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Jul 9, 2026 - World

President Donald Trump may call himself the master of making a deal, but four Wall Street Journal writers think he stinks at writing them. The Journal on Thursday published a stern rebuke of Trump's memorandum of understanding with Iran, arguing a single "poorly worded clause" resulted in the battle for the Strait of Hormuz. "The root of the dispute is Paragraph 5, which says Iran will make arrangements to restore shipping through the strategic waterway and then work with Oman to determine how to administer it in the future," the report states. "But it also includes an Iranian pledge to ensure safe passage and remove military obstacles such as mines." The pledge became a problem because it was open to different interpretations by both sides as the war ramps up again, the Wall Street Journal reporters argued."Trump administration officials saw that clause as unlocking the strait, the main accomplishment of the president’s deal." they wrote. "Iranian hard-liners, however, have used it to push a maximalist interpretation that gives the Islamic Republic exclusive control over the waterway as a key source of leverage."Geopolitical analyst Michael Horowitz agreed with their assessment. "Washington has tried to convince Tehran that compliance would be more profitable, but this framing misses the point," he reportedly said. "Iran's behavior isn't driven by financial motives but by security concerns and bargaining leverage. It's a power dynamic."Now the U.S. faces tough times ahead in the struggle, according to the analysis"Tehran has also repeatedly asserted that it will work out arrangements for future management of the strait with its weaker neighbor across the waterway, Oman," the Journal report stated. "The difficulty coming to terms on opening the Strait of Hormuz points to rough negotiations ahead."

Jul 9, 2026 - World

Reporting suggests FBI involved in seizure of Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada García from Mexican territory in 2024Mexico has launched an investigation into whether the US lied about its involvement in the capture and secretive transfer of a top Sinaloa cartel member in 2024, in what would be a potential violation of the country’s sovereignty.The US has long denied it played any role in the operation to detain the drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada García, a founder of the Sinaloa cartel, inside Mexico. Recent reporting by the local media outlet Pie de Nota, however, suggested that the FBI was involved in his capture. Continue reading...

Jul 9, 2026 - World

President orders investigation after fictitious body given funding, triggering renewed scrutiny of alleged corruptionA fictitious federal entity that was allocated 1.3bn naira (£700,000) in Nigeria’s 2026 budget has precipitated a political storm in Africa’s largest democracy in the run-up to a general election set for January.The fake agency came to light last October when Femi Gbajabiamila, the president’s chief of staff, wrote to the police alleging that his signature, along with official seals and reference numbers, had been forged by Adeniyi Adeyemi Matthew, who was claiming to have been appointed by the presidency to head the presidential foreign intervention promotion council (PFIPC). Continue reading...

Jul 9, 2026 - World

Donald Trump’s final appearances at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, raised questions about his mental state after he fumbled world leaders' names, misidentified countries and went off on odd tangents that left reporters scratching their heads. Admitting he is is sympathetic to the rigors of overseas travel and sleep disruptions due to changing time zones when involved in continuous meetings, MS NOW host Joe Scarborough suggested there is a strong case for the Trump Cabinet to remove him from office via the 25th Amendment.After showing clips of the president stumbling about when speaking, the “Morning Joe” Scarborough pointed to similar worries about President Joe Biden whose own verbal miscues led to his decision to not seek re-election. “If Joe Biden had said that, oh my God, the world would come to an end,” Brzezinski continued. “We would be like, they would say, put electrodes up to his brain right now, because obviously, the 25th Amendment must be put into effect at once.”Scarborough continued to chastise commentators who asked how Biden was able to remain in office amid concerns about his mental state. Co-host Willie Geist agreed with Scarborough that there was a strong comparison to be drawn. “If you listen to the remarks of the president gives, the long speeches, he gives the rants, he goes on the rambling, you know, a slip of the tongue," Geist said. "Japan/Iran. He called President Zelenskyy, ‘President Putin’ yesterday. You know, it happens in the course of a day, I guess, but you're right. The side-by-side, the comparison and the moniker of ‘Sleepy Joe’ for the president, who often falls asleep in public. You can do this all day if you want to.” - YouTube youtu.be

Jul 8, 2026 - World

Lawrence Bishnoi, who is in prison in India, is accused of orchestrating assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in 2023US and Canadian authorities say they have “dismantled” the leadership of a notorious Indian criminal group, charging dozens of operatives who have “inflicted pain and cruelty on people, victims around the globe”, including a high-profile murder in Canada that strained diplomatic relations between Canada and India.At a press conference on Tuesday, members of the FBI and Canada’s Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said as part of Operation Hard Ball – a multiyear federal investigation into murder-for-hire plots, shootings, extortion and drug trafficking – they had charged 37 people, some of whom were already in custody. Authorities are still searching for seven fugitives in the US, two in India and one in Europe. Continue reading...