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In recent weeks, Iranian police closed dozens of cafes for failing to enforce mandatory hijab laws. These shops offered youth a rare space to gather. Amir, a cafe owner, said, "It seems that a campaign has begun to control postwar Iran, a society that is unhappy and under strain."
Twyla Lowry plans to vote for Democrat Gina Hinojosa to prevent Republican Greg Abbott from winning a fourth term as Texas governor. Lowry said, "He's pushing for them. Everything's so shady." A recent Fox News poll showed Hinojosa within a point of Abbott, signaling a tight race in the state.
A Damascus court sentenced former grand mufti Ahmad Badreddine Hassoun to life in prison on Monday. The court convicted the Assad loyalist of inciting violence and justifying murder. Hassoun held his position from 2005 to 2021. Many Syrians welcomed the sentence, though some human rights groups raised concerns about trial fairness.
Residents in Nasirabad, Pakistan, queue daily at an ice factory to survive extreme heat. With electricity often unavailable, families rely on ice blocks to cool their homes and water. Twelve-year-old Taimoor said, “If I do not bring the ice, how will we endure the heat at home?” he says.
Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, Syria’s former grand mufti, got a life sentence on Monday for inciting violence and abusing his office. The Damascus court found him guilty of justifying killings during the country’s 14-year war. Hassoun, arrested in March 2025, held his religious post until 2021 before he went into hiding.
Iran’s rial hit a record low of 2.02 million to the dollar on Monday. The currency fell as Washington prepared new sanctions against the country. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, “President Trump decimated Iran’s economy to a point where the rial has never been weaker and inflation has rarely been higher.”
Luis Manuel Aviles Roa, father of a sailor on the USS Abraham Lincoln, was taken into federal immigration detention. U.S. Border Patrol arrested him in Key West, Florida. His son, Joshua Aviles, said, "I just got a call that my dad was taken by ICE," while waiting for green card approval.
Iceland voters decide Saturday whether to restart talks to join the European Union. Many people worry about geopolitical instability and want the economic benefits of the euro. "We can't really trust the U.S. anymore," said writer Hildur Knútsdóttir. Others fear losing the independence that Iceland got back in 1944.
AIPAC plans to spend millions supporting Mike Rogers, the Republican Senate nominee in Michigan, but the candidate has some reservations. Rogers worries that public backing from the group could backfire politically. While both sides want to find a way to work together, the path forward remains unclear for now.
Donald Trump’s recent olive branch to North Korea’s Kim Jong Un has deepened doubts about U.S. reliability across Asia. As of August 24, allies from Japan to India worry about Washington’s shifting security commitments. Jeremy Chan said, "The decision will certainly fuel growing doubts in the region about U.S. security commitments."
A YouGov survey found people in five European nations favour air conditioning over cutting carbon emissions. After extreme heatwaves, many residents said they could not keep homes cool. Between 61% and 73% of respondents now want air conditioning installed as standard in all new homes to stay safe from heat.
Anti-corruption investigators released wiretap recordings of senior officials on August 19th. The tapes showed corruption is treated as routine workflow in Ukraine. "He says defeating corruption is the wrong approach," said Iryna Mudra in the recordings. These tapes surfaced as the president faces a direct challenge to his leadership today.