Lead Story
Iran's Health Ministry says 53 killed, nearly 600 wounded since US strikes resumed
Iran's Health Ministry reported on July 22 that at least 53 people, including six women and three children, have been killed and close to 600 wounded by US airstrikes since fighting resumed on July 6, according to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency. The toll came as the US military carried out a 12th consecutive night of strikes on Iranian military targets, including maritime capabilities, missile and drone storage sites, and air defense assets, with Washington having escalated its campaign after Tehran struck commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Read more →Lead Story
Iran's Health Ministry says 53 killed, nearly 600 wounded since US strikes resumed
Iran's Health Ministry reported on July 22 that at least 53 people, including six women and three children, have been killed and close to 600 wounded by US airstrikes since fighting resumed on July 6, according to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency. The toll came as the US military carried out a 12th consecutive night of strikes on Iranian military targets, including maritime capabilities, missile and drone storage sites, and air defense assets, with Washington having escalated its campaign after Tehran struck commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Oil hits six-week high above $95 a barrel as Hormuz and Red Sea routes both threatened
Brent crude touched a session high of $95.47 a barrel on July 22, its highest level in nearly six weeks, before easing to close up over $2 at $93.24, as traders weighed simultaneous threats to two critical Middle East shipping chokepoints. The US military's 11th straight night of strikes on Iran kept the Strait of Hormuz on edge, while the Houthis' newly declared blockade of Saudi ports pushed tankers away from the Bab al-Mandab strait: three Saudi-crude-laden vessels bound for China and India made U-turns in the Red Sea on July 21, diverting toward the Suez Canal rather than risk the Yemeni coast.
Read more →Oil hits six-week high above $95 a barrel as Hormuz and Red Sea routes both threatened
Brent crude touched a session high of $95.47 a barrel on July 22, its highest level in nearly six weeks, before easing to close up over $2 at $93.24, as traders weighed simultaneous threats to two critical Middle East shipping chokepoints. The US military's 11th straight night of strikes on Iran kept the Strait of Hormuz on edge, while the Houthis' newly declared blockade of Saudi ports pushed tankers away from the Bab al-Mandab strait: three Saudi-crude-laden vessels bound for China and India made U-turns in the Red Sea on July 21, diverting toward the Suez Canal rather than risk the Yemeni coast.
France becomes first EU nation to ban social media for under-15s
France's parliament gave final approval on July 21 to a flagship bill of President Emmanuel Macron's second term banning children under 15 from using social media, making France the first European Union country to enact a blanket ban of this kind. The law, which also bars mobile phone use in high schools, will be enforced by Arcom, France's audiovisual and digital regulator; provisions to require warning labels on social-media advertising aimed at children did not survive into the final text. France joins more than 20 countries that have moved to restrict children's social media access, following Australia's pioneering under-16 ban in 2024.
Read more →France becomes first EU nation to ban social media for under-15s
France's parliament gave final approval on July 21 to a flagship bill of President Emmanuel Macron's second term banning children under 15 from using social media, making France the first European Union country to enact a blanket ban of this kind. The law, which also bars mobile phone use in high schools, will be enforced by Arcom, France's audiovisual and digital regulator; provisions to require warning labels on social-media advertising aimed at children did not survive into the final text. France joins more than 20 countries that have moved to restrict children's social media access, following Australia's pioneering under-16 ban in 2024.