US launches fresh strikes on Iran after Trump declares interim accord ‘over’

The United States launched a fresh wave of military strikes against Iran on Wednesday, sharply escalating tensions in the Gulf just hours after President Donald Trump declared that the interim agreement aimed at ending months of conflict with Tehran was “over.”

The strikes, announced by the United States Central Command (CENTCOM), were aimed at preventing Iran from threatening shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy corridors through which roughly one fifth of global oil supplies pass.

“At the direction of the Commander in Chief, US Central Command forces have started conducting additional strikes against Iran to further degrade their ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM said in a statement posted on X.

“The United States is holding Iran accountable for recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway.”

The latest military action followed Iranian strikes on US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait after three cargo vessels were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. Although Tehran has not officially claimed responsibility for the attacks on the ships, analysts say Iran has used such incidents to demonstrate its leverage over one of the world’s busiest oil routes.

The renewed exchange of attacks pushed global oil prices up by about seven percent and further undermined hopes that a memorandum of understanding signed on June 17 could evolve into a permanent peace agreement. The conflict began on February 28 with US and Israeli air strikes on Iran and has since threatened regional stability and global energy markets.

Thousands accompany Khamenei’s funeral procession into Iraq

Thousands of mourners lined the streets of Iraq’s holy city of Najaf on Wednesday as the funeral procession of Iran’s late Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, crossed into the country after several days of ceremonies across Iran.

 

Crowds carrying Iranian and Iraqi flags, alongside banners of powerful Iran backed militias, chanted anti American and anti Israeli slogans as Khamenei’s coffin was transported through the city.

 

Najaf, regarded as one of the holiest cities in Shia Islam because it houses the shrine of Imam Ali, welcomed the coffin following its arrival at the city’s international airport on Tuesday evening.

Ali al Zaidi, Iraqi Prime Minister, senior government officials and leading religious figures attended an official reception.
Iranian authorities have described the ceremonies as the “funeral of the century,” with millions expected to participate across both Iran and Iraq.

Trump orders halt to trade with Spain amid NATO dispute

President Donald Trump has ordered an immediate halt to US trade with Spain, deepening tensions with the NATO ally over defence spending and disagreements linked to the Iran conflict.

Speaking during a NATO summit in Ankara, Trump criticised Spain for refusing to meet the alliance’s new defence spending target of five percent of gross domestic product and repeated complaints over Madrid’s refusal to allow the United States to use Spanish airspace and military bases during operations against Iran.

“This is a terrible partner,” Trump said, urging NATO allies to increase pressure on Spain.

Pedro Sanchez, Spain Prime Minister  sought to downplay the confrontation, saying he held a “very cordial” conversation with Trump during the summit.

The move marks the second time Trump has directed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to halt commerce with Spain, although previous threats earlier this year did not disrupt bilateral trade.

The dispute also raises questions because trade policy with Spain falls under the European Union’s common commercial framework rather than bilateral national agreements.

German doctor jailed for murdering 15 patients as wider investigation expands

A Berlin court has sentenced a 41-year old palliative care doctor to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of murdering 15 patients over a three year period.

The doctor, identified only as Johannes M. under German privacy laws, was convicted of killing 12 women and three men between September 2021 and July 2024 by administering lethal combinations of medication without their consent.

The victims, aged between 25 and 94, were all seriously ill but were not considered to be at immediate risk of death.

Prosecutors told the court the doctor often set fires at victims’ homes in an attempt to conceal evidence.

During the year long trial, Johannes M. admitted last month that he had “killed people,” claiming he believed he was sparing patients from suffering.

“I thought this was the best thing for everyone,” he told the court while apologising to victims’ families.

Authorities are now investigating another 76 suspected deaths linked to the doctor. If additional charges are proven, the case could become one of Germany’s largest serial murder investigations.

Farage defends resignation as parties boycott planned by election

Nigel Farage, Reform UK leader has rejected accusations that his resignation as Member of Parliament for Clacton is a political stunt, insisting voters should decide whether he deserves to remain in office.

Farage resigned after renewed scrutiny over his finances and an ongoing parliamentary standards investigation.

Speaking to the BBC, he said, “The media are judging me to be a dishonest person, so it is only fair to say to the voters, ‘you judge.'”
Reform UK has proposed holding the by election on August 6, although Labour, the Conservatives, the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party have all announced they will boycott the contest.

Government ministers and opposition leaders have criticised the move, with Home Secretary Yvette Cooper calling it “a political stunt” while Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch described it as “a gimmick.”
Farage has denied any wrongdoing and accused rival parties of avoiding a direct electoral contest.

AFRICA

More Trump deportees arrive in Eswatini under third country programme

Eleven additional migrants deported from the United States have arrived in Eswatini under the Trump administration’s third country deportation programme, bringing the total number transferred to the southern African kingdom to 29.

Lawyer Alma David, who represents some of the deportees, confirmed the latest arrivals, saying many remain detained despite having already completed prison sentences in the United States.

The deportation programme, reportedly worth $5.1 million, has faced legal challenges over concerns about detention conditions and the rights of those transferred.

Of the 29 deportees sent to Eswatini so far, only two have since been repatriated to their home countries, Jamaica and Cambodia.
The Eswatini government has not commented on the latest arrivals.

UN says Sudan’s RSF committed genocide in Darfur

A United Nations fact finding mission has accused Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of committing genocide in the city of al Fashir during its campaign to seize control of the area last year.

The report says RSF fighters carried out mass killings, widespread abductions, gang rapes and forced starvation as part of a deliberate strategy targeting civilians.

Investigators documented testimony from survivors who described sexual violence carried out in rooms where the bodies of murdered relatives remained.

The report also concluded that the RSF committed the war crime of starvation by blocking humanitarian aid and targeting food production during its prolonged siege of the city.

The paramilitary group has denied the allegations, insisting previous reports of abuses were fabricated by its opponents.
Sudan’s civil war, now entering its fourth year, has displaced millions and triggered one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises.

Health workers strike as Congo’s Ebola outbreak worsens

Frontline healthcare workers responding to the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak have begun strike action over unpaid salaries and poor working conditions, raising fears that efforts to contain the disease could be severely disrupted.

Health workers in Ituri province, the epicentre of the outbreak, said they have not received wages or promised bonuses since the outbreak was declared on May 15.

“We’ve been demanding payment for our work,” said Biensi Kano, a doctor, member of the epidemiological surveillance committee in Bunia.

Workers also complained of shortages of protective equipment and accused authorities of treating response teams unfairly.

Government figures now show 1,708 confirmed Ebola cases and 580 deaths, making the first month of the outbreak the deadliest ever recorded for the Bundibugyo strain.

The strike comes as authorities begin clinical trials of experimental treatments for the virus.

Tanzania builds gold reserves with 28-tonne buying programme

Tanzania has purchased nearly 28 tonnes of gold over the past 18 months as part of a strategy to strengthen its foreign exchange reserves and support the national currency.
The gold, valued at an estimated $3.7 billion, has been acquired through a policy introduced in 2024 requiring mining companies and exporters to sell 20 percent of exported gold directly to the Bank of Tanzania.

Officials say the programme has increased the country’s foreign reserves to around $6 billion while encouraging greater participation in the formal financial system by artisanal miners.

The initiative mirrors a broader global trend in which central banks are increasing gold holdings to diversify reserves and reduce dependence on the U.S. dollar.

South Africa freezes funding for Johannesburg over financial mismanagement

South Africa’s National Treasury has suspended billions of rand in funding to Johannesburg and dozens of other municipalities over persistent failures to comply with financial management rules.

Treasury officials said Johannesburg alone would lose access to 3.6 billion rand in July, with 69 municipalities facing funding suspensions until at least September unless they reduce wasteful spending by 25 percent.

Ogalaletseng Gaarekwe, Deputy Director General stressed that the move does not place the municipalities under administration but is intended to enforce financial discipline.

Enoch Godongwana, Finance Minister  has repeatedly criticised Johannesburg’s finances, arguing that the city’s recently approved 97.1 billion rand budget relies on unrealistic revenue projections and unsustainable spending commitments.

The funding freeze comes just months before South Africa’s local government elections scheduled for November 4, where Johannesburg is expected to be one of the country’s most closely contested political battlegrounds.