Renewed conflict and tensions in the Strait of Hormuz have slowed fertiliser shipments, worsening hunger in Sudan.

Sudan risks facing a deepening hunger crisis due to ongoing conflict, aid ⁠funding cuts, and rising agricultural costs driven by the global disruption caused by the Iran war, a senior World Food Programme (WFP) official has said.

“It’s a massive crisis, both in terms of numbers, but also due to the gravity,” Carl Skau, the WFP’s acting executive director, told Reuters on Tuesday.

Skau said that more than 100,000 people were still facing famine-like conditions, placing them in the highest level of the United Nations-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). “With these kinds of numbers in IPC 5 starvation, it is extremely, extremely serious,” he said.

Sudan remains the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, with around five million people facing emergency or catastrophic levels of hunger, even after an intensive ‌aid response helped reduce the number of people in famine-like conditions, Skau said.

Nearly 19.5 million people across Sudan face high levels of acute food insecurity, according to the ⁠IPC. Skau said that recent fighting around el-Obeid in North Kordofan had raised fears the ⁠city could suffer a fate similar to el-Fasher in Darfur, where conflict and siege conditions trapped civilians and hindered aid deliveries, and where the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) carried out mass killings and gang rapes after they took control of the city in the course of their three-year conflict with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF).

In recent days, however, violence has eased somewhat around el-Obeid, raising hopes that aid deliveries can be expanded from 100,000 to 250,000 in the area.

The WFP is ⁠also increasingly concerned about renewed fighting over the past week in Darfur, which has forced the closure of the Tine border crossing, a route from Chad ⁠into Darfur. This renewal of conflict threatens to reverse gains made after famine took hold in parts of the country, it said.

Throughout the country, the WFP has reduced the number of people ⁠it assists from five million a year ago to about 3.5 million, and reduced rations in many areas, including in Tawila in Darfur, as it faces a $646m funding gap after cuts from major donors, including the United States, European countries and Britain.

“We’re not heading in the ‌right direction here,” Skau said. “If anything, we are falling backwards.”

Skau also warned that soaring diesel prices and fertiliser shortages linked to conflict in the Gulf and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz could further undermine ‌Sudan’s food security during the current planting season.

Sudan relies heavily on fertiliser imports from Gulf countries, while much of its agriculture depends on irrigation pumps, which may be too expensive for farmers to run.

The ⁠war between SAF and the RSF, now entering its fourth year, has displaced millions and devastated much of the country. Aid agencies have repeatedly warned of worsening food insecurity and limited humanitarian access.

Millions lost power as Cuba’s fifth nationwide blackout of 2026 hit amid a US-imposed oil blockade.

Cuba’s national power grid has collapsed, plunging the island into its third nationwide blackout in less than 10 days and leaving approximately 10 million people without electricity.

The outage began around 11am local time (15:00 GMT) on Tuesday, when the country’s entire power grid went offline, according to the state-run electricity company, UNE.

“There has been a total disconnection of the electrical system,” Cuba’s Ministry of Energy and Mines said on social media.

The latest blackout comes as Cuba faces its worst economic crisis in decades, worsened by an oil blockade imposed by the United States that has deepened fuel shortages and pushed the island’s ageing power system to the brink.

US President Donald Trump imposed the blockade in January after the United States removed Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from power. Venezuela had long been Cuba’s main supplier of subsidised oil, and under US pressure, Mexico also halted fuel shipments to the island.

As of 2023, according to the International Energy Agency, Cuba was producing only about 40 percent of the oil it consumed, leaving it heavily reliant on imported fuel.

The Trump administration says the measures are intended to pressure Cuba’s communist government to hold democratic elections and release what it calls political prisoners.

The repeated blackouts have fuelled growing frustration across the island. Just a week ago, scattered protests broke out across Havana, with residents banging pots and pans and shouting “turn on the lights” as millions endured another prolonged outage. In both of last week’s blackouts, it took over 24 hours to restore power across the island.

Cuban authorities have struggled for months to keep the lights on as fuel shortages and an ageing electricity grid, much of it dating back to the 1960s and 1980s, leave the system increasingly prone to collapse.

Havana blames the crisis on the US fuel blockade, while Washington says Cuba’s communist government is responsible for the country’s deteriorating power system.

Speaking at a UN General Assembly debate on US sanctions last week, US Ambassador Michael Waltz said Cuba’s leaders were to blame for the electricity shortages.

“Change your ways and turn the lights back on for your people,” he said.

Thinking back on the last two years of his life full of album releases, filming schedules and tour dates, Finn Wolfhard requires squint-inducing concentration to keep it all straight.

“Jesus, a lot has happened,” he says, looking surprised. That’s an understatement.

In that time, the 23-year-old not only finished filming the Netflix hit show “Stranger Things,” which catapulted him to global stardom, and promoted the final season upon its premiere. He also released his feature film directorial debut (“Hell of a Summer,” co-directed with Billy Bryk, which hit theaters in April 2025). Then, he starred in another movie (A24’s creature feature “The Legend of Ochi”), directed a posthumous George Harrison stop-motion music video, wrote, recorded and put out his first solo album (“Happy Birthday”), and embarked on a 22-date tour before recording a new album.

On a video call from his family home in Vancouver, Canada, where he lives with his parents and older brother, he’s chatting about the release of that record, the eclectic, guitar-driven “Fire From the Hip,” which dropped Friday.

“I think it’s a nice day?” he offers when I ask what’s happening in Vancouver. “I don’t know. I’ve been in my basement studio all day, so I don’t … I think it’s nice.”

He’s been down in the basement doing press calls like this, he explains, undoubtedly a familiar routine after so many years in the limelight. He wears a baseball cap and an oversize brown sweater, tugging on the sleeves while he ponders.

Even if Wolfhard is exhausted by the press marathon, he doesn’t show it. He’s excited for the chance to be known on his own terms. He never fails to express gratitude for the projects that afforded him recognition and opportunity, but he’s ready to “take control of the narrative.”

“I spent my whole childhood standing on marks that other people told me to stand on and saying lines that other people told me to say,” he says. “Why wouldn’t I want to make my own stuff?”

Being in control also means being the face of the operation. Before “Happy Birthday” and “Fire From the Hip,” Wolfhard released a total of two records and an EP, plus a whole bunch of singles, with his previous bands, Calpurnia and the Aubreys. Being in a band was a natural fit for Wolfhard, who thrives in an ensemble where he can “hide behind the band name.”

Touring last year was his first time seeing his own name on the marquee.

“It’s just straight up me, and if I suck, I suck,” he laughs. “It’s not like I can be like, ‘Oh, man, we’re having disagreements in the band.’ It’s like, no, that’s you. So there was a little more pressure early on.”

Finn Wolfhard released “Fire From the Hip” on Friday.

(Victoria Stevens)

Stepping into the spotlight required Wolfhard, who admits he shies away from conflict, to own both the pressure and the power of being the one audiences came to hear.

When he got sick and had to cancel a show in Portland, Ore., he remembers feeling crushingly sad “letting down” his fans and bandmates — who, of course, assured him it was outside of his control and urged him not to be so hard on himself.

Wolfhard introduced many of the songs that ended up becoming “Fire From the Hip” to his bandmates while they were still on tour, and he says playing them live “cultivated the spirit” of the eventual recordings. Despite his collaborative ethos, there was a moment during the process where he had to learn how to put his foot down in real time.

“I remember suggesting something and people being like, ‘Ah, I don’t know if I want to do that.’ And I was like, ‘No, you don’t get to do that to me. It’s my record,’” he remembers. “It was very innocent — I don’t think there was much ego on either side. But I think I maybe set up too collaborative of an experience that day.”

“I think I sometimes make it feel like a democracy, which it is in a lot of ways,” he adds. “But also, in the end, it is up to me.”

That thought is echoed in the album’s cover art, an image of two miniature Finn Wolfhards facing off, donning colonial garb and brandishing weapons. It’s meant to represent dueling impulses inside of him, he explains.

Wolfhard, a true-blue music nerd, has been described online as an archetypical example of the “child of a Gen X cool dad,” in the same vein as Olivia Rodrigo. (His dad, a former screenwriter turned lawyer and Indigenous rights researcher, does sound cool, but it was his mom who first introduced him to the Beatles. His parents apparently met over a Stone Roses record.)

That sensibility is evident in his musical influences — “I wanted everything [on drums] to sound like the first two Wilco records,” he says — and in his approach to recording. “Happy Birthday” was recorded almost entirely on four-track cassette tapes, while “Fire From the Hip” uses 24-track reel-to-reel.

The album runs the gamut from its cheeky, surf-rock opener “I’ll Let You Finish” (yes, that is a reference to Kanye West’s infamous speech at the 2009 VMAs) to more ’90s alt-inspired tunes to a surprising dose of straightforward country-folk.

Lyrically, Wolfhard divides his songs into two categories: the “very personal” and the story songs written around books he was reading (“Knockemstiff” by Donald Ray Pollock) or quotes that made him laugh. The personal themes he explores are exactly what you would expect from an early-20s rocker raised in the public eye — namely, relationship expectations and existential fears about the future.

On the nostalgic piano ballad “Good Morning,” he imagines what it might be like to settle down somewhere “with a dog and a wife.”

“I haven’t lived that part of my life yet,” he says now. “So I can really easily get lost in thinking about what that looks like.”

When it comes to sharing his music, especially the more vulnerable tracks, Wolfhard knows his “Stranger Things” fame is the elephant in the room. Anything he sings can and might be used against him in the court of public opinion.

“I could either kind of say nothing and be totally private, because it is scary knowing that everything I say, at least one person will take it a certain way that I wouldn’t want them to. But I just don’t have the control,” he says.

“So if I don’t have the control, then there’s nothing really that I can do, other than try to be as truthful and passionate and well-meaning as I possibly can, you know?”

The double-edged sword of fandom hasn’t stopped Wolfhard or his musically-inclined “Stranger Things” co-stars from pursuing this path. Fellow Hawkins alums Joe Keery (who releases music under the moniker Djo) and Maya Hawke are indie darlings in their own right, and Wolfhard has previously referred to Keery as a mentor. None of them face the unique challenge of relatability in quite the same way, however.

“I’m aware that my specific problems are maybe not as relatable because of how specific of a life I have,” he said. “The only thing I can hope for is that some other person out there listens to it and relates to the same things that I do.”

Sometimes an air of wistfulness accompanies these admissions. When asked about how he feels about Los Angeles, he tells me that it’s complicated: “I think if I wasn’t a young actor, it would be a very different situation.” His favorite parts of the city are its repertory cinemas and lush neighborhoods like Mount Washington, where his godfather resides, because they look the most like Vancouver.

That said, he’s not through with Hollywood. He’ll be back in L.A. for an Oct. 13 show at the Fonda Theatre, and acting and directing are still on the agenda. He would like his next film project — other than the Matt Johnson and Bong Joon Ho projects he’s already committed to, of course — to be something more “personal.”

For now, though, the focus is music. Wolfhard launches a new tour this month, and he’s most looking forward to “doing dumb s—” with his friends.

He tells a quick story to illustrate: When he and the band last toured in Glasgow, Scotland, he was trying to leave the venue without being noticed. (“I have a hard time dealing with fan interaction,” he says.)

“We kind of made it into this joke thing, knowing it wouldn’t work, where me and Rand, my guitarist, were like, ‘let’s switch clothes.’ Rand pretended to be me and I pretended to be Rand,” he says. Miraculously, it worked up until the “very last second” before they stepped on the bus.

“I couldn’t help myself,” he says: He instinctively made eye contact with someone in the crowd. “They did a double take, like, ‘Wait, what?’”

It sounds like a scene straight out of “A Hard Day’s Night” — or maybe inspiration for his next film.

“I’m pretty in my head about things and want them to be a certain way,” he says. “The thing that I have to remind myself all the time is that, like, dude, you’re with your friends, you’re playing music — it’s the best.”

The federal government agreed to temporarily hold off on construction of a planned Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Northern California.

The voluntary pause until Sept. 9 comes after the California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta and Santa Clara County officials sued the Trump administration last month to block the facility from being developed near Gilroy. The lawsuit remains ongoing.

“This pause in the construction, demolition, and development at the site of the challenged ICE facility is a significant step towards protecting our people, our communities, and our environment while the case remains ongoing,” Bonta said in a statement Monday night.

The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.

State and local officials believe the facility will be used for short-term detention of up to 150 people at a time, though ICE denied that it would be a detention center.

Community members and advocates for immigrants swiftly opposed the project. ICE has consistently looked to increase its detention capacity in California, where eight detention centers can now hold a combined 9,000 people, though the state has long been a thorn in the agency’s side.

The halt is part of a compromise between both sides involved in the legal action. After the state and county submitted a request for the court to temporarily halt the project, a hearing was set for Oct. 7.

Now, state and federal officials jointly requested that the court move up the hearing by at least a month. The agreement also extends how much time the federal government has to respond.

A federal judge signed off on the agreement Monday night.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in San José, alleges that the leased land is zoned exclusively for agricultural use and that the federal government violated laws requiring state and county notification, as well as procedural steps before beginning construction.

Welcome back to the Lakers newsletter, where we’ve reached the “statement” portion of the summer.

After a busy wave of free agency, the Lakers made many of their offseason moves official this week: Jaden Hardy, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Quentin Grimes, Walker Kessler, Collin Sexton and Kevon Looney are in; Austin Reaves is back; Deandre Ayton is out to Washington.

The onslaught of announcements, photo ops and new social media graphics bring us one step closer to our opening day roster. With the veteran pieces in place, we’ll take a look at how the young players are shaping up.

Summer league showtime

Adou Thiero hurt his right wrist on a hard fall during the Lakers’ second summer league game this month. The bigger injury risk might be slamming his hand too hard on a dunk.

In his second season and his first summer league, Thiero wants to break into the rotation for the new-look Lakers. The high-flying forward’s progression after an injury-plagued rookie season is one of the key stories of the Lakers’ summer league.

Thiero did not make the strongest summer impression. During the first game at the California Classic in San Francisco, the 22-year-old looked like he was playing in fast-forward. Not in a good way.

Going three-for-10 from the field with nine points and multiple out-of-control drives to the rim, Thiero did not look like the returning NBA player on the Lakers’ summer league roster. He missed the team’s last game in San Francisco because he took a hard fall in the prior game.

Two months after he last played in a competitive game, Thiero said he was just so eager to play in the California Classic that he needed to “take it back a couple of notches and slow my game down.”

Thiero slowed down and soared higher in Las Vegas, where he had 20 points, four rebounds, three steals, two blocks and no turnovers in the Lakers’ Las Vegas summer league opener. The tape on his right wrist didn’t hold him back from slamming dunk after dunk after (windmill) dunk against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“Gotta put on a show,” Thiero said on the Amazon Prime broadcast of his windmill dunk. “Lakeshow for a reason.”

Thiero, who is still working on improving his three-point shot, could add an athletic, energetic boost to the Lakers offense. With Walker Kessler filling the much-needed lob-catching center role, the Lakers have potential to be one of the league’s best offenses. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are just that good.

It’s on the defensive end that young players, including Thiero and rookie Cameron Carr, will need to prove their value. The Lakers, who added Ziaire Williams on a one-year deal Monday in their 15th roster spot, are looking for more defense on the wing.

Thiero said he has had conversations with the Lakers coaching staff about growing into an aggressive point-of-attack defender. His instructions are to “cause havoc,” he said. Thiero has delivered with a team-high nine steals during four summer league appearances.

Cameron Carr shoots over Lachlan Olbrich of the Golden State Warriors during a summer league game.

(Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images)

Carr has four blocks, including several on jump shots. With a 38-inch vertical and an 8-foot-8 standing reach, Carr used his length and athleticism to lead Baylor with 45 blocks last season.

But as he makes the transition to the NBA level, Carr said there’s still a lot for him to learn. The 184-pound guard plans to make the weight room his second home. He can get deflections but gets beat on drives. Catching up on the court starts with catching up to the speed of the game mentally.

“[In the NBA] they kind of rely on being smarter up top, and so it’s just trying to be ahead of everybody, trying to be ahead of the play, and be in the same space they’re in. We all flow as one,” Carr told reporters in Las Vegas. “I feel like right now, I’m a little bit behind because I’m a little bit younger. I mean, this is my first time practicing, this is the first time playing with them, so it was a little bit just trying to catch up.”

On offense, Carr is already showing important skills that could earn him a rotation spot. His jumper is pure and smooth. He went 11 for 32 from three-point range in his first four summer league appearances, averaging 17 points. He missed the second game in Las Vegas because of a minor thumb injury. At 6-foot-5 with a high, consistent release, Carr had Stan Van Gundy gushing about his shooting on the Amazon Prime broadcast in Las Vegas.

While eyes are fixated on the two most recent draft picks, the Lakers’ leading summer league scorer is unheralded Arthur Kaluma.

The South Bay Lakers forward had a standout 34-point performance against the Dallas Mavericks and is averaging 20 points in four summer league appearances. In Vegas, he’s shooting 76.2% from the field and 59% overall this summer.

Kaluma averaged 14.6 points and 4.9 rebounds for the South Bay Lakers last season. The 6-7 forward is a versatile scorer who can stretch the floor with his three-point shot. He shot 37% from three-point range in the G League last season and made six of 10 threes against the Mavericks in his summer league statement.

The 24-year-old, like many of his summer league teammates, is battling for his NBA dreams. Each team is allowed up to three two-way players at a time, and the Lakers have already announced their maximum allotment. Guard Chris Mañon, who finished second in G League defensive player of the year voting last season, re-signed, and rookies Peter Suder and AK Okereke got their first professional contracts.

But that doesn’t mean all three are locked in for the season. Last year, the Lakers waived Christian Koloko five months after re-signing the center to a two-way deal to add Drew Timme in his spot.

“The G can get grimy, you know what I’m saying?” Kaluma said to reporters in Las Vegas. “It’s a time where everybody is trying to fight for a position and there is a certain hunger that you have to have in order to be successful in the G. And I feel like that drive that I had my first year in it pushed me into this summer to really get better and work on my game and come here and have the opportunity to perform.”

These summer league games don’t officially count. For many in the league, the annual pilgrimage to Las Vegas is more about off-court schmoozing than the on-court product.

But with players trying to make a name for themselves and fighting for their jobs, don’t tell anyone these games don’t matter.

“In these summer league settings, there’s 29 other teams that are looking and watching these games,” Lakers summer league coach Ty Abbott said, “and this is opportunities for all of them. So there’s no room to not take a game seriously. Every possession matters, every rep, every drill, every practice.”

Poll results

Last week, we asked if you would like to see the Lakers retire LeBron James’ jersey. Here are the results:

Yes: 32
No: 54

Programming update

Summer league is winding down and I’ll be on vacation this week so the Lakers newsletter will rest for at least one week. Thus no new poll question for now. But if you like the polls — or have poll questions you want to ask your fellow newsletter subscribers — email me your thoughts at thucnhi.nguyen@latimes.com.

Favorite thing I ate this week

The bánh cuốn đặc biệt plate at Bánh Cuốn Lưu Luyến in Garden Grove.

(Thuc Nhi Nguyen / Los Angeles Times)

My Instagram algorithm has been feeding me unrelenting videos of Vietnamese food and this is the rare instance in which I’m not mad at social media platforms tracking my movements. At least they’re delivering something I want.

After being subjected to dozens of videos of people making Vietnamese steamed rice rolls (bánh cuốn), I decided to hunt some down for myself at Bánh Cuốn Lưu Luyến in Garden Grove. The bánh cuốn đặc biệt — a combination plate with plain steamed rice sheets, sheets stuffed with ground pork and mushroom and pieces filled with shrimp — satisfied my internet FOMO cravings. Every plate is complete with an egg roll, tofu, ham, mung beach shrimp cake and vegetables. I think even my mom would approve of this restaurant.

In case you missed it

Life after LeBron: Austin Reaves embracing new role on new-look Lakers roster

Lakers sign Ziaire Williams to one-year, $3-million deal to bolster their depth

Lakers land their backup center in veteran Kevon Looney

Until next time…

As always, pass along your thoughts to me at thucnhi.nguyen@latimes.com, and please consider subscribing if you like our work!

July 14 (UPI) — Two Supreme Court Justices are planning to testify before Congress Tuesday about the Court’s budget ask for extra security amid growing threats.

Supreme Court Justices Elena Kagan and Amy Coney Barrett plan to appear before the House Appropriations subcommittee that approves funding for the Court to discuss the request for a $16.6 million budget increase to improve security for the justices at work and home. But questioning could veer toward several recent controversial decisions the Court made in its 2025-2026 term.

The budget increase requested is $20.6 million for fiscal year 2027. It asks for $14.6 million to give each justice six more security agents and 25 extra officers at the Supreme Court building, The Washington Post reported. The request also includes $2 million for a residential security office to coordinate home security.

It will be the first time Court justices have gone before Congress since 2019.

Supreme Court justices regularly face personal attacks from politicians and the public who may be displeased with their decisions.

Barrett’s home was “swatted” in May, when a caller reported gunshots at her home to lure police there. In October, a woman was sentenced to eight years in prison for planning to kill Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

Chief Justice John Roberts spoke out in March against personal attacks on judges after President Donald Trump criticized the justices for striking down his tariffs.

“Personally directed hostility is dangerous and has got to stop,” Roberts said during a speech in Houston.

Sending justices to Congress has become rare. Until 2011, at least one justice had appeared before Congress every year. Since then, there have been only three appearances.

The death of United States Senator Lindsey Graham has created fresh uncertainty over the future of Washington’s support for Ukraine at a critical stage in the war with Russia. Graham was one of Kyiv’s strongest advocates in Congress and one of the few Republican lawmakers with direct access to President Donald Trump, allowing him to influence White House policy on sanctions, military aid, and strategic cooperation.

While many lawmakers have pledged to continue Graham’s initiatives, analysts say replacing his unique political influence will be difficult. His death comes as Ukraine faces intensified Russian attacks, renewed debates over military assistance, and uncertainty over whether Congress will approve tougher sanctions on Moscow.

Who Was Lindsey Graham for Ukraine?

For more than two decades, Lindsey Graham was one of the Republican Party’s leading foreign policy voices. Since Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, he emerged as one of Kyiv’s most consistent supporters in Washington.

Unlike many lawmakers, Graham maintained a close personal relationship with both President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

He visited Ukraine 10 times during the war, regularly met Ukrainian officials, and publicly argued that continued United States support was essential for European security and for deterring authoritarian powers worldwide.

His greatest political advantage was his ability to communicate directly with Trump at times when many other Republican supporters of Ukraine struggled to influence the president.

The Russia Sanctions Bill

One of Graham’s most important priorities was the Sanctioning Russia Act, legislation designed to significantly increase economic pressure on Moscow.

The bill seeks to punish countries that continue purchasing Russian:

Its objective is to reduce Russia’s energy revenues, which remain a key source of funding for its military campaign.

Although the legislation gained 85 bipartisan co sponsors in the Senate, it remained stalled because of resistance from the White House.

Just one day before his death, Graham announced that he had finally secured an agreement with the Trump administration to move the legislation forward.

Many senators now hope Congress will pass the bill both as a strategic measure against Russia and as a tribute to Graham’s legacy.

Military Aid Could Face Greater Challenges

Beyond sanctions, Graham consistently advocated stronger military assistance for Ukraine.

He supported:

• Patriot air defense systems
• Missile production cooperation
• Expanded weapons transfers
• Long term security commitments
• Intelligence cooperation

His lobbying helped improve relations between Kyiv and Trump during periods of political tension.

Last year he also played a central role in negotiating a critical minerals agreement that gave the United States preferential access to future Ukrainian mineral projects in exchange for investment.

More recently, Trump announced that Ukraine would receive licenses to manufacture Patriot interceptor missiles domestically, an initiative Graham strongly supported.

However, Ukraine continues to emphasize that immediate deliveries of defensive weapons remain more urgent than future production capacity.

Why Graham Was Difficult to Replace

Analysts argue that Graham’s influence extended far beyond committee hearings or public speeches.

He served as an informal bridge between:

• Congress and the White House.
• Republicans and Democrats.
• Kyiv and the Trump administration.

Few Republican lawmakers enjoyed comparable access to Trump.

His ability to persuade the president privately often proved more valuable than public congressional debates.

This influence became especially important as many Republicans adopted a more cautious approach toward supporting Ukraine after Trump’s return to office in January 2025.

Several other senior Republican supporters of Ukraine, including former Senate leader Mitch McConnell, are also preparing to leave Congress, further reducing Kyiv’s network of experienced allies.

Will United States Policy Change?

Despite concerns, Graham’s death does not automatically mean a reversal of United States policy toward Ukraine.

Several factors suggest continued support:

Strong bipartisan backing

The Russia sanctions legislation already enjoys overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate.

Institutional momentum

Military cooperation between Washington and Kyiv now involves long term industrial partnerships, intelligence sharing, and defense production agreements that extend beyond any single politician.

Trump’s recent policy shift

In recent weeks Trump has adopted a noticeably more supportive tone toward Ukraine.

He has endorsed licensed production of Patriot interceptors and appears increasingly willing to allow Congress to vote on tougher sanctions against Russia.

Nevertheless, uncertainty remains.

Without Graham acting as an intermediary, disagreements between Congress and the White House could become more difficult to resolve.

Political Reactions

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy described Graham’s death as a personal loss, noting they had remained in constant contact and met twice during the senator’s final visit to Ukraine.

Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen and several Republican lawmakers have proposed passing the Russia sanctions bill as Graham’s legacy, with some suggesting it should even bear his name.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune also called passage of the legislation an appropriate tribute to Graham’s decades of public service.

Why This Matters

Lindsey Graham represented something increasingly rare in Washington’s polarized political environment: a Republican with both strong pro Ukraine views and significant influence over President Trump.

His death removes one of Kyiv’s most effective advocates at a time when the war is entering another difficult phase. While institutional support for Ukraine remains substantial, personal relationships often play an outsized role in shaping United States foreign policy, particularly under the Trump administration.

Whether Congress can maintain bipartisan momentum without Graham may influence not only future sanctions but also military assistance and broader diplomatic engagement with Ukraine.

Analysis

Graham’s passing is unlikely to produce an immediate shift in United States policy, but it could gradually reshape the political dynamics surrounding Ukraine. His influence was rooted less in his legislative position than in his personal relationship with President Trump, allowing him to bridge the gap between a White House that has often been skeptical of deeper involvement in Ukraine and a bipartisan coalition in Congress seeking stronger action against Russia.

The sanctions bill may still pass because of its broad bipartisan support and the symbolic significance it has acquired following Graham’s death. However, future military assistance could face greater political hurdles. Weapons transfers and funding packages require sustained presidential backing, and without Graham serving as an intermediary, advocates for Ukraine may find it harder to persuade Trump during moments of disagreement.

At the same time, the institutional relationship between Washington and Kyiv is now far more developed than it was in the early years of the war. Joint defense production, intelligence cooperation, and long term industrial partnerships have created strategic ties that extend beyond the influence of any individual lawmaker. These structures provide a degree of continuity even as political leadership changes.

Looking ahead, the direction of United States policy will depend less on finding a direct replacement for Graham and more on whether other Republican leaders choose to embrace his internationalist approach or align more closely with voices advocating reduced American involvement overseas. The outcome will shape not only Ukraine’s military position but also the credibility of Western efforts to sustain long term pressure on Russia.

With information from Reuters.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Halftime Show is expected to have one more surprise performer not yet formally announced

The FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Halftime Show will feature some of the biggest performers in the world – but there’s one more surprise on the way for fans.

Some huge names will take part in a special show curated by Chris Martin from Coldplay including Madonna and Justin Bieber as well as Shakira and Burna Boy, Gustavo Dudamel and BTS.

The famous faces will all co-headline a special show, which similar to the Superbowl Halftime show, will take place on Sunday, 19 July 2026, at New York New Jersey Stadium when the final two teams take on one another.

Currently, it is between the four semi finalists, with either France or Spain taking on either England or Argentina in the competition. By Wednesday night, following the second semi-final, we will know who will play against one another in the final.

The show will last 11 minutes, and will support the Fifa Global Citizen Education Fund. Shakira and Burna Boy are likely to perform their song Dai Dai, which is the official anthem for the 2026 World Cup.

However, there is one performer yet to formally be announced. It has been reported that Italian popstar Laura Pausini will be joined by none other than Robbie Williams for a performance of their official FIFA anthem, Desire.

“Robbie loves football and is excited to play at this momentous gig. Of course, he hopes England will be one of the teams in the final,” a source told The Sun of the Angels singer’s inclusion in the festivities.

Robbie and Laura were also on hand to perform during the the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 final match between Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain in July last year, where they wowed with their song.

Oasis star Noel Gallagher is less than impressed by the changes to have a half-time show.

“I’m doing the half-time raffle for a leg of lamb,” he quipped to TalkSport, before adding: “I don’t like changes in football. I’m looking forward to these new rules about corners and time-wasting, that might be a good thing for the game, but I don’t like the razzmatazz of football; it’s been functioning perfectly for hundreds of years.” Noel also questioned whether any of the performers had any links to football and why they had been chosen specifically.

During the big announcement, Chris Martin appeared with Sesame Street characters including Elmo. He said: “Well, this year for the first time, there’s a halftime show at the World Cup Final! It’s where people get together and there’s singing, and there’s dancing, and there’s music. It’s a chance to show how amazing all different kinds of humans are. And monsters, aliens – it’s one big family, really.”

Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

Everton have signed France forward Noemie Mouchon on a free transfer from Leicester City.

The 23-year-old joins after two years at Leicester, having been part of the squad who suffered relegation from the Women’s Super League in May.

She began her career at childhood club Lille, before moving to fellow French side Reims for a year.

During her time with Leicester in the WSL, Mouchon made 24 appearances and scored twice.

“I feel really excited to start with the team and this new club,” said Mouchon.

“I am the type of player who can bring something on the pitch. I am a fast player and I love to score goals, so I can’t wait.

“I just want to score a lot with Everton. That’s my only objective.”

A MAJOR pier is marking 170 years this year and with it, a number of new attractions.

Bournemouth Pier opened back in 1856 as a shorter jetty and in 2014, the pier launched the world’s first pier-to-shore zipline.

And the pier is planning to launch a number of new attractions such as Christmas events, live shows and immersive dining experiences.

A few days ago a new pop-up venue also opened right next to the pier – Palm Beach Club.

The beach club has been designed to feel like Ibiza, with striped deck chairs and parasols, overlooking the beach.

You can grab food including pizzas as well as drinks and in the evenings there will be DJ sessions and weekend entertainment.

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It comes as plans were also announced earlier this year that the pier would undergo a £9.6million restoration.

When the pier first opened it was just 30 metres long and was used for passenger boats.

The in 1861 it was replaced by a 304metre pier as more tourists started to visit the area.

Storm damage later destroyed the pier but it was then rebuilt and reopened in 1880.

PierZip then opened in 2014 and stretches fro 250metres and you can also head climbing at RockReef indoor climbing walls.

A recent visitor said: “Traditional English seaside pier at it’s best!

“A Lovely walk around on a sunny day with a nice cafe at the top.

“There are also attractions for families with kids such as a climbing wall and zip wire.”

A station in southeast London has been temporarily renamed Jude Bellingham Station before England faces off with Argentina in a seismic semi-final World Cup showdown. Fans hope the star midfielder can help England through to their first World Cup final since 1966.

Wrapped in a black cloth stained with her own blood, a three-month-old baby in a light green shirt was lowered into a grave beside eight other members of her family. They had all been killed in an overnight attack on Kum, a village in Riyom Local Government Area of Plateau State, in North Central Nigeria.

Residents said the attack began at about 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 11, and continued into the early hours of Sunday, July 12. By the time the attackers left, nine members of one family were dead, and the community head, Pam Yohanna, was critically injured.

Pam and his family were fast asleep when a loud bang jolted them awake. It did not sound like a knock, but like someone trying to force the door open. “The door was strong, so they couldn’t break in,” a resident, who declined to give his name, said.

Unable to force the door open, the attackers smashed a window and fired into the darkness, striking Yohanna. His screams for help alerted other residents of Kum village. Residents alleged that the attackers had blended into the area during the day by posing as herders before launching the attack at night.

The attackers then moved to the neighbouring compound, which was Pam’s larger family house. Unlike Yohanna’s house, the doors there could not withstand the assault, and the attackers forced their way inside. “They wiped the entire family,” the resident said.

When residents entered the compound after the incident, they found the corpses and sleeping spaces – mattresses, walls, and mosquito nets – soaked with blood, revealing where members of the household had been attacked while they slept.

Nine members of the family were killed. They were identified as Celina James, 38; James Yohanna, 21; Janet Yohanna, 18; Baby Jennifer Yohanna, three months; Sele James, 18; Melody James, 16; Reto James, 10; Endurance James, 8; and Peace James, 3. James and Janet had recently married and were the parents of the baby, Jennifer. Their daughter was buried alongside them and the other members of their family who were killed.

The family lived on the outskirts of the community, behind the Riyom Local Government Council Secretariat, and not far from a base of Operation Enduring Peace, a joint military task force in the region. The community is also located along the Jos–Kaduna–Akwanga highway.

Pam, who is also the community head, sustained life-threatening injuries and is receiving treatment in hospital.

“This is not the first time we are experiencing such an attack,” the youth leader said.

The attack, residents said, did not come entirely without warning. In the days leading up to it, residents had received intelligence about groups of people moving into the area with cattle. Rwang Tengwong, spokesperson for the Berom Youth Moulders Association (BYM), said he believes some of those moving into the area had been displaced from neighbouring Barkin Ladi and Bokkos local government areas following recent security operations by the Department of State Services and other security agencies.

Residents also raised concerns about the presence of drones during attacks in the area. Chollom Dung, the community leader of Kum, said drones were often seen flying overhead during such incidents, but residents did not know who was operating them. “We don’t know who flies them,” Dung said. “We are not safe.”

Rwang said the attackers came from neighbouring Fass and Mahanga communities, areas he described as having previously been inhabited by indigenous residents before they were displaced in 2004 and 2012. In 2025, the Plateau State Government said that at least 64 communities in Bokkos, Barkin Ladi, and Riyom local government areas had been forcibly displaced and taken over by criminal groups.

“They have been taken over, renamed, and people are living there conveniently on lands they pushed people away from to occupy,” Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang said.

Several residents and community leaders who spoke to HumAngle described the attack as “unprovoked” rather than a reprisal or communal clash, as such incidents are often labelled. “We have not had any issue of cattle rustling in this community,” Rwang said. “…As a youth association, when we notice criminal elements, even if they are from our communities, we hand them over to the authorities, because if we shield them, they will terrorise us tomorrow.”

More than 48 hours after the attack, no official statement had been issued by the Plateau State Government or the Plateau State Police Command. “We have lost hope in the government,” the youth leader said.

At the time of reporting, residents said there was no permanent security presence in the community. Police officers and soldiers visited briefly on Sunday morning, a day after the attack, before leaving. No arrests had been made.

The attack came despite repeated assurances from government officials, including President Bola Tinubu, that efforts would be intensified to end the killings and restore security in Plateau State. However, for residents of communities such as Kum, the continued violence has deepened frustration and raised questions about the effectiveness of those measures.

“There is no way that we have a big security base nearby and attacks happen and no one attempts to stop them,” said Dalyop Mwantiri, BYM’s chairperson. “We are calling for accountability, justice; we are calling for security to step up.”

For residents of Plateau, the concern over delayed security response is not new. In April 2025, after a similar attack in Zike, in Bassa Local Government Area, HumAngle visited residents who complained about the lack of response from security operatives despite a nearby military base.

The graves in Kum are among the newest markers of a season of relentless bloodshed across Plateau State. Data compiled by the Berom Youth Moulders Association shows that at least 121 people were killed in attacks across several communities between May and July 11, 2026. The killings cut across Barkin Ladi, Riyom, Bassa, Jos South, Pankshin, and other local government areas, with 62 deaths recorded in May, 43 in June, and another 16 in the first 11 days of July alone. HumAngle verified some of the incidents by comparing the records with media reports of individual attacks.

Competing accounts in Benue State

The violence was not confined to Plateau. While residents of Kum in Riyom were still coming to terms with the aftermath of Saturday night’s attack, two communities – Akpachi-Ogbuju village and Otukpo-Nobi, both in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State – came under attack on the same night, with violence reported on the evening of Saturday, July 11, and into the early hours of Sunday, July 12.

In Otukpo-Nobi, armed attackers struck members of the Inalegwu family at about 5:00 a.m., according to Eric Amodu, a resident who spoke to HumAngle from the Accident and Emergency Ward of the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital, Otukpo.

“Six of them were attacked,” he said, adding that the mother died while the five others sustained varying degrees of injuries. Two of them were in critical condition at the Accident and Emergency Ward of the teaching hospital.

The Benue State Police Command confirmed that eight people were killed in the attack, while residents and local sources who spoke to HumAngle reported a higher toll. 

Eric said security operatives arrived in the community hours after the attack. “This is not the first time this community has been attacked,” he said. “It is not the second, third, or fourth. It is probably the fifth.”

Similar to residents in Kum, Plateau State, residents of Otukpo-Nobi said they had raised concerns with security agencies before the attack. Simeon Ikulonu, a youth leader in the community, said residents noticed unusual movements on the Monday before the attack and reported their concerns to security officials. They returned on Thursday to inform them that the suspicious presence had continued.

The attack has since triggered competing accounts about its cause and those responsible. In a statement, Tersoo Kula, Chief Press Secretary to the Benue State Governor, described the attackers as “armed herders”.

Eric, who was conducting ward rounds at the teaching hospital during the interview with HumAngle, said one of the survivors told him that one of the attackers she saw was a woman. HumAngle could not independently verify the claim.

Cletus Nwadiogbu, the Benue State Police Commissioner, described the incident as a “terrorist attack” and said the attackers used guerrilla tactics, striking communities before retreating into nearby forests. “They operate in the guerrilla warfare style. Once they attack, they immediately disappear into the woods, making it difficult to apprehend them,” he said.

Several reports have linked the attack to the killing of Ardo Risku Muhammad, the Benue State chairperson of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), an umbrella organisation representing cattle breeders in the country. However, Eric disputed the suggestion that the violence was only connected to that incident. “Even the route he was attacked on is a no-go route. You can’t go there without security,” he said.

Ardo was ambushed and killed on June 26 on a highway in Otukpo Local Government Area while returning from a peace meeting in nearby Ohimini Local Government Area.

The police have since arrested local leaders in the area as suspects linked to Ardo’s death.

MACBAN has also rejected suggestions linking its members to the attack. Ibrahim Galma, the state secretary of the association, said conclusions should not be drawn before investigations were completed. “Making such conclusions at this stage will only compromise the ongoing investigation being carried out by the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies,” he said. He added that “Fulani residents” in Otukpo and surrounding areas had previously been displaced from the area.

Following the attack, residents protested, demanding greater protection from security agencies.

Benue has experienced repeated attacks on rural communities in recent years, contributing to widespread displacement across the state. A recent HumAngle investigation documented how several communities have been deserted after repeated assaults, with hundreds of thousands of people forced into displacement camps or temporary shelters.

“The attackers keep attacking, and people flee, and they take over, and it continues,” Eric said, echoing concerns raised by residents in Plateau State.

Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia described the attack as a “barbaric and inhuman assault on the sanctity of life and the collective soul of the people”.

“We will not allow our communities to be turned into battlefields,” he said.

Human rights organisations, including Amnesty International, have called on Nigerian authorities to conduct an independent, impartial, and effective investigation into the attack on Otukpo-Nobi and Akpachi-Ugboju. The organisation said the violence had deepened fear and panic across Otukpo Local Government Area and urged the government to fulfil its responsibility to protect lives and property.

“The protests by youths in the aftermath of the attack show that people have had enough and seek an end to frequent attacks and abductions that have made life a hell in many parts of Benue State,” Amnesty International said.

The organisation also called for urgent measures to protect rural communities and hold suspected perpetrators accountable, warning that repeated attacks across the region have contributed to widespread displacement and a growing humanitarian crisis.

BLUE singer Lee Ryan could face jail for racially abusing a black flight attendant in a drunken plane attack.

The Blue star, 43, sunk half a bottle of port and tucked into cheese in the BA lounge before boarding the flight at Glasgow.

Ryan previously avoided jail for racially aggravated common assault by beating, which carries a maximum seven-year jail term.

The singer was also convicted of behaving in an abusive way towards the cabin crew member and admitted being drunk on an aircraft.

He was handed a 12 month sentence suspended for 18 months at a sentencing hearing in September 2023.

But the singer’s punishment was rescinded pending a bid to overturn his conviction at Isleworth Crown Court.

A judge rejected that original appeal so Ryan instead took the case to the High Court.

Ryan could now face a jail term for his crimes after Lord Justice Holgate and Mr Justice Johnson rejected his claim and sent his case back to the crown court, which impose more serious punishments.

The court heard previously how Ryan left cabin crew worker Leah Gordon in tears after calling her a racial slur during the drunken plane attack.

The court was told he called her “beautiful” before grabbing her wrists and commenting on her “complexion”.

Ms Gordon said: “It felt like he was saying I was beautiful for a black person because of the way he was describing my colour.”

He was also “slurring his words and staggering around” as he asked: “Do you know who I am?”

Ryan claimed in his evidence he had no recollection of the flight other than an “annoying” a passenger next to him.

He said his actions were “playful” and denied being racist.

The singer added: “I’m sorry.

“My band member is black, I’m not racist, I’ve had black girlfriends, mixed-race girlfriends.

“It was banter, just drunk banter I suppose, there was no malice or intention to upset anyone.”

Ryan was arrested at London City Airport by armed cops following the attack on July 31 last year and spent the night in the cells.

He later told police he would give Ms Gordon Blue tickets for their next tour as an apology.

At an appeal at Isleworth Crown Court in November 2024, Ryan denied he had grabbed hold of the victim’s wrists.

He complained adverse inferences were drawn against him because his account about whether he took the woman’s wrists in his hands had changed between police interview and court.

Giving judgment, the judges said: “It was a case where the defendant had given one account at interview – an admission that he had grabbed Ms Gordon’s wrists, albeit without menace – but then gave an inconsistent account at trial – a denial that he had grabbed her wrists.

“His explanation for the inconsistency was rejected by the court.

“The central task for the crown court was to assess the reliability and credibility of the competing accounts given by Ms Gordon and Mr Ryan.

“In doing so, it was entitled to rely on the inconsistency between Mr Ryan’s account in interview, which coincided with Ms Gordon’s allegation that he had grabbed her wrists, and the account he gave in evidence.

“The essential reasoning of the court was that it believed Ms Gordon, who had been sober at the time and who was a consistent and compelling witness, and they disbelieved Mr Ryan, who had been drunk at the time and had been inconsistent. That was sufficient for the court to dismiss the appeal.

“It follows that the court was right to regard the application to state a case as frivolous. There is no error in its decision to decline to state a case.

“The claim is dismissed. Mr Ryan will therefore now be sentenced by the crown court.”

Ryan was arrested at London City Airport by armed cops following the attack on July 31 last year and spent the night in the cells.

He later told police he would give Ms Gordon Blue tickets for their next tour as an apology.

Ryan formed boy band Blue in 2000 with Antony Costa, Duncan James and Simon Webbe. 

They have since sold 14million records and had three Number 1 albums.

Their biggest hits include songs All Rise, Too Close, One Love and U Make Me Wanna.

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell. Ranking the summer movies I’ve seen this year: 1. Supergirl. 2. Young Washington. 3. Disclosure Day. 4. Masters of the Universe. 5. The Devil Wears Prada 2.

Here we go again

Before you go any further, if you don’t like politics in your Dodgers newsletter, which is a perfectly respectable opinion, THEN SKIP TO THE NEXT ITEM!

OK. The Dodgers are visiting President Trump and the White House on July 23 to celebrate their 2025 World Series title. This has caused quite a controversy, again, just like when they visited last year to celebrate the 2024 World Series title. Should the Dodgers visit the White House?

Here are some things I know:

1. The Dodgers have the largest Latino fan base of any team in baseball. Many of them despise Trump because of what ICE has done to their communities, which includes rounding up and detaining people who are here in the country legally, many of whom were born here.

2. Many Latinos who were born in L.A. and lived here their whole lives have been stopped and asked to provide identification merely because they are Latino. That’s not how this country is supposed to work.

3. Even if you somehow have no problem with the above, on a business level the Dodgers risk turning those fans into non-fans by visiting this White House.

4. There are players and members of the organization who are supporters of President Trump and would like to visit this White House.

5. This is the organization of Jackie Robinson and Fernando Valenzuela. Do I have to say more?

So, here’s what I would do if I owned the Dodgers. “The Dodgers thank President Trump for his invitation to visit him at the White House. As a policy, the Dodgers as an organization no longer accept political invitations of any kind. However, any member the the organization, be it player or front office personnel, is more than welcome to accept the invitation on their own behalf and visit.”

And, according to Dave Roberts, no one is being forced to go. “I’m sure a lot of guys are going to participate and be there, and this is an individual choice,” Roberts said. “But I do expect a lot of our guys to be there.”

It will be interesting to see who isn’t there.

No matter who is in office, the trip to the White House is a photo op to show how the president is a person of the people, especially a person of the people of the city that team represents. It’s all for show.

What I do find interesting is Roberts. In 2020, he said this when George Floyd was killed: “It’s disappointing to see my generation and the generation prior failing the younger generation. And that’s what’s really sad. You always hope for progress, but that just, unfortunately, isn’t the case.

“For me, the leaders of our country, unfortunately, aren’t good listeners and that’s how you impose change. People of color want to be heard. And when you have leaders that are put in positions to make change and don’t want to have those uncomfortable conversations, then change isn’t going to happen. There’s a difference between being educated and being ignorant. You have to understand that these situations happen every single day to people of color.”

And this is Roberts this year: “For me, I stand by: I’m a baseball manager. That’s my job.

“I was raised — by a man who served our country for 30 years — to respect the highest office in our country. For me, it doesn’t matter who is in the office, I’m going to go to the White House. I’ve never tried to be political. . . . For me, I am going to continue to try to do what tradition says and not try to make political statements, because I am not a politician.”

From making a giant political statement in 2020 to “not try to make political statements” in 2026 is quite a shift.

And Kiké Hernández will not be there, because he is going to be on a rehab assignment: “It’s going to be hard to be in two cities at the same time,” Hernández said. “If I was active, I probably wouldn’t have gone anyways.” And then he said why:

“I’d rather take a day off than do team activities.”

Which didn’t stop him from going last year. However, during the height of the ICE raids in L.A., he wrote this on Instagram: “This is my second home. And I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart. ALL people deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and human rights.”

So, that’s a summation of something that used to be a fun day. And that ends the political discourse for this newsletter.

For another viewpoint on this, please read Bill Plaschke’s column.

Do the Dodgers’ first draft picks pan out?

The draft was last weekend, and with their first pick (40th overall) the Dodgers selected shortstop Bo Lowrance of Christ Church Episcopal High in Greenville, S.C. Lowrance was expected to be chosen well before 40, so the Dodgers were pleased. Why was the Dodgers’ first pick at 40? Because they were penalized 10 spots in the draft for exceeding the second surcharge threshold of the Competitive Balance Tax.

Lowrance told reporters he has modeled himself after Freddie Freeman. “He’s obviously a first baseman, and I’m on the left side, so defensively a little different,” Lowrance said. “But he’s still unbelievably athletic, and a big thing that I’ve watched for years is his approach and how he uses the whole field. … [Freeman is] somebody that I’m always trying to emulate.”

Pretty good guy to emulate. But how well does the first pick by the Dodgers do? Let’s take a look.

2010
Zach Lee, pitcher
Pitched only 12.2 innings in the majors with an 8.53 ERA. Was traded for Chris Taylor though, so there’s that.

2011
Chris Reed, pitcher
Was traded four years later to Miami for pitcher Grant Dayton. Reed pitched four innings for Miami and was released in 2018.

2012
Corey Seager, shortstop
Perhaps you’ve heard of him. World Series MVP in 2020, now with the Texas Rangers.

2013
Chris Anderson, pitcher
Was released four years later, signed by the Minnesota Twins and released by them. Never pitched in the majors.

2014
Grant Holmes, pitcher
Was part of the 2016 trade that brought Rich Hill to the Dodgers. Ended up with the Braves, made the majors in 2024 and is in Atlanta’s starting rotation.

2015 (Andrew Friedman’s first draft with the Dodgers)
Walker Buehler, pitcher
Perhaps you’ve heard of him too. Got the last out of the 2024 World Series. Now with the San Diego Padres.

2016
Gavin Lux, shortstop
Snakebit by injuries. Has been on the IL with Tampa Bay all season.

2017
Jeren Kendall, outfielder
Hit .209 in five minor league seasons before retiring.

2018
J.T. Ginn, pitcher
Did not sign and went to Mississippi State. Was selected by the New York Mets in the second round of the 2020 draft and signed. Currently pitches for the Athletics.

2019
Kody Hoese, third baseman
Spent six seasons in the minors, hitting .255/.323/.395 in 514 games. Became a minor league free agent after last season and remains unsigned.

2020
Bobby Miller, pitcher
Had a great 2023 season with the Dodgers but hasn’t pitched well since then. Currently on the 60-day injured list.

2021
Maddux Bruns, pitcher
On the IL for double-A Tulsa, where he had a 14.94 ERA in 15.2 innings. In six minor league seasons, he is 4-20 with a 5.71 ERA.

2022
Dalton Rushing, catcher
Much like this season, the Dodgers did not have a first-round pick in 2022, but had the 40th overall pick and drafted the player who has become their backup catcher.

2023
Kendall George, outfielder
Ranked as the No. 13 prospect for the Dodgers, he is hitting .342/.428/.409 at double-A Tulsa. He is only 21.

2024
Kellon Lindsey, shortstop
The No. 15 prospect for the Dodgers, Lindsey is 20 and hitt slashing .341/.421/.476 for class-A Ontario.

2025
Zach Root, pitcher
Also selected with the No. 40 pick, Root, 22, is 3-2 with a 2.37 ERA in 49.1 innings for class-A Great Lakes.

As you can see, it’s quite the crapshoot when you pick players in the draft, which is a main reason the MLB draft doesn’t draw the same attention as the NBA or NFL drafts.

All-Star news

Shohei Ohtani will not play in the All-Star Game as he deals with a troublesome knee. After Sunday’s loss to Arizona he was scheduled to have his left knee drained and likely will receive an injection. That sounds like a lot of fun. He is not expected to miss any time after the All-Star break.

In the good news department, Justin Wrobleski has been added to the All-Star roster. He is 10-2 with a 2.69 ERA and is a worthy addition.

All-Star numbers

By popular demand, a look at Dodgers All-Star game career leaders:

At-bats
Steve Garvey, 22 (9 for 22)
Roy Campanella, 20 (2 for 20)
Jackie Robinson, 18 (6 for 18)
Pee Wee Reese, 17 (2 for 17)
Maury Wills, 14 (5 for 14)

Hits
Steve Garvey, 9 (22 at-bats)
Jackie Robinson, 6 (18)
Maury Wills, 5 (14)
Mike Piazza, 4 (12)
Gil Hodges, 4 (12)
Billy Herman, 4 (9)

Runs
Jackie Robinson, 7
Steve Garvey, 6
Gil Hodges, 3
Duke Snider, 3

Doubles
Jackie Robinson, 2
Steve Garvey, 2
8 players tied with 1

Triples
Steve Garvey, 2
No other Dodger has tripled

Home runs
Steve Garvey, 2
Mike Piazza, 2
Jackie Robinson, 1
Gil Hodges, 1
Jim Wynn, 1
Shohei Ohtani, 1
Willie Davis, 1
John Roseboro, 1
Mickey Owen, 1
Jim Gilliam, 1

RBI’s
Steve Garvey, 6
Mike Piazza, 4
Jackie Robinson, 4
Shohei Ohtani, 3

Stolen bases
Steve Sax, 2
Maury Wills, 1
Will Smith, 1
Shawn Green, 1
Orlando Hudson, 1

Walks
Pee Wee Reese, 3
Roy Campanella, 3
Wally Moon, 3
Steve Garvey, 2
Jackie Robinson, 2
Ron Cey, 2
Augie Galan, 2
Duke Snider, 2

Strikeouts
Roy Campanella, 5
John Roseboro, 4
Pee Wee Reese, 3
Steve Garvey, 3
Cody Bellinger, 3
Yasiel Puig, 3

Batting average (Min. 6 at-bats)
Billy Herman, .444
Steve Garvey, .409
Maury Wills, ,357
Jackie Robinson, .333
Gil Hodges, .333
Mike Piazza, .333
Duke Snider, .300

Innings pitched
Don Drysdale, 19.1
Don Newcombe, 8.2
Don Sutton 8
Fernando Valenzuela, 7.2
Clayton Kershaw, 7.2
Sandy Koufax, 6
Claude Osteen, 5

ERA (minimum 5 IP)
Claude Osteen, 0.00
Don Sutton, 0.00
Fernando Valenzuela, 0.00
Don Drysdale, 1.40
Sandy Koufax, 1.50
Clayton Kershaw, 3.52
Don Newcombe, 4.15

Strikeouts
Don Drysdale, 19
Fernando Valenzuela, 9
Don Sutton, 7
Zack Greinke, 6
Clayton Kershaw, 6
Don Newcombe, 5

Saves
Don Drysdale, 1
Jonathan Broxton, 1
Jim Brewer, 1

Current Dodgers in the All-Star game
Numbers with Dodgers only

Shohei Ohtani, .400 batting average, 2 for 4, 1 homer, 3 RBIs
Mookie Betts, .333, 1 for 3, 1 RBI
Will Smith, .200, 1 for 5, 1 double, 1 steal
Freddie Freeman, .000, 0 for 4
Teoscar Hernández, .000, 0 for 2
Max Muncy, .000, 0 for 4

These names seem familiar

How notable players who were with the Dodgers the last couple of seasons are doing with their new teams (through Sunday). Click on the player’s name to be taken to their full stats page:

Anthony Banda, Twins: 2-0, 4.46 ERA, 2 saves, 34.1 IP, 31 hits, 15 walks, 33 K’s, 97 ERA+, out for the season

Cody Bellinger, Yankees: .254/.345/.421, 403 PA’s, 19 doubles, 3 triples, 11 homers, 51 RBIs, 114 OPS+

Walker Buehler, Padres: 5-5, 5.36 ERA, 89 IP, 93 hits, 35 walks, 81 K’s, 77 ERA+

Mike Busch, Cubs: .239/.368/.395, 424 PA’s, 17 doubles, 2 triples, 11 homers, 49 RBIs, 115 OPS+

Michael Conforto, Cubs: .243/.331/.486, 160 PA’s, 10 doubles, 8 homers, 22 RBIs, 126 OPS+

Justin Dean, Cubs: .400/.500/.800, 6 PA’s, 1 triple, 3 RBIs, 259 OPS+

Caleb Ferguson, Reds: 1-0, 2.41 ERA, 1 save, 18.2 IP, 19 hits, 7 walks, 17 K’s, 185 ERA+

Jack Flaherty, Tigers: 3-8, 4.48 ERA, 82.1 IP, 76 hits, 40 walks, 98 K’s, 96 ERA+

Kenley Jansen, Tigers: 1-4, 4.56 ERA, 11 saves, 23.2 IP, 16 hits, 13 walks, 25 K’s, 95 ERA+

Craig Kimbrel, Rays: 0-2, 4.82 ERA, 28 IP, 26 hits, 11 walks, 26 K’s, 90 ERA+

Gavin Lux, Rays: on the IL

Dustin May, Cardinals: 5-6, 4.55 ERA, 93 IP, 89 hits, 28 walks, 89 K’s, 89 ERA+

Zach McKinstry, Tigers: .197/.278/.298, 248 PA’s, 6 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 19 RBIs, 60 OPS+

James Outman, Tigers: .152/.221/.288, 136 PA’s, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 3 homers, 13 RBIs, 40 OPS+

Joc Pederson, Rangers: .235/.334/.462, 294 PA’s, 8 doubles, 2 triples, 15 homers, 34 RBIs, 130 OPS+

Luke Raley, Mariners: .229/.288/.453, 259 PA’s, 9 doubles, 1 triple, 14 homers, 36 RBIs, 109 OPS+

Ben Rortvedt, Mets: in the minors

Corey Seager, Rangers: .182/.292/.374, 219 PA’s, 6 doubles, 10 homers, 25 RBIs, 94 OPS+, on the IL

Justin Turner, Tijuana (Mexican League): .282/.394/.475, 216 PA’s, 17 doubles, 6 homers, 28 RBIs

Trea Turner, Phillies: .236/.284/.355, 415 PA’s, 16 doubles, 10 homers, 33 RBIs, 71 OPS+

Miguel Vargas, White Sox: .245/.355/.493, 409 PA’s, 20 doubles, 1 triple, 21 homers, 59 RBIs, 135 OPS+

Kirby Yates, Angels: 0-4, 3.00 ERA, 3 saves, 21 IP, 14 hits, 7 walks, 28 K’s, 141 ERA+

In case you missed it

Shaikin: Love it or hate it: Would the Dodgers’ NL West rivals call a Tarik Skubal trade overkill?

How Dodgers’ Justin Wrobleski went from demotion to All-Star in less than two years

Shaikin: Inside the Shohei Ohtani Economy driving a wild auction for his worn cleats

Dodgers’ top MLB draft pick Bo Lowrance eager to emulate Freddie Freeman, Corey Seager

Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski added to National League roster for All-Star Game

Kiké Hernández on why he’ll miss Dodgers’ White House visit

Shohei Ohtani scratched from pitching start, won’t play in MLB All-Star Game

Why 2026 MLB draft will be special for Dodgers coach Dino Ebel’s family

Plaschke: Are the Dodgers tone deaf? White House visit is an insult to their fans

Dodgers scheduled to visit White House in late July to celebrate 2025 World Series win

Dodgers’ collab with KAWS will put acclaimed artist’s unique ‘XX’ spin on jerseys, trading cards, more

And finally

Vin Scully discusses getting Babe Ruth‘s autograph. Watch and listen here.

Until next time …

Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

July 14 (UPI) — The consumer price index for the year ending in June rose 3.5%, less than economists expected, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday.

For the month, consumer prices fell by 0.4% due in part to the energy index dropping by 5.7%. It was the largest decline in the energy index in more than six years, following a spike in energy prices due to the Iran war and closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The consumer price index decline for the month followed a 0.5% increase in May, also making the decrease a six-year best for a single month.

The energy index remains high for the 12 months ending in June, up by 15.7%. This is bolstered by a 26.7% increase in the index for gasoline.

Energy services decreased by 0.7% on a per-month basis, putting the annual rate of inflation at 3.9%. Electricity fell by 1% to an annual 4% increase while utility gas service rose by 0.5% to an annual 3% rate of inflation.

June’s index beat estimates by the Dow Jones consensus, which projected a 0.2% decrease in the consumer price index with annual inflation at about 3.8%.

The index for all items not counting volatile food and energy, known as core inflation, remained steady between May and June. Core inflation measured at 2.6% for the year ending in June after reading at 2.9% in May.

The index for food rose by 0.2%, as did the indexes for food at home and food away from home. The annual index for food rose by 3%.

Tuesday’s report comes as new Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh appears before Congress. In his prepared remarks, Warsh will tell Congress that the “number one objective is to get monetary policy right.”

“That is our clear and constant aim, the star we steer by,” Warsh’s prepared statement reads. And if we get policy right — and we will — the inflation surge of the last five years will be a thing of the past.”

Politician Ann Widdecombe gave a pre-recorded radio interview around 20 minutes before police believe she was attacked on Wednesday 8 July.

Widdecombe, 78, was found dead at her home in Devon on Thursday, having sustained serious injuries.

The former Conservative minister turned Reform UK spokeswoman spoke to British Christian radio station TWR-UK for around nine minutes via video link, but the interview was not broadcast.

The station later shared part of the recording with Times Radio, which first aired the interview on Tuesday.

In the interview, she spoke about her support for Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.

NORTH West has flashed a massive new face tattoo and lip rings ahead of her tour across the US.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West’s eldest daughter, who recently showcased two fresh body piercings, debuted her dramatic look on Instagram.

She pulled up her striking blue hair into an up-do so her face art could be showcased to full effect.

After applying pink eyeshadow and black false lashes, North finished off her look with the writing on her right cheek which read: “Are you ready for the Kimokawaii tour?”

The tour – which spans 14 dates across the US – sees the budding songstress team up with Molly Santana for the shows.

The gigs come after North penned a huge deal with Mariah Carey’s record label and was confirmed to be “recording music”.

While her face tatt – which is likely to be fake or temporary – took centre stage, North made sure her lip and ear bling was on point for the sassy snap.

In her caption, she put two question marks, but fans were quick to reply to the question posed by her body art.

One wrote: “Ohhh yesssss”.

Another confirmed: “Yess can’t wait”.

A third then put: “So pretty omg”.

North is no stranger to vamping up her look.

In another Instagram snap she showcased two piercings on her pointer and middle fingers, which she debuted in November.

Over the last few months, North has flaunted numerous body and face piercings, tattoos, heavy makeup, and drastic hair transformations.

Her followers expect to see even more shocking makeovers now that she’s branched out from posting on a joint-TikTok account with her mother to her own Instagram page.

North shared her first post on the platform on December 19th, sending social media into a frenzy.

Many fans have criticized her mom Kim for allowing her daughter to “grow up fast” and not act her age.

Kanye, 48, has shared the same thoughts, publicly calling out his ex-wife numerous times in the past for letting North be on social media and to dress in a mature way.

The former couple is also parents to a daughter, Chicago, 7, and sons, Saint, 10, and Psalm, 6.

All of their children are primarily in Kim’s care, despite their 2022 divorce settlement granting them joint legal and physical custody.

The European Central Bank (ECB) took the digital euro project into its next operational stage on Tuesday by naming 36 payment service providers to help test the future currency in a large-scale pilot programme beginning in the second half of 2027.

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According to the ECB, the participants were selected from more than 50 applicants across the euro area and will work alongside the ECB and 19 of the euro area’s national central banks, excluding Bulgaria and Malta, during a 12-month testing exercise.

The pilot is intended to assess the digital euro’s technical infrastructure, operational processes and user experience, allowing person-to-person and person-to-business payments to be tested in both online and offline environments, before any decision is taken on issuing the currency.

The announcement moves the digital euro closer to practical testing with consumers, merchants and payment providers, making it one of the project’s most significant milestones since the ECB launched its preparation phase in late 2023.

The selected providers include traditional banks, digital banks and payment companies, with several of Europe’s largest financial institutions among those taking part, including Deutsche Bank, UniCredit, Revolut, Adyen and Stripe.

ECB Executive Board member Piero Cipollone said the level of interest demonstrated that the payments industry was ready to help shape the project’s next phase.

“The strong market interest in the pilot shows the private sector’s readiness to engage actively and quickly advance with the digital euro project to strengthen the European payments landscape,” Cipollone stated.

“We look forward to deeper engagement as we work with and learn alongside European payment service providers in developing a secure, efficient and inclusive digital euro,” Cipollone concluded.

Legislative approval remains the decisive milestone

The pilot comes as negotiations continue between the European Parliament, the Council and the European Commission on legislation that would establish the legal basis for a digital euro.

The ECB has consistently maintained that it cannot issue the currency unless the legislation is adopted by EU lawmakers.

Current planning foresees formal approval in 2027, followed by completion of the pilot and a possible public launch in 2029, although those timelines remain dependent on the legislative process.

The digital euro would be available free of charge to consumers through supervised payment providers and the ECB has repeatedly sought to counter concerns that it could lead to the disappearance of physical money or weaken privacy protections.

In the current plan for the launch, the digital euro would not pay interest and holdings would likely be capped to avoid significant outflows from commercial bank deposits.

Speaking to Euronews exclusively last week, ECB President Christine Lagarde welcomed the European Parliament’s decision to begin negotiations on the legislation and reiterated that the digital is intended to complement, rather than replace, cash.

“Cash and the digital euro will both be legal tender, which means that nowhere in Europe can someone say, ‘Sorry, I’m not taking your banknotes’,” Lagarde told The Europe Conversation with Maria Tadeo, reaffirming that cash would remain a permanent feature of Europe’s monetary system.

The digital euro is also designed to reduce Europe’s dependence on international payment providers and strengthen the bloc’s strategic autonomy in payments.

Lagarde also told Euronews that the project is about reinforcing Europe’s economic sovereignty as much as modernising payments, pointing to the bloc’s continued reliance on foreign-owned payment networks.

“We depend predominantly on US, but also sometimes Chinese, networks to organise payments. We need to have a European solution because we want to be sovereign at home,” Lagarde stated.

A day after general manager Raegan Pebley was fired, the Sparks were in Atlanta and seemingly still focused on trying to reach the playoffs this year.

The suggestion that Pebley’s removal was a sign that the team is performing poorly didn’t sit well with coach Lynne Roberts.

“I don’t think we underachieved last year and this year is still going,” Roberts said in Atlanta on Monday before the team’s loss to the Dream. “For where we want to get, that’s not where we want to be, but we tripled our win total in my first year — that’s not underachieving. We haven’t hit our stride, we’ve been injured all year. Hopefully we get [Kelsey Plum] and Cam [Brink] back. Our system is designed around KP. I’m not close to thinking we are underachieving.”

Pebley and the rest of the Sparks’ organization signaled a clear intention to compete this season, signing veterans Nneka Ogwumike and Erica Wheeler in the offseason, signing Dearica Hamby to a three-year deal and trading for Ariel Atkins.

The Sparks’ Rae Burrell protects the ball under pressure the Chicago Sky’s Natasha Cloud at Crypto.com Arena on July 10.

(Luiza Moraes / Getty Images)

They are still in the playoff race midway through the season, but have the second-worst defensive rating in the WNBA and sit a game below the postseason cutoff line.

They have competed without Plum, their top scorer, for 12 games and former No. 2 overall pick Brink during the past nine contests.

But even with their struggles, culminating in an 82-64 loss to Seattle on July 6, the Sparks responded well with consecutive home wins against Indiana and Chicago. After those games, Roberts seemed to think the team was moving in the right direction, but team owners made a major change.

The Sparks have a decision to make about how hard they want to push the rest of this season as the team flirts with missing the playoffs for a sixth consecutive season. With the trade deadline on Aug. 2, they could make some moves to improve this season or sell off their veteran assets and attempt to rebuild again.

The Sparks haven’t made the playoffs since 2020 and have made some controversial moves while trying to snap out of the slump.

In addition to the questionable trade of 2024 fourth overall pick Rickea Jackson to Chicago for veteran Atkins this offseason, Pebley traded the picks that would become Storm post duo Awa Fam and Dominique Malonga for Plum and Kia Nurse. In her sole season with the Sparks, Nurse averaged 7.6 points per game.

Pebley also traded the No. 8 pick in 2024 (that later was used to draft Alissa Pili) to Chicago for Julie Allemand and Li Yueru, then lost Allemand in the expansion draft. Yueru was sent to Seattle in the Plum trade and is now playing with Dallas. The Sparks’ 2025 first-round draft pick Sarah Ashlee Barker was left unprotected and went to Portland in the expansion draft.

The Sparks waived their top pick in this year’s draft, Ta’Niya Latson, after barely playing, and she has gone on to join Las Vegas. Sania Feagin, a 2025 first-round draft pick, was waived and signed with Portland.

Most of those moves, though, came after the Sparks lost the top spot in the 2025 draft lottery to Dallas, which selected Paige Bueckers with the No. 1 pick. Before the lottery result, it seemed like the Sparks — who went 8-32 in 2024 before that draft — were lining up for a youth movement led by Brink and Bueckers. A lineup of those three, a healthy Feagin, Barker and Allemand would be an entirely different kind of team.

Once that failed, they focused on adding veterans who could win now and have only managed modest improvement.

The Sparks have their next two first-round draft picks and four players still on rookie contracts after this season (Brink, Chance Gray, Kate Martin and Pili). Brink is their lone lottery pick left from their disappointing past six seasons. (Pili was a top-10 pick, but she has struggled to stay on a WNBA roster and just signed a player developmental contract with the Sparks this month.)

Pebley told The Times in an interview on Friday that she was open to making moves to compete at the deadline this year.

Players on the Sparks’ bench celebrate during a win over the Chicago Sky at Crypto.com Arena on July 10.

(Luiza Moraes / Getty Images)

“We are in a space where we are here to win,” she said. “This is a city that wants to win. We have an ownership that wants to win. You see what they’re doing with the Lakers. You see what they’ve done already with the Dodgers. … We have to always continue to invest in the roster. We have a responsibility to always listen and be aware of what’s out there.”

A league source not authorized to discuss trade conversations publicly told The Times that Pebley had been aggressive ahead of the deadline, and now teams are unsure what approach the Sparks will take moving forward.

“I found out when everybody else did,” Roberts said of Pebley’s firing. “It was a surprise. She’s a good friend of mine. I think the tone is set that we need to keep building and get the Sparks back to where they have been. That’s been the tone. Raegan did some great things for our org in that regard and improved a lot of things. That work can’t go undenied. It’s full-steam ahead and I’m focused on what I can do.”

It would be difficult to move some of their heftier contracts, especially since WNBA teams cannot take on more salary than their remaining cap space allows in a trade. Hamby, 32, is signed for two more years for more than $1 million per season. Atkins is also signed for two years at $1 million-plus and is having a career-worst offensive season, shooting 36.4% with 8.7 points per game.

Wheeler, 35, has another year left on her deal, but a $625,000 cap hit for a player who would be a backup point guard on most teams is a tough sell.

Plum and Ogwumike are on expiring deals, and the Sparks’ most valuable roster asset, Rae Burrell, is a restricted free agent, but one of the few young players left on the Sparks’ roster.

The Sparks have a limited $86,000 in cap space, too, so if they decide they want to buy at the deadline, they have to find a way to clear space.

They enter the trade deadline period in a difficult spot as a team in purgatory that just fired its general manager.

Yet what they decide to do in the next month might be the most clearest sign of their ambition and hope for the future.

July 14 (UPI) — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order Tuesday putting a moratorium on building large data centers for one year.

Hochul, a Democrat, signed the executive order pausing environmental permits and said that the delay would give the state legislature time to create new laws that protect the electrical grid, environment and communities.

The order is the first statewide ban in the United States.

“As data center development threatens to hike up utility bills, deplete our natural resources, and create uncertainty for New Yorkers, it’s my responsibility to take action and lead,” Hochul said in a statement. “New York will lead the way in creating the strongest standards in the nation for data center development, ensuring that when companies succeed because of New York, New Yorkers succeed, too.”

The order will temporarily block the state from approving permits for data centers that use 50 or more megawatts of power. During that time, the state will create a regulatory framework for assessing how the projects affect the environment.

The ban won’t delay projects that already have the needed permits.

Hochul also called on lawmakers Tuesday to repeal sales tax exemptions for data centers.

New York has fewer data centers than some other states, such as Texas and Virginia. But some projects have sparked local battles around the state.

Though states once courted the artificial intelligence companies’ investment, sentiment has since soured. Data centers use an enormous amount of electricity and are adding a huge burden to the electrical grid.

A May Gallup poll showed that more Americans would rather live near a nuclear power plant than a data center.

In Monterey Park, Calif., voters recently blocked data center construction permanently. But in April, Maine Gov. Janet Mills vetoed legislation that blocked construction of data centers because she said it could block a project in a town that supported a local data center.

The Seminole Nation passed a complete moratorium that bans development on its tribal land.

Hochul’s team didn’t say how many proposed data centers the moratorium would affect, but Cleanview lists 25 proposed facilities in the state, and a planned 300-megawatt facility near Ithaca has seen protests and backlash from locals, The Washington Post reported.

Lawmakers in New York recently passed a bill that called for a one-year moratorium but Hochul’s action allows the governor to move quickly while she reviews the legislation, the office said.

“This is an important victory for the thousands of New Yorkers who demanded that their government take action to put a pause on hyperscale data centers,” said Mitch Jones, managing director for policy and litigation at environmental group Food & Water Watch.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva criticised a proposal by US President Donald Trump to impose charges on goods passing through the Strait of Hormuz, saying such a measure would amount to “piracy.”

Speaking at a public event in São Paulo state on Monday, Lula said “In the past, that would have been considered piracy.”

“The United States is an important country, and I believe it fought piracy for a long time. It cannot act like a pirate today” he added.

Lula’s comments followed Trump’s announcement that the United States would seek to impose a 20 percent tariff on goods transported through the Strait of Hormuz while reimposing a naval blockade on Iran.

According to Trump’s statement, the measure was presented as a response to Iran’s announcement that it intended to close the strategic waterway. He argued that the United States would ensure freedom of navigation through the strait and that commercial shipping benefiting from that protection should contribute to its cost.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “The Strait of Hormuz is open, and will remain open, with or without Iran. We will reimpose the blockade on Iran.”

The proposed tariff has drawn international attention because the Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime trade routes, carrying a significant share of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports. Any changes to shipping arrangements or transit costs could have broad implications for international trade and energy markets.