Trump administration drastically limits length of foreign journalist visas

• 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.

• 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.

• Renewed hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz are threatening to disrupt one of the world's most critical maritime supply chain arteries. • The instability risks increasing costs for fuel, transportation, and agricultural inputs, which could trigger a broader global inflationary shock.

• Experts discussed the impact of tariffs, geopolitical tensions, and economic pressures on virgin and recycled plastic and metal markets during a virtual Supply Chain Outlook event on July 15, 2026. • The session focused on how these external forces are disrupting commodity markets and altering the flow of raw materials.

• The text discusses a conceptual shift in international relations, referencing Otto von Bismarck's principle that "the flag follows trade" (Die Flagge folgt dem Handel). • This perspective suggests that geoeconomics now drives geopolitics, meaning that national security strategies and military conflicts are increasingly dictated by economic interests.

• The ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran has highlighted a significant disconnect between global financial markets and actual economic activity. • Oil markets have experienced extreme volatility, though these fluctuations are driven primarily by shifting perceptions and expectations rather than fundamental economic shifts.

Escaped flowerhorn cichlids in Lake Sampaloc are causing concern for native species and farmed tilapiaEscaped ornamental aquarium fish have integrated into a local ecosystem in the Philippines, where scientists say they may be threatening biodiversity.Flowerhorn cichlids – human-bred hybrid fish prized for their bright-gold colour and prominent head humps – are believed to have escaped from breeding facilities into Lake Sampaloc, which sits in a volcanic crater, during a typhoon. Continue reading...

Incoming PM has deigned to answer some quickfire questions on TikTok – also revealing his stance on socks with sandalsUK politics live – latest updatesIt was Tony Blair who wrote that the “leader sets out for the people what they need and not simply what they want. Otherwise, the leader is just a follower”.The incoming prime minister, Andy Burnham, must have been channelling his predecessor when this week he started to set out his views on the big issues facing the UK: should milk go in the cup before the tea? What items belong in a Christmas dinner? Continue reading...

Aircraft that transported team to match is same one used to deport dozens of Venezuelans to Cecot mega-prisonew en route to semifinal match is also one of ICE’s most used deportation planes A plane used by the Portugal men’s soccer team to fly to a World Cup match is the same one used daily for the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign, and brought dozens of Venezuelans to a Salvadoran mega-prison last year against a judge’s orders.Video shows Portugal flying on a Global Crossing Airlines (GlobalX) aircraft en route to Dallas on 4 July ahead of their match against Spain, with the plane’s tail number, N837VA, clearly visible. A review of flight records for that Airbus shows it flew removal-related flights both the day before and after flying the Portuguese athletes. Continue reading...

109 million people face another day of poor air quality as smoke from blazes in Ontario drifts over the USSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email Tens of millions of Americans face another day of smoky skies, irritated eyes and bad air quality, as Canadian wildfire smoke spread again over huge swathes of the US, affecting around 109 million people across the midwest, mid-Atlantic and north-east.The pungent wildfire blanketed cities such as Chicago and Detroit, where residents on Friday were warned to stay indoors and reduce activity levels after the air quality index reached a “hazardous” 361, according to the government website AirNow. Continue reading...

Illness surging in Michigan and other US states is rarely life-threatening, CDC says – but it can have severe effectsCDC investigates parasite that’s caused cases of ‘explosive’ diarrhea in 18 US statesCases of cyclosporiasis – a parasitic illness that can cause “explosive”, watery diarrhea – have surged across the United States in recent days, health officials have said, with an abnormally large outbreak of almost 1,000 cases reported in Michigan.Michigan typically reports about 50 cases a year, making the current outbreak the largest in the state’s history and one of the nation’s biggest in recent years. Ohio has also reported a sharp increase, with 177 cases as of 2 July, since the CDC’s last count. Continue reading...

Mykhailo Fedorov, celebrated by many for innovative, tech-driven approach, was sidelined for military old guardThe abrupt dismissal of Ukraine’s youthful and innovative defence minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, by Volodomyr Zelenskyy at precisely the moment Kyiv appeared to be gaining advantages in several spheres of its war with Russia has exposed, not for the first time, a troubling flaw in the president’s leadership.The move, which has startled senior European officials and caused consternation in Ukraine – where it has prompted demonstrations – is all the more shocking given Fedorov’s role in pushing a clear strategy to prosecute the war, leveraging Ukraine’s rapidly developing technological advances in drone and missile technology. Continue reading...