Aid cuts kill children in South Sudan as cholera spreads

A loss in Congress

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of President Donald Trump, died Saturday night after a brief and sudden illness. He was 71 years old. His office confirmed the news in a statement posted on social media.

“The family appreciates the prayers and asks for privacy at this difficult time,” the text stated. No further details were immediately given.

Hours later, a second statement revealed the preliminary cause: an aortic dissection resulting from arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease, according to the District of Columbia Medical Examiner. This is a rupture of the aorta due to hardening of the arteries.

Trump, who spoke frequently with Graham, told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that the senator called him on Saturday after returning from a trip to Ukraine. “It sounded a little tired, but perfect,” he said. The president ordered flags to fly at half-mast until next Saturday.

Graham, a former Air Force attorney, served three decades in Congress. He was a foreign policy hawk and advised Trump on issues such as Iran and Russia. On Friday he had announced an agreement to advance sanctions against Russia. As chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, he was key in Trump’s second term, when Republicans pushed laws with a slim 53-47 majority in the House.

New escalation in the Strait of Hormuz

The United States launched multiple airstrikes against Iran on Sunday, in response to an Iranian action against a container ship in the Strait of Hormuz. The initial attack set the boat on fire and left one crew member missing.

Tehran responded with offensives against Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Oman. The latter nation, located on the other side of the strait, faces Iranian pressure to cooperate in managing maritime traffic.

The US military said it seeks to “degrade” Iran’s ability to attack commercial ships that transit freely through the waterway. The statement came after a third round of attacks, which lasted until early Monday morning.

Iranian state media confirmed explosions at several points. The first American wave, on Sunday morning, was a direct retaliation for the Iranian attack on the container ship the day before. In response, Iran attacked Gulf Arab countries, intensifying a cycle of violence that jeopardizes negotiations between Tehran and Washington to end the conflict.

Military objectives and reactions

Hours later, the United States attacked again. The governor of the island of Qeshm, near the strait, reported fewer than a dozen shells fired at military targets, with no casualties, according to the state agency IRNA. Explosions were also heard in Bandar Abbas and Hajiabad.

A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said some attacks targeted missile systems, air defense and vessels of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.

US Central Command said it hit about 140 targets, including missile and drone launch sites, ammunition depots and communications equipment.

Negotiations on the brink of collapse

Iran and the United States are almost halfway through the 60-day period of their interim agreement, designed to reach a definitive cessation of hostilities. The strait, a key route for global oil and gas supplies, has become a point of friction that threatens to break down talks.

“A return to large-scale hostilities would have catastrophic consequences,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres, according to a statement.

Iran maintains that the strait is closed; The United States denies it. The tension continues to increase.

Pope Leo XIV and his call for peace from Castel Gandolfo

Pope Leo XIV presided this Sunday over his first summer Angelus from the Castel Gandolfo residence. Unlike the traditional popemobile, the pontiff toured the streets in a golf cart to greet the faithful and highlighted the place as a place to rest.

However, the summer season did not diminish his concern about global conflicts. During his reflection, the Pope expressed concern about the wars that affect various regions.

“Unfortunately, the winds of war are blowing again in the Middle East, in Ukraine and in many other parts of the world, sowing violence, terror and death, and once again hitting so many innocent people. Let us not allow these winds to extinguish the small flame of hope and peace,” he stated.

The Pontiff insisted that dialogue is the only way to a lasting solution.

“I renew my desire to persevere on the path of dialogue, encounter and diplomacy, the only path capable of leading to a just and lasting peace,” he said.

International peace summit in Castel Gandolfo

As part of Sea Sunday, Leo XIV also sent a message to maritime workers, affected by the remoteness and fear of conflicts on routes such as the Strait of Hormuz.

The promotion of peace will be the focus of a high-level summit to be held this week at the Borgo Laudato Si’. For three days, some 30 Nobel laureates, former heads of state and representatives from more than 30 universities will debate international security, governance of artificial intelligence, disarmament and economics for peace. Among the attendees are leaders from OpenAI, Google DeepMind, Aaru and Anthropic.

The opening of the meeting will be on Tuesday, July 14, with the participation of Cardinals Fabio Baggio, Silvano Maria Tomasi and Ángel Fernández Artime, as well as Nobel Prize winners Muhammad Yunus, Juan Manuel Santos and James Muller.

Although an intervention by the Pope has not been confirmed, the fact that the summit will be held in Castel Gandolfo and that the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas is the central theme generates expectations. Sources indicate that a possible announcement regarding his presence could be made this Monday.