FAA investigates air ‘safety incident’ involving Trump’s Marine One

• The Middle East is shifting toward "Energy Redundancy Diplomacy," a strategy focused on maintaining energy production, financing, and exports through multiple interchangeable systems. • This approach aims to ensure stability by creating backup infrastructures that can be activated when geopolitical disruptions occur.

• President Trump warned that Iran will be "hit very hard" if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened soon to allow oil shipments to resume. • US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reported that talks are currently progressing to resolve the blockade.

• Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett accused Benjamin Netanyahu of abandoning the goal of defeating Hamas and effectively handing control of Gaza to Qatar. • The IDF is tightening its strike policy in Gaza, now requiring the chief of staff's explicit approval for certain operations.

• The Dispatch reports on several geopolitical and political developments, including the possibility of Iran returning to diplomatic negotiations. • A cargo ship was recently struck in the Strait of Hormuz, highlighting ongoing maritime tensions and security risks in the region.

Police arrested a woman in central London after four men were found with stab wounds in the shopping and entertainment districtFour men were stabbed in central London on Wednesday, with police arresting a woman in connection to the attack.Police responded to reports of a stabbing at Endell Street in Covent Garden at 12:27pm, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement. Continue reading...

Leftwing candidate will now face Republican Mike Rogers in race to represent midwestern purple state in the SenateUS politics live – latest updatesAbdul El-Sayed won the Democratic primary for US Senate in Michigan, becoming the latest leftwing candidate to win the party’s nomination ahead of November’s midterm elections.El-Sayed, a progressive, beat Haley Stevens, a moderate US representative backed by the party’s establishment. He will now face Republican Mike Rogers in the race to represent the midwestern purple state in the Senate. Continue reading...

Farmers advised to vaccinate after recent hot weather provides ideal conditions for virus-carrying midgesThere has been an “alarming” surge in the number of sheep affected by an outbreak of bluetongue in the UK, with farmers whose livestock are at risk being urged to move them out of areas where midges are plentiful.The virus, which does not necessarily kill sheep but makes them ill and can have a long recovery time, presents as high fever and swelling of the lips and tongue, with a one-week incubation time. The tongue may go blue and even protrude from the mouth. More than 590 cases were reported last week, according to the National Sheep Association. Continue reading...

Federal lawsuit alleges kids are being repatriated despite many of them qualifying to remain in the US legallyThe Trump administration is deliberately targeting children who came to the US unaccompanied by a parent or guardian as it pushes to quickly return them to the countries they fled – amid “drastic policy changes” in immigration courts, according to allegations in a federal lawsuit shared with the Guardian.The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are trying to prevent imminent deportation to the places from where they escaped danger or harm. Continue reading...

Men allegedly used exotic animals for photoshoots featuring a ring of fire in a parking garage in Maryland Two Baltimore, Maryland, men are facing charges for allegedly using exotic animals – including snakes, a lemur and a spider monkey – in photoshoots featuring three semi-clothed models and a ring of fire in a garage beneath a luxury shopping complex.Photographer Vernon Crowfey III, the 32-year-old owner of the company Photogeniks, was arrested in Towson, Maryland, on 16 July after an undercover officer arranged a shoot with the animals. Continue reading...

Wayve Uber wins first minicab licence for autonomous cabs from TfL but vehicles will have a safety driver (at first)The taxi app company Uber and the autonomous technology developer Wayve have been granted the first minicab licences in London, allowing them to offer self-driving taxi rides to paying customers – but with a human safety driver in place, for now.The companies said they would start trips in the UK “later this summer” before the full public launch. Continue reading...

Congressional ethics panel had recommended Edwards face censure over its findings on ‘hostile work environment’US politics live – latest updatesChuck Edwards announced he would not run for re-election after the US House of Representatives ethics committee determined the US congressman “fostered a hostile work environment and engaged in sexual harassment” by giving gifts and lavishing attention on two young female staffers.Edwards, a Republican for North Carolina, said he would complete his current term, which is due to end in January. Continue reading...