“Yemen’s Tehran-aligned Houthis have claimed responsibility for an attack on a refinery in Saudi Arabia, two days after the kingdom signed a defence pact with Turkey and Pakistan in response to growing regional instability caused by the US-Israel war on Iran. The attack early on Sunday came after Iran issued tough new demands to reopen the strait of Hormuz, and the United Arab Emirates said one of its ships had been targeted by an Iranian missile, as a deal to open the strategic waterway remained out of reach. … With Iran and the US still arguing over the parameters for peace, the Houthis last month declared a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, citing what they said was a Saudi siege on them, an allegation Riyadh denies.” (08/09/26)
“Burger King has overtaken Wendy’s as the second-largest burger chain in the U.S. by systemwide sales, retaking its crown six years after losing it to the rival chain. The change in positions follows the two companies’ diverging results over the past two years. Wendy’s has reported shrinking U.S. same-store sales for six straight quarters. Its domestic same-store sales slipped 7% in its latest quarter, the company reported on Friday. Meanwhile, Burger King has been embarking on a turnaround and has seen its domestic same-store sales rise over the past five quarters; the Restaurant Brands International chain on Thursday reported U.S. same-store sales growth of 8.5% for its second quarter. McDonald’s holds onto its spot as the number one burger chain, with a significant lead.” (08/07/26)
“A proposal to limit ‘vertical drinking,’ a bureaucratic euphemism for having a pint while standing, has turned into a political headache for one local government council in London. Politicians from Prime Minister Andy Burnham to London Mayor Sadiq Khan have piled in to decry the idea from Westminster City Council, which is responsible for licensing pubs and restaurants in the West End, a nightlife hub popular with tourists and locals. A feature of many of those pubs is the crowd of drinkers who mill around sharing drinks with friends, often spilling out into the street on warm spring and summer evenings. … Council leader Paul Swaddle issued a press release stressing that the proposal was part of a draft policy that is still open for public comment.” (08/07/26)
“The captain of the boat that capsized in New York Harbor late Saturday — killing a baby and a 27-year-old woman — was hit with more than a dozen charges for driving it while dangerously overloaded, according to sources. The operator, who has not been publicly identified, faces 13 charges of reckless endangerment after the motorboat he was steering flipped over off the coast of Liberty Island just before 10:30 p.m. Saturday. The vessel, a 22-foot bowrider motorboat, was overloaded with 14 people on board, NYPD sources told The Post. Two passengers are confirmed to have died, including a 5-month-old baby and a 27-year-old woman. Neither has been identified pending family notification, the NYPD said.” (08/09/26)
“Myanmar’s military-backed government has rejected the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ renewed call for the unconditional release of detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi and dismissed the need for the organisation’s special envoy on Myanmar, according to the foreign affairs ministry. … In an apparent effort to placate critics, the government allowed a representative of the International Committee of the Red Cross to visit 81-year-old Suu Kyi last week, the first known contact with an outside international independent humanitarian organisation since her detention five years ago. Suu Kyi is serving her sentence under house arrest at an undisclosed location in the capital Naypyidaw, on charges that her supporters and rights groups have said are politically motivated.” (08/09/26)
“Italian divers have discovered an ancient Roman shipwreck off the coast of Sicily, believed to be more than 2,000 years old. The vessel was found piled high with hundreds of well-preserved containers, which were used to transport goods such as wine and olive oil. Italy’s Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli hailed the wreck as ‘one of the most important underwater archaeological discoveries of recent years’. Specialist police divers found the ship around 46m (150ft) deep, after a tip-off from fishermen. The wreckage is 21m (69ft) long and 6m (20ft) wide, according to reports in local media. The culture ministry says it dates from the second or 1st Century BC. … Officials say safety measures will be taken to safeguard it while it undergoes investigation, as experts work to determine the nature of the wreck and learn more about its cargo.” (08/09/26)
“The Israeli government has rejected a 15-point plan backed by the Trump administration aimed at disarming the Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday. President Trump announced the agreement between his Board of Peace and Hamas late last month, calling it a major breakthrough. Mr. Netanyahu’s office had expressed reservations, saying that the framework did ‘not reflect Israel’s positions,’ but stopped short of outright rejecting it. The U.S.-backed proposal envisions a phased process in which Hamas would hand over its weapons to a new Palestinian administration in Gaza in stages. In exchange, Israel would gradually withdraw from the more than half of Gaza that it still controls. On Sunday, Mr. Netanyahu openly dismissed the plan, saying that Israeli forces ‘would not carry out any withdrawal until Hamas is disarmed.'” (08/09/26)
“A potentially deadly ‘flesh-eating’ bacteria has killed five people in Louisiana this year, a sharp rise from the state’s typical death toll. Health officials are warning beachgoers to take extra precautions before heading into the water. Vibrio vulnificus is part of a wider group of Vibrio bacteria. Found primarily in warm, coastal waters, it can cause serious, potentially life-threatening infections when contaminated seawater enters an open wound, according to the CDC. Infections can also occur when someone eats raw or undercooked shellfish, especially oysters. The Louisiana Department of Health has reported nine cases and five deaths so far this year. All nine cases were linked to people entering seawater with open wounds, and all of the infected patients had existing medical conditions, officials said.” (08/07/26)
“The Senate passed a stopgap spending bill early Saturday that would keep the government funded through Dec. 11, moving Washington closer to avoiding another shutdown before the November midterms. The bipartisan 90-6 vote would push the next government funding deadline past Election Day while offering some checks on the Trump administration. The measure, which now goes to the House, generally maintains funding levels after the fiscal year ends Sept. 30, with a few negotiated exceptions.” (08/08/26)
“Reported cases of the parasitic disease cyclosporiasis are on the rise in California, with a total of 215 cases in 2026 so far — more than double the yearly average of 106. The increase in cases comes amid a massive nationwide outbreak of cyclosporiasis, which causes watery and explosive diarrhea along with nausea and weight loss. Currently, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reported 6,358 confirmed cases of the parasitic disease across 15 states, believed to be linked to iceberg lettuce sold by Taylor Farms. In addition to those cases, multiple smaller cyclospora outbreaks without a known source have been reported by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In total, there are 10,468 laboratory-verified cyclospora cases in the U.S., along with another 12,255 cases under investigation.” (08/07/26)
