifting representation within the IOC: last year, Zimbabwean swimming legend Kirsty Coventry made history as the first African, and first woman, to be elected president of the IOC. Before taking on the IOC’s top role, Coventry served as chair of the Dakar 2026 coordination commission, creating a personal and institutional tie to the landmark event. “We are very proud that an African woman is representing the continent on the biggest stage,” Cisse said. “I know she has a special bond with the Games and holds it in very high esteem.”

    For the IOC, Dakar 2026 is far more than a sporting competition: leaders frame it as a cultural and social movement to celebrate African youth, talent, and the continent’s growing influence on the global stage. “It’s going to have an effect that is wider than Senegal and Dakar,” Dubi said. “It’s not only about sport. People will be amazed by what they will see. It’s the energy.” As the 100-day countdown ticks on, people across the continent are hoping the Games will cement Africa’s place in the global Olympic movement, while opening new lasting opportunities for young people, sports administrators and athletes across the region.

  • DR Congo sees early signs of Ebola stabilization

    DR Congo sees early signs of Ebola stabilization

    KINSHASA, July 23 — Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have announced encouraging early indicators that the ongoing Ebola outbreak across eastern parts of the country may be entering a phase of stabilization, though officials warn it is still too early to confirm the epidemic has hit its peak.

    Adelard Lufongola, operations manager for the DRC’s national Ebola response coordination, shared the update during a press briefing Wednesday in Bunia, the capital of eastern DRC’s Ituri province, which stands as the epicenter of the current outbreak. According to Lufongola, the rate of new confirmed Ebola cases in affected provinces has reached a statistical plateau, with a small but noticeable downward trend recorded in recent weeks.

    However, Lufongola emphasized that from an epidemiological perspective, drawing a definitive conclusion that the outbreak has passed its peak would be premature. The trajectory of viral outbreaks can shift rapidly, and sustained monitoring will be critical to confirm whether the current slowdown will hold.

    On a positive note, the country’s Ebola response capacity has continued to expand significantly since the outbreak was first declared in mid-May. As of the latest update, affected regions now host 23 dedicated Ebola treatment centers, 19 fully operational testing laboratories, and a total of nearly 800 patient beds to care for those infected. This expanded infrastructure has allowed response teams to isolate more cases quickly and deliver care to a greater share of the confirmed patient pool.

    Despite this progress in scaling up response capacity, Lufongola outlined three persistent major barriers to bringing the outbreak fully under control: widespread community resistance to public health measures, ongoing insecurity in conflict-affected eastern regions that hinders access for response teams, and the continued geographic spread of the virus across multiple provinces.

    To reverse the course of the outbreak, Lufongola stressed that three core priorities remain non-negotiable: rapid early detection of new cases, building and sustaining public trust in local health facilities, and broad community adherence to evidence-based preventive measures. These steps are the foundation of breaking ongoing chains of human-to-human transmission, he added.

    Official government data updated to July 20 puts the total number of confirmed Ebola cases at 2,473 since the outbreak began. Of those cases, 999 have resulted in death, while 482 patients have successfully recovered and been discharged. Currently, 737 confirmed patients remain either in isolation facilities or receiving inpatient hospital care.

    The current outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain of ebolavirus, which was first declared by DRC authorities on May 15. To date, it has spread to impact five provinces across the eastern half of the country.

  • US-Iran strikes: latest developments

    US-Iran strikes: latest developments

    A wave of cross-border military strikes and rising geopolitical friction has swept through the Middle East, with Iran expanding its attacks on US-aligned targets and Washington launching its 12th consecutive night of strikes on Iranian military positions, spurring urgent diplomatic efforts to de-escalate the crisis.

    On Thursday, the escalating violence triggered security alerts across the Gulf region. Bahrain, which has faced daily Iranian attacks, activated air raid sirens across the country, with audible warnings heard in the capital Manama by Agence France-Presse correspondents. In an official statement, Bahrain’s Interior Ministry urged all citizens and residents to remain calm and proceed to the nearest designated safe shelter immediately.

    Neighboring Jordan and Kuwait also moved to neutralize incoming threats from Iran. The Jordanian military confirmed it intercepted three Iranian missiles launched early Thursday, with a fourth missile impacting an unpopulated area with no reported casualties. Overnight, Kuwait’s armed forces announced they were also intercepting “hostile drone threats,” though the military declined to share additional details on the intended targets of the unmanned aerial vehicles.

    Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and regular army issued separate claims of responsibility for the strikes, confirming they targeted American assets positioned in both Jordan and Kuwait. The IRGC stated it destroyed multiple US military assets in Jordan, including critical components of American air defense systems: a THAAD missile defense radar, a Patriot system radar, a C-RAM counter-rocket defense radar, and a helicopter hangar. In Kuwait, Iranian forces claimed strikes on several major US military installations, including Ali Al Salem Air Base, Camp Udairi, Camp Doha, Camp Arifjan, and a key telecommunications tower.

    Amid the cross-border strikes, a new flashpoint emerged in the Red Sea following an attack on a Saudi-owned commercial tanker transiting the vital waterway, according to Saudi state media. The Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack, just days after the group threatened to blockade Saudi Red Sea ports—a major strategic route for global oil shipments. The five-month ongoing regional conflict has already effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, another critical chokepoint for global energy trade.

    Oman, a longstanding neutral mediator between the Houthi movement and Saudi Arabia, has moved quickly to restart diplomatic negotiations following the tanker attack. The Omani foreign ministry expressed deep concern over the deteriorating Red Sea situation, noting it is coordinating closely with Saudi Arabia, Yemeni political factions, and the UN Special Envoy for Yemen to revive the formal political process and advance a roadmap for long-term regional security and stability.

    Iran has signaled it has no plans to halt its current campaign of retaliatory strikes. Speaking to state television Thursday, Iranian army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia confirmed that retaliatory attacks by Iran’s armed forces will continue for as long as US strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure and coastal areas persist. Akraminia added that Iran’s military is fully prepared to respond to any escalation scenario from enemy forces.

    Top US officials have framed the escalation as a result of Iranian manipulation of regional proxy groups. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking on the sidelines of a Southeast Asian summit in Manila, argued that Houthi rebels had been lured into the conflict by Tehran. “The Houthis largely were smart and stayed out of all this throughout the conflict, but they now apparently have gotten themselves suckered into this, going after Saudi Arabia and their ships,” Rubio said.

    For its part, the United States has continued its own campaign of strikes against Iranian targets. US Central Command announced Wednesday that American forces had launched new strikes on Iranian military positions, marking the 12th consecutive night of such operations. Early Thursday local time, Iranian state media reported that missile strikes targeted the southwestern cities of Ramshir and Ahvaz, with additional missile attacks reported in Bushehr province along Iran’s Persian Gulf coast.

  • Iran vows to continue strikes in Mideast war

    Iran vows to continue strikes in Mideast war

    A widening regional conflict across the Middle East has entered a dangerous new phase, with Iran formally announcing Thursday that it will sustain retaliatory military operations for as long as it remains under attack, as its allied Houthi movement opens a new front in the Red Sea targeting Saudi commercial shipping.

    The latest escalation follows a brief multi-week ceasefire that has collapsed, reintroducing widespread uncertainty to both the region and global energy markets, as Iran and the United States engage in a high-stakes contest for control of the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz.

    This week, the Iran-aligned Houthi group entered the active conflict, announcing a blockade of Saudi ports and launching strikes on two Saudi oil tankers in Red Sea waters. Parallel to this Red Sea escalation, Jordan and Kuwait have both confirmed intercepting incoming strikes, as Iran’s regular military and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have stated their operations are targeting U.S. assets positioned across both nations.

    “The armed forces’ retaliatory attacks will continue as long as the U.S. attacks on the country’s infrastructure and coastal areas continue,” Iranian army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia stated in comments carried by Iran’s state television.

    The latest round of open hostilities comes on the heels of fresh U.S. airstrikes on Iranian military positions. U.S. Central Command confirmed it had conducted its twelfth consecutive night of strikes, noting the operations are intended to “further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten civilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters.”

    On Wednesday, former U.S. President Donald Trump issued an unusually explicit threat via social media, stating that the U.S. would target Iranian civilian infrastructure every time Iranian forces attack vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. “Any time the Islamic Republic of Iran shoots at a ship in the Strait of Hormuz, whether it be by Missile, Rocket, Drone, or any other device or weapon, the United States will bomb and destroy ONE BRIDGE OR POWER PLANT,” Trump wrote.

    Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reaffirmed Tehran’s commitment to proportional retaliation for any attacks on its infrastructure, writing, “Our defence doctrine is clear: eye for an eye.”

    Iranian state media reported Thursday that a recent U.S. strike killed two people near Shalamcheh, located on Iran’s border with Iraq. The outlet also confirmed two U.S. missiles struck targets near Bushehr, the site of Iran’s only civilian nuclear power plant, which has been repeatedly targeted by U.S. strikes in recent weeks.

    In the Red Sea theater, the Houthis confirmed they carried out combined missile and drone attacks on two Saudi-flagged oil tankers, the Encelia and the Layla, following their formal declaration of a blockade on Saudi commercial ports. UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the British-led naval security monitoring service, reported the captain of one vessel confirmed a strike by an unidentified projectile roughly 70 nautical miles southwest of Saudi Arabia’s Al Shuqaiq, sparking a fire that the crew was working to extinguish as of Thursday.

    Saudi Arabian officials have confirmed the Encelia sustained damage in the attack, but have not released any information on potential damage or casualties linked to the Layla strike.

    While it remains unclear how effectively the Houthis can enforce a full-scale blockade of Saudi ports, the threat of sustained disruption to Red Sea shipping compounds existing volatility sparked by competing control of the Strait of Hormuz, threatening to undermine Riyadh’s ability to redirect oil exports away from the strait to bypass ongoing conflict.

    In the Strait of Hormuz itself, the IRGC announced it has halted three oil tankers from transiting the waterway, which carried roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies prior to the outbreak of the current conflict. “The Strait of Hormuz is under our control… and any ship that is deceived by the U.S. and intends to pass without coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran will suffer the same fate,” the IRGC said in a statement.

    The fresh escalation has sent global oil prices climbing sharply Thursday. Brent crude, the global benchmark for oil pricing, rose 4% to trade at $97.80 per barrel, reviving widespread market fears of accelerating consumer inflation and slowed global economic growth.

    Speaking on the sidelines of a Southeast Asian summit hosted in Manila, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Iran of manipulating the Houthis into joining the conflict to disrupt Red Sea shipping. “The Houthis largely were smart and stayed out of all this throughout the conflict, but they now apparently have gotten themselves suckered into this, going after Saudi Arabia and their ships,” Rubio said. “I hope they will de-escalate, because I think the Houthis, frankly, got snookered into this thing by the Iranians.”

    Oman, which has served as a key neutral mediator in the years-long conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, announced Thursday it is working to restart negotiations between the two parties, while voicing “great concern” over the rapidly deteriorating security situation in Red Sea waters.

  • Germany calls news conference as Klopp expected to be named coach

    Germany calls news conference as Klopp expected to be named coach

    FRANKFURT, Germany — One of the most high-profile vacancies in international men’s soccer is on the cusp of being officially filled, with the German Football Association (DFB) set to introduce Jürgen Klopp as the country’s next senior men’s national team manager during a Friday press conference, multiple insiders with knowledge of the process have confirmed.

    In a short, sparse statement released Thursday, the DFB did not disclose the explicit purpose of the Friday morning event planned at its Frankfurt headquarters, but multiple football industry sources have confirmed the gathering will be dedicated to presenting Klopp as Julian Nagelsmann’s permanent replacement.

    Klopp has been the DFB’s top target for the role ever since Nagelsmann stepped down from the position after Germany suffered a stunning elimination from this year’s FIFA World Cup. The defending champions were knocked out in the round of 32 in a penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay, a result that ended their tournament run far earlier than expected and triggered the opening of the top job.

    Talks between Klopp and DFB leadership first took shape in New York, where the former Liverpool boss was working as a broadcast pundit and television analyst for the World Cup. On July 11, the federation publicly confirmed that the two sides had reached a preliminary understanding on all core terms of a potential contract.

    For weeks after that announcement, the primary stumbling block to finalizing the deal was securing an exit agreement from Red Bull, the global beverage and sports conglomerate. Klopp has served as Red Bull’s head of global soccer for the past 18 months, a role that saw him oversee the operations and development of the company’s entire network of sponsored professional clubs across Europe and the Americas. Final negotiations between the DFB and Red Bull ultimately cleared that hurdle, opening the door for Friday’s official presentation.

    Klopp stepped away from his role as Liverpool’s first-team manager at the end of the 2023-2024 season, citing prolonged burnout and a need for an extended break from elite coaching. Earlier this month, however, the 57-year-old told reporters he has completed his period of rest and now feels fully recharged, ready to return to the sidelines for a new challenge at the international level.