President Trump announced late Saturday night he was calling off planned U.S. airstrikes on Iran after Middle Eastern allies urged him to hold off, posting on Truth Social that a rough deal framework is now in place. Key parameters include the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a halt to Iran's nuclear program, and a U.S. lifting of its naval blockade in exchange for resumed Iranian oil exports. Negotiations are still ongoing and no final agreement has been signed.
The Senate departed for recess without voting on the SAVE America Act or a major defense spending bill, drawing sharp criticism from House Republicans. Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) hit Fox News Sunday morning to press Senate leadership for urgent action amid escalating Middle East tensions and economic pressure from the ongoing Iran conflict. Both bills now sit in limbo until lawmakers return.
Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) publicly demanded that Rep. Max Miller — his former son-in-law — resign over domestic abuse allegations surfacing in a bitter divorce and custody battle. Miller fired back, saying investigations found no evidence of wrongdoing and accusing his ex-wife and the media of orchestrating a smear campaign. The intra-party clash threatens Republican unity in Ohio heading into November midterms.
Three major wildfires near Spokane, Washington merged into a devastating complex burning over 5,390 acres and destroying more than 600 structures as of Sunday morning. A record heat dome and winds gusting to 45 mph drove the Old Trails Fire across the Spokane River into city neighborhoods, triggering mass evacuations north of Francis Avenue. Governor Bob Ferguson declared a statewide emergency and banned outdoor burning through September 30.
A mass border crossing into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta left at least 67 dead — drowned or crushed in stampedes — with roughly 50,000 migrants breaching the fence over just a few days. By Sunday, approximately 69,500 had been returned to Morocco, most voluntarily after failing to find food or shelter. EU leaders are convening emergency talks, with 22 heads of state blaming Spain's mass migrant regularization program as a primary pull factor.
The LNG carrier Gaslog Shanghai was struck by IRGC forces while transiting the Strait of Hormuz on August 1, with four additional vessels aborting passage after receiving warnings. Iran has effectively blockaded the strait since February following U.S. and Israeli air operations against Iranian targets. The attack directly preceded President Trump's surprise announcement of a peace framework with Tehran.
UEFA formally demanded that FIFA president Gianni Infantino resign or face an emergency no-confidence vote from the global football community. The crisis stems from Infantino's now-rescinded plan to sell a financial stake in FIFA's own competitions. UEFA declared that the FIFA leadership has "lost the confidence" of football's governing bodies worldwide.
University of Minnesota researchers created "SpudCell," the first cell built entirely from non-living chemical components that can feed, grow, replicate its DNA, and divide. Its genome contains just roughly 90 kilobase pairs — smaller than the previously estimated minimum for life. The breakthrough challenges the very definition of life and opens new frontiers in medicine and biotechnology.
New research finds that a surprisingly modest amount of exercise produces major metabolic health gains for adults carrying excess abdominal fat — improving inflammation markers, insulin sensitivity, and cellular damage indicators. The findings challenge conventional "more is more" exercise guidelines and could reshape public health recommendations for sedentary populations. Researchers say the implications are especially significant given that obesity-related conditions remain a top driver of U.S. healthcare costs.
Blockchain forensics have exposed a massive Iranian gambling network — spanning more than 2,000 Farsi-language websites — that moved at least $4 billion through an unlicensed Dubai-based cryptocurrency exchange called Shelbit. The same exchange was simultaneously processing funds for sanctioned Iranian financial institutions, meaning black-market gamblers and sanctions evaders were sharing the same financial pipeline. Western intelligence officials say the scale of the operation caught them completely off guard.
