Tension in the Middle East dominated the day, with Iran announcing—again—that it is closing the Strait of Hormuz, blaming continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon and alleged U.S.-backed ceasefire breaches even as Washington insists there is no evidence shipping has stopped. The dispute casts a shadow over technical U.S.-Iran talks set to begin in Switzerland, where mediators are scrambling to keep a wider regional truce from collapsing. In Britain, Buckingham Palace says King Charles will, for the first time, disclose his personal tax bill, a notable gesture toward transparency as scrutiny of royal finances persists. Scotland, meanwhile, is confronting a darker story as counter-terrorism police investigate a string of Edinburgh attacks that injured five people, some reportedly Muslim. And in Washington, President Trump has blamed vandalism for fresh damage at the Reflecting Pool, adding another controversy to an already troubled renovation project.