Chaos and confusion bring US no closer to resolution on strait of Hormuz

• Author Peter Haenseler argues that the ongoing conflict is not merely between Ukraine and Russia, but is a war waged by Europe with active U.S. support. • The piece claims that European involvement, which was previously covert, is now being openly displayed.

• President Donald Trump's second administration is implementing a sweeping overhaul of the U.S. State Department, marking one of the most significant upheavals in American diplomacy in a century. • The transformation involves extensive personnel changes and a restructuring of the diplomatic establishment to align with the administration's specific policy goals.

• President Trump has ordered an additional round of military strikes against Iran while reiterating the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. • In a significant policy shift, Trump has reversed his previous announcement regarding a 20-percent tariff.

• In an article published July 14, 2026, author Colin Todhunter explores how individuals can reclaim sovereignty from the combined influence of state and corporate power. • The piece highlights the rise of an "emerging digital control grid" as the primary mechanism used by these entities to shape and monitor modern life.

• The UN human Rights Office (OHCHR) reports that Sudan's war economy is creating a "self-perpetuating" cycle of conflict, where the exploitation of resources fuels ongoing violence. • The OHCHR is calling on warring parties and international corporations involved in the Sudanese commodity value chain to strictly comply with international law.

• The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a long-standing territorial dispute dating back to the end of the nineteenth century. • Tensions escalated into a cycle of violence between Hamas and Israel, resulting in deteriorating humanitarian conditions within the Gaza Strip.

• The European Union has banned the import of gold from Sudan to disrupt the financing of the ongoing conflict between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). • To further cripple mining operations, the EU is also restricting the export of cyanide and mercury, chemicals essential for gold extraction.

• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is scaling up containment efforts to combat an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. • The disease has expanded into two additional provinces, Haut-Uele and Tshopo, with specific cases reported in Kisangani.

New state department scheme will provide grants to ‘address sovereignty, migration, censorship and lawfare’Friedrich Merz has warned Donald Trump’s administration against interfering in German elections after the US state department announced a scheme to fund Maga-aligned causes in Europe.The German chancellor was responding to a new US initiative offering grants of up to $3m (£2.2m) for European charities, thinktanks and individuals. Continue reading...

The match-winning England striker is ‘a good ambassador for young people who look like me’, says one contestantAll together now, with arms in the air: One Jude Bellingham, there’s only one Jude Bellingham …Unless, that is, you happened to find yourself in Shoreditch, east London, on Wednesday, where a dozen young men who looked vaguely like the England midfielder gathered for a lookalike contest almost as competitive as the one currently continuing in the US. Continue reading...

AI-friendly president shared a post saying governor Kathy Hochul should scrap the one-year policy ‘IMMEDIATELY’Donald Trump railed against the New York governor, Kathy Hochul, for pausing the construction of large new datacenters, the resource-intensive facilities that power artificial intelligence.New York became the first US state to enact a moratorium on new datacenters on Tuesday, when Hochul signed an executive order mandating a one-year statewide pause on so-called “hyperscale” datacenters. Continue reading...

Incoming prime minister says he doesn’t want to ‘create new divisions’ as Mahmood is tipped to be chancellorAndy Burnham has signalled that he will not increase wealth taxes immediately after becoming prime minister, easing concerns among the business community but limiting his economic room for manoeuvre.He said on Wednesday he did not want to “create new divisions” with his tax policy, in comments that allies said were a sign that he did not intend to raise money by taxing wealth. Continue reading...