Agreement

• President Donald Trump announced on July 31, 2026, that a new agreement has been reached for Hamas to disarm. • Trump attributed the success of the deal to the ongoing war with Iran, identifying the nation as the primary backer of Hamas. • This development is significant as it represents a major shift in the regional security landscape and a potential end to Hamas's armed operations.

• A young player, whose identity was not specified in the report, is set to join the Swiss club Lausanne-Sport on a permanent transfer. • The move follows a series of updates regarding high-profile transfer targets, including Arsenal's reported agreement for Bruno Guimaraes. • This transaction marks a permanent departure for the youngster, shifting his career to the Swiss league.

US president’s board of peace says Israel will withdraw from Gaza following disarmament of Hamas but no immediate statement from either sideWhat is Trump’s Board of Peace and who is involved?Donald Trump on Thursday announced an agreement for the “complete disarmament” of Hamas, calling it a critical step toward a new Palestinian government in Gaza. There was no immediate statement from Hamas or Israel on the agreement.“This agreement is a critical step towards Gaza finally being governed by a new Palestinian government that will work closely with the Board of Peace to help the Palestinian people,” Trump said in a social media post. Continue reading...

PM promises lasting solution for England but Tories rule out backing changes funded by tax rises or borrowingAndy Burnham has pledged to work collaboratively with other parties to find a lasting solution on social care, though the Conservatives ruled out backing changes funded by tax rises or borrowing.Senior Labour and Liberal Democrat figures have privately cast doubt on Burnham’s ability to find a cross-party consensus on social care reform in England, given the terms of the Tories’ participation. Continue reading...

Exercise for September called off after Kenya raises concerns over funding and jurisdiction for criminal offencesThe British army has been forced to cancel training for its troops in Kenya after the Kenyan government refused to ratify a bilateral defence agreement.While the UK government wanted to renew the existing agreement, Kenyan lawmakers had sought changes to give local authorities greater powers to hold British soldiers accountable for any offences committed in the country. Continue reading...

• Iran has reportedly launched missiles toward Jordan, with Jordanian officials confirming they intercepted the incoming projectiles. • While Iranian media reports blasts, the US military has not yet confirmed any new attacks in the region. • The escalating tension threatens the stability of existing Iran-US agreements and increases the risk of a broader Middle East conflict.

• European stock indices, including the DAX, CAC, and FTSE 100, tumbled on Wednesday afternoon following signals from Donald Trump that a U.S.-Iran agreement has collapsed. • Investors are simultaneously awaiting the release of Federal Reserve minutes to gain insight into policy discussions under new chairman Kevin Warsh. • The situation is critical as markets seek clarity on whether the Fed will shift toward a less guidance-driven approach to monetary policy.

Attacks on three locations across Iran came after three tankers in the strait of Hormuz were targeted on TuesdayMiddle East crisis – live updatesThe US military carried out strikes on Iran for a second day, hours after president Donald Trump said that an interim agreement to end the war was “over”.Late on Wednesday Iranian state media reported explosions in the port city of Bandar Abbas in the strait of Hormuz; in Sirik, another southern coastal city; and the south-western Bushehr province, home to Iran’s nuclear-power-plant complex. Continue reading...

The US military said the strikes were in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels on Tuesday that violated the ceasefireMiddle East crisis live: follow latest updatesIran has accused the US of violating the agreement aimed at ending the war between the two sides, after the US military launched strikes around the strait of Hormuz and revoked a temporary sanctions waiver for Tehran to export oil.The US military said the attacks launched in the early hours of Wednesday were in response to Iranian attacks on three commercial vessels that were ⁠transiting through the strait of Hormuz on Tuesday. Continue reading...

• Israel and Lebanon have entered into a Trilateral Framework Agreement in 2026, aimed at managing conflict and establishing border security. • The agreement involves complex negotiations between state actors and non-state armed groups, with the United States playing a critical role as an international mediator. • This framework is significant as it addresses regional geopolitics and humanitarian concerns, demonstrating the use of diplomacy to resolve long-standing security tensions.

• OpenAI and South Korea's AI Safety Institute have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on evaluating high-risk artificial intelligence systems. • The partnership focuses on critical safety areas, including cybersecurity testing, Korean-language model evaluation, and the development of internationally applicable AI safety benchmarks. • This agreement is significant as it aims to mitigate the risks associated with advanced AI agents and ensure safety standards are maintained across different languages and technical domains.

Tehran attacks Bahrain and Kuwait amid efforts to open strait of Hormuz without Iran’s direct oversightMiddle East crisis live – latest updatesA new round of escalating strikes between Iran and the US has continued, further undermining the fragile interim peace agreement between the two countries, and prompting Donald Trump to threaten violence that would ensure Iran “will no longer exist”.On Sunday, Tehran launched drone and missile attacks against Bahrain and Kuwait after new US strikes on sites in southern Iran and threatened a “complete halt” to negotiations to end the war. Trump said that a moment might come soon when he abandoned talks and the US would “militarily finish the job”. Continue reading...

• Utah's governor has implemented restrictions on fireworks as the largest wildfire in the United States continues to surge. • The blaze remains largely uncontained, posing a significant threat to surrounding areas and increasing the risk of further ignitions. • These emergency measures are critical to preventing human-caused sparks from exacerbating the current environmental crisis.

• Justice Samuel Alito read a majority ruling on Thursday that limits asylum claims at the U.S. southern border. • The event highlighted public tensions and ideological disagreements within the Supreme Court, as Justice Sonia Sotomayor read a dissenting opinion. • This rare public display of discord underscores the deep judicial divide over immigration policy and border enforcement.

• Internal tensions among Supreme Court justices are becoming more visible as the court rapidly releases a series of major opinions. • These public disagreements are surfacing even as several of the term's most significant and high-stakes rulings remain pending. • The friction highlights ideological or procedural divides within the court during a critical period of judicial decision-making.

• The Iranian regime has introduced a 14-point draft agreement with the U.S., a move that has sparked internal divisions and increased tensions within the government. • This diplomatic push occurs amidst severe domestic crises, including chronic energy and water shortages, environmental degradation, and rampant inflation that has eroded purchasing power. • The situation is critical because widespread public frustration and growing poverty have created a volatile social climate fundamentally different from previous negotiation periods.

On that last day of his hosting, Colbert played Linus and Lucy on air in final dig at the networkOn his last day hosting CBS’s The Late Show, Stephen Colbert played one of the most iconic songs from the Peanuts soundtrack.“Oh no! I hope this doesn’t cost CBS any money!” he joked, as Louis Cato and the Great Big Joy Machine performed the song, titled Linus and Lucy, on air. It was a final dig at the network, which many fans believe cancelled the show due to Colbert’s criticisms of the Trump administration. Continue reading...

• The European Parliament has approved a long-delayed trade agreement with the United States, granting tariff-free access for US industrial goods and preferences for agricultural products. • The deal includes a safeguard allowing the European Commission to suspend these tariff preferences if the US maintains tariffs exceeding 15% on EU steel and aluminium derivatives. • This agreement aims to strengthen economic ties and reduce trade barriers between the two major global markets.

Senate Republicans say there are many unanswered questions about the deal and question inclusion of funds for Iran The US vice-president, ⁠JD Vance, has said a number of issues still need to be figured out with Iran, as many Republicans expressed scepticism of the agreement reached this week by Donald Trump, and pressed the White House to release more information about it.The memorandum of understanding (MOU) announced Sunday to end the war in Iran, set for a ceremonial signing on Friday in Geneva, is centred around reopening the strait of Hormuz and lifting the United States’ naval blockade in the region, along with financial incentives for Iran if it meets certain benchmarks. Continue reading...

US president says ‘great settlement’ reached but Iranian spokesman says there has been no final conclusionFull report: Trump claims US and Iran on verge of signing peace agreementHello and welcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East.Iran’s foreign ministry has contradicted claims from Donald Trump that a peace deal between Washington and Tehran could be signed as soon as this weekend.Trump said he was cancelling a third day of US airstrikes and bombings that he had earlier said would happen because “discussions” with Iran “have been brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved”. He also said on social media: “Discussions and final points have been, in both concept and great detail, approved by all parties involved, including the United States, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, and others.”Israel, however, said it was “not a party to” what prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office described as an emerging memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran. But the office said Netanyahu had spoken with Trump and that the final agreement at the conclusion of negotiations would include the removal of enriched material, the dismantling of enrichment infrastructure, limits on missile production, and the cessation of Iran’s support for its terrorist proxies in the region – measures that have been red lines for Iran in the past.The strait of Hormuz would open “as soon as we sign” the documents of the “great settlement” reached with Iran, Trump said. “The whole Middle East is happy.”Iranian media said the country’s forces had stopped a “violating tanker” from entering the strait of Hormuz. The report from the Fars news agency – closely linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards – came shortly after the sound of explosions were reportedly heard near the port city of Bandar Abbas.Trump had earlier posted on social media that the US would seize Iran’s Kharg Island “in the not too distant future”, but later said the seizure would be off the table “if we sign this agreement”.The price of oil rose after Trump threatened a “very hard” attack on Iran, but plunged hours later after he said he was cancelling the strikes. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell 1.9% to $86.08 a barrel, on top of a 2.6% drop overnight, and Brent dropped 1.5% to $89.08 a barrel, having fallen nearly 3% overnight. Asian stocks joined a global rally, with South Korea’s Kospi surging 7.4% and Japan’s Nikkei up 2.7%.A strike wounded 10 staff members of a hospital in the Lebanese city of Tyre on Thursday, the facility’s director told the AFP news agency, as Israeli raids continued in the country’s south. All three of the historic city’s hospitals have been hit since the start of the latest war between Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah and Israel in early March.India’s government voiced a “strong protest” after three Indian seafarers were killed in US military strikes against oil tankers travelling through the strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...

• Portugal's Minister for Diplomacy, Mr. Rangel, announced that the agreement allowing the United States to use Lajes Air Base will be reviewed. • The review is deferred until after the current crisis in the Middle East is resolved to ensure regional stability. • Rangel highlighted that shifts in U.S. foreign policy under the current administration have introduced significant changes to the transatlantic relationship and global geopolitics.

Israel claimed it was attacking Hezbollah command centers in response to attacks on northern IsraelWe are seeing reports of Israeli attacks on Beirut’s southern suburbs, Dahiyeh, with at least three explosions heard so far. ⁠The ⁠Israeli military claimed about an hour ago in a post on X that it was striking Hezbollah infrastructure ⁠in the Lebanese capital, without providing evidence.In a joint statement, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli defence minister Israel Katz said the Israeli military ​had struck “terrorist” headquarters ​in Beirut’s ⁠southern ​suburbs in apparent retaliation for Hezbollah firing toward northern Israel earlier. Continue reading...

• European governments are reevaluating their partnerships with US defense contractor Palantir due to security concerns and the company's ties to controversial military and immigration enforcement activities. • A UK parliamentary report warned that Palantir's programs create an "unacceptable point of weakness" for the national government, while Switzerland has rejected the firm's bids at least nine times. • Denmark is actively seeking local software alternatives to reduce its reliance on the US-based technology provider.

• Arsenal and Manchester City are both reportedly interested in signing 23-year-old Newcastle United full-back Tino Livramento. • Despite their interest, Mikel Arteta and Arsenal have expressed reservations regarding Livramento's previous injury record. • The Gunners are also considering Sporting CP full-back Ivan Fresneda as a potential addition to their defensive line.

US president’s move comes as both sides try to prevent fresh ceasefire breaches scuppering a potential dealMiddle East crisis – live updatesDonald Trump has circulated a draft peace agreement for the war with Iran among allies including Israel as both sides try to prevent fresh breaches of the ceasefire escalating out of control and scuppering any deal.In an attempt to speed up the negotiations, Pakistan‘s foreign minister, Mohammad Ishaq Dar, will fly to Washington on Friday to meet his US counterpart, Marco Rubio. Continue reading...

• A formal review of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) is scheduled for 2026, potentially aligning with broader efforts to reset diplomatic and economic relations. • Proposed initiatives include establishing a common sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) area for food and agricultural standards and linking the UK and EU emission trading schemes (ETS). • Further negotiations may cover UK participation in the EU’s internal electricity market and the creation of a UK-EU youth experience agreement.

Secretary of state says a deal could materialise ‘today’, while Trump says talks with Iran proceeding constructively as he faces criticism from within his own partyHello and welcome to the Guardian’s continuing coverage of the crisis in the Middle East.US secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Monday that a deal to end the war with Iran could materialise “today”. Continue reading...

Media regulator announces commitments by Elon Musk’s platform to crack down on terrorist and hate contentElon Musk’s X platform has pledged to block UK access to accounts linked to banned terrorist groups under an agreement with the communications regulator to crack down on terrorist and hate content.X will also review suspected illegal terrorist and hate content within 48 hours and seek expert advice on how to handle user reports of such content. Continue reading...