The organisation, DIDI-OMAH, have been given rights to celebrate world's godly and social events. During the Father's Day celebration on Sunday, June 21, 2026; Didi-Omah Augustine Chinazaekpere gives DIDI-OMAH full rights to celebrate world godly and social events — in respect to its image as a social Christian charitable foundation.

Events which are not biblical are prohibited to be celebrated by the organisation, DIDI-OMAH, account reference. The organisation, DIDI-OMAH, employed the 70/30% workforce as directed by doac, Invest., according to Didi-Omah Augustine Chinazaekpere that it is just for a start — but in the process of time, they might scrap out AI workforce and only keep machines to make works easier with 100% human workforce implemented. 

The 70/30 percent workforce is the workforce that distributed 70% to human, and 30% to robots/artificial intelligence. The organisation, DIDI-OMAH, looks forward in joining godly and social events celebrations not just in appearance but in actions. According to the organisation spokesperson, the DIDI-OMAH will be insuring gifts to people not on special occasions or special days. The gifting will be as a suprise and showing of undeserved love to people around. On normal causal days, people are expected to be gifted, that's biblical, according to the organisation spokesperson's speech. 

Which Didi-Omah Augustine Chinazaekpere said that it is like copying the GIFTOLOGY idea that have bound businesses and people together with love and gifts. Gifting to politicians are acceptable but will only be done based on merits, Didi-Omah Augustine Chinazaekpere added. 

© 2026 | DIDI-OMAH Media House 

Nigeria’s former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has spoken out after a UK court cleared her of bribery allegations following a lengthy investigation that lasted more than a decade.

Speaking in an interview with the BBC, the former minister accused UK authorities of damaging her reputation and integrity during the 13-year probe, which she said had a devastating impact on her personal and professional life.

“They destroyed my reputation and my integrity. I’ve not been allowed to travel. I’ve not been allowed to work. When your freedom is taken away from you, it has a very deep impact upon you psychologically,” she said.

Alison-Madueke was cleared of five counts of accepting bribes and conspiracy to commit bribery by Southwark Crown Court on Wednesday, bringing an end to a legal battle that began years ago.

According to her, she always maintained her innocence and never doubted that she would eventually be vindicated.

“I knew that I had never done anything nefarious and I had never done any of the heinous things I was being accused of doing,” she added.

The former minister also argued that the investigation could have been handled differently, stressing that the prolonged process deprived her of opportunities and affected her freedom.

Alison-Madueke served as Nigeria’s Minister of Petroleum Resources between 2010 and 2015 and made history as the first female president of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

The post “UK Has Destroyed My Reputation, Integrity” – Diezani Alison-Madueke appeared first on Information Nigeria.

Social media activist and commentator VeryDarkMan has questioned the Nigerian military’s handling of the country’s ongoing insecurity challenges, drawing comparisons between past and present responses to attacks.

In a video shared on his Instagram page, he recalled how communities were allegedly treated in the past whenever soldiers were attacked, saying entire areas often faced collective punishment regardless of individual involvement.

“I remember back then, if anything happens at any community that involves members of the Nigerian Army, that whole community, they will shut it down. Whether you’re among them or not, they will beat you,” he said.

VeryDarkMan also expressed concern over the reported abduction of a military General and his wife by bandits, questioning why the location where he was allegedly held had not been raided.

According to him, the response to recent insecurity incidents raises questions about accountability and transparency in the system.

“Fast forward to 2026, bandits kidnapped a whole General, took him inside the bush… the General was in the bush till he passed. They took his dead body to give back to the community.

After he died, they carried the wife and released her, up till today Nigerian Army has not raided that bush,” he claimed.

He further alleged that insecurity may persist due to issues around the management of security funds, calling for closer scrutiny of how resources are allocated and used.

His comments have since generated renewed debate online, with many Nigerians discussing military accountability and the need for stronger action against banditry and kidnapping across the country.

Watch the video below:

intent://instagram.com/_u/verydarkblackman?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=A5WuK4DlcnR5-UtJd8uZ_sv&ig_mid=CA392987-AE71-44C1-8557-011A2BFF61FE#Intent;package=com.instagram.lite;action=android.intent.action.VIEW;scheme=https;S.browser_fallback_url=https%3A%2F%2Fplay.google.com%2Fstore%2Fapps%2Fdetails%3Fid%3Dcom.instagram.lite%26referrer%3Dig_mid%253DCA392987-AE71-44C1-8557-011A2BFF61FE%2526utm_campaign%253Dinstagramlitecarbon%2526utm_content%253Dlo%2526utm_source%253Dig_embed;end

The post VeryDarkMan Alleges Military Benefits From Insecurity, Raises Concerns Over Funding, Accountability appeared first on Information Nigeria.

US President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened to strike Iran if it did not stop Hezbollah from “causing trouble,” as peace talks between senior US and Iranian officials began in Switzerland.

The negotiations opened against a backdrop of clashes in recent days between the Israeli army and Hezbollah — a Tehran ally — in southern Lebanon, threatening to derail the preliminary peace deal between Tehran and Washington.

“Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. “If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!”

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 30 people on Saturday in eastern and southern Lebanon, before a lull in the fighting that evening, when the Israeli army was ordered to halt clashes with Hezbollah.

The memorandum of understanding signed Wednesday between the United States and Iran stipulates a cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon.

At the outset of the talks in Switzerland on Sunday, US Vice President JD Vance said he had seen “great progress in the last just couple of days in ensuring that the ceasefire holds in Lebanon.”

“We’re all working towards regional peace,” he said. “I actually feel great about where we are in Lebanon. There’s still some additional wood to chop but we’re going to keep on working at it.”

Vance asserted that Trump and the United States had done more to stop the conflict in Lebanon than any other country in recent months.

AFP

The post Trump Threatens To Strike Iran Over Support For Hezbollah appeared first on Information Nigeria.

Nollywood actress Nancy Isime has shared her views on the role of financial stability in relationships and marriage, emphasizing that love alone may not be enough to sustain a happy family life.

Speaking during a recent appearance on the Tea With Tay podcast, Isime stated that she does not subscribe to the belief that marrying a financially struggling partner automatically guarantees a fulfilling or enjoyable life for a woman.

According to the actress, financial challenges can place significant pressure on couples, often affecting their ability to fully enjoy marriage, raise children comfortably, and pursue their shared goals.

She explained that while love and compatibility are important foundations for any relationship, economic realities cannot be ignored, especially when couples begin to build a family together.

Isime therefore encouraged intending couples to attain a reasonable level of financial stability before getting married and having children, arguing that adequate preparation can help reduce avoidable stress and improve overall family well-being.

Her words, “Marriage is not a poverty alleviation scheme but I don’t believe marrying a poor man can make you happy.

When rent is due, school fees can’t be paid and there is no food in the house, it is difficult to have a fantastic life.

“I am not saying there is no love without money. But love and fantastic life are not the same.”

Watch video below:

https://t.co/E51UCvShyx

The post “I Don’t Believe Marrying Poor Man Can Make You Happy” – Nancy Isime appeared first on Information Nigeria.

Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Ghalibaf, warned the United States on Sunday against making threats at the Islamic Republic, vowing that “our armed forces are ready to respond.”

“Don’t they think that if their threats had any effect, they would not have reached today’s state of desperation? We do not take American threats into account,” said Ghalibaf, after US President Donald Trump threatened to strike Iran over its support for Hezbollah.

“They would do better to be careful with their statements; our armed forces are ready to respond to them in a different manner. No matter what they say, we are the ones who act.”

Earlier Sunday, Trump had posted on his Truth Social platform: “Iran must immediately stop their highly paid PROXIES in Lebanon from causing trouble.”

“If they don’t, we’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week, only harder!!!” he added.

The fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, sparked by the Tehran-backed militant group attacking Israel in support of Iran in the wider war, has repeatedly threatened to derail peace efforts.

By Sunday evening, however, there had been no reports of Israeli strikes or continued fighting.

Ghalibaf’s comments came as the US and Iran held talks in Switzerland alongside Pakistani and Qatari mediators, after signing a preliminary agreement to end their war earlier this week.

The Iranian news agency Fars reported that Trump’s threats led to the suspension of the talks — a claim not immediately confirmed by any official source.

Article 1 of the memorandum of understanding signed by Iran and the US earlier this month notably states that the two countries undertake “to refrain from the threat or use of force against each other.”

AFP

The post “Our Armed Forces Are Ready”, Iran Warns U.S. After Trump’s Threat appeared first on Information Nigeria.

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\n\tDua Lipa and Callum Turner are giving fans a closer look at their lavish wedding celebration in Sicily.

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\n\tOn Saturday (June 20), the 30-year-old pop superstar shared a series of stunning photos on social media from her second wedding ceremony in Palermo, Sicily.

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\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tDua Lipa and Callum Turner Celebrate Second Wedding Ceremony in Sicily\t\t\n\t\n

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\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tElla Langley Says God, Not Men or Drugs, Is Her 'One North Star' in Powerful Onstage Speech\t\t\n\t\n

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\n\t“Mr & Mrs,” Lipa captioned the Instagram carousel.

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\n\tThe gallery featured intimate moments from the celebration, including close-up shots of the newlyweds embracing, a striking black-and-white portrait in front of the venue’s grand architecture, and joyful images of the couple dancing and popping a bottle of champagne.

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\n\tSeveral celebrity friends congratulated the couple in the comments, including Elton John, Katy Perry and Troye Sivan. “Congratulations, an honour to have been there to celebrate your love,” John wrote. Perry added, “Sweetie babies,” alongside a red heart emoji, while Sivan left a white heart emoji.

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\n\tLipa and Turner’s star-studded celebration took place at Villa Valguarnera, an 18th-century mansion near Palermo, earlier this month. Approximately 300 guests attended the event, where John serenaded the newlyweds with a performance of his classic hit “Your Song.”

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\n\tThe Sicilian celebration drew an impressive guest list, including Donatella Versace, Joe Alwyn, Olivia Dean, Charli XCX and her husband, The 1975’s George Daniel, as well as Tame Impala frontman Kevin Parker and his wife, Sophie Parker, and Mark Ronson and his wife, Grace Gummer.

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\n\tThe Sicily ceremony came just weeks after Lipa and Turner officially tied the knot during an intimate wedding at London’s Old Marylebone Town Hall on May 31.

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\n\tLipa confirmed her engagement to Turner in June 2025 after months of speculation. The couple first sparked romance rumors in January 2024 when they were spotted together at an afterparty following the premiere of Masters of the Air.

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\n\tAriana Grande‘s Petal tracklist is here.

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\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tAriana Grande Launches Brighter Days Ahead Foundation for Gay & Trans Rights, Mental Health\t\t\n\t\n

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\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tElla Langley Says God, Not Men or Drugs, Is Her 'One North Star' in Powerful Onstage Speech\t\t\n\t\n

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\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tDua Lipa and Callum Turner Share Stunning Wedding Photos From Ceremony in Sicily\t\t\n\t\n

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\n\tAfter rolling out Petal‘s song titles bit by bit on her Eternal Sunshine Tour, the entire song set was confirmed via the show’s big screen Friday (June 19) in Inglewood, Calif.

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\n\tGrande shared a reel of the tracklist’s unveiling on Instagram after her third night at Kia Forum.

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\n\tPetal‘s lead single, “Hate That I Made You Love Me” — which is the second track on the album — debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 upon its release earlier this month. Early June also marked the launch of Grande’s tour, which makes its way throughout the U.S. over the summer and runs through Sept. 1 in London. To date, “Hate That I Made You Love Me” is the only new song from Petal to make the show’s setlist.

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\n\tThe track is surrounded by opener “Kiss Me” and the collection’s title track, “Petal,” on the album’s full song list. “Big Feelings” and “Freak” mark the midway point of the LP, while a tune called “Nowhere, Nobody” closes things out. The followup to Grande’s Billboard 200 chart topper Eternal Sunshine (2024), Petal will officially be released on July 31.

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\n\tSee the Petal tracklist, stylized as shown at Grande’s show, below:

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\n\t1. “kiss me”
2. ⁠”hate that i made you love me”
3. “petal”
4. ⁠”stay”
5. ⁠”oh well”
6. “⁠big feelings”
7.” ⁠”freak”
8. “⁠(warning signs)”
9. ⁠”like i do”
10. ⁠”never get over me”
11. ⁠”bad thing (bunny hop)”
12. ⁠”nowhere, nobody”

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\n\tTravis Kelce seemed to have the time of his life vibing to the beat and shouting out to a crowd of more than 20,000 at Chris Lake‘s L.A. Historic Park show by Goldenvoice and Framework Friday night (June 19).

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\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tChris Lake Talks Remixing Taylor Swift’s “Opalite”: ‘It Makes You Feel a Completely Different Way’\t\t\n\t\n

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\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tChris Lake, the Knicks, a Battle With the Weather & Renegade Stages in NYC: 5 Best Moments\t\t\n\t\n

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\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tMayor Zohran Mamdani Seemingly Confirms Date of Taylor Swift & Travis Kelce’s NYC Wedding\t\t\n\t\n

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\n\tThe Kansas City Chiefs tight end, who’s engaged to Taylor Swift, showed up to night one of Lake’s special two-night sold-out event at Los Angeles State Historic Park, with a source telling Billboard Kelce shared a VIP table with teammates and friends ahead of getting on the mic beside Lake.

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\n\tLake’s got musical ties to the pop star, as he previously remixed Life of a Showgirl single “Opalite.”

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\n\tIn reels from the show shared by concertgoers @mightrave and @bodybybina on Instagram, Kelce’s seen on stage, trying to hype the room before letting loose a wild scream over the soundsystem.

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\n\tAnd in a clip posted by Framework, who co-produced the event that spanned Friday-Saturday night with Goldenvoice, Kelce’s seen jumping and dancing with glee at Lake’s side, surrounded by bubbles filling the air.

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\n\tSwift was not present at the show with her fiancé, and was rumored to be having ladies’ weekend with friends at her Watch Hill property in Westerly, R.I., on Saturday. The pair are, so it seems, set to wed very soon: Swifties wondered if New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani possibly confirmed gossip last week that the couple will tie the knot in Manhattan over the Fourth of July. A city official said Mamdani’s comment was only based on a TMZ report that Swift applied for a permit at Madison Square Garden for the July 4 weekend.

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\n\tLake’s show in L.A. on Friday featured supporting acts Ayybo, Ragie Ban and Kitty. Saturday’s lineup, led by Lake again, also has Hot Since 82, Club de Combat and Strawbry on the bill.

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\n\tLake reworked the pure pop of Swift’s “Opalite” into a club-ready track back in January after connecting with Kelce over Instagram DM; the NFL player told him his 2025 album Chemistry was a favorite. In creating his version of Swift’s release, Lake told Billboard in March that he had to figure out how to pair the “vibe and the sentiment of the song with the beats from my world, and make [the remix] make sense as something that would fit amongst other songs from my world without it standing out like a sore thumb.”

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\n\t“Pretty much 99.9% of all the music I’ve ever played or made in my life is with minor chords,” Lake said. “To work with a vocal that wasn’t written to be used that way was really challenging. That’s the bit I’m actually the most happy with… If you listen to the original and to the feel of how her chorus comes in, it’s very happy and uplifting, whereas in the remix, I don’t know what emotion you’d call it, but maybe it’s sort of hauntingly emotive. It makes you feel a completely different way. Then the way it launches into the drop, I haven’t done that on a remix before. I’m really proud of it.”

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\n\tElla Langley is opening up about the role faith has played in her life.

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\n\tDuring a stop on her Dandelion Tour on Thursday (June 18), the 27-year-old country singer paused her concert at Zoo Amphitheatre in Oklahoma City to deliver a heartfelt message to fans about overcoming struggles and finding purpose through God.

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\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tWatch Ella Langley Cover Shania Twain’s ‘You’re Still the One’: ‘I’ll Never Get Over This Song’\t\t\n\t\n

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\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tElla Langley’s ‘Choosin’ Texas’ Rewrites Record for Women Atop Hot Country Songs Chart\t\t\n\t\n

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\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tElla Langley Shares 6 Travel Must-Haves for Life on the Road: “They Are My Little Pieces of Home”\t\t\n\t\n

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\n\tIn fan-captured footage from the show, Langley began by telling the crowd that she reads the Bible “almost every single day” and explained that she now turns to her faith rather than other destructive coping mechanisms.

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\n\t“Instead of trying to go to other things like I have before — either men or drugs or other feelings — to try and make myself feel a certain way, I go to him first,” the singer-songwriter said, pointing toward the sky.

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\n\tLangley then reflected on a difficult period in her life.

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\n\t“Last year I didn’t think I wanted to be here anymore,” she said. “And when I’m standing here right now, I’m so grateful for the day that I was given today. The only thing that has changed my mind on that situation is our God.”

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\n\tThe “Choosin’ Texas” hitmaker did not elaborate on the challenges she faced last year, but in August 2025 she canceled multiple opening dates on tours with Morgan Wallen and Riley Green to focus on her health.

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\n\tBillboard has reached out to Langley’s representatives for additional comment.

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\n\t“The thing I thought I was cut out to do my whole entire life, I didn’t know if I could do it,” she told the crowd, adding that it can be difficult to face criticism on social media when others do not know what someone is experiencing behind the scenes.

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\n\t“But I’ll tell you right now, the thing that changed my mind is I realized that I have a purpose in this life,” the singer continued. “And my purpose is to stand up here, share my testimony, to be honest with my crowd, to be honest with my fans, to write the best songs that I can write, to put on the best show that I can put on, and that’s all I can do.”

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\n\tLangley closed her remarks with an encouraging message to the audience.

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\n\t“I just want you to remember that there’s one North Star and we all know who that is,” she said. “So if you just wake up and focus on that every day, you give 1% better than you gave the day before, you’re going to get through it. And you’re going to be back to living life, I promise you.”

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\n\tLangley has made historic strides on the Billboard charts, recently becoming the first woman to earn three simultaneous top 10 hits on the Country Airplay chart with “Be Her,” “Choosin’ Texas” and her Wallen collaboration, “I Can’t Love You Anymore.”

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\n\tLangley’s sophomore album, Dandelion, also spent two weeks atop the Billboard 200 in April. Her tour in support of the project continues through August.

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As Janeese Lewis George paves a path to the mayor’s office in Washington, D.C., she’s told voters they could have it all.

Her unapologetically expansive, left-wing agenda includes subsidized or even free childcare, increased down payment assistance for homebuyers and community resources to reduce crime, plus a promise to aggressively confront President Donald Trump’s attempts to reshape the nation’s capital.

“People are tired of hearing what government can’t do. They want to hear what government can do,” Lewis George said in an interview before the city’s primary, where she defeated her Democratic opponents and positioned herself to win the general election in November in a city dominated by Democrats.

Lewis George’s victory signals a break with a quarter-century of centrist governance in Washington, and it puts her in the vanguard of democratic socialists who have ascended in urban politics over the last year. Zohran Mamdani toppled Andrew Cuomo, the scion of a political dynasty, on his way to becoming New York City mayor. Katie Wilson won an upset victory to lead Seattle last fall. And this month, Nithya Raman clinched a spot in the November runoff against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

All of them are members of the Democratic Socialists of America, or DSA. The political organization has seen its membership ranks swell from a few thousand to more than 100,000 nationwide over the last decade after an influx of younger Americans joined following the presidential bids of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, also a self-described democratic socialist.

There’s little sign of national coordination among the candidates, and it’s unclear whether voters are gravitating toward their promises of improved government services, their vows to fight the Trump administration or their critiques of capitalism.

But from coast to coast, confrontational progressives are advancing in mayoral races. City leaders can draw outsized attention for their successes and failures, and democratic socialists will be under pressure from residents to deliver on their vows for a new kind of governance. Whether that translates to national politics is a next test for their movement.

“They are all channeling a displeasure with a status quo and a serious desire for economic populism that the establishment Democratic Party hasn’t been preaching,” said Eric Stern, a Democratic strategist with Fight Agency, a political consulting firm that strategized Mamdani’s mayoral campaign.

Stern added that Democratic voters appeared more willing to support the most progressive candidate in mayoral races rather than in contests for the U.S. House. Candidates like Mamdani and Raman, Stern said, are “daring voters to dream and fall in love not just with the individual candidates but also the political process as a whole.”

A rising left navigates America’s urban challenges

The trend of progressives surging in urban areas may have limits for its broader impact on Democratic politics. Democratic mayors in cities including Atlanta, Houston, Miami and San Francisco won on relatively moderate platforms in recent years.

Progressive have also faced noteworthy challenges. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was endorsed by the city’s DSA chapter during his 2023 mayoral run but has since faced criticism from both moderate and liberal local leaders on issues such as immigration, the local budget and public safety. Recalls and public pressure ousted progressives elected to district attorney offices in multiple jurisdictions over the last five years, when criminal justice reform efforts ran into dissatisfaction over public disorder following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trump’s hardline immigration and law enforcement tactics have also become a challenge for liberal cities. The president’s agenda poses an especially serious threat to Washington, D.C., because of its status as a federal territory.

“Maybe we take back Washington and run it on a federal basis,” Trump told reporters this month when asked about the potential election of a democratic socialist as the district’s mayor. “We won’t put up with it.”

But progressives hope the current wave of anti-Trump furor in deep blue cities across the country will help buoy the chances of those on the hard left.

“It’s not folks looking for the leftmost option so much as looking for a candidate who’s gonna be on their side,” said Ravi Mangla, speaking for the left-wing Working Families Party. The party often endorses the same candidates as the DSA and is readying to target more mayoral offices in the country’s biggest metropolises this fall and in 2028.

“It’s less about whether you are on the right or on the left so much as whether you are willing to punch up at the powerful,” he added.

Mamdani and Lewis George are both self-described “sewer socialists” who emphasize the need for responsive government services rather than critiques of market economics. The phrase recalls the socialist Gilded Age mayors whom critics derided as too preoccupied with managing public works projects.

The term’s revival is partly a strategic move to align leftist ideas with concerns over affordability and the economy, voters’ top concern in the midterm elections, and shift the public perception of democratic socialists from firebrands who support radical policies to independent-minded public servants.

“This is absolutely a change election and I’m excited to bring the change that people want, which is really putting people first in the city and having the moral clarity and courage to stand up to Trump,” Lewis George said.

For voters the ‘socialist’ label did not seem to matter

While conservatives have used the “socialist” label to attack Democrats as extreme or incompetent, some D.C. voters appeared ambivalent before Tuesday’s primary.

Several lifelong residents said they believed Lewis George was a “fighter” but didn’t think she’d have much of an impact on the local economy, given the city’s status as a federal district.

“I go back and forth on my own labels and whether I am supportive of that movement or not, but I am supportive of making D.C. more affordable,” Owen Fitzgerald, a University of Maryland graduate student, said of his support for democratic socialism.

Fitzgerald voted for Lewis George because she would stand up to Trump and said he’d first learned of her campaign from friends in his neighborhood. But he didn’t know she was a democratic socialist until he saw news reports describing her with the label.

“It sends a cultural message to this administration that the people who are surrounding them in the capital are opposed to their platform, opposed to their political agenda, and I think that it will send a message, both nationally and internationally,” Fitzgerald said.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

Most Americans continue to disapprove of how President Donald Trump is handling Iran, while his overall presidential approval holds steady, according to a new AP-NORC poll that was conducted as he suggested a deal with Iran had been reached.

The poll points to just how unpopular the war, which began Feb. 28, has been with Americans even as the Republican president turned abruptly from threatening Iran to reopening negotiations. Support for his handling of the war remains lopsidedly partisan. About two-thirds, 65%, of U.S. adults disapprove of how Trump is handling issues with Iran. But while the vast majority of Democrats and independents view Trump’s actions negatively, only 28% of Republicans are unhappy.

Americans’ views on how the president is handling Iran are roughly in line with his overall job approval, which stands at 37%, unchanged from an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted in May.

The new survey was conducted June 11-17, just after Trump called off threats to escalate the war with Iran. The poll was fielded as Trump announced a deal with Iran and authorized an end to the U.S. naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, concluding just before the deal was signed Wednesday.

Approval of Trump’s actions on Iran has been low over the past few months. But in interviews, some Republicans also weren’t pleased with the outcome of this week’s agreement, which gives Iran an immediate benefit, allowing it to sell its oil freely again.

The deal also reopens the strait without tolls for two months, restarts talks between the U.S. and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear program and calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

David Farrington, a 79-year-old Republican-leaning independent in Fort Worth, Texas, “doesn’t have any love lost” for Iran, but he’s frustrated the agreement focused on the strait and didn’t deliver more on the country’s nuclear weapons program.

“Any agreement regarding the strait is hardly what I would consider a recognizable concession on the part of Iran,” Farrington said. “So, I consider that some fluff that attempts to make this agreement look better when it’s not.”

Trump’s approval on Iran remains flat

Only about one-third of U.S. adults approve of how Trump is handling Iran in the new poll, in line with May.

Donald McBride, a 28-year-old independent in Plano, Texas, is frustrated that Trump has not maintained his campaign promise to keep America out of foreign wars. McBride voted for Trump but he opposed going to war with Iran.

“I would like the war to end,” he said. “The original objective of the war was to end the Iranian regime, and that’s just not possible. I don’t really know why we’d continue fighting.”

The poll suggests most Americans want action in Iran to wrap up. Even with an agreement on the horizon, 53% of U.S. adults said American military action against Iran had “gone too far,” only a slight decline from 59% in March.

About 4 in 10 Republicans, though, said in the latest poll that action has been “about right,” and 37% said it had not gone far enough.

Joan Jones, a 64-year-old independent in northwest Florida, believes the United States’ actions in Iran have been necessary to address the threat Iran posed.

“Those attacks are ultimately to protect us from nuclear attacks,” Jones said. “I think we have to go through that … and eliminate that worry so we don’t have that hovering over us.”

Few approve of Trump’s approach on Israel

About one-third, 34%, of U.S. adults approve of how Trump is handling Israel.

Tensions have been rising between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump as the president criticizes recent Israeli attacks in Lebanon, which jeopardized negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

James Huffman, a 69-year-old Republican in Medway, Ohio, thinks Trump is taking the wrong strategy when it comes to Netanyahu.

“Netanyahu is not going to do everything Trump wants. He’s going to do what he wants,” Huffman said. “I just don’t think it’s effective.”

Only about one-third approve on the economy

About one-third of U.S. adults approve of Trump’s approach to the economy. That’s in line with last month, and continues a challenging stretch for Trump on the issue.

Jones, the Florida independent, is more optimistic than most. She said she can hardly leave the house some hours without getting stuck in the traffic of tourists headed to the beach on vacation. She also spots lines around the block for Starbucks, McDonalds and Chick-fil-A in her community — all signs to her that the economy is doing well overall.

“I think President Trump’s policies are contributing to a better economy,” Jones said.

Other Republicans are more skeptical, a troubling sign for a president who prides himself on his business acumen. Only 69% of Republicans approve of how he’s handling the economy, slightly lower than the 78% who approve of how he’s handling the presidency overall.

Patricia Bailey, a 42-year-old Republican in Parkersburg, West Virginia, sees an economy where prices have gotten out of control. “I just said the other night, ordering pizza is for rich people,” she said. Bailey voted for Trump but added, “He’s kind of let me down a little bit.”

Even if high prices preceded Trump, Bailey doesn’t think he’s lived up to his pledge to improve the economy.

“I think he got so distracted with the war that he forgot some old promises,” she said.

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The AP-NORC poll of 3,040 adults was conducted June 11-17 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 2.8 percentage points.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

Iran on Saturday said that it closed the Strait of Hormuz because of Israel’s attacks in Lebanon and warned that while negotiators were going to Switzerland for talks with the United States on their interim agreement, not much likely will happen if the fighting doesn’t stop.

U.S. President Donald Trump, in response, threatened to impose U.S. tolls in the crucial waterway if a final deal with Iran isn’t reached in 60 days, saying the money would be for “services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East.” His social media post underscored that the agreement calls for toll-free travel for 60 days.

The announcements indicated a rough start to technical-level U.S.-Iran talks that key mediator Pakistan said will begin Sunday, with Qatari mediators also participating.

Iran’s joint military command said the strait was closed because of the U.S. “clear breach of its commitments” by failing to end the war. The interim deal is meant to stop fighting on all fronts.

Shortly after that, Iran’s state broadcaster said that the negotiating team was leaving for Switzerland, a trip delayed from Friday. State media said that the team includes parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and central bank and oil officials, among others. The deal calls for Iran’s assets to be unfrozen.

The U.S. disputed Iran’s announcement on the strait.

“Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz. Traffic continues to flow, and U.S. forces are monitoring the situation to ensure this remains the case,” said Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command. The military said that 55 merchant ships transited Saturday with more than 17 million barrels of oil.

Iran’s team departs for talks as uncertainty grows

Negotiations toward a final agreement will begin once key commitments are upheld, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said. If they are not, “the memorandum of understanding as a whole will be jeopardized.”

U.S. Vice President JD Vance confirmed that top negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff were in Switzerland and working through technical details of anticipated negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program. The interim deal gives negotiators 60 days to reach a nuclear agreement, but that can be extended.

Vance told Fox News that he expects to leave for Switzerland in “the next couple of days.”

As part of efforts to revive direct talks, Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi met with Araghchi in Tehran earlier Saturday, according to officials in Islamabad who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

The global economy braced for more uncertainty.

Ships began transiting after the interim U.S.-Iran agreement was signed earlier in the week, a milestone that left plenty of questions unanswered. The U.S. lifted its blockade of Iran’s ports and now allows Tehran to sell its oil freely — terms that have left some in U.S. Congress asking whether the war was worth it.

Israeli attacks in Lebanon kill at least 16

A Hezbollah official told The Associated Press that Iran informed the militant group that Tehran won’t reopen the strait until Israel announces publicly that it will comply with a “comprehensive ceasefire” in Lebanon and an end to military operations there. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to speak publicly.

The official said that Hezbollah would commit to a ceasefire if Israel does.

An Israeli military official, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, later said that the military had received “updated directives from the political echelon to cease fire.” The official said that the military is operating in a defensive manner in Lebanon, which includes the right to respond to Hezbollah attacks.

The official also said that five Israeli soldiers had been killed in the past 48 hours in southern Lebanon.

Earlier Saturday, Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon killed at least 16 people, including two children, hours after reports emerged of a ceasefire agreement there. Seven people were trapped under rubble after strikes hit the southern city of Nabatiyeh and nearby villages, Lebanon’s National News Agency said.

The death toll in the latest Israel-Hezbollah war has surpassed 4,000, Lebanon’s health ministry later announced.

An Israeli military official said that Hezbollah fired more than 50 projectiles at Israeli forces in southern Lebanon overnight. Israel’s army said that it struck dozens of Hezbollah targets and militants.

On Friday, the Israeli ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, said that Israel “remains firmly committed to an immediate ceasefire,” if Hezbollah honors the agreement and ceases hostilities.

Earlier Saturday, Hezbollah said that it had committed to the ceasefire, but blamed Israel for violating it Friday night and said that it would repel attacks by Israeli troops.

The conflict could sink the US-Iran deal

Neither Israel nor Hezbollah are signatories to the deal between the U.S. and Iran.

Hezbollah and Israel went to war two days after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, with Hezbollah firing rockets and drones at northern Israel and Israel seizing large swaths of southern Lebanon.

A new round of U.S.-backed talks between the Lebanese government, and Israel is expected in Washington next week.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to keep Israeli forces in southern Lebanon until any threat to Israel is eliminated. Hezbollah has refused to halt its attacks unless Israel commits to withdrawing from Lebanon.

Fighting continues near the Israel-Lebanon border

A strike on Lebanon’s Barish village killed four members of a family: parents and two children. In Arab Salim village, a body was pulled from a destroyed house, and in Doueir and Kfar Rumman villages, drone strikes killed a person on a motorcycle and a Lebanese soldier. Nine people were killed in strikes in Qannarit, Sohmor and Shehour villages.

Israeli jets flew low over the coastal city of Tyre. Residents told The Associated Press they were relieved that Tyre had been spared in recent days, but now they were reminded that the war isn’t over.

“Our entire lives would change if there’s a ceasefire,” said one resident, Hussein Khoshman.

Some residents of northern Israel doubted the fighting would stop.

“I don’t believe in a ceasefire because it doesn’t exist,” said Miriam Hod in Metula.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

Markets are losing hope that the Federal Reserve will lower rates anytime soon and are bracing for potential increases, but the deluge of capital being raised by companies signals financial conditions are already somewhat easy.

Before SpaceX’s historic IPO, Goldman Sachs estimated IPOs in 2026 will generate a total of $225 billion in proceeds—up from a prior view for $160 billion and 2025’s tally of just $44 billion.

In addition to IPOs, companies are using secondary stock offerings to build up their war chests. Google parent Alphabet netted nearly $85 billion proceeds this month, in what was the biggest equity capital markets transaction ever, at the time.

Meanwhile, corporate bond issuance in the year through May totaled $1.23 trillion, up 21% from a year ago as hyperscalers take on debt to fuel massive AI spending, according to the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association.

More debt is on the way. In fact, after SpaceX sold $85.7 billion in stock from its IPO this month, it’s reportedly preparing to issue $20 billion in bonds. AI chip leader Nvidia is also looking to raise more than $20 billion in its first debt sale since the AI boom began, sources told CNBC.

Convertible debt is also popular, and issuance from U.S.-listed firms in the year to date is up 43% from the same period in 2025 to $54 billion.

To be sure, financial conditions aren’t as loose elsewhere, namely in the housing market. Since the Fed hiked rates aggressively to fight post-COVID inflation, home sales and construction have stagnated.

Last year’s rate cuts did little to help, especially after President Donald Trump’s war on Iran sent oil prices and bond yields soaring earlier this year.

But in his first press briefing as Fed chair on Wednesday, Kevin Warsh nodded to the gusher of capital coming out of Wall Street, even as he said that monetary policy overall is “somewhat restrictive.”

“I would have a hard time managing to say those words if I were to see what’s happening in financial markets,” Warsh admitted. “So I’d say it’s uneven. That’s perhaps a function of different transmission mechanisms of monetary policy, whether monetary policy is coming from our interest rate tool or our balance sheet tool.”

That acknowledgement contrasted with his surprisingly hawkish remarks on high inflation, which he called a choice, suggesting that Warsh will pursue more aggressive steps to cool prices rather than look past the current spike as temporary.

But investors will keep pouring money into companies. OpenAI and Anthropic will raise tens of billions of dollars when they go public later this year. And corporate debt issuance could top $2 trillion by year’s end.

Of course, financial markets in general have ballooned in size, making the record-setting dollar figures look less impressive in that context.

Analysts at Deutsche Bank pointed out on Tuesday that the total volume raised from U.S. IPOs so far this year represents only about 0.2% of the S&P 500’s market capitalization. By comparison, new issuance in 1993 was 2% of the S&P 500.

A lot has changed since then—including the tech sector’s market dominance after the dot-com, social media, and AI booms—accounting for the wide gap.

“In the early 1990s, the public markets were the primary venue for capital formation. Companies went public earlier in their life cycles to secure essential growth capital,” Deutsche Bank said. “Today, structurally deep private markets (venture capital and private equity) fund that growth phase and in additional stricter regulation makes it more onerous to list. The 2026 boom largely consists of mature mega-cap companies exiting, rather than an early-90s-style wave of emerging businesses using the public market to build.”

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

Just days after the U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran announced the critical waterway is closed again, threatening oil flows after they had barely started to rebound.

On Saturday, Iran’s military command said it closed the strait, citing continued Israeli attacks on Lebanon and U.S. “bad faith” in failing to uphold commitments to end the war. It also warned that “if the aggression continues, subsequent steps have been planned.”

Not to be outdone, President Donald Trump threatened to charge U.S. tolls for “services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East,” if a final deal with Iran isn’t reached in 60 days.

That came after the start of talks between the two countries had been delayed while both sides also sought to assert influence over the strait.

U.S. Central Command insisted safe passage through the strait remained intact and that traffic is up, with 55 merchant ships loaded with cargo and 17 million barrels of oil transiting on Saturday.

It added that U.S. forces are still operating in the area to support freedom of navigation and pointed out that the Joint Maritime Information Center issued an advisory on Thursday affirming that a southern route along Oman’s coast is safe.

While the U.S. ended its naval blockade on Iran as part of the MOU, Central Command also said “U.S. forces remain present and vigilant to ensure all aspects of the agreement with Iran are adhered to, obeyed, and in full force and effect.”

For its part, Tehran’s new Persian Gulf Strait Authority warned that ships must follow a regime-established route that passes along the Iranian coast and that alternatives are prohibited.

And despite its deal with the U.S. banning tolls for 60 days, the PGSA is requiring insurance that will eventually come at a cost.

“At present, this insurance is provided free of charge to the vessel owner, with all expenses covered by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Iran said. “The PGSA reserves the right to introduce insurance fees in the future, which will be determined by the relevant insurer. Owners will then be required to purchase and renew coverage accordingly.”

For ships that require assurances of safe passage, recent developments aren’t helping. Oil prices tumbled after the U.S. and Iran announced the deal last weekend, but a return to normal flows will take months.

And until supplies recover, global oil inventories will continue to remain under pressure. In the U.S., the Strategic Petroleum Reserve has already plunged to the lowest level since 1983.

The situation in the Strait of Hormuz, which was the scene of regular skirmishes between the U.S. and Iran before the latest deal, highlights the private sector’s role.

“But it’s not Iran or the US who decide that the strait is open—it’s shipping and insurance companies,” Eurasia Group senior analyst Gregory Brew posted on X.

While other Iran experts predicted Saturday’s announcement of the strait’s closure would scare off ships just as traffic was showing signs of climbing, Brew questioned if that will be a sufficient threat.

Again, it’s up to the ships to decide.

“Will the Iranian announcement be enough to deter them? Or will Iran need to resort to force and directly violate the MOU’s terms?” he added.

Even before the latest flurry of mixed signals, the industry had doubts. One shipping executive told the New York Times on Friday that he deemed the conditions too uncertain for his ship to leave the Persian Gulf.

Underwater mines also remain a threat, along with navigational risks like collision, especially if there’s a mass rush among ships to try exiting at once.

German shipping company Hapag-Lloyd told the Times that its vessels still in the Persian Gulf were ready to go but still waiting.

“No indication right now when we would move,” a spokesman said on Friday.

To be sure, the Strait of Hormuz is Iran’s main source of leverage, and the regime’s announcement that it’s closed again could be timed for the start of negotiations with the U.S., according to Brew.

Indeed, Iran demonstrated it can shut down the strait despite heavy U.S. and Israeli bombardment during the war. At the same time, the U.S. has also tried to tout its ability to defend the alternate route near Oman.

Earlier this month, Trump described a “secret mission” that he claimed had put more than 100 million barrels of oil on the market, or about five day’s worth of shipments before the war started. 

“I can say it now. Something you didn’t know,” he said. “Do you know we’ve been taking out millions of barrels of oil? Nobody knows it. You know who doesn’t know about it? Iran — until right now.”

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

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