Jeffrey Donaldson to appeal against conviction for child sexual offences

• Iran reports that eight people were killed following U.S. bombardments targeting civilian infrastructure, while Iranian officials further allege that Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff attempted to exploit negotiations for personal profit. • Severe wildfires have triggered hazardous air quality and dense smoke across more than 20 U.S. states, creating a widespread public health emergency.

• The Group of Seven (G7) nations have issued an urgent call for rebel forces in Sudan to cease actions that could lead to atrocities in the city of El-Obeid. • Violence has escalated in recent weeks between the Sudanese army and the renegade Rapid Support Forces (RSF), intensifying an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis.

• UN human rights chief Volker Türk has issued an urgent appeal for calm in Pakistan-Administered Kashmir following unrest preceding regional elections. • The situation is occurring alongside a broader global trend of displacement driven by the war in Ukraine and unresolved regional conflicts.

• CCG President Huiyao Wang spoke at the Dubrovnik Forum 2026 regarding the necessity of building a multilateral system tailored for a multipolar world. • Wang emphasized the importance of BRICS and middle powers in reforming global cooperation and argued against the utility of temporary geopolitical alliances.

• Laala Bechetoula and Prof. Michel Chossudovsky held a video debate on July 15, 2026, focusing on the ongoing genocide in Palestine. • The discussion highlighted devastating casualty figures, reporting over 73,000 deaths and 173,000 wounded over a period of a thousand days.

• U.S. forces have launched new strikes targeting Iranian infrastructure, specifically hitting bridges and a railway junction according to Iranian state media. • Iranian official Mohammad Ghalibaf has emphasized that Iran will maintain its claim to the Strait of Hormuz by force if necessary.

Sister of the South Carolina senator who died last Saturday has not previously held any elected officeDonald Trump on Friday said he had encouraged Darline Graham to run for a full six-year term representing South Carolina in the US Senate, after she was sworn in to office earlier this week following the sudden death of her brother, Lindsey Graham.In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he spoken to Darline Graham at the White House. “I asked Darline, for the Good of our Nation, to run for the U.S. Senate in the Special Republican Primary,” he wrote. Continue reading...

US president offered litany of misleading and false claims during Thursday speech on alleged threats to US electionsDonald Trump offered a litany of misleading and false claims during his Thursday speech on threats to US elections, and released previously classified documents to try to support his specious claims. In some cases, his claims were not supported by those documents. Here is a look at some of the key claims that could mislead the American public. Continue reading...

Reform leader says he’s been ‘demonised’ since revelation he received £5m from billionaire before electionNigel Farage has accused people raising questions about his financial backing of “demonising” him as part of a “coordinated pile-on” to stop Reform UK.In one of his first speeches since the opening of two parliamentary standards inquiries into his financial support, the Reform UK leader said he had been “dehumanised in the most extraordinary way” in recent months, after the Guardian revealed in April that he had received a £5m gift from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne before the last election. Continue reading...

Radio and TV presenter, who recovered from cancer in 2024, announces she has smouldering myelomaLauren Laverne has announced she has been diagnosed with a blood and bone marrow disorder, less than two years after recovering from cancer.The radio and TV presenter revealed she has smouldering myeloma, a condition characterised by an abnormal level of blood plasma cells in bone marrow, and said she made her diagnosis public out of a desire to help others. In August 2024, she announced she had been diagnosed with cancer, and received the all-clear three months later. Continue reading...

Markwayne Mullin at presser repeated many of Trump’s unverified claims from controversial primetime speechThe US homeland security secretary, Markwayne Mullin, doubled down on Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated election claims on Friday amid his agency’s efforts to support the president’s agenda.Trump used a memo compiled by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as the basis of many of his unsubstantiated claims on Thursday during his televised primetime address to the nation. Continue reading...