Dr.

Anthony Fauci is sworn in during a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on July 29, 2026.

Photo by Alex Wroblewski / AFP via Getty Images.

Thursday, August 6, 2026 – Iran-Oman deal on Hormuz “on verge of being finalized,” deputy foreign minister says.

U.S.

President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance talk Iran negotiations.

U.S. redirects 48 vessels as part of Iran blockade.

Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif headed to Saudi Arabia.

Iran arrests 21 for allegedly spying on its military.

U.S. removes sanctions on Iraqi airline.

Ansarallah announces “wide military operation” amid missile and drone attacks on Saudi-backed forces.

Ansarallah claims two strikes on Saudi tankers.

Israel shot sixth-grader in Gaza tent classroom, UN confirms.

Israel releases 24 Palestinian detainees into Gaza.

Israel continues attacks on the occupied West Bank.

Israeli authorities beat Dr.

Hussam Abu Safiya in detention, break his ribs.

Arab and Islamic countries condemn Israeli violations in Gaza; Israel army chief says attacks will continue.

Board of Peace awards first building contract in Gaza for military base.

In rare move, Israeli prosecutors charge settler in killing of Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen.

Israeli attacks wound eight in southern Lebanon as UNIFIL reports 113 projectiles launched.

Rights groups condemn Israeli strike that killed Lebanese journalist as a war crime.

Senate committee votes to hold Anthony Fauci in contempt.

Trump maintains frequent contact with Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, WSJ reports.

Michigan Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed opposes “unconditional” U.S. military aid to any country, including Israel.

Trump-appointed judge ran D.C. public relations firm for months after taking bench, ex-employees say.

U.S.

Citizenship and Immigration Services backlog surges to 7.5 million.

Government Accountability Office report finds DOGE overstated federal savings claims.

Senate Democrats probe South Korean firm’s $2 million payment to Trump company.

Michigan Democratic congressional candidate William Lawrence pledges to vote for Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker.

Explosive-laden drone found near Ukrainian cargo plane in Germany.

North Korea fires short-range ballistic missile.

Nigerian military rescues 308 kidnapping victims.

Flavio Bolsonaro names Congressman Alfredo Gaspar as running mate.

UN experts warn of “silent Gaza” in Cuba amid U.S. pressure campaign.

Iraqi government says armed groups could face terrorism charges after deadline.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney defends International Criminal Court.

This is Drop Site Daily, our free news recap We send it Monday – Friday

Iran-Oman deal on Hormuz “on verge of being finalized,” deputy FM says: A deal on the Strait of Hormuz between Oman and Iran is “on the verge of being finalized,” Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told Iran’s IRNA news agency on Thursday, saying that the two countries had come to an agreement on nearly all issues, including the location of entry and exit routes for maritime traffic.

Gharibabadi said that the “new model” for managing traffic through the Strait would have large parts of the shipping route going through Iran’s territorial waters, and a smaller portion passing through Omani territorial waters.

Existing temporary routes, including one near Iran’s Larak Island and another southern route near Oman, would be closed.

Iran condemns U.S. “breach of promises,” claims U.S. ready to return to MOU commitments: Gharibabadi also discussed Iran’s view of the U.S. on Thursday, saying that Iran distrusts the U.S. after its “breach of promises and commitments” under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding.

The deputy foreign minister said that a return by the U.S. to its obligations under the MOU would be a necessary condition for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, but not a sufficient one.

He claimed that Iran had received messages that the U.S. was “fully prepared to return to its commitments” under the June memorandum, including the immediate cessation of military operations.

Trump, Vance talk Iran negotiations: U.S .

President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance publicly addressed the state of negotiations with Iran on Thursday.

Speaking in Las Vegas, Trump said he’d “rather make a deal with Iran,” because he doesn’t “want to kill people.”

In the same remarks, he repeated an earlier claim that the U.S. was preparing to launch “the biggest attack since World War II” before Iranian officials asked for negotiations.

Trump also rejected reports of diminishing U.S. stockpiles in a Truth Social post on Thursday, saying that the Pentagon possessed “massive amounts of ‘munitions,’ especially of certain types,” and that more were being manufactured “as needed.”

He said that those “leakers” who had claimed otherwise were being “hunted down” and that “long term jail sentences” would be pursued against them.

Trump confronted War Secretary Pete Hegseth during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David last week demanding to know why he had apparently been misled about severe U.S. munitions shortages, according to the Washington Post.

Trump reportedly said he believed the issue “had been fixed.”

The shortages, particularly of long-range guided missiles and air-defense interceptors, have been one reason Trump has held back from authorizing additional large-scale strikes on Iran in recent days, one source told the outlet.

Vance, interviewed by Laura Ingraham on Fox News, said diplomatic negotiations with Iran were “going to be messy” and would “take some time.”

He also called his Iranian counterparts “extraordinarily difficult people” and blamed the failures on Iran’s “fractured system,” divided between moderates and hardliners who, he claimed, had pushed the country back into war.

Vance told Ingraham that he was happy to “own” the negotiating effort, and played down reports that his recent meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had turned hostile.

“He didn’t confront me.

We had a nice and frank conversation,” Vance said of the talks.

U.S. redirects 48 vessels as part of Iran blockade: The U.S. military announced on Wednesday that it had redirected 48 commercial vessels while enforcing its naval blockade of Iran, disabling two and boarding two.

The statement from CENTCOM also claimed that the U.S.

Navy had assisted in more than 1,000 transits over the course of the last three months.

The maritime tracking firm Kpler announced on Wednesday that maritime risk remained “elevated” around the Strait of Hormuz.

Only two vessels transited the Strait on Wednesday, down from eight the previous day, according to Kpler.

Pakistan PM headed to Saudi Arabia: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif is scheduled to visit Saudi Arabia on Thursday to discuss consolidating Pakistan-Saudi Arabia bilateral relations and exchange views on developments in the region with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The Pakistani delegation includes the country’s deputy prime minister/foreign minister, the chief of army staff, the chief of defence forces, as well as other ministers.

Regarding the U.S. war on Iran, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi told a weekly press briefing that Pakistan was “still engaging with other countries” and that it was aiming its diplomatic efforts at “a comprehensive and sustainable solution regarding the Strait of Hormuz.”

Iran arrests 21 for allegedly spying on its military: Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence announced on Thursday that it had arrested 21 people in the southeastern Kerman Province accused of providing military intelligence to the Israeli spy agency Mossad, according to state broadcaster IRIB.

U.S. removes sanctions on Iraqi airline: The ⁠U.S. ⁠lifted “counterterrorism” sanctions ⁠on at least one airline and several aircraft it previously accused of having ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), according ⁠to details ⁠posted to ⁠the U.S.

Treasury Department’s website on Thursday.

One of these airlines is Fly Baghdad, according to the website.

The U.S. also removed sanctions on two Iraqi individuals on Thursday, whom it accused of close ties to the IRGC, or the previously sanctioned airline.

Ansarallah announces “wide military operation” amid missile and drone attacks on Saudi-backed forces: Several casualties were reported after suspected Ansarallah missile and drone attacks targeted camps belonging to Yemen’s Saudi-backed government Emergency Forces in the Marib and Hadramout governorates on Thursday.

Local media reported that ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones struck military camps in Marib and Hadramout, causing multiple casualties.

The Emergency Forces said the attacks resulted in “human and material losses” but did not release an official casualty toll.

Separately, forces said they shot down an Ansarallah drone over the city of Marib after it entered the city’s airspace.

An Ansarallah spokesperson said the group would soon announce details of a “wide and qualitative military operation,” but did not specify whether he was referring to the reported attacks.

Ansarallah claims two strikes on Saudi tankers: Ansarallah military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed on Wednesday that the group had conducted two strikes on Saudi oil tankers over the course of the previous 24 hours, and that it was continuing to enforce its blockade of the kingdom’s shipping on both the “south and north of the Red Sea.”

Saree said the group struck the Saudi oil tanker Daisy in the Gulf of Aden with a ballistic missile, damaging it and forcing it to turn back.

The attack followed a similar one on Tuesday on the Saudi oil tanker Wafa.

Saree also vowed that the group would let no Saudi tanker pass until “our people’s legitimate demands are met, and the siege on them is lifted.”

Oil spill from suspected Russian shadow fleet tanker threatens Oman’s coast: An alleged Russian shadow fleet tanker stranded off Oman’s southern coast is leaking oil across an estimated 600 square kilometers, raising the risk of a major environmental disaster, according to AFP.

Satellite imagery reviewed by AFP showed an expanding oil slick near al-Qibliyyah Island, with Greenpeace warning the impact could be “severe and long-lasting.”

The Caroline Bezengi, which Kpler data indicates loaded one million barrels of Russian crude in May, has been adrift since explosions near Yemen on June 6 disabled its engine and steering, according to maritime security firm Vanguard Tech.

The cause of the blasts remains unclear.

Killed and wounded in Gaza: Over the past 24 hours, one Palestinian was killed after succumbing to wounds sustained in an earlier attack, and five were injured in Israeli attacks across Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023 has risen to 73,382 killed, with 174,236 injured.

Since October 11, the first full day of the so-called ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 1,255 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 4,125, while 806 bodies have been recovered from under the rubble.

Israel shot sixth-grader in Gaza tent classroom, UN confirms: Israeli forces shot and wounded a sixth-grade student inside a classroom tent in Gaza City on August 4, the UN confirmed on Wednesday.

A day earlier, Israeli forces destroyed the last remaining school in Beit Lahia in what had been a four-school compound.

Israel releases 24 Palestinian detainees into Gaza: Israeli authorities released 24 Palestinian detainees back into Gaza on Wednesday.

They arrived at Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, with at least one carried in on a stretcher, and immediately hospitalized.

Israel continues attacks on the occupied West Bank:

Qalandia: Israeli forces continued their siege of Qalandia refugee camp and the nearby city of Kafr Aqab for a second day on Thursday, arresting dozens of Palestinians, including a woman with a broken leg after breaking down her door and assaulting her family members, according to WAFA.

Soldiers entered dozens of homes in the area, issued demolition threats against businesses, and prevented ambulances from attending to the wounded.

Israeli soldiers were also reported to have targeted journalists operating in the area, with one reporter physically assaulted by Israeli soldiers and others facing down stun grenades, according to Al Jazeera.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said on Thursday that it had treated 16 Palestinians injured by Israelis during the military operation.

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society reported that more than 60 residents of Qalandia were detained and interrogated, including women and children.

Israeli soldiers beat detainees during interrogations, used restraints, and threatened detainees with retaliation, according to the group, while vandalizing and seizing property.

Nablus: Israeli settlers attacked and injured three Palestinians in Beit Furik, near Nablus, in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, according to WAFA.

Settlers also diverted water in the area on Wednesday, redirecting water pumps used by Palestinians to their settlement outpost.

Israeli forces conducted a separate raid on the Askar refugee camp, east of Nablus, on Thursday.

Jenin: Israeli soldiers continued on Thursday to raze land and uproot olive trees in the villages of Zububa and Arabuna, near Jenin, WAFA reported.

Hebron: Israeli settlers set several homes on fire in the Khirbet Al-Tuba community in the Masafer Yatta area, south of Hebron in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, leaving women and children suffering from smoke inhalation.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said its crews treated six people, including three women, for bruises sustained in the attack.

The Israeli military also demolished a home in the village of Birin, near Hebron, on Thursday morning, after raiding the area.

Al-Bireh: Israeli soldiers seized three homes in Al-Bireh on Wednesday evening, storming the neighborhood in which they were located and forcing their inhabitants out at gunpoint.

Kfar Qasim: Israeli authorities demolished a home in Kfar Qasim, a Palestinian town in Israel, WAFA reported on Thursday morning.

Israeli authorities beat Dr.

Hussam Abu Safiya in detention, break his ribs: Israeli authorities severely beat Dr.

Hussam Abu Safiya on July 27, breaking his ribs as part of what the Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office called his “most difficult day.”

The office reported the doctor, who suffers from heart disease and high blood pressure, has experienced a serious deterioration in his health.

Abu Safiya has spent 21 days in solitary confinement during his time in Israeli prison.

He has been detained without charge since December 27, 2024, after Israeli forces seized him while he was working as the director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital during attacks on northern Gaza.

Arab and Islamic countries condemn Israeli violations in Gaza; Israel army chief says attacks will continue: Arab and Islamic countries including Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt issued a joint statement on Thursday condemning the ongoing Israeli violations in the Gaza Strip, including “the targeting of healthcare facilities and medical infrastructure, attacks on civilian infrastructure, and the continued loss of civilian lives, including women and children.”

The ministers warned the violations “threaten to derail the political process, reignite the cycle of escalation, and further deepen the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip” despite the Palestinian factions’ acceptance of the roadmap.

Israeli army chief Eyal Zamir said in a statement on Thursday that the Israeli military would continue “proactive” operations in Gaza, claiming that the army had “significantly weakened Hamas” and “changed the security reality” in Gaza.

Board of Peace awards first building contract in Gaza for military base: The Board of Peace has issued its first construction contract in Gaza to build a rudimentary 150-person military outpost to house Moroccan troops, according to the Guardian.

The contract, which has not yet been finalized, was awarded to Arkel International, a Louisiana-based company that has previously carried out work with the U.S. government in countries such as Iraq.

The base is 100 meters by 120 meters and is intended to house a contingent of Moroccan troops, who would rotate from a base in Israel, the Guardian said, citing a source familiar with the matter.

In rare move, Israeli prosecutors charge settler in killing of Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen: Israeli prosecutors have filed charges against Yinon Levi, the Israeli settler who shot and killed prominent Palestinian community leader and activist Awdah Hathaleen in the village of Umm al-Khair in the occupied West Bank in July 2025.

Levi was charged with reckless manslaughter, which holds a lesser punishment than murder.

Other charges include armed trespassing and malicious damage to property.

Israeli rights group B’Tselem said that the charges against Levi mark the first time since Oct. 7, 2023, that an Israeli has been indicted for the death of a Palestinian in the West Bank.

During that period over 1,100 Palestinians have been killed in attacks by Israeli soldiers and settlers.

Read Drop Site’s coverage of the killing of Awdah Hathaleen here .

Israeli attacks wound eight in southern Lebanon as UNIFIL reports 113 projectiles launched:

Israeli attacks on the district of Tyre (Sour) in southern Lebanon wounded at least eight people and forced many residents to flee their homes, according to the Lebanese National News Agency, with drone and jet strikes hitting Burj Shemali on Thursday.

Additional Israeli strikes hit the towns of Burj Shemali and Al-Mansouri, according to the NNA.

Israeli forces also shelled Majdal Zoun, Al-Mansouri, and Haddatha on Thursday morning, and fired at the coastal Al-Hamra area in Bayt Al-Sayyad.

UNIFIL said Thursday that its peacekeepers continue to observe daily Israeli violations of Lebanese airspace and military activities on the ground, adding that the 113 projectiles launched by the Israeli military on Wednesday were the highest daily total recorded by the mission since June 21.

Israeli settlers attempt incursion into Lebanon: A group of about 15 Israeli women affiliated with a settler movement illegally crossed into southern Lebanon on Wednesday, according to The Times of Israel.

The Israeli military claimed that it located most of the group and escorted them back into Israel.

The women are reportedly part of the Uri Tzafon Movement, a group which seeks to establish Israeli settlements in southern Lebanon.

Rights groups condemn Israeli strike that killed Lebanese journalist as a war crime: An Israeli strike which killed Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil and injured photojournalist Zeinab Faraj in southern Lebanon in April amounted to a war crime, Human Rights Watch , Amnesty International , and Legal Agenda said in separate reports on Thursday that all concluded Israeli forces deliberately and directly targeted the two women despite knowing they were civilians.

The organizations also found that Israeli forces delayed rescue efforts for hours, dropping stun grenades near Lebanese Red Cross personnel and firing on ambulances, potentially contributing to Khalil’s death.

They called for a war crimes investigation and accountability, with Human Rights Watch urging states to halt arms sales to Israel and impose targeted sanctions on Israeli officials responsible for ongoing violations.

“The impunity enjoyed by Israeli forces for the killing of journalists and other civilians in Lebanon over the past three years has enabled the Israeli military to continue with its unlawful air strikes, including direct attacks on civilians,” Amnesty International’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Heba Morayef, said.

“It is well past time that the international community impose a comprehensive arms embargo on Israel.”

At least 15 journalists have been killed by Israel in Lebanon and 210 in Gaza since 2023, according to the UN human rights office.

Read Jeremy Loffredo’s report on Khalil’s killing for Drop Site here .

Senate committee votes to hold Anthony Fauci in contempt: A Senate committee voted 8-7 Thursday to hold Anthony Fauci , the former director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, in contempt of Congress.

During a hearing last week before the Government Affairs Committee, chaired by Sen.

Rand Paul , Fauci repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right and declined to answer questions.

Paul said he would refer the matter to the Justice Department for potential prosecution.

Separately, three state attorneys general, led by Florida AG James Uthmeier , announced on Wednesday that they were subpoenaing Fauci over allegations that he “profited” from the recommendations he gave during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Fauci, who left government in 2022 and received a preemptive pardon from President Joe Biden , has denied Paul’s allegations that he hid information from the public regarding the possible laboratory origins of Covid-19.

Sen.

Ron Johnson claimed Wednesday that he had obtained a copy of Fauci’s government phone and years of his personal diary entries from the Trump administration’s Department of Health and Human Services.

Trump maintains frequent contact with Fed Chair Warsh, WSJ reports: President Donald Trump has spoken repeatedly with Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh since Warsh took the job less than three months ago, seeking his counsel on issues including the Iran war and artificial intelligence’s economic effects, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.

One source cited by the paper said Trump has not raised interest rates directly since Warsh’s confirmation.

Communication between presidents and Fed chairs has typically been choreographed to avoid the appearance of political influence over rate decisions.

Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee have pressed Warsh for more disclosure about his contacts with the president.

El-Sayed opposes “unconditional” U.S. military aid to any country, including Israel: Abdul El-Sayed , the Democratic Senate nominee in Michigan, outlined his stance in an interview with CNN.

“I’m opposed to unconditional military aid for any country.

That is Israel, yes, but that’s also Egypt, where my family immigrated from.

That’s Pakistan, that’s Saudi Arabia, that’s UAE,” El-Sayed said.

“There are Leahy laws against dealing arms to countries who are engaged in human rights abuses, and I don’t want to fund a foreign military that does genocide, apartheid or has taken us to a war we don’t need to fight,” he added.

“I believe in equal rights to peace, dignity, and self-determination for Jewish Israelis and Palestinians alike.”

Abdul El-Sayed made clear that his opposition to unconditional aid for foreign governments extends to defensive military technology, including Israel’s Iron Dome system.

“I don’t believe that there’s really a difference between offensive or defensive weapons, and I also don’t believe it’s my responsibility to buy defensive weapons for a foreign government when our kids are defenceless against schools that have been underfunded for a very, very long time,” he said.

Trump-appointed judge ran D.C.

PR firm for months after taking bench, ex-employees say: Jennifer Mascott , a Trump-appointed judge on the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, remained deeply involved in operating the Washington public affairs firm Adfero for at least six months after her October 2025 confirmation, according to Politico.

Mascott oversaw the firm’s staffing, business development, and client relations while working out of its office weekly, according to several former employees and clients.

Mascott inherited ownership of the firm from her late husband, Jeff Mascott , in 2023.

After taking over the historically nonpartisan firm, she brought on consultants with strong Republican ties, and longtime clients departed, an arrangement sources said drove staff attrition and ultimately led the two-decade-old firm to shut down on June 30.

Judicial ethics experts told Politico that Mascott’s situation falls into a gray area under rules generally permitting judges to maintain family businesses, though they noted that it could veer into illegality if it interferes with her “judicial duties.”

USCIS backlog surges to 7.5 million: A work slowdown at the Trump administration’s immigration offices has pushed the backlog of citizenship, green card, and work permit applications to an unprecedented 7.5 million people—or more than 12.1 million when including asylum and humanitarian cases—according to the latest agency data cited by Axios.

Processing times for naturalization applications have doubled to about 10 months since June 2024, while more than 1.3 million “Dreamers” have waited over six months for work authorization renewals, up from 556,000 two years ago.

GAO report finds DOGE overstated federal savings claims: The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the U.S.

Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Service, the cost-cutting group led by Elon Musk , consistently overstated its claimed savings, taking credit for lease cancellations initiated before the group existed and reporting contracts as terminated when they were not, according to The Washington Post.

Of the $110 billion in contract, grant, and lease savings the GAO examined from DOGE’s $215 billion “Wall of Receipts”” investigators found more than half of the $61 billion in claimed contract savings was either not actually terminated or could not be corroborated.

108 of 264 leases DOGE listed were already in the process of termination before the group formed, according to the GAO report, which is set for release today.

Senate Democrats probe South Korean firm’s $2 million payment to Trump company : Senate Democrats Elizabeth Warren , Richard Blumenthal , and Andy Kim demanded Wednesday that South Korea’s Base Group explain a $2 million payment to President Donald Trump’s holding company made while the firm’s key investment, Korea Aluminium, faced a Commerce Department tariff dispute, writing that the transaction “raises significant concerns about pay-to-play politics and the potential for bribery.”

“If Base Group were attempting to buy influence with President Trump in an effort to secure lower tariffs or special-interest exemptions for Korea Aluminium, it would be a particularly egregious example of Trump Administration corruption,” Sen.

Warren wrote.

The payment, which the Trump Organization claimed was related to the development of a golf course and which was disclosed in Trump’s June financial filing as a “nonrefundable development fee,” came shortly before Commerce issued a preliminary finding to impose a 105% tariff on Korea Aluminium’s exports.

Newly nominated Lawrence pledges to vote for Jeffries for Speaker: Progressive candidate William Lawrence , elected on Tuesday as the Democratic nominee for Michigan’s 7th congressional district, pledged to vote for Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker if elected, reversing a position he held earlier during his campaign.

Lawrence, backed by the Democratic Socialists of America, follows Brad Lander , who announced after his election in June that he would vote for Jeffries.

Other DSA-backed candidates, including Darializa Avila Chevalier , Melat Kiros , and Chris Rabb , have refused to commit to voting for Jeffries if the Democrats retake the House in November.

Lawrence faces a highly contested general election, with his race against Republican Rep.

Tom Barrett considered one of the tightest races in the country.

Other International News

Explosive-laden drone found near Ukrainian cargo plane in Germany : An explosive-equipped drone was discovered at Leipzig Airport near a Ukrainian cargo plane carrying military ammunition, according to local news reports.

Forensic investigators reportedly determined that the explosives attached to the drone were military-grade.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt described the incident as a “hybrid attack,” although German authorities have not identified those responsible.

North Korea fires short-range ballistic missile: North Korea fired a short-range ballistic missile toward the sea on Thursday, South Korea’s military said, the first such launch in more than 40 days.

The missile was detected launching from North Korea’s Wonsan area around 5 p.m. local time, prompting South Korea’s presidential office to hold an emergency security meeting and the country’s military to heighten its alert level.

Nigerian military rescues 308 kidnapping victims: Nigerian security forces rescued 308 people abducted in separate attacks in the northern Niger and Kwara states, President Bola Tinubu’s office announced on Thursday in a major joint rescue operation.

More than half, from Kwara’s Woro community, had been held since February when gunmen killed at least 170 people.

All were freed from the Kainji Lake National Park forest following an operation involving the armed forces, intelligence agency, and police.

Flavio Bolsonaro names Congressman Alfredo Gaspar as running mate: Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, the leading right-wing challenger to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, named conservative Congressman Alfredo Gaspar as his running mate.

Gaspar, a member of Bolsonaro’s Liberal Party who has represented Alagoas in Congress since 2023, led a congressional probe into Brazil’s social security institute.

Lula’s son, Fabio Luis Lula da Silva, is under investigation over allegations he received improper payments linked to pension deductions.

UN experts warn of “silent Gaza” in Cuba amid U.S. pressure campaign : United Nations human rights experts on Thursday condemned the U.S.’s ongoing economic and political campaign against Cuba and urged the international community to act quickly to prevent what they called a “silent Gaza” from unfolding on the island.

“Food must never be used as an instrument of political pressure,” the experts said, adding that measures depriving a population of the means to survive “strike at the most basic guarantees of the rights to life and diminish the core of human dignity.”

Iraqi government says armed groups could face terrorism charges after deadline: The governing coalition in charge of Iraq issued a statement on Thursday warning that any groups within the country who possessed arms after a deadline of September 30 would be “considered an outlaw” and could face charges under Iraq’s anti-terrorism law.

Canadian PM defends ICC: Prime Minister Mark Carney reaffirmed Canada’s support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday, saying Ottawa would continue funding the institution despite U.S. pressure on allies to withdraw support.

The Trump administration has waged a public campaign against the ICC after the court issued arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over charges related to its genocide in Gaza.

Carney has declined to criticize Trump over the U.S. sanctioning of Canadian ICC judge Kimberly Prost over a case related to American troops in Afghanistan, though Carney said Canada would support her “as needed.”

Trump denies munitions shortages, vows to jail leakers; Israeli settler charged with killing Palestinian; Senate holds Fauci in contempt ^⁠4%

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Trump denies munitions shortages, vows to jail leakers; Israeli settler charged with killing Palestinian; Senate holds Fauci in contempt ⁠4%