Appeals court blocks FDA rule that allows women to obtain abortion drugs by mail

A federal appeals court temporarily reinstated a nationwide requirement that abortion pills be obtained in person, undermining access to the method of abortion that has only grown more widespread since the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

Friday’s ruling from the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals is a major victory in the anti-abortion movement’s war against medication abortion, which now accounts for roughly two-thirds of all abortions in the United States.

The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by Louisiana last year against the US Food and Drug Administration, after President Donald Trump’s administration refused to act on calls to reinstate the in-person dispensing requirement for abortion pills through the regulatory process.

The opinion was written by Trump-appointed Circuit Judge Kyle Duncan, and joined Circuit Judges Leslie Southwick and Kurt Engelhardt, who were appointed by President George W. Bush and Trump, respectively.

American journalist Shelly Kittleson kidnapped in Baghdad

American journalist Shelly Kittleson was kidnapped in Baghdad, Iraq, on Tuesday, sources and her media outlet said.

The US government is tracking her kidnapping and working with the Iraqis to secure her release, a US official said.

It is unclear who is responsible for her abduction, but sources said that she was warned of threats against her, including kidnapping, from Iranian proxy group Kataib Hezbollah.

US Assistant Secretary of State Dylan Johnson said in a post on X that “an individual with ties to the Iranian-aligned militia group Kataib Hizballah believed to be involved in the kidnapping has been taken into custody by Iraqi authorities.”

Tehran sends clear warning with execution of protest-linked men, analysts say

When a 19-year-old wrestler and two other men were hanged in the holy city of Qom on Thursday, Iran’s theocratic regime was sending a message to both dissenters inside the country and opponents abroad, analysts say.

The three men, who were all linked to January’s nationwide anti-regime protests, were executed with the approval of Iran’s Supreme Court and “in the presence of a group of people,” said the judiciary-affiliated news agency Mizan.

Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, described the trials as a sham involving forced confessions and fast-tracked proceedings. Amnesty, in a statement on Friday, accused Iranian authorities of carrying out “arbitrary executions” to intimidate the public “among an already traumatized population, under bombardment from Israel and the US.”

Before the war, US President Donald Trump had warned Iran against executing protesters, later saying he had received assurances that Tehran had no plans to do so. Thursday’s hangings are thought to be the first carried out in relation to the protests.

Source: Iran mulls conditions for allowing oil through Strait of Hormuz

Iran is considering allowing a limited number of oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, provided that the oil cargo is traded in Chinese yuan, a senior Iranian official tells CNN.

The potential move comes as the Islamic Republic is working on a new plan to manage the flow of oil tankers through the Strait, the source added.

International oil is almost entirely traded in dollars, apart from sanctioned Russian oil, which is traded in roubles or yuan.

China has attempted to make inroads for the past several years to buy oil in yuan, particularly in Saudi Arabia. But the dollar remains the world’s reserve currency, and the yuan is not broadly accepted on the global marketplace.

How Iran’s use of cluster munitions is challenging Israel’s air defenses

Specks of orange light streak across the night sky as air raid sirens wail in the background.

It is an unnerving spectacle that has become a feature of the war here, as Iran has increasingly outfitted some of its ballistic missiles with cluster munitions, aiming to pierce Israel’s sophisticated air defenses.

The specks of light are small bombs, each carrying up to 11 pounds of explosives, which are released at high altitude from the head of the missile before raining down indiscriminately over a wide area. Most of Iran’s ballistic missiles carry about 24 bomblets, but one of its weapons – the Khorramshahr – can be equipped with up to 80, according to experts.

A CNN analysis of two separate Iranian cluster munitions attacks confirmed multiple impacts spread out across an area of seven and eight miles, respectively, falling at random on homes, businesses, roads and parks.

Lebanon calls for direct talks with Israel, accuses Hezbollah of betraying country

In a remarkable statement Monday afternoon, Lebanon called for direct talks with Israel on “permanent arrangements for security and stability on our borders,” while accusing the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah of betraying the country.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun detailed his plan during a virtual meeting with European Union officials, in which he leveled sharp criticism at Hezbollah and Israel for what he called “an attempt to corner my country.” He accused Israel of showing “no respect for the laws of war, nor for international laws.” Israel’s assault on Lebanon has displaced more than 600,000 people and killed more than 400, including scores of women and children, Aoun said.

But it is his criticism of Hezbollah that is significant. Calling the Shiite Muslim group “an armed faction … that places no value on Lebanon’s interest nor on the life of its people,” Aoun said Hezbollah “wanted to achieve the fall of the State of Lebanon, under aggression and chaos.” He accused the group of working “for the sake of the calculations of the Iranian regime.”

“After Hezbollah’s decision to enter the regional fight around Iran — a decision that put the Lebanese government in deep embarrassment — the main worry of Beirut’s authorities has become to clearly delink themselves from Hezbollah’s actions, mainly in order to spare the entire country the deadly costs of an all-out Israeli reprisal,” said Joseph Bahout, director of the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut.

Five Iranian women’s soccer players apply for asylum in Australia after fleeing team as supporters plead for action


Amid fears over their safety, five members of the Iranian women’s soccer squad have sought asylum in Australia and and are currently safe with police, a source told CNN Sports.

Members of the Iranian team, who’ve been playing in the Women’s Asian Cup in Australia, are at the center of growing calls for their exit from the country to be blocked for fear of persecution in Iran, their home country that’s at war with the US and Israel under a new hardline supreme leader.

It comes after the team remained silent during the national anthem before their first group stage match last week – a decision that many fear will be punished by the Iranian regime.

According to sports journalist Raha Pourbakhsh, at least seven players left the team hotel with five of those having now applied for asylum with the Australian Federal Police.