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August 13: Iran’s Strait of Hormuz Claim and Ukraine Civilian Deaths
In the Middle East
Iran says it controls and manages the Strait of Hormuz, directly rejecting President Trump’s claim that the United States has total control of the strategic shipping route. Iranian officials also said they intend to keep the war going until Trump leaves office, a declaration that offers little comfort to countries watching a vital energy corridor become a stage for competing assertions of command.
Separately, an official said intelligence that an Iranian cell had entered Turkey with a shoulder-fired missile led to Trump leaving Ankara aboard a separate Air Force jet.
In Ukraine
The UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission says at least 437 civilians were killed and 2,610 injured in Ukraine in July, the highest monthly civilian death toll it has recorded since May 2022.
In Europe
Britain is expected to endure its fifth heatwave of the summer, while France has issued orange heat alerts across 80 departments. Repeated extreme temperatures are increasing pressure on public services and resources across both countries.
In the United States
Federal debt is nearing $40 trillion, with the Congressional Budget Office projecting a $1.887 trillion deficit this year and more than $2 trillion next year. Interest payments alone are expected to reach $1.1 trillion this year, while spending cuts have largely vanished from the election debate.
Trump’s executive order on vaccine scheduling does not alter current CDC recommendations. It seeks to restore changes previously made by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and later blocked by a federal judge. Health experts warn that the move could erode confidence in vaccines and complicate decisions for families and pediatricians.
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