Toll

• Maine Senate candidates have publicly condemned a fatal shooting involving ICE agents, bringing increased political scrutiny to GOP Senator Susan Collins during her current re-election campaign. • Republicans are pursuing a third partisan reconciliation package to fund priorities such as the war in Iran and the "Save AMERICA Act" election overhaul bill. • Senator John Cornyn of Texas expressed uncertainty regarding his support for Todd Blanche's appointment as attorney general ahead of a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing.

• President Trump has reversed his plan to impose tolls on ships traveling through the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S. completes a third night of attacks on Iran. • In other diplomatic developments, Trump met with Iraq's prime minister, while Supreme Court justices provided testimony to Congress. • The House is scheduled to vote today on the Sunshine Protection Act, a bill introduced by Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) to make daylight saving time permanent nationwide.

Change of US position on free navigation comes as two tankers hit by Iranian cruise missiles. Plus, the international outpouring of love for the late actor Sam NeillGood morning. The US has launched its third consecutive night of strikes on Iran, hours after Donald Trump said Washington would reinstate a maritime blockade on the country and charge ships for safe passage. The UAE said two ⁠national tankers ⁠were ​targeted by two Iranian cruise missiles in ⁠the southern lane of the strait ⁠of Hormuz in Omani territorial ​waters, ‌killing one ‌Indian crew member and wounding ‌eight others, including four seriously.Iran and the US are in theory nearly halfway through the 60-day period of an interim deal that was supposed to set up talks for a permanent end to the war, which began in February with the assassination of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei. In reality, that deal has devolved into a series of attacks over the strait of Hormuz, resulting in the near-total collapse of an interim ceasefire and worrying world leaders that the conflict could fully resume.How has Trump changed his position on tolls? On Monday, Trump said the US would demand a 20% tariff on all cargoes shipped through the strait of Hormuz. Until now, the US had said the strait should remain open to all without tolls – as it was before Washington and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February. Any attempt by the US or Iran – which has also proposed tolls – to charge fees would violate global norms on freedom of navigation and would be likely to cause further economic disruption far beyond the region.What did Nordone say about her appointment? In brief remarks, Nordone, 64, said: “Lindsey has always been there for me, and now I will be there for him. I promise to work hard over the next several months to support the president and carry forward the efforts of my brother on behalf of the citizens of South Carolina and the United States. I think this is what Lindsey would have wanted, and I plan to honor him in this way. I miss you more than I can even put into words, but I’m going to do this. I got it.” Continue reading...

Bar owner in Thailand offers ‘deepest apologies for this tragic incident’ as police investigate whether exits were either blocked or hard to accessThe Bangkok pub that has become the scene of the city’s deadliest blaze in 17 years has said it will cooperate with an investigation into alleged negligence, as the death toll rose to 30.The local district office said on Tuesday that three more people died after the devastating fire that broke out in the early hours of Monday. An initial assessment by disaster officials found that an electrical short ‌circuit in an air conditioner located in the ‌ceiling caused the fire. Continue reading...

Nearly 17,000 injured and thousands more listed as missing amid calls by president Delcy Rodríguez and UN for financial helpThe death toll in Venezuela’s devastating twin earthquakes has passed 4,300, the government said on Saturday.At least 4,333 people were killed and 16,740 injured in the back-to-back quakes on 24 June that flattened entire districts in the coastal state of La Guaira, the Venezuelan parliament chief, Jorge Rodríguez, wrote on Telegram. Thousands more people are listed as missing. Continue reading...

World is witnessing a turning point, says ministry spokesperson, as Iran seeks to assert independence amid rising tensionsBefore a foreign ministry press briefing at the Grand Hotel Tehran, the assembled reporters were asked to stand for the national anthem that duly blared from fuzzy speakers.At the podium, the ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, claimed the world was witnessing a turning point in the history of Shia Islam. A century from now, he claimed, the assassinated Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would be revered as a second Imam Hussain, the martyred grandson of the prophet Muhammad. Donald Trump, meanwhile, would be seen as a latterday Yazid, the tyrannical 7th century caliph. Continue reading...

• Iran has initiated public mourning for the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, with officials claiming the funeral will attract approximately 20 million people. • Tehran has issued a stern warning to the United States and Israel, stating that any military attacks conducted during the funeral proceedings will be met with "harsh retaliation." • This escalation highlights the extreme regional volatility and the risk of opportunistic strikes during a period of national instability in Iran.

• Mediators have announced that the next round of indirect talks between the US and Iran will take place following the funeral of Ayatollah Khamenei. • Vice President JD Vance stated that current discussions in Doha are "going well," with negotiations regarding the nuclear issue expected to commence shortly. • President Pezeshkian emphasized that all diplomatic efforts are being conducted under the strategic direction of the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei.