🇮🇷 US Strike Hits Iranian Wedding — Four Killed, 60 Wounded
A US missile struck a home in southern Iran where dozens had gathered for a wedding celebration near Sirik, killing at least four people — including two children — and wounding more than 60 others, according to Iranian state media and a rights group.
The strike hit the coastal town of Kuhestak on the Strait of Hormuz. A rights group said one of the children, a teenager, was killed in a separate strike on a nearby communications tower. Iran condemned the incident as a "war crime"; the US denied targeting civilians. Iran subsequently launched missiles and drones at US targets in the Middle East in response.
🇺🇸 US House Votes 370-48 to Avert Government Shutdown
The House passed a short-term spending bill on Tuesday to keep federal agencies funded through December 11, averting a government shutdown ahead of the midterm elections.
The continuing resolution passed 370-48, with 19 Republicans and 29 Democrats voting against. The bill now awaits President Trump's signature.
The stopgap measure gives Congress until mid-December to negotiate full funding for fiscal year 2027, pushing a potentially damaging budget fight past the midterms.
🇮🇱 Two Palestinian Teens Killed in West Bank Settler Raid
Two Palestinian teenagers, aged 16 and 19, were killed on Wednesday during a joint attack by Israeli settler militants and army troops on the village of al-Mughayyir near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian health ministry and local officials.
The killings come amid a reported uptick in settler violence across the West Bank territory.
🕌 Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Formalise Joint Defence Secretariat
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have agreed to establish a permanent secretariat in Saudi Arabia under their Mecca joint defence agreement, the three countries announced in a joint statement Monday.
Representatives met in Istanbul to finalise the arrangement. The secretariat will initially be led by a Pakistani secretary-general for a three-year term. The three nations said they will work to strengthen collective defence capabilities and the cohesion of their armed forces.
The move formalises a trilateral security structure among three of the Muslim world's most significant military powers.
🇺🇸 Ex-Trump Lawyer: President Plans To Steal 2026 Midterms
Former Trump White House counsel Ty Cobb warned Thursday that President Trump intends to "steal these elections where possible" in the 2026 midterm cycle.
Cobb made the remarks on MSNBC, commenting on reports of Republican lawmakers declining to attend a Republican National Committee event — a sign, he suggested, of growing unease with Trump's political brand heading into the midterms.
🇮🇷 Bessent: Iran Economy Could Collapse Within Months
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Monday that Iran's economy could collapse "within weeks or months" under American economic pressure, as the Trump administration intensifies its campaign to cripple Tehran's finances.
Speaking at a G20 finance ministers meeting, Bessent said the outcome is avoidable: "The economy doesn't have to collapse, we just have to have the regime come to their senses."