FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) – Iran appears to be setting itself up as the gatekeeper for the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important artery for oil shipments. The move could cement Tehran’s de facto chokehold over the crucial waterway and formalize its ability to keep its own oil flowing to China.

LONDON (AP) – European Union regulators are investigating Snapchat over concerns the platform isn’t doing enough to protect kids and exposing them to risks such as increased vulnerability to child predators or recruitment by criminals.

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad:

The average Wall Street bonus rose to a record $246,900 in 2025 amid a surge in profits, New York state’s comptroller reported Thursday. The average bonus rose 6% – or almost $15,000 higher – from the previous year. Wall Street’s bonus pool reached a record $49.2 billion in 2025, up 9%, according to Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli.

For years, parents, teenagers, pediatricians, educators and whistleblowers have pushed the idea that social media is detrimental to young people’s mental health and can lead to addiction, eating disorders, sexual exploitation and suicide.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – A federal judge has ruled in favor of artificial intelligence company Anthropic in temporarily blocking the Pentagon from labeling the company as a supply chain risk.

BRUSSELS (AP) – The European Parliament voted Thursday to approve a trade deal between the European Union and the United States but with amendments added to protect European interests should the U.S. fail to hold up its end of the bargain.

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate climbed this week to its highest level in more than six months, driving up borrowing costs during what’s typically the busiest time of the year for prospective homebuyers.