Plus-size models and £5 tickets: Sinéad O’Dwyer’s runway show puts inclusivity first

• The United States and Iran are entering a prolonged cycle of "grey zone" conflict characterized by calibrated confrontation rather than a definitive resolution. • Washington is currently employing a dual strategy of maintaining military pressure while simultaneously calling for renewed diplomatic negotiations.

• India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, P. Harish, urged the UN Security Council to clearly distinguish between armed aggression and territorial disputes to better maintain international peace. • India called for reforms to the UN Charter, specifically arguing that Chapter VI interventions lack "perpetual validity" and require periodic reviews to align with current geopolitical realities.

• On July 22, 2026, Houthi forces attacked at least one Saudi vessel as part of an effort to enforce a naval blockade against Saudi Arabia. • The incident was reported by the Institute for the Study of War's Conflict Tracking Project (ISW-CTP) in a special update on Iran.

• Israel is constructing new earthen barriers within the Gaza Strip, fundamentally altering the region's geography and restricting movement. • These barriers serve as critical infrastructure for security policy, impacting both military strategy and the delivery of humanitarian aid.

• A critical analysis reveals that four primary claims made by President Donald Trump regarding the conflict with Iran have been proven inaccurate or misleading. • The report examines specific assertions made by the administration, contrasting official rhetoric with documented evidence and geopolitical realities.

• German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt announced on July 23, 2026, that Germany will suspend automatic temporary protection for Ukrainian citizens fleeing military conscription. • The policy shift specifies that evading enlistment in the Ukrainian military will no longer be considered valid grounds for receiving humanitarian asylum.

• UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed a UN Security Council debate on Thursday, July 24, emphasizing the critical role of diplomacy in resolving global crises. • Guterres acknowledged that while diplomatic efforts may have failed to prevent current military confrontations and border tensions, they remain the most effective tool for ending them.

Metropolitan police say officers from marine unit entered water but are now receiving treatment Five officers have been injured after a police boat struck Westminster Bridge in central London on Friday afternoon.The Metropolitan police said the incident occurred at about 3.40pm and involved a boat from the marine policing unit. Continue reading...

Six migrants from Honduras and Mexico – including 14-year-old boy – were found dead in May near US-Mexico borderSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email A US attorney announced a federal indictment on Friday against 11 people in the smuggling deaths of six migrants whose bodies were found in a rail cargo container in Texas in May.The six people were found dead in a rail yard shipping container in Laredo, on the US-Mexico border. They were from Honduras and Mexico and included a 14-year-old boy, all part of a human-smuggling effort on a freight train, authorities said. Continue reading...

Tehran’s increasingly accurate and lethal attacks are showing up failures in American air defences in the GulfAs the crisis in the Middle East escalates, Iran has been bombing US bases and critical infrastructure in the Gulf with increasing accuracy, helped by Chinese satellite imagery and tactics learned from Russia in Ukraine.Three American soldiers were killed last Friday in an attack on the Muwaffaq Salti airbase in Jordan, which was being protected by a US Thaad air defence system. Satellite imagery later released by Iranian media showed several buildings had been completely destroyed. Continue reading...

No end to fighting in sight as Revolutionary Guards launch drones at targets in Bahrain, Jordan and KuwaitThe US struck targets across Iran on Friday, reaching as far as the Caspian Sea, as Donald Trump threatened “major military punishment” for Tehran and its Houthi allies in Yemen for extending the war to a second major shipping ⁠chokepoint at the entrance to the Red Sea.As Iran retaliated with missile and drone fire against US bases and allies across the region, the New York Times reported that Tehran had rejected a US ceasefire proposal delivered by the Iraq prime minister, Ali al-Zaidi. This despite the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, claiming a day earlier that Iran was begging for a ceasefire. Iraq later disputed the report. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Eight companies expect to be covered by the ban for 2025-26, the Guardian can revealWater company bosses’ total pay rose over the past year despite a government bonus ban and public outrage over pollution and bills, the Guardian can reveal.One chief executive, Mark Thurston of Anglian Water, received £1.9m – including a £500,000 “retention payment”, despite the bonus ban. Continue reading...