Briefing

Fox News’ “The Five” co-hosts examine what may lie ahead in the war between the United States and Iran. The program says President Trump has pledged a response following what it describes as a surprise Iranian attack. Discussion centers on the conflict’s future and the prospect of further military action. The segment frames the issue through national security, defense and foreign-policy concerns.

US-Iran conflictmilitary actionDonald TrumpMiddle East

The program examines the overlap between politics and global business. Senator John Kennedy says keeping sanctions and a blockade on Iran would be painful for Americans before the midterm elections. He nevertheless argues that maintaining pressure for several more months could be the most effective way to influence Tehran. Former Republican Senator Jeff Flake says the deadlock over Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination demonstrates the limits of President Trump’s influence.

TrumpIransanctionsUS politics

President Donald Trump warns that the United States will strike Iran “very hard” after an attack on US forces in Jordan. Declaring, “It’s our turn,” Trump presents the threatened action as a response to the assault. His statement signals a sharp escalation in rhetoric between Washington and Tehran. The warning follows the attack on the US base and points to possible US retaliation against Iran.

Donald TrumpIranJordanattack on US forces

Qualcomm projected fourth-quarter profit below Wall Street expectations on Wednesday. The chipmaker also said revenue tied to Apple products would fall faster than it had anticipated. Supply constraints and higher costs are weighing on the business. Together, those pressures have weakened the company’s outlook for the quarter.

QualcommApplequarterly profitsupply constraints

Federal Reserve policymakers voted 9-3 to leave the key interest rate unchanged for now. The decision comes as prices remain high and inflation has stayed above the central bank’s 2% target for more than five years. Policymakers are showing growing impatience with the prolonged inflation. Even so, they chose to keep the rate steady rather than change it at this point.

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Saudi Arabia’s decision to take part in US strikes on targets in Iraq signals a new stage in the regional war. Riyadh had previously resisted retaliation despite repeated attacks on Saudi territory and US military assets stationed there. After a Saudi Aramco refinery in Jazan was struck, Saudi forces joined Washington in hitting more than 20 targets across seven Iraqi provinces. The targets included Iran-backed groups and Iranian advisers, while the operation warned Iraqi militias and Yemen’s Houthis.

Saudi ArabiaIraqUS strikesregional war

Former senior US health official Anthony Fauci declined to answer questions at a tense Senate hearing on Covid-19. He said he feared Republicans would use his testimony to pursue a perjury prosecution against him. Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution more than 100 times. Republicans have repeatedly accused him of hiding pandemic information from the public and misrepresenting its danger.

Anthony FauciUS SenateCovid hearingFifth Amendment

Dr. Anthony Fauci, who previously led the US response to Covid, appeared under subpoena at a Senate hearing on July 29. He said Rand Paul had made what he called defamatory remarks, sought to send him to prison and recently disclosed his private diary. Fauci therefore invoked the constitutional Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. He declined to answer roughly 100 questions about his institution’s cooperation with the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the virus’s origins and his emphasis on a natural origin over the possibility of a laboratory leak.

Anthony FauciRand PaulCovid hearingFifth Amendment

Two strikes hit Gaza City and Deir al-Balah on Tuesday evening after the Israeli military issued a warning, residents in the area said. Video footage showed the attacks on the two locations. Residents reported the strikes but said no casualties had been immediately reported. The incidents occurred in the Gaza Strip after the military warning.

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At least 20 people were killed and 32 wounded after US and Saudi forces jointly struck Iran-linked “logistics and weapons sites” in Iraq, according to a statement posted on Telegram by the Popular Mobilization Forces. Iranian officials condemned the deadly operation as a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and a “highly dangerous escalation.” The US military also intercepted several ballistic missiles launched by Iran in what it described as an attempted “surprise attack” on US forces. The strikes mark a sharp expansion of the confrontation involving Iran-linked targets in Iraq.

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Iran has launched attacks as US assets build up in Israel. The action is framed as an attempt by Iran to send a message. The headline links the timing of the attacks to the growing US military presence connected with Israel.

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Anthony Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment rights during a Senate committee hearing on Wednesday. He declined to testify about his role in the US response to Covid-19. Fauci criticized the proceeding, saying it had been designed to pressure him into making incriminating statements. The hearing focused on his conduct in the pandemic response.

Anthony FauciUS SenateCovid-19Fifth Amendment

Former top US health official Anthony Fauci declined to answer questions about the origins of Covid during a Senate hearing. He invoked his right to remain silent while senators questioned him under oath about the pandemic. The hearing focused on the origins of the outbreak and Fauci’s response was framed around his refusal to provide answers.

Anthony FauciUS SenateCovid origins

Anthony Fauci, formerly the top U.S. infectious disease expert, is expected to testify before the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday. The appearance is being compelled by a subpoena issued by the panel’s chairman, Senator Rand Paul, who has long criticized Fauci. The scheduled testimony follows the release of Fauci’s diary.

Anthony FauciRand PaulU.S. Senatetestimony

French DJ and electropop musician Kavinsky was found dead at his home in Paris, according to a statement from the Paris prosecutor’s office. Kavinsky performed at the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics. The statement identified his residence as being in the French capital. His death marks the loss of a musician associated with France’s electronic music scene.

KavinskyFrench musicParisParis Olympics

Telegram’s administration has failed to take down numerous channels, chats and bots on the messaging platform. Ukrainian intelligence agencies, as well as terrorist and extremist organizations, are actively using those resources, according to the statement. The platform’s alleged failure to remove them is presented in connection with the charges brought against Telegram co-founder Pavel Durov.

Pavel DurovTelegramterrorism charges

A powerful earthquake struck Kumamoto City in Japan’s Kyushu region on Tuesday, leaving at least 13 people dead by Wednesday morning. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said search and rescue efforts were continuing in a race against time. An explosion at Aeon Mall Kumamoto caused part of the building to collapse; at least five people died inside and about 24 employees were temporarily trapped. The quake also damaged bridges, derailed trains and caused widespread power outages. Officials urged residents to prepare for strong aftershocks in the coming days.

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Rescue teams are continuing operations after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Japan. Survivors are dealing with the shock and horror of the powerful tremor. Some describe experiencing such intense fear that they believed they might die. The earthquake has left those affected wrestling with its immediate psychological impact.

Japan earthquakeKumamotorescue operations

Thirteen people have died after an earthquake struck south-west Japan, according to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Rescuers are working against the clock at a shopping mall in Kumamoto, where many people are believed to be trapped. A Japanese official earlier said several people were unaccounted for at the mall and at a factory where a chimney collapsed. The US Geological Survey estimated the inland Kyushu earthquake at magnitude 6.8.

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