Prisoners at Iran’s largest jail sew lips shut in hunger strike as executions soar

• Tensions are rising in Ethiopia's Tigray region due to the incomplete implementation of the Pretoria Agreement. • Key sticking points include the failure to fully disarm Tigray Defense Forces and the continued presence of Eritrean troops on Ethiopian soil.

• The UN Security Council convened on Monday at Ukraine's request to address the escalation of large-scale Russian military strikes. • Recent attacks, including an overnight strike on Kyiv on July 19, resulted in at least one civilian death and over a dozen injuries.

• Iraq continues to struggle with severe political instability and recovery challenges six years after the war against the Islamic State. • Humanitarian needs remain critical, with three million people requiring assistance and over one million individuals still internally displaced.

• The United States has experienced a pause in direct fire exchanges with Iran, though experts suggest this is driven by more than just diplomatic efforts. • A critical shortfall in the inventory of ballistic missile and drone defense systems has emerged as a primary challenge for the U.S. military during the conflict.

• Africa is home to 9 of the 10 poorest countries in the world as of 2026, facing a combination of compounding systemic issues. • These nations are struggling with severe climate conditions, widespread corruption, and ongoing civil wars fueled by ethnic and sectarian strife.

ICE report reviewed by the Guardian discloses a patient was ‘subject to force feeding, hydration or urinary catheterization’, which experts have described as tortureThe Trump administration subjected at least one person undertaking a hunger strike in immigrant detention to forcible medical treatment – engaging in medical practice that healthcare associations and international human rights groups have described as torture.A document from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) health service agency, reviewed by the Guardian, confirms for the first time that the administration has used forced treatment on a hunger striker since Donald Trump began his second term. The document, published online in February by the ICE Health Service Corps (IHSC), discloses that an unnamed patient who began hunger strikes between October and December of last year and “was subject to force feeding, hydration, or forced urinary catheterization, or involuntary blood draws”. Continue reading...

Consumer goods group reports strong sales growth, owing in part to World Cup marketing campaignsBusiness live – latest updatesUnilever has warned it will push through further price rises over the coming months, as the Marmite, Dove and Hellmann’s owner tries to recoup its own growing costs.The Anglo-Dutch company said that while the pace of price rises slowed in the second quarter, owing in part to World Cup-related discounts and efforts to stay competitive in Brazil, it said these were “temporary factors” and would not shield consumers for long. Continue reading...

Move comes after the presenter has faced allegations of bullying, but there is no suggestion it is relatedNaga Munchetty is to leave BBC Breakfast after 17 years on the flagship television show to become co-presenter of Radio 5 Live’s breakfast show.The current 5 Live Breakfast hosts, Rachel Burden and Rick Edwards, announced on Tuesday’s programme that they would step down in December. Continue reading...

President also blames Brazil and Mexico and says online critics ‘do not want the ideas of freedom to succeed’More than a week has passed since Ferran Torres scored the extra-time goal that gave Spain its second World Cup title, but – at least for Argentina’s president – the tournament is not over.Javier Milei has claimed that a coordinated “anti-Argentina campaign” was behind criticism of the country’s team, accusations of racism among its fans and conspiracy theories alleging that Lionel Messi’s side was secretly being favoured by Fifa. Continue reading...

Da’Jon Anthony Hayes-Burr, shot by another teenager, had stopped a 45-year-old man from harassing a 12-year-old girlKentucky’s largest city is mourning the recent shooting death of a teenage boy who had earned a municipal commendation months earlier for defending a young girl from sexual harassment – and survived being stabbed in the process.Da’Jon Anthony Hayes-Burr, 15, was shot on Saturday night in Louisville’s Shawnee neighborhood, according to authorities there. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital, and police booked a 14-year-old on a count of murder, as the Louisville news outlet WAVE first reported. Continue reading...

Rights groups condemn secrecy surrounding killings and say hurry to execute raises chance of ‘torturous’ deathsFlorida is preparing on Tuesday to carry out the state’s first double execution within a single day since the start of the modern era of the US death penalty in 1976.Barring last-minute legal intervention, James Duckett, 68, is scheduled to die by lethal injection at noon on Tuesday at Florida state prison near Starke. Six hours later, Dominick Occhicone, 80, faces the same fate. Continue reading...