WASHINGTON -- U.S. forces on Friday struck and disabled two more Iranian-flagged unladen oil tankers before they entered an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman amid rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
CENTCOM "enforced blockade measures against two Iranian-flagged unladen oil tankers attempting to pull into an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman," the command said in a post on X. (US-Iran-Hormuz-Vessels)
- - - -
LONDON -- Plaid Cymru won 43 seats in the expanded 96-member Senedd, or Welsh Parliament, in Friday's election, ending more than a century of Labour dominance in Welsh politics.
Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth told supporters that his party would "take the necessary steps to form the next Government of Wales." He said he planned to "reach out to others" who support his agenda and confirmed that he would put himself forward to be nominated as the next first minister. (Britian-Wales-Elections)
- - - -
NEW YORK -- The U.S. Consumer Sentiment Index fell to 48.2 in May 2026, according to a preliminary reading released Friday by the University of Michigan (UM) Surveys of Consumers, down from the final reading of 49.8 in April 2026.
The reading fell to a new all-time low in May as surging gas prices due to the Iran war fuel inflation worries. (US-Consumer Sentiment-Preliminary)
- - - -
SOFIA -- Former Bulgarian President Rumen Radev became the country's new prime minister on Friday after parliament approved him and his proposed Council of Ministers.
Radev, leader of the Progressive Bulgaria party, secured the post with the backing of 124 lawmakers from his party in the 240-seat parliament. Lawmakers from the second-largest bloc, GERB-UDF, abstained, while opposition parties voted against the new government. Parliament also approved the structure and composition of the cabinet. (Bulgaria-PM). ■
