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Less than three weeks after a ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran, renewed clashes have erupted. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attacked cargo vessels and threatened to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, while the U.S. military launched large-scale airstrikes against Iran for several consecutive days. Iran retaliated by targeting U.S. military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain, reigniting hostilities between the two sides.

Amid the escalating tensions, the United States has imposed a new round of sanctions on Iran, targeting key financial backers of the country’s leadership. On the 10th, the U.S. Treasury Department announced new sanctions against individuals including Dubai-based Iranian banker Ali Ansari, who had previously been sanctioned by the United Kingdom for allegedly providing financial support to the IRGC. The United States accused Ansari of transferring funds overseas and enabling himself and senior Iranian officials to profit from the transactions.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) also sanctioned three Iran-based exchanges and several foreign shell companies. It said the targeted Iranian banks had used these entities to move billions of dollars annually and relied on networks of shell companies to conceal what Washington described as the Iranian government’s illicit commercial activities.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott said, “The United States is taking action to cut off the financial lifelines that sustain Iran’s ruling elites and will directly undermine Iran’s ability to obtain foreign currency and engage in international finance.”

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the department would continue using all available tools to remove Mojtaba Khamenei and other senior Iranian officials from the global financial system.

French far-right National Rally leader Marine Le Pen, who has been embroiled in a legal case over the alleged embezzlement of public funds, announced on the 7th that she will run in the 2027 French presidential election.

Earlier the same day, the Paris Court of Appeal ruled on her case, reducing her original five-year ban on running for public office to 15 months, a period that has already been served. However, she was sentenced to one year of home detention under electronic monitoring. The ruling effectively removes the legal obstacle preventing her from contesting the next presidential election.

Le Pen immediately announced that she would run on a joint ticket with National Rally President Jordan Bardella. She also said she would appeal the ruling in an effort to suspend the one-year electronic monitoring sentence.

Now 57 years old, Le Pen has sought the French presidency three times over the past 15 years, reaching the runoff election twice before ultimately losing to Emmanuel Macron on both occasions. Macron, who is currently serving his second consecutive term, is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term, leading many observers to believe that this represents Le Pen’s best opportunity yet to win the presidency.

In recent years, support for the National Rally has continued to grow. The party secured the largest share of the vote in both the 2024 European Parliament election and the subsequent snap parliamentary election, making it the largest single party in the French National Assembly. According to opinion polls, if Le Pen is allowed to run, she is well positioned to win a second-round runoff against either far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon or centrist former prime ministers Gabriel Attal and Édouard Philippe.

South Korea's judiciary issued its final verdict on July 9 in one of the criminal cases stemming from former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law. The Supreme Court dismissed appeals filed by both the defense and the special prosecutor, upholding the seven-year prison sentence imposed by the appellate court. The case originated from Yoon's abrupt declaration of martial law nearly two years ago, which triggered nationwide unrest. After more than 500 days of legal proceedings, the Supreme Court has for the first time issued a final criminal judgment on Yoon's personal criminal liability.

According to the ruling, Yoon was found to have used presidential security personnel to obstruct law enforcement officers attempting to arrest him during the constitutional crisis. The court also found that he failed to convene all cabinet ministers for the legally required policy deliberations before issuing the martial law decree, thereby depriving multiple officials of their collective decision-making authority. In addition, Yoon was convicted of falsifying government documents, issuing misleading statements to the foreign press to downplay the severity of the crisis, and ordering subordinates to destroy communication records stored on military communication devices.

The sentence changed several times during the judicial process. Earlier this year, the district court convicted Yoon on multiple charges and sentenced him to five years in prison. The High Court later increased the sentence to seven years. Although the special prosecution team sought a heavier sentence of ten years, and Yoon's legal team argued that the evidence seizure procedures violated due process and the rule of law, the Supreme Court ultimately concluded that the lower courts had made no errors in either their factual findings or their application of the law. Yoon's legal team expressed deep regret over the decision and stated that they intend to seek constitutional review as their final legal remedy.

In addition to this case involving obstruction of justice and abuse of power, Yoon remains imprisoned over separate charges related to his alleged leadership role in the constitutional insurrection. In that case, he was previously sentenced to life imprisonment by the trial court, and the appeal is still pending. He has also received a 30-year prison sentence in another case over allegations that, on the eve of the martial law declaration, he deliberately dispatched unmanned aerial vehicles toward North Korea in an attempt to provoke a regional crisis.

Following opposition leader Lee Jae-myung's victory in last year's presidential election and assumption of office, the political crisis that drew international attention continues to unfold, with other senior officials implicated in the affair also facing the final stages of judicial review.

The United States and Iran reached a ceasefire agreement (in the form of a memorandum of understanding) just last month. However, within only 20 days, Iran allegedly carried out multiple attacks on commercial vessels, prompting a U.S. military response. The latest round of hostilities erupted on Tuesday (the 7th). Before launching airstrikes against Iran, the U.S. Treasury Department also revoked a waiver that had temporarily eased sanctions on Iranian oil.

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) stated on the 7th that Iran had attacked civilian commercial vessels operating along international shipping routes, and that the United States responded with decisive military force. Qatar and Saudi Arabia also condemned Iran's attacks, saying that their commercial ships had come under attack in the Strait of Hormuz and calling on Iran to immediately cease all actions that undermine regional security.

In a statement broadcast on state television, Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the United States for violating the agreement. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf claimed that Washington had seriously breached the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding. He listed five alleged violations by the United States: disrupting Iran's revised navigation arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz, continuing to threaten further military strikes against Iran, reinstating oil sanctions, launching attacks on southern Iran, and allowing Israel to continue its military operations in Lebanon.

Iran's Armed Forces issued a statement vowing a firm response to the U.S. attacks. Tehran stressed that under no circumstances would it allow the United States to interfere in the management of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran also asserted that the shipping routes it has designated are the only safe passage for oil tankers and commercial vessels transiting the strait. On the 8th, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on state television that, in retaliation for U.S. airstrikes on Iranian coastal bases, it had struck U.S. military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait.

As tensions in the Middle East escalated once again, U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday (the 8th) condemned Iran's leadership as brutal. Trump declared that the U.S.-Iran ceasefire agreement was effectively over and said that engaging with Iran was "a waste of time."

Also on Wednesday, Trump attended a NATO summit in Ankara, the capital of Türkiye, where he met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. Rutte stated that the U.S. overnight airstrikes on Iran on Tuesday were "absolutely necessary," arguing that Iran had openly violated the ceasefire agreement after it had taken effect and that a strong U.S. response was therefore essential.

French President Emmanuel Macron made a historic visit to Syria on the 7th, becoming the first Western and European Union leader to visit the country since the fall of the Assad regime in 2024. During the trip, Macron met with Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa in the capital, Damascus, where the two leaders signed bilateral agreements and agreed to restore diplomatic relations by reappointing ambassadors. However, explosions were also reported in Damascus during the visit.

According to foreign media reports, two explosions occurred near the Four Seasons Hotel Damascus, where Macron was staying. The explosives had reportedly been hidden in a trash bin and inside a vehicle. Thick smoke filled the area, and several vehicles caught fire. A total of 18 people were injured, including four police officers. Fortunately, Macron had already arrived at the Syrian Presidential Palace when the blasts occurred. French officials quickly confirmed that he was safe and that his visit would proceed as planned.

Shortly after the explosions, Macron continued with his scheduled itinerary, including a tour of the Syrian Presidential Palace, a joint visit to a mosque with President al-Sharaa, and meetings with members of Syrian civil society, underscoring the renewed relationship between France and Syria. Syrian authorities have not yet issued an official statement regarding the bombings, and no group has claimed responsibility. After concluding his visit to Syria, Macron is scheduled to travel to Turkey to attend the NATO Summit.

With the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit set to take place in Ankara, Turkey, on July 7–8, the Turkish government stepped up security measures in advance of the gathering, banning public demonstrations, erecting roadblocks, and closing several streets. The Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) said it organized an anti-NATO march in central Ankara's Kızılay Square, but more than 100 participants, including party officials, were detained by police.

Footage from the scene showed demonstrators waving flags and chanting slogans such as "Murderer NATO, get out of our country!" and "NATO, no passage!" Riot police used tear gas to disperse the crowd as protesters gathered in the square. The TKP accused the government of suppressing anti-NATO voices, arguing that the detentions targeted a legitimate political demonstration.

Beyond Ankara, the TKP also organized protests in Istanbul, where hundreds of demonstrators marched from Taksim Square to the Dolmabahçe district. Two additional rallies organized by left-wing groups were held in Kadıköy. Although police maintained a heavy security presence, no major clashes were reported.

TKP General Secretary Kemal Okuyan said anti-NATO demonstrations were held simultaneously across several cities, stressing that the party would not allow Ankara to remain silent during the NATO summit and would continue voicing its opposition to the alliance.

Ukraine launched a large-scale long-range drone assault early Saturday, targeting military and energy facilities in St. Petersburg, Russia's second-largest city, and the neighboring Leningrad Region. St. Petersburg Governor Aleksandr Beglov confirmed that the city of around six million people had come under a "massive" attack and said an oil terminal was struck, though no casualties were reported.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that a major oil storage and transshipment terminal, along with a key naval base of Russia's Baltic Fleet, had been hit. He said both sites were critical infrastructure generating revenue to support Russia's war effort. Ukraine has continued its drone campaign in an effort to deepen Russia's domestic fuel shortage.

Beglov said the overnight drone attack caused no reported casualties. He added that Russian air defenses shot down 72 Ukrainian drones over St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. Residents were urged to remain indoors until air raid alerts were lifted, while warning that mobile internet services could be disrupted. The governor of the Leningrad Region also said a drone struck an area near the Port of Vysotsk, about 170 kilometers northwest of St. Petersburg. The port is a major hub for handling oil, grain, coal, and liquefied natural gas (LNG).

On the eastern front, Russia's military claimed it had captured the strategic town of Kostiantynivka. However, President Zelensky and Ukraine's military chief firmly rejected the claim, insisting that the town remains under full Ukrainian control.

Zelensky said Ukraine's Defense Forces successfully struck port oil infrastructure that finances Russia's war effort, as well as the military stronghold of Kronstadt, one of the Russian Navy's most important bases. Russian authorities have not confirmed whether the base sustained any damage. Kyiv also claimed that drone strikes have now disabled nearly 43% of Russia's oil refining capacity.

Ukraine has intensified attacks on Russia's energy infrastructure this year in an effort to weaken Moscow's ability to sustain the war. Fuel shortages have begun emerging in several parts of Russia. In Gatchina, located in the Leningrad Region, long lines of vehicles were seen waiting at gas stations, while some stations reportedly ran out of fuel altogether.

A powerful heat wave swept across the U.S. East Coast during the Independence Day holiday, forcing the cancellation or modification of Fourth of July celebrations and causing power outages in New York. With heat index values reaching as high as 46°C (115°F), more than 185 million Americans were placed under heat alerts.

According to Reuters, the Associated Press, and other media outlets, the extreme heat was caused by a strong heat dome that brought prolonged high temperatures and humidity across the eastern United States. Cities including Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York, and Boston recorded temperatures above 38°C (100°F), with dangerous humidity pushing the heat index above 43°C (110°F) in many areas.
In Philadelphia, organizers canceled the annual Salute to Independence parade after determining that the extreme heat posed a safety risk to participants and spectators. Although officials had considered shortening the parade route and starting earlier, they ultimately decided to cancel the event. Some outdoor concerts were also postponed or canceled, while fireworks and indoor activities continued as scheduled.

In New York City, soaring electricity demand from widespread air conditioner use strained the power grid, leaving approximately 17,000 customers without electricity at one point. Utility crews worked to restore service, while the PJM Interconnection, which manages the regional power grid across 13 eastern states, urged residents to conserve electricity to reduce peak demand.

Other cities, including those in New Jersey and the Boston area, also adjusted or canceled Independence Day events because of the extreme heat. In Washington, D.C., several people required medical treatment for heat-related illnesses during celebrations on the National Mall.

The U.S. National Weather Service continued to issue excessive heat warnings, urging people to stay hydrated, avoid prolonged outdoor exposure, and watch for signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Climate experts noted that climate change is making extreme heat waves more frequent, longer-lasting, and more intense.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi made her first visit to India since taking office, meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on July 2. Speaking at a joint press conference after the summit, Takaichi revealed that Modi affectionately referred to her as his "beautiful younger sister." The two leaders agreed to address each other as brother and sister going forward, with Takaichi saying she would work hand in hand with her "elder brother" Modi to usher Japan–India relations into a new phase.

According to Japanese media reports, the 90-minute meeting produced consensus on three major areas: deepening the Japan–India strategic partnership, strengthening economic and energy security, and expanding cooperation in investment and technological innovation. The two leaders also confirmed that their foreign and defense ministers would convene a "2+2" meeting later this year. As China continues to expand its military influence in the region, Japan and India also agreed to jointly advance an upgraded vision of a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific" (FOIP 2.0).

Takaichi's visit forms part of the reciprocal "shuttle diplomacy" between Japanese and Indian leaders and marks the first visit to India by a Japanese prime minister since 2023. Following the summit, the two sides released a joint outcomes document covering economic security and artificial intelligence (AI) cooperation, underscoring their commitment to deepening strategic ties.

Strengthening cooperation with India in defense and economic affairs was a central objective of Takaichi's trip. For Japan, which has actively promoted the Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy, India remains a key partner in its Indo-Pacific framework. At the press conference, Modi stated that building a "free, prosperous, and rules-based Indo-Pacific region" is a shared priority for both countries.

Takaichi said the two nations had agreed to expand maritime security cooperation, including advancing joint exercises between the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Indian Navy, enhancing cooperation on naval vessel maintenance, and promoting defense equipment collaboration. She added that both governments had instructed their officials to hold the Japan–India "2+2" ministerial meeting within this year.

On economic and energy security, Takaichi announced that Japan and India would strengthen the resilience of critical supply chains, establish a bilateral dialogue mechanism on India's strategic petroleum reserves, and support India's bid to join the International Energy Agency (IEA). Japan will also assist India in constructing 1,000 biogas facilities and support collaborative projects involving renewable energy and ammonia production.
In the area of investment and industrial cooperation, Takaichi announced that Japanese and Indian companies signed approximately 120 cooperation agreements during the visit, covering sectors such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence. The agreements represent total private-sector investments of around ¥2 trillion (approximately NT$400 billion), bringing Japan closer to its government target of ¥10 trillion in cumulative investment in India.
India is also a member of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad). Having now completed visits to the United States, Australia, and India, Takaichi hopes this summit will further strengthen momentum for cooperation within the Quad framework.
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On June 30, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets across South Africa, demanding that the government deport all undocumented immigrants and declaring June 30 the "final deadline" for undocumented migrants to leave the country voluntarily. The nationwide demonstrations were organized by the anti-immigration movement March and March. Its leader, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, announced that protests would continue every Thursday over the next six months until the goal of removing all undocumented immigrants from South Africa is achieved.

The demonstrations took place across several provinces, including Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western Cape, with the largest gatherings occurring in Durban and Johannesburg. More than 5,000 protesters assembled outside a police station in Durban, dressed in traditional attire, carrying sticks, and chanting "Abahambe!"—a Zulu phrase meaning "They must go!"
Violence broke out in several locations during the protests. In Yeoville, Johannesburg, demonstrators reportedly forced their way into private homes, damaged doors and windows, and looted property. In the neighboring district of Hillbrow, a shooting left two people injured, including a 17-year-old boy. In retaliation, a crowd set fire to the suspect's vehicle. In KwaDabeka, Durban, several supermarkets were looted, prompting the South African National

Defence Force (SANDF) to deploy troops to restore order. To prevent further unrest, the South African government allocated 600 million rand (approximately US$36 million) to support the security operation.

According to official figures, South African police have arrested more than 40,000 undocumented foreign nationalssince the beginning of 2026, including over 7,400 arrests in the past month alone. In addition, approximately 25,000 migrants have already been repatriated under mounting pressure.

With youth unemployment standing at around 40%, many South Africans blame undocumented immigration for rising crime, drug abuse, and shortages in healthcare and education. However, the country's underlying policy challenges remain unresolved. A cabinet committee has warned that public dissatisfaction could be exploited for political purposes ahead of South Africa's local government elections in November.