Benjamin Alire Sáenz, first Latino winner of PEN/Faulkner award, dies aged 71

• President Trump announced that diplomatic talks regarding the conflict with Iran will begin on Monday, delaying planned "massive" military strikes. • The decision follows persuasion from Gulf allies, including Saudi Arabia, who urged the administration to prioritize diplomacy over immediate force.

• Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East are escalating, with indicators suggesting a potential for serious confrontation by 2027. • China continues to provide diplomatic and economic support to Iran, though it shows little intention of becoming a direct military participant in the conflict.

• Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi and other negotiators are reportedly open to making limited compromises with the United States. • On August 2, 2026, Artesh Spokesperson Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia claimed Iran "fully exploited" a memorandum of understanding and ceasefire to import equipment and repair military systems.

• The Khmer Rouge maintained its seat at the United Nations despite committing genocide, illustrating how Cold War geopolitics often superseded humanitarian concerns. • Great powers prioritized strategic conflict and diplomatic maneuvering over international law, effectively using the Cambodian atrocity as a pawn in a larger geopolitical game.

• Thousands of migrants recently attempted to enter Europe by swimming and using makeshift flotation devices to cross the short distance into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta. • The crisis has produced harrowing images of people braving rough seas, highlighting the desperation of those attempting to migrate from Morocco into the European Union.

Former 2UE and 2GB radio broadcaster is facing 22 charges. Jones, 85, has pleaded not guiltyWarning: This live blog may contain graphic content when discussing evidence in the trialJones allegedly gifted cash and car to teenager he kissed after commenting on sprinter’s penis, trial hearsWelcome to day two of the Alan Jones indecent assault trial. On Monday, a former schoolboy athlete told the court he didn’t tell anyone that the broadcaster, now 85, was allegedly kissing him and touching his genitalia when he was a teenager because he was “fearful” of losing Jones’s financial support. The man, known as complainant J, is expected to continue giving evidence via video link on Tuesday.J is the first of six complainants expected to give evidence of their alleged indecent assault by Jones, who is facing 22 charges. The trial before judge Glenn Walsh at Downing Centre local court is expected to run for four months and hear from 76 witnesses. Continue reading...

Shares soar as yearly revenue up 93%, even as opposition grows to company’s role in Trump immigration agendaIn a sea of companies reporting mixed financial results this quarter, Palantir stands out. Although Palantir was not immune to the AI jitters that caused industry-wide drops in share prices earlier this year, the AI and analytics company reported that its overall revenue grew 93% year over year to $1.94bn. That’s well over the $1.8bn Wall Street expected Palantir to bring in for the second quarter.The glowing financials sparked a 10% surge in share prices in the immediate aftermath. Despite growing opposition to Palantir’s work with various governments including the crucial role the company plays in the Trump administration’s immigration agenda, Palantir’s revenue from US government contracts grew 90% year over year to $809m. Continue reading...

Survey reveals medics were called ‘monkeys’ and ‘dirty foreigners’, and patients refused to be seen by black or Asian staffNHS radiographers are experiencing racist abuse by patients, who have called them “monkeys” and refused to be seen by black and Asian staff, according to a report.A survey of 381 members of the Society of Radiographers revealed a “noticeable” rise in instances of overt racism experienced and witnessed by radiographers across the health service over the past 18 months. Continue reading...

Trump ‘disappointed’ with US attorney amid reports he’s considering removing her from her postTrump’s reflecting pool saga: a timelineDonald Trump accused US attorney Jeanine Pirro of having “folded like an umbrella” amid reports that he was considering removing her from her post.Trump criticized Pirro on Monday after she dropped vandalism charges against a former Olympian accused of damaging the recently renovated Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool. Trump nominated Pirro to serve as interim US attorney for the District of Columbia last year, and the Senate later confirmed her in August. Continue reading...

Briana Whatley sues Florida gubernatorial candidate James Fishback for unpaid scholarship from company he foundedA far-right Republican candidate in Florida’s governor’s race has been accused of stiffing a high school debate champion over the better part of $11,000 in scholarship money she won from a company he founded.Student Briana Whatley landed the awards as regional and national champion of Incubate Debate, a league-style competition set up by the candidate, James Fishback, to encourage youth to engage in political discourse. Continue reading...

Andy Burnham will also delay release of thousands of prisoners across England and Wales a month, until OctoberRapists, child sexual abusers and groomers will be excluded from early release plans to ease critical prison overcrowding in a major intervention by Andy Burnham.The prime minister said on Tuesday that he will delay the planned early release of thousands of prisoners across England and Wales by a month until October. Continue reading...