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Fact check: Viral video does not show Iranian Navy destroying ship in Strait of Hormuz amid renewed tensions

Multiple pro-Iranian users, based on their display profiles and past posts, have been sharing a video on social media platform X since July 14, 2026, claiming that it shows the Iranian Navy destroying a ship in the Strait of Hormuz amid the rising tension in the Middle East. However, the video is old and shows the US Navy destroying an Iranian Soleimani-class corvette vessel in the Persian Gulf. Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz was disrupted once again after Iranian forces shut down the vital maritime route after exchanging heavy missile and drone assaults with US forces, with multiple US facilities in the Gulf states coming under fire on July 12, 2026. The United States military has concluded a third consecutive night of strikes against Iran, hours before a reinstated naval blockade of Iranian ports takes effect, as Washington and Tehran both stake claims for the control of the Strait of Hormuz. Similarly, the United Arab Emirates said two of its oil tankers were hit by Iranian...
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Pete Hegseth announces testosterone screening for military

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Wednesday mandatory annual testosterone screening for troops 30 ​years old or above, an initiative he said was ‌aimed at combating testosterone deficiency that can undermine health. Hegseth said the screening could lead to troops being offered testosterone replacement ​therapy aimed at "ensuring you have the right ​testosterone levels to operate at your absolute ⁠best". "Because it's well-established science that as we age, ​testosterone levels often naturally drop," he said in a video ​message. The screening would become part of annual testing for troops aged 30 and above, and troops could voluntarily decide whether to ​accept any recommended hormone replacement treatment if they were diagnosed ​with low testosterone levels. Troops below the age of 30 ‌could request to be tested. The move comes as the US Department of Health and Human Services has moved to ease some restrictions on testo...

US House defeats bid to cut off Israel aid in vote dividing Democrats

The US House of Representatives defeated an amendment to cut off aid to Israel on Wednesday, with nearly half of Democrats opposing the amendment, reflecting a rupture between US progressives and Israel over its attacks in Gaza, as well as an apparent rift within the Democrats themselves. The House voted 314 to 104 to defeat the measure, offered as an amendment to a State Department spending bill by Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky. However, 103 Democrats and one Republican backed it, a sharp departure from years in which bills supporting Israel passed almost unanimously. Left-wing Democrats are pushing to end US aid to Israel as they campaign in midterm election primaries. At the same time, moderate Democrats promote sending money that would be used for defensive weapons only. Massie is a fiscal hawk who opposes all foreign aid, but he said he was also responding to the heavy toll on civilians of Israel's attacks in Gaza. "There h...

'We should not treat AI as a threat,' Australian premier rolls out new AI framework

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Wednesday rolled out a framework for his country's approach to artificial intelligence (AI), saying AI would become central to Australia's productivity, economic resilience, and sovereign capability. In an address at the University of Sydney, Albanese outlined a new set of standards for AI that will provide rules for data centers, forcing them to minimise water usage and underwrite or supply their own power, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. The AI companies, he added, would not be able to use Australian books, music, art, or news to train AI "without the artist's control". The prime minister will seek agreement from state premiers and territory chief ministers over the new set of standards at a Cabinet meeting next month. Warning that Australia has a narrow window to set AI's "social license," he acknowledged gaps and risks in the currently fragmented approach to the technology. ...

US sanctions more than 50 individuals, entities, vessels tied to Iranian shipping

The US imposed sanctions Tuesday on more than 50 individuals, companies and vessels accused of supporting an alleged illicit shipping and sanctions evasion network linked to Iranian oil shipping magnate Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani, the Treasury Department announced. The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control said the measures are part of Washington's broader campaign to increase economic pressure on Iran following what it described as Tehran's renewed “destabilizing attacks” in the Strait of Hormuz. The sanctions target financial facilitators, shipping executives, logistics firms and vessel operators based in multiple countries. As a result of the designations, all property and interests in property of the sanctioned individuals and entities subject to US jurisdiction are blocked. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the sanctions are intended to dismantle a major financial network supporting the Iranian government. Read: Why ...

China purges third Politburo member in deepening anti-graft drive

China has expelled Ma Xingrui, a former Politburo member, from the ruling Communist Party on corruption charges, ​making him the third sitting member of the elite decision-making body to be purged since 2025 as President Xi Jinping intensifies an anti-graft ‌campaign. Ma, who also served as the deputy head of the central rural work leading group, was placed under investigation in April over suspected "serious violation of law and discipline" — the party's euphemism for corruption. Ma's membership in the country's parliament was also stripped last month. Ma Xingrui, who was previously placed under disciplinary and supervisory investigation, was expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) and dismissed from public office, according to Xinhua on Tuesday. Ma, previously a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central… pic.twitter.com/Qwa4boG9pC — Global Times (@globaltimesnews) July 14, 2026 "A decision to purge som...

Fact check: Viral video does not show Houthi attack on Saudi's Abha International Airport amid current Mideast tensions

Multiple users have been sharing a video on social media platform X on July 14, 2026, alleging that it shows Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport after attacks by Yemen’s Houthis. However, the video shows a March 2022 Houthi attack at a Saudi Aramco facility. According to the Associated Press, on July 13, 2026, Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched missiles and drones targeting Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport in retaliation for airstrikes they blamed on Saudi Arabia that struck Sanaa International Airport earlier the same day. No casualties were reported, but the exchange marked the most serious escalation between the two sides in years. The Houthis warned airlines against using Saudi airspace until the blockade on Sanaa airport is lifted, while Yemen’s internationally recognised government said the strikes on Sanaa were intended to prevent an Iranian plane from landing. Following a Houthi missile and drone attack on Saudi Arabia’s Abh...