Former U.S. national team captain Becky Sauerbrunn and Netherlands forward Vivianne Miedema are among more than 100 women's football players who have signed an open letter protesting FIFA's sponsorship deal with Saudi Arabian state oil giant Aramco.

The letter calls the deal, which includes sponsorship at the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil, "much worse than an own goal," citing Saudi Arabia's record on the rights of women and LGBTQ+ people and the impact of Aramco's oil and gas production on climate change.

On top of the grievous toll in human life and misery, Israel's war against Hamas and Hezbollah has been expensive, and the painfully high financial costs are raising concerns about the long-term effect of the fighting on the country's economy.

Military spending has ballooned, and growth has stalled, especially in dangerous border areas that were evacuated. Economists say the country could face declining investment and higher taxes as the war strains government budgets and forces tough choices between social programs and the military.

The U.S. has sanctioned three people and four firms involved in a Lebanon-based sanctions evasion network accused of generating millions in revenue for the militant group Hezbollah.

Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control also imposed sanctions on three people involved in trafficking of Captagon, an amphetamine, from Lebanon into Jordan.

With characteristic bravado, Donald Trump has vowed that if voters return him to the White House, "inflation will vanish completely."

It's a message tailored for Americans who are still exasperated by the jump in consumer prices that began 3 1/2 years ago.