China’s economy grows at one of its lowest rates on record

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• President Trump is struggling to secure concessions from Iran as a recently brokered cease-fire memorandum of understanding has collapsed. • Unlike other international adversaries, Iran has remained resistant to Trump's typical tactics of tariff threats and aggressive social media posts.

Exclusive: allowing firms to dodge biodiversity protections by paying into levy will harm nature and economy, say 100 experts in letterThe UK government has been accused of “rushing through” planning changes that could give developers permission to “trash” nature for as little as £1.A letter signed by more than 100 conservationists, scientists, celebrities and businesses, including the actor and writer Stephen Fry and the broadcaster Chris Packham, has urged the incoming prime minister, Andy Burnham, to immediately halt the rollout of environmental delivery plans (EDPs). Continue reading...

Polls suggest many Democratic voters oppose the projects as party leaders champion AI investmentSarah Brabbs used to be a fan of Michigan’s Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer.“I have her book; I appreciated her stewardship and guidance during the pandemic,” Brabbs, who has voted Democrat for basically her entire life, says. “I will never not appreciate who she was during that time.” Continue reading...

US president says power plants and bridges could be targeted, which would probably constitute war crimes. Plus, the bear that raided an elderly couple’s fridge, and a stolen cat involved in a bank robberyGood morning. Donald Trump has threatened to expand US strikes on Iran next week to target civilian infrastructure including power plants and bridges if Tehran does not agree to a deal. Trump made similar comments in March. Destroying civilian infrastructure such as power and water facilities would be illegal under international humanitarian law and would probably constitute a war crime.The US president, meanwhile, has U-turned on a threat that ships would have to pay a 20% fee to the US for “security” in the strait of Hormuz. He said he had decided to scrap the toll “based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership”, and touted “massive” investments. He said the US would continue to blockade Iranian ports.How have Democrats responded to renewed hostilities? Senate Democrats blocked the advancement of a must-pass defense bill. Chuck Schumer, the Senate’s top Democrat, said his party could not support advancing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) as long as the fighting continued.Top House Democrats, meanwhile, have vowed to oppose a bid to cut US military aid to Israel as the party grapples with a rebellion among their voters over the party’s support for the Middle Eastern ally. Continue reading...

Nobel laureate María Corina Machado will not lead negotiations over new elections, contrary to expectationsThe interim government of Venezuela has announced it will begin formal talks with the opposition aimed at “strengthening democracy” in the country.The move is backed by the US, which says it is seeking a “democratic transition” in a country still recovering from the twin earthquakes that killed more than 4,700 people. Continue reading...

Sotheby’s expects second man on moon’s marker, crucial to Apollo 11 return, to reach astronomical sumThe felt-tip pen Buzz Aldrin used to fix a broken circuit breaker and escape from the moon in 1969 is up for auction in New York on Wednesday.The dented silver plastic Duro Rocket pen – used by the second man on the moon to save Neil Armstrong and himself from being “stuck on the moon for ever” – has a sale price estimated by Sotheby’s at between $800,000 and $1.2m. The lucky bidder will get the broken piece of circuit breaker, too. Both come from Aldrin’s personal collection. Continue reading...