Iran hardens demands on Strait of Hormuz

Negotiations between Iran and Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz remain constructive but stalled, as Tehran demands war reparations and the withdrawal of US forces before reopening the waterway. Meanwhile, President Zelensky is urgently seeking European support for missile interceptors following a deadly Russian drone strike in Kyiv, even as he visits Serbia, a traditional Russian ally. In the United States, the Senate confirmed Todd Blanche as Attorney General, raising concerns about the potential politicization of the Justice Department. Environmental crises continue as out-of-control wildfires in British Columbia force mass evacuations, while the weaponization of archaeology in the West Bank intensifies geopolitical tensions. Additionally, Japan sees a cultural shift as over half of men now take paternity leave, and AI companies face scrutiny for the controversial practice of bulk-buying and destroying physical books to train large language models.