Football Australia has decided not to enter the bidding contest for the 2034 World Cup, leaving Saudi Arabia as the only declared candidate. This has caused dismay among human rights activists, who fear that the kingdom's hosting of the event could be used to legitimize its alleged human rights abuses. Qatar has pushed back against the criticism, insisting that everyone was welcome in the country and denying reports of worker abuse.
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An American mother and daughter, Judith and Natalie Raanan, were released by Hamas on Friday after two weeks in captivity, secured by Qatar. The release is a hopeful sign that further negotiations could lead to the release of more captives, and Qatar's efforts could bring about further dialogue and mediation in the region. Uri Raanan, the father of Natalie, said his daughter is doing well and it feels "like a miracle" that she may be able to celebrate her 18th birthday next week at home with family and friends.
The Biden administration is deploying more military power to the eastern Mediterranean in response to the escalating conflict in the region. White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the U.S. is working to de-escalate the conflict between Israel and Hamas and is working with other countries in the region to try to bring about a lasting peace. The U.S. is also focused on ensuring the safe passage of Palestinian-Americans out of Gaza.
Secretary of State Blinken has stated there is no direct evidence linking Iran to the attack on Israel by Hamas, however the U.S. has levied sanctions on Iranian individuals and companies over 400 times since President Biden came into office. The $6 billion in Iranian oil assets that were freed up as part of the U.S.-Iran prisoner swap are now frozen, and the U.S. is continuing to investigate the role Iran may have played in the attack.
The Biden administration and the Qatari government have reached an agreement to block Iran from accessing $6 billion in funds that were part of a prisoner swap deal last month. The decision comes amid pressure from both sides of the aisle to prevent Iran from accessing the money, as U.S. officials investigate whether Iran had any involvement in recent cyberattacks. The agreement does not provide a timeline for how long the funds will be blocked.
A prisoner exchange agreement between the United States and Iran allowed five prisoners sought by the US to fly out of Tehran, with Iran receiving access to $6 billion in oil revenues frozen under US sanctions and five Iranian nationals released from US custody.