Virginia votes on new congressional map with control of House at stake

• US naval forces seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Iran to label the action as 'bullying behaviour' and 'act of piracy'. • The operation occurred two days before a two-week ceasefire with Iran was set to expire, amid fragile diplomatic efforts and threats of retaliation. • Tehran insists on securing freedom of navigation in the strait, vital for one-fifth of global oil trade, before engaging in US talks, heightening energy security risks.

• US-Iran ceasefire talks collapsed in Pakistan, raising doubts over Army Chief Asim Munir's role as mediator despite Trump's prior praise. • Concerns in US national security circles focus on Munir's alleged IRGC ties, questioning his neutrality. • Tehran refuses further Islamabad-hosted talks, pressuring Pakistan's diplomatic standing.

• Iran shot down a US F-15E fighter jet over Iranian territory, representing a major battlefield setback in escalating tensions. • President Trump reacted with hours of intense exchanges with aides, reported by The Wall Street Journal as a full meltdown. • The incident underscores growing military confrontations amid collapsing ceasefire and stalled US-Iran diplomacy.

• Iran launched drone attacks targeting US warships in retaliation for the seizure of an Iranian cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz. • The strikes mark a sharp escalation, with both sides issuing warnings as a fragile ceasefire nears expiry and diplomacy falters. • Fears mount of wider regional conflict disrupting global oil flows through the world's critical waterway.

Donald Trump says US ready to renew attacks but Iran appears unwilling to bend to US president’s threatsIntense efforts were under way on Tuesday to bring Iran and the US together in Pakistan for a new round of talks, a day before the end of the two-week ceasefire that has paused the conflict in the Middle East.Donald Trump said on Tuesday he is ready to renew attacks against Iran if progress is not made at any talks, with the US military “raring to go”. Continue reading...

Irving police department announced bust in pun-filled social media post about alleged $34,000 Lego lootingSo much for using his noodle.A California man pilfered thousands of dollars in Lego toy sets from the retailer Target in a return-based scam, sometimes swapping valuable figurines with dried pasta pieces and before returning the construction-centric toys, authorities recently alleged. Continue reading...

Ministers also asked to alter compensation rights and suspend emissions trading scheme amid Middle East warAirlines are lobbying the UK government to relax environmental and noise rules, modify passenger rights and cut taxes on flying, as they prepare for higher costs and a possible shortage of jet fuel because of the war in the Middle East.A list of policy requests submitted to ministers and the aviation regulator includes suspending the emissions trading scheme and relaxing limits on night flights, it has emerged. Continue reading...

Police bring criminal case over alleged manipulation of party database in Croydon East constituencyFour Labour activists have been charged over allegations that a party database was manipulated to increase a candidate’s chance of selection.The four include Joel Bodmer, 40, who ran as a potential candidate for the Croydon East constituency in south London but later withdrew. He is charged with perverting the course of justice for allegedly altering phone records. Continue reading...

Israel Defense Forces say the ‘soldiers’ conduct completely deviated from IDF orders and value’Two Israeli soldiers have been removed from combat duty and sentenced to 30 days in jail after one used a sledgehammer to smash a statue of Jesus in southern Lebanon, while the other filmed him, the Israel Defense Forces have said.An image circulating on social media on Monday showed an Israeli soldier using a sledgehammer to strike the head of a statue of a crucified Jesus that had fallen from its cross in a Christian village in southern Lebanon, near the border with Israel, prompting outrage across Christian communities worldwide. Continue reading...

John Ashby, 32, admits using Islamophobic slurs during attack on Sikh woman he thought was Muslim A man who racially abused a Sikh woman as he raped her has pleaded guilty to the assault after being confronted in court by a member of the public.John Ashby pleaded guilty to rape, religiously aggravated assault, intentional strangulation, robbery and religiously aggravated assault of the woman at her home in Walsall. Continue reading...

Two teenagers were killed and five others wounded in Winston-Salem after pre-planned fight in parkSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxNorth Carolina authorities say they are pursuing criminal charges against adults who allegedly “stood by” a scheduled fight among teenagers that led to a mass shooting that killed two people and wounded five others on Monday.“We’re sending the message that if you stand by, encourage, aid or abet our juveniles in delinquent behavior, we will not tolerate it,” William H Penn, the Winston-Salem police chief, said in a joint video message on Tuesday alongside the local sheriff and district attorney. Continue reading...

US president’s hubristic and contradictory social media statements are key stumbling block to ending the warDonald Trump’s blend of threats and hubristic commentary, often casually dismissive of Iran, has, as much as the continuation of the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, been the key stumbling block to restarting peace talks between the two countries under Pakistan’s mediation in Islamabad.However much the Iranian foreign ministry insists it would not respond to every social media utterance issued by the US president on Iran, and sometimes there are as many as seven a day, Tehran cannot ignore them all, even if they contradict what the Iranians are being told in private about Trump’s true intentions. Continue reading...