Kidnapped US Forest Service employees released after more than 12 hours, say authorities

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

Lawmakers press for review of hiring practices amid a spate of ICE-related deaths within the same weekDemocratic lawmakers are pressing for a review of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hiring practices and continuing calls for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the killing of an immigrant in Maine by one of the agency’s officers after news media reported allegations of past violent and threatening behavior by the officer, according to his family members.The Associated Press, the Portland Press Herald and National Public Radio (NPR) all identified the officer in question as David Brouillette, information that the publications attributed to his family. The outlets also reported allegations that Brouillette had a history of mental health issues and had purportedly subjected his ex-wife to violent, threatening behavior. Continue reading...

Whereabouts of artist imprisoned after 2021 protests had been unknown following end of his prison term in JulyLuis Manuel Otero Alcántara, a prominent Cuban dissident artist whose whereabouts remained unknown after his prison sentence ended last week, has been given permission to travel to the US, according to his official Facebook page.Otero Alcántara, designated a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International, was sentenced to five years in prison in 2022 for insulting national symbols, contempt and disturbing the public order. Continue reading...

Fires are also blazing across the US and the Trump administration has repealed several climate protectionsUS Republicans are threatening to sanction Canada and Canadian government officials after smoke from devastating wildfires has drifted across huge swathes of the US, creating hazy conditions and dangerous air quality for tens of millions of Americans.Donald Trump on ⁠Friday blamed ⁠his country’s northern neighbor for ​the smoke spreading from ⁠wildfires and said he planned to call ​Mark Carney, the Canadian prime ‌minister, ‌ to ‌ask about Ottawa’s plans for dealing with the blazes. Continue reading...

Woman has non-life threatening injuries after Brandon Booth shot her with pistol outside ICE facility and drove offAn employee of a company that runs an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Colorado is under arrest after shooting and injuring a woman on Thursday evening. The incident happened after the woman participated in a protest in front of the facility earlier that day, according to the Aurora police department.When officers arrived on the scene, they said they found the woman with a gunshot wound in her lower body. She had a friend with her, who was unharmed. Continue reading...

Fears of light charges in case of Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles and four other travellers confirmed by Laos courtThe distillery owner linked to the deaths of Australian backpackers Bianca Jones and Holly Morton-Bowles could serve just three months in jail after a court in Laos announced charges over the case.The teenagers, who were both 19, were travelling through south-east Asia when they were fatally poisoned with methanol while drinking at Nana backpackers hostel in Vang Vieng. Continue reading...