Trump says he will soon declare Hormuz Strait a U.S. territory
U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory.
"After we finish defeating Iran -- which is being very badly defeated -- pretty soon I'll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States," he said during a rally in Garden City, New York.
Hezbollah leader rejects U.S.-mediated Lebanon-Israel framework agreement
Hezbollah Secretary-General Naim Qassem on Friday rejected the U.S.-mediated framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel, describing it as an Israeli-imposed arrangement.
"The framework agreement is Israeli dictates written with Israeli ink and signed by the Lebanese authorities," Qassem said in a televised speech on local Al-Manar TV, adding that Hezbollah would continue its resistance.
Israeli military says killed Hamas commander in S. Gaza
The Israel Defense Forces said Friday it had killed a Hamas commander in southern Gaza Strip.
The militant, Hudhaifa Khaled Suleiman Qawari, struck on Thursday, was a company commander in the Khan Younis brigade of Hamas' military wing, the Israeli military said in a statement.
Africa CDC sounds alarm as Ebola kills over 2,000 in DR Congo
The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has voiced concern over the rapidly expanding Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as the death toll surpassed 2,000.
Addressing an online briefing on Thursday, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya warned that the continued Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak is currently outpacing conventional response efforts, as transmission rapidly expands across a wider geographic area.
China urges vigilance against dangers of Japan's neo-militarism
A Chinese defense spokesperson on Friday urged vigilance against the dangers posed by Japan's neo-militarism.
Chen Xi, a spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, made the call at a press briefing in response to a query about the record-high budget to be submitted by Japan's Defense Ministry for fiscal year 2027.
It was also cited in the query that Saturday, Aug. 15, will mark 81 years since Japan announced its unconditional surrender.■
