Silence

• The United States and Iran both asserted control over the Strait of Hormuz on Monday following a weekend of widespread attacks across the Middle East. • These escalating military tensions and territorial disputes further threaten ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the regional war. • The situation coincides with Senator Mitch McConnell breaking weeks of silence regarding his health status.

Senator says in statement he has undergone battery of tests after weeks of mounting speculation about his healthUS senator Mitch McConnell on Sunday revealed for the first time that a fall led to his hospitalization, breaking the silence about the Kentucky Republican’s condition after weeks of mounting speculation about his health.McConnell, 84, said in a statement that he has undergone a battery of tests as doctors try to determine what led to his fall. He explained the long silence about his condition by saying that “folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older”. Continue reading...

• Sudan is currently experiencing a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, which some observers describe as the gravest of recent times. • The crisis is characterized by widespread mass starvation, with 825,000 children specifically facing severe acute starvation. • The situation is exacerbated by a lack of significant intervention from global governments, who have done little to alleviate the suffering.

Former employee files complaint accusing company of ‘coercive surveillance’ and first amendment violationThe Meta whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams is suing the tech company over its efforts to “silence” her.A 57-page complaint filed to a US district court in California on Thursday argues that an interim arbitration ruling sought by Meta preventing Wynn-Williams from publicising her memoir, Careless People, was “improper and unlawful” and a “blatant violation of the first amendment”. It also accuses the company of “coercive surveillance”. Continue reading...

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency to use International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition for ‘regulatory work’Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralia’s health watchdog has adopted a contested definition of antisemitism to guide its regulatory work.The move has been welcomed by the nation’s peak Jewish body while the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (Apan) has warned it could silence health professionals from criticising Israel’s human rights record. Continue reading...

• NASA has officially declared the MAVEN Mars orbiter dead after the spacecraft suffered a critical anomaly. • The decision follows several months of radio silence and unsuccessful attempts to re-establish contact with the probe. • MAVEN's mission was vital for studying the Martian upper atmosphere and understanding how the planet lost its water and atmosphere over time.

• Scott Mills' husband has shared his first social media post following the DJ's dismissal from the BBC. • The post comes as a wave of famous friends and colleagues have publicly voiced their support for the sacked presenter. • Rylan Clark recently highlighted the emotional difficulty of seeing close celebrity friends be "cancelled," noting the impact on personal relationships.