Plus: On the trail of the 'fentanyl king' ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. US President Donald Trump has announced a reinstatement of Iran's naval blockade - we have the details. From Mexico, we hear how a top university graduate became accused of involvement in the fentanyl trade. And finally, meet a seal that caused chaos in Australia. | |
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TOP OF THE AGENDA | Cargo ships face fee to sail through strait |
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|  | The blockade will be in effect from 16:00 Eastern Time (20:00 GMT) on Tuesday. Credit: Reuters | Trump said a US blockade of Iranian ports would stop "Iran's ships or customers" from entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz, while "all other countries will have fair and open use". He added that the US would charge a 20% toll on all cargo shipped through the route to cover the costs of the operation. Iran's foreign minister later said whoever provided safe passage "should be compensated", but that Iran would remain in control of the strait. The US first imposed a naval blockade in April, then lifted it in June as part of an initial deal between the two countries to end the conflict. The dispute over the strait affects markets and oil prices - and may prove politically complicated for Trump, my colleagues write. |
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| Senator Lindsey Graham died of aortic tear | President Trump has called for the senator's sister, Darline Nordone, to serve as his temporary replacement. | What to know > |
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| Russian anti-war politician detained | Boris Nadezhdin was designated a "foreign agent" by the justice ministry after he announced he would run for parliament. | What happened > |
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| Bison rams man in Yellowstone Park | The man, identified by US media as 65-year-old Carl Isom-McDaniel, has sustained multiple injuries. | Read more > |
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| Theatre spectator called out for filming show | Legally Blonde musical star Amber Davies says she asked for the audience member to be kicked out. | More details > |
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| The elite university graduate accused of being Mexico's 'fentanyl king' |  | A synthetic opioid, fentanyl kills tens of thousands of people each year, mostly in the US. Credit: Government of Mexico | Zhang Zhidong is awaiting trial in the US, accused of drug trafficking and money laundering. A graduate of China's most prestigious university, he allegedly became a key link in the chain between Chinese chemical manufacturers and Mexican drugs laboratories. Zhang has pleaded not guilty. His lawyer declined to comment while the case was ongoing. |
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| | Shawn Yuan, BBC Global China Unit |
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| | On the outskirts of Sinaloa's state capital city, Culiacán, sitting in a parked car where no-one can overhear him, Enrique – not his real name – explains how ingredients to make the deadly drug fentanyl are shipped thousands of miles from Chinese factories to laboratories in Mexico. Members of his cartel credit Brother Wang with establishing this supply chain.
Known in the criminal world as the "king of fentanyl", Brother Wang is a 39-year-old Chinese national, whose real name is Zhang Zhidong, according to the US Department of Justice. Arrested in Mexico in 2024, Zhang later made a dramatic escape before he was recaptured and extradited to the US in 2025. Cartel members say Zhang's absence was felt immediately. |
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