Secretary of State Marco Rubio begins a three-country Gulf tour Tuesday facing allied anger over being shut out of US military strikes on Iran. He’s also asking those same partners to fund Iran’s reconstruction — a pitch that’s going over badly.
Wars fill front pages, but preventing them is a different — and far quieter — business. The UN Peacebuilding Fund has committed over $1.6 billion across 60 countries to stop conflicts before they start.
Nineteen-year-old Stephane Kulimushi fled the DRC at 13 and found stability through basketball. Now he’s using the sport to give 34 young refugees in Kampala the same lifeline.
Portugal winger Francisco Conceicao says there’s no pressure on teammates to pass to Cristiano Ronaldo at the FIFA World Cup. His comments come after Ronaldo faced heavy criticism following a quiet display in Portugal’s opener against Ghana.
The Dutch royal family celebrated a remarkable double on Saturday as both the Netherlands and Curacao won at the World Cup on the same day. It’s a once-in-a-generation moment for a kingdom spread across 5,000 miles of Atlantic Ocean.
A rescue dog named Osito has become an unexpected star of the World Cup in Mexico City, drawing massive crowds and millions of social media views. His story is also driving a surge in adoption inquiries for the shelter that saved him.
Belgium were held to a goalless draw with Iran at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles after Nathan Ngoy’s red card left them clinging on with ten men. Mehdi Taremi had a first-half goal ruled out for offside in a tense World Cup Group G opener.
Serena Williams will make a surprise return to Wimbledon singles after being awarded the tournament’s final wildcard on Sunday. The 23-time grand slam champion hasn’t played singles at the All England Club since 2022.
Israel has cut off all contact with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas following remarks she allegedly made comparing Israeli actions to apartheid. The move marks one of the sharpest diplomatic breaks between Israel and a senior European Union official in recent memory.
Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni are locked in a deepening public feud over disputed claims about a G7 summit photograph. The clash is raising eyebrows given the two leaders’ previously warm ideological alignment.
US and Iran are publicly trading threats even as nuclear negotiators meet for a second round of talks in Geneva, Switzerland. Trump threatened to strike Iran over Hezbollah while Tehran’s chief negotiator warned Washington to watch its words.
Egypt coach Hossam Hassan has firmly denied any rift with Mohamed Salah ahead of a high-stakes World Cup playoff against New Zealand. The 57-year-old dismissed the speculation as a distraction and insists the squad is fully focused.
Tehran says the Strait of Hormuz is open after a wave of conflicting signals spooked tanker operators and sent oil prices climbing Tuesday. The Persian Gulf Strait Authority is requiring ships to submit compliant transit requests but has yet to publish full details.
Zelenskyy gave Lukashenka seven days to dismantle drone relay stations near the Ukrainian border or face Kyiv taking them out directly. The ultimatum, delivered Friday in Kyiv, is one of Ukraine’s sharpest direct threats toward Belarus since the war began.
Keir Starmer is resisting intensifying pressure from within Labour to step down as Prime Minister, but crumbling poll numbers and backbench anger are making his position increasingly fragile. With local elections on the horizon, the next few months could prove decisive.
Israel has cut all diplomatic contact with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas after she used the word “apartheid” to describe Israeli policies toward Palestinians. The move marks a sharp new low in relations between Jerusalem and Brussels.
NGOs in Lebanon are condemning what they call systematic Israeli attacks on medical workers, as the death toll surpasses 3,900 and ceasefire talks remain deadlocked. Doctors Without Borders says seven of its local staff have been killed and two ambulances struck since the conflict began in March.
Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, linking the closure to Israel’s campaign in Lebanon and threatening to derail upcoming nuclear talks in Switzerland. President Trump responded with a 60-day ultimatum and a threat to impose U.S. tolls on all shipping through the critical waterway.
JD Vance scrapped a planned trip to Geneva just hours after Trump and Iranian President Pezeshkian signed an initial agreement suspending uranium enrichment. The surprise pace of Wednesday’s deal made the Switzerland talks unnecessary, officials say.
French prosecutors have confirmed that Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi will stand trial on rape charges dating back to 2023. The PSG defender has denied the allegations throughout a two-year judicial investigation.
