‘Trump accounts’: Wall Street-backed investment funds for children to go live

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

A £10,000 bar tab was drunk, there was a ‘lot of anger’, and now ex-ministers are thinking how to cooperate in future Keir Starmer’s leaving party had been planned for some time. But in years to come it might be seen as the birth of a new Labour movement.Dozens of ministers, aides and Starmer himself headed to the Grafton pub in Kentish Town on Monday night to drown their sorrows, hours after the former prime minister left Downing Street for the last time. Continue reading...

‘Daily routine of hit jobs and smears will not deter us from winning next general election,’ party briefing notes sayReform UK has instructed its councillors to describe a police investigation into donations from the mother of George Cottrell as an establishment stitch-up, as polling showed the party’s popularity plummeting.Internal briefing documents circulated to the party’s councillors included instructions to respond to questions about a Metropolitan police investigation into party donations with: “It is now clear that the establishment will try anything to stop us”, the Times revealed on Thursday. Continue reading...

Of the estimated 179 people aboard, 76 were rescued as efforts continue to salvage the ship and recover all bodiesThe confirmed death toll from the recent capsizing of a state ferry off Guyana’s coast has risen to 72, with more bodies recovered as a multinational team struggle to salvage the partially submerged vessel.Of the estimated 179 people aboard, 76 people were rescued. The government has estimated that 100 may have died in the accident, which would make it the worst marine tragedy on record for the South American nation. Continue reading...

The One Nation leader has allied herself with men’s rights activists for years, consistently suggesting women routinely make false allegations of violence Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastFor a decade, Pauline Hanson has been beating the same drum.Her comments this week – suggesting domestic violence was a “two-way street” and questioning why women did not simply leave abusive relationships – have caused significant concern and been labelled “dangerous” by experts and other commentators. Continue reading...

Economists’ warning comes as escalating Middle East crisis pushes global crude oil back above $US100 a barrelGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastAustralian households face the prospect of a Reserve Bank interest rate hike and petrol prices above $2 a litre over the coming weeks, economists warn, as the escalating Middle East crisis pushes global crude back above $US100 a barrel.Financial markets now see an even chance the RBA board will deliver a fourth cash rate increase at the next meeting on 11 August. Continue reading...