Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said if Iran’s oil exports are cut to zero, international waterways will not have the same security as before, cautioning Washington against raising pressure on Tehran. The comment by Rouhani coincided with a remark by Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif that Tehran might act “unpredictably” in response to “unpredictable” U.S. policies under President Donald Trump. Tensions between Tehran and Washington have risen since the Trump administration last year quit an international deal to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions and began to ratchet up sanctions. Tehran has denounced the new penalties as “economic warfare”. Global commodity trading has been rocked in recent months after a series of attacks on international merchant vessels, which the United States has blamed on Iran, and an Iranian seizure of a British oil tanker. Tehran has denied accusations that it was behind attacks on six tankers in May and June. Washington has been calling for its allies to join it in an operation to guard shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital gateway for the world’s oil industry. So far, Britain, Australia and Bahrain have joined the U.S.-led security mission to protect merchant vessels traveling through key Middle East waterways.

Thousands of Hong Kong residents held a sometimes scrappy anti-government protest on Wednesday at a suburban subway station that was attacked by a mob last month, angry that nobody has yet been prosecuted for the violence. Some masked protesters clashed with police, spraying fire extinguishers from the inside of Yuen Long station as others smeared the floor with cooking oil, beer and detergent to stop the police advancing. It was the latest in a series of demonstrations since June against a perceived erosion of freedoms in the former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997. It also marked a return to aggression after a brief lull in tensions following a huge peaceful march on Sunday. The protest marked the night of July 21, when more than 100 white-shirted men stormed the Yuen Long station hours after protesters had marched through central Hong Kong and defaced China’s Liaison Office - the main symbol of Beijing’s authority. Using pipes and clubs, the men attacked black-clad protesters returning from Hong Kong island as well as passers-by and journalists, injuring 45 people. Police say they have arrested 28 people in connection with the attack but haven’t charged anyone yet. They say some of those arrested have triad links, referring to organized crime syndicates. The anti-government protests began more than two months ago and have spiraled into a political crisis, with supporters demanding full democracy and an investigation into alleged police brutality.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel suggested on Wednesday that Britain and the EU could find a solution to the sticking point of the Irish backstop in the next 30 days, a possible signal she was willing to compromise with Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Before speaking with Johnson, Merkel said, “It was said we will probably find a solution in two years. But we could also find one in the next 30 days, why not?” This news comes after the European Union on Tuesday rejected Johnson's latest request to scrap the Irish border backstop from a new withdrawal agreement. Johnson reportedly sent European Council President Donald Tusk a letter detailing alternative methods ahead of the Oct. 31 Article 50 deadline, but Tusk was having none of it, maintaining that the continuation of an open border in Ireland is vital. He said that Johnson offered no viable options for preventing a hard border from arising, while the EU dismissed Johnson's argument that the backstop was anti-democratic. Johnson said he still believes a deal can be reached before the deadline, though he has not relented on the necessity of the backstop's removal from negotiations.

The White House announced new steps Wednesday to fight the arrival of synthetic opioids -- like fentanyl -- on U.S. soil, identifying several Chinese nationals as "significant narcotics traffickers." The White House said the new measures, which include increasing the sharing of information with the private sector, will better guard citizens from dangerous narcotics. A senior administration official said, "China is becoming the drug dealer of the United States... That is a reputation they do not want. President Trump has been very direct with [Chinese] President Xi [Jinping]. ... They have taken the initial steps to crack down on this." James Carroll, director of the U.S. Office of Drug Control Policy, said evidence shows nearly all illicit fentanyl and synthetic opioids are produced outside the United States. He said fighting the opioid crisis has been a priority of the Trump administration for more than two years -- and its efforts have already begun to disrupt the trade.

Three women on Tuesday sued the estate of Jeffrey Epstein, saying they were sexually abused by the financier, both before and after the widely criticized 2007 plea deal that allowed him to avoid federal prosecution for sex crimes. The lawsuits, filed in Manhattan federal court, bring to at least five the total number of civil cases against Epstein’s estate since his apparent suicide in jail on Aug. 10. According to court documents, two of the women met Epstein when they were 17, and the third when she was 20. All said Epstein used a “vast enterprise” of associates to recruit them, subject them to unwanted sex acts and keep them under his control. All three said the abuse continued after Epstein reached a deal with federal prosecutors in Florida in 2007. The deal allowed him to plead guilty to state prostitution charges and spend 13 months in a county jail, during which he was allowed to leave during the day on work release. In addition to Epstein’s estate, the lawsuits target several corporate entities he allegedly controlled. Epstein was arrested on July 6 and pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking involving dozens of underage girls as young as 14. He died on Aug. 10 in his jail cell at age 66, and an autopsy report released on Friday concluded he hanged himself.

An Australian court on Wednesday rejected Cardinal George Pell's appeal of his sexual-abuse conviction. Chief Justice Anne Ferguson of the Supreme Court of the state of Victoria said Pell, the highest-ranking Roman Catholic leader convicted of abuse, would continue serving the six-year sentence he received in March. Pell, 78, a former adviser to Pope Francis, was found guilty in December of molesting two 13-year-old choirboys in 1996. The verdict was only unsealed in February after another trial involving Pell was canceled. In a statement, one of the former choirboys said: "I just hope that it is all over now." A Pell spokesperson said the cardinal, who maintains his innocence, was considering an appeal to the High Court of Australia.