Tensions are rising in Iran after the United States began to withdraw some personnel from an airbase in Qatar amid growing fears of a renewed United States-Iran conflict.
Meanwhile, after the protests that rocked Iran in the last few weeks subsided, Iran refused to release official death toll, but authorities said more than 100 members of the security forces have been killed. Opposition activists said the toll is much higher and includes more than 1,000 protesters.
However, Iran’s Foreign ‍Minister Abbas Araghchi, also denied that Tehran plans to execute anti-government protesters, after US President Donald Trump said he had received assurances that killings of demonstrators in Iran had stopped. Consequently, Iran’s airspace has reopened to traffic, with tracking data showing aircraft making their way towards Tehran.

More than 21 million Ugandans are voting today in a high-stakes presidential election overshadowed by allegations of voter suppression, human rights violations and an internet shutdown.
Uganda’s Electoral Commission chief, Justice Simon Mugenyi Byabakama, ordered the immediate commencement of polls across all polling stations, shortly after reported delays and biometric machine malfunction in several polling stations across the country.
Polls was expected to open by 7am however reports from several parts of the capital, Kampala, and the city of Jinja said voting had yet to begin by 9am, with reports that ballot papers had not been delivered and biometric machines used to check voters’ identities were not working.

Venezuela’s government says it has freed more than 400 prisoners as part of a broader release process following domestic political developments. However, independent human rights groups and monitoring organizations say the actual number of releases is significantly lower.
National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez made the announcement earlier today, adding that some considered political detainees were also released. The government frames the move as part of a peace initiative and has denied that those freed were political prisoners.
Meanwhile, Human rights organizations report that far fewer releases have been independently confirmed with some estimates putting the number of actual releases in the range of 60 to 116. Some groups reported as few as 49 confirmed cases so far.
The discrepancy comes amid longstanding demands from opposition leaders and civil society for the release of political prisoners, a key condition in negotiations tied to Venezuelan political reforms. Advocacy groups also warn that hundreds of other detainees remain in custody, many facing restricted rights, ongoing charges, or barred from public expression.
The differing numbers have sparked debate over transparency and the pace of change, with international observers calling for clearer reporting and independent verification of all releases.

President Donald Trump has sternly posited that the United States will take very strong action against Iran if it executes protesters, after earlier telling Iranians help is on the way.
It comes as relatives of 26-year-old Erfan Soltani, who was detained last week, said he was due to be executed today, tallying with over 2,400 anti-government demonstrators who have been killed in a violent crackdown by Iranian authorities.
Recall that Trump had earlier announced 25% tariffs on any country trading with Iran. However, Iran’s government has accused the US of seeking to manufacture a pretext for military intervention, warning that the move will fail.

A Tunisian appeal court has reduced the prison sentence and ordered the release of a journalist, Chatha Belhaj Mubarak, who has been jailed since 2023 over a conspiracy case.
She was convicted in the so-called Instalingo case, which involved politicians, media figures and other defendants accused of conspiracy and financial crimes, to which Belhaj denied. Her family said her health had severely deteriorated during her time in prison, with activist laying strong accusations against the government.
However, Tunisian authorities have rejected accusations by opposition groups that the prosecutions were politically motivated, arguing that the case stemmed from judicial investigations into alleged financial and security-related offenses.