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To the sailors recruited from India, it was just another job. But the ship they boarded was a shadow fleet tanker destined for a war zone.The Settebello had spent at least five years moving Iranian oil that was under U.S. sanctions, often disguising its location, according to a maritime tracking firm. It hid again in early June in the Gulf of Oman, east of the Strait of Hormuz, where it loaded fuel from other ships at sea.On the morning of June 10, it became a target of the U.S. Navy.Shortly after 7 a.m., U.S. missiles blasted into the engine room…

Pope Leo XIV, who has advocated for an end to wars since the beginning of his pontificate last year, calls for nuclear disarmament in a new book being published on Tuesday.The book, “Unarmed and Disarming: Peace Is a Gift,” collects Leo’s speeches, homilies and writings on war, the role of diplomacy and resolving disputes without violence. In the book, the pope does not mention any nation by name, instead writing broadly about the dangers of the nuclear arms race.“Above all in the atomic era, the affirmation of the truth must push through: it is not atomic weapons that generate peace,…

Chris Fall, the director of the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI), has resigned, the agency confirmed to multiple news outlets. He was appointed just three months ago after the last appointee, Collin Burns, left in less than a week, The Washington Post reported at the time. Burns was reportedly “pushed out” of the job in April because he previously worked for Anthropic and the Trump administration had been battling with the company, sources told the Post. No reason was given for Fall’s departure. Prior to leading CAISI, Fall was the director of the Department of Energy’s Office of…

British prosecutors on Monday charged a 28-year-old man with murder in connection with the death of Ann Widdecombe, a politician and reality television contestant whose body was found in her home this month.The accused, Joshua Kerry, of Rotherham in northern England, is expected to appear in Westminster Magistrates’ Court in London on Tuesday, prosecutors said in a statement.“Police enquiries into the defendant’s motives are ongoing, including a potential political or terrorist connection,” said Frank Ferguson, chief prosecutor of the Special Crime and Counter Terrorism Division, in announcing the murder charge.Ms. Widdecombe was found dead in her home in Haytor Vale…

The top stories and transfer rumours from Tuesday’s newspapers…PREMIER LEAGUEManchester United are monitoring Newcastle’s Lewis Hall and Fulham’s Antonee Robinson to potentially strengthen Michael Carrick’s options at left-back – The Guardian Aston Villa are continuing to discuss a proposed deal for Nicolas Jackson at Chelsea – Daily Mail Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player As Man Utd confirm Youri Tielemans, Sky Sports’ Danyal Khan outlines how the club are looking to reinforce the midfield further Tottenham are set to bring in Brighton’s Andrew Crofts to Roberto De Zerbi’s backroom staff – The StandardBen White has recovered…

A 100-page report released on Monday by the U.S. State Department argues that Cuba has sought to bring down the United States through decades of subversive operations, many of them tied to U.S. domestic left-wing causes. The report frames Cuba as more dangerous than U.S. officials have typically done in the past. According to the report, Cuban “agents and operatives” operate within “hundreds” of organizations and “collectively represent one of the single largest, most sophisticated and dangerous vectors for hostile foreign influence in modern American history.” A 100-page report released on Monday by the U.S. State Department argues that Cuba…

President Trump has yet again circumvented the legislative branch as he orders American forces back into combat in the Middle East, weeks after both chambers of Congress rebuked him for waging war with Iran without authorization.The collapse of the cease-fire and resumption of hostilities has inflamed a debate on Capitol Hill over war powers just as the administration is seeking tens of billions of dollars to pay for the conflict.That has presented Republicans with a political worst-case scenario months before midterm elections in which their majorities are at stake: They are being asked to vote to fund an unpopular war…

President Trump’s new Air Force One, the Boeing luxury jet donated by Qatar, will be taken out of service for about one month this fall for “additional upgrades and enhancements,” the White House press secretary said on Monday.The details about the additional work on the plane came a day after Mr. Trump appeared to acknowledge that the plane required more features, telling reporters that it would soon be “maxed out.” The plane has come under scrutiny over whether it is fitted with sufficient defensive capabilities.“The new Air Force One is perfectly safe for the president’s travels, but will receive additional…

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at another Middle East threat to global energy markets, the United Kingdom’s new prime minister, and rising political unrest in Ukraine. First, Hormuz. Now, Red Sea. Houthi rebels in Yemen declared a naval blockade of Saudi Arabia on Monday, opening another potential pressure point for global energy markets that are already suffering from Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Riyadh has yet to formally respond. Last week, the Tehran-backed proxy group accused Saudi Arabia of bombing Yemen’s Sanaa International Airport to stop an Iranian plane from landing. The aircraft was…

Good morning and welcome to FirstFT. In today’s newsletter:India’s ‘Cockroach’ protestsAndy Burnham becomes UK prime ministerWill a tight-lipped Fed chair fuel market volatility?We begin in New Delhi, where police cracked down yesterday on one of the largest protests seen in the capital in years.What to know: Police repeatedly fired tear gas and beat protesters with sticks and plastic batons as Indian authorities tried to disperse thousands of supporters of the youth-led “Cockroach” movement who were protesting near parliament over problems in the education system. Security forces charged protesters after they breached some barricades near parliament, where legislators were gathering for…