Civil

• Spain has issued an ultimatum to Italy following a diplomatic dispute over the potential suspension of Schengen Zone open-border policies. • The conflict stems from the ongoing migrant crisis in Ceuta, leading to a "war of words" between the two European Union member states. • Under current regulations, Schengen members are permitted to temporarily reintroduce border controls if there are significant security or public-order concerns.

• Former junta chief and current Myanmar president, installed in April after disputed elections, is visiting Thailand for the first time as a civilian leader. • The visit occurs as fighting between the Myanmar military and rebel factions spills over the border, impacting Thailand, which hosts millions of refugees. • Thailand is currently leading efforts to normalize relations with Myanmar both bilaterally and through the 11-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

• Former junta chief Min Aung Hlaing arrived in Bangkok on Thursday for his first official visit to Thailand since transitioning to a civilian leader. • The trip marks a strategic effort by Min Aung Hlaing to reintegrate Myanmar into the international diplomatic community after being treated as a pariah state. • This visit is significant as it signals Thailand's willingness to engage with the Myanmar leadership despite ongoing regional instability and international sanctions.

• At least 90 civilians have been shot dead by security forces in Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) since June during protests for free elections and basic amenities. • The Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), the coalition leading the grassroots movement, reports that 20 activists were killed in clashes since this past Monday. • Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif defended the brutal crackdown, labeling the protesters as "enemies" and comparing them to India.

• Intensified hostilities in Ukraine and surrounding areas are devastating civilians and threatening global food security, according to senior UN officials. • The conflict has led to a 20 per cent spike in wheat prices since the start of July, as well as attacks on third-party merchant vessels. • UN officials warned the Security Council about the impact of these hostilities, citing the imperiled global food security as a major concern.

HHS failed to respond to Foia request following claims of fraud against Somali childcare providers and DemocratsCivil rights groups have sued the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) after the agency failed to respond to a Freedom of Information Act request regarding the Trump administration’s restrictions on federal childcare and family assistance following claims of fraud against Somali childcare providers and Democratic state officials.The American Civil Liberties Union, the ACLU of Illinois, the ACLU of Colorado, the National Women’s Law Center, and the National Center for Law and Economic Justice, are seeking correspondence between federal officials and far right social media influencer Nick Shirley. Continue reading...

Chaos of Capita-run scheme has left some people waiting up to a year for payments and in financial hardshipRetired civil servants have been failed by the decision to outsource their pension scheme, the government has admitted, and the maladministration meant some were left waiting up to a year for payments.Multiple members of the civil service pension scheme, run by the private company Capita since December, have come forward to say they are unable to afford rent and have been forced to use food banks after being left without an income. Continue reading...

• UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern over the escalating military conflict between the United States and Iran following attacks on civilian and military infrastructure in the Gulf region. • The UN chief emphasized that there is no military solution to the current hostilities, urging both nations to prioritize diplomacy over armed confrontation. • This intervention highlights the international community's fear of a wider regional war and the urgent need for a durable settlement to prevent further civilian casualties.

Marco Rubio and Stephen Miller took aim at only leftwing activism at meeting of 66 nations against political violenceTop Trump officials on Thursday hosted a gathering of 66 nations to discuss the supposed threat of leftwing violence, and launched a series of diatribes, harsh even by the standards of the Trump administration, against leftism.The conference, convened by Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, and attended by Stephen Miller, a top Trump adviser, and Scott Bessent, the treasury secretary, was billed as a “ministerial on the resurgence of political violence” but the focus was solely on crushing leftist violence. It came as Donald Trump ramps up his efforts to label his political opponents, and a rising number of politicians identified with the Democratic Socialists of America as “communists”. Continue reading...

Fair housing complaints accuse Greystar of refusing to take tenants who use federal rent vouchersGreystar, the largest owner and manager of apartments in the US, systematically flouts local laws designed to make housing affordable to the poor, according to civil rights complaints filed with authorities in six states and the District of Columbia.The complaints – filed this week with government agencies in California, Hawaii, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Virginia and Washington DC – accuse Greystar of 114 violations of state and DC fair housing laws. They allege that the company refuses to accept federal housing choice vouchers (also known as Section 8) in places that require landlords to accept them. Continue reading...

• Sudan's civil war has entered its third year as two warring factions remain locked in a deadly power struggle for control of the country. • The United Nations is urgently calling for more support to aid over 33 million Sudanese people currently facing the "world's largest hunger crisis." • This conflict is rooted in long-standing internal divides between the wealthier, Arab-Muslim north and the less-developed, Christian or animist south.

Rev Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III to lead August march after court rulings weakened voting rightsA coalition of civil rights leaders have announced plans to march on Washington in defense of voting rights following a string of federal and supreme court rulings that have weakened protections against racial discrimination in US elections.Reverend Al Sharpton’s National Action Network is leading the 28 August action, joined by Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters ​King, and several civil rights groups. The “March on Washington 2026: Defend the ​Vote” will take place on the 63rd anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr’s I Have a ​Dream speech. Continue reading...

US president says power plants and bridges could be targeted, which would probably constitute war crimes. Plus, the bear that raided an elderly couple’s fridge, and a stolen cat involved in a bank robberyGood morning. Donald Trump has threatened to expand US strikes on Iran next week to target civilian infrastructure including power plants and bridges if Tehran does not agree to a deal. Trump made similar comments in March. Destroying civilian infrastructure such as power and water facilities would be illegal under international humanitarian law and would probably constitute a war crime.The US president, meanwhile, has U-turned on a threat that ships would have to pay a 20% fee to the US for “security” in the strait of Hormuz. He said he had decided to scrap the toll “based on highly productive conversations with Middle East leadership”, and touted “massive” investments. He said the US would continue to blockade Iranian ports.How have Democrats responded to renewed hostilities? Senate Democrats blocked the advancement of a must-pass defense bill. Chuck Schumer, the Senate’s top Democrat, said his party could not support advancing the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) as long as the fighting continued.Top House Democrats, meanwhile, have vowed to oppose a bid to cut US military aid to Israel as the party grapples with a rebellion among their voters over the party’s support for the Middle Eastern ally. Continue reading...

Rebecca Slaughter, who was fired by Trump from the FTC in 2025, worries agencies will be undermined by threat of removal if a decision is contrary to president’s favorFederal officials fired by the Trump administration are calling the recent supreme court decision a “dagger in the heart” of the civil service that will open independent federal government agencies to corruption and manipulation at the whim of the president.Since Donald Trump took office again in January 2025, he has fired more than 50 officials from federal agencies as the Trump administration openly sought to have the supreme court overturn a landmark 1935 ruling that limited the president’s power over independent agencies, known as Humphrey’s Executor. Continue reading...

• Russia launched a new wave of missile and drone attacks across Ukraine, resulting in civilian casualties and further strikes on non-military areas. • The barrage occurred as NATO leaders met in Ankara for a critical summit to discuss European security and the ongoing conflict. • Ukrainian officials and international observers argue these repeated attacks on civilians violate international humanitarian law, contradicting Russian claims.

• Rebel fighters besieging El Obeid, Sudan, are using drone attacks that have put approximately 500,000 civilians at risk of large-scale atrocities. • The ongoing conflict has displaced over 14 million people internally and pushed millions toward famine while severely limiting humanitarian access. • Sudan is facing a public health crisis with concurrent outbreaks of malaria, dengue fever, and cholera, the latter causing 120 deaths and 1,102 cases since Monday.

• Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and her Senate Democratic colleagues are demanding that the Trump administration halt the transfer of special education programs and civil rights enforcement out of the Department of Education. • The lawmakers argue that these proposed moves are illegal and undermine critical protections for students with disabilities and those facing discrimination. • This action matters as it represents a significant legislative push to preserve the federal government's role in safeguarding student rights and ensuring equitable access to education.

• British lawmakers have presented evidence to the UK Parliament regarding alleged civilian killings and human rights abuses committed by security forces in Pakistan-administered Kashmir (PoK). • The MPs are urging the UK government to take stronger diplomatic and political action against the administration of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. • These developments place the Pakistani government and military leadership, specifically Field Marshal Asim Munir, under increased international scrutiny for their conduct in the region.

• The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and 36 civil society, human rights, and media organizations are calling on the European Commission to strengthen its Rule of Law report. • The coalition argues that the EU must hold its own institutions—including the Commission, Council, and Parliament—to the same legal and transparency standards it demands of Member States. • This demand matters because the credibility of the EU's rule of law agenda is undermined when EU agencies circumvent legal norms or democratic accountability for political expediency.

AI-focused Super Pacs are spending heavily in midterms, and nearly half has gone to a single Manhattan district raceThe artificial intelligence industry is spending heavily in the 2026 midterms, hoping to secure influence over the technology’s first generation of legislation – and New York City’s primary has emerged as the key battleground.AI-focused Super Pacs have raised roughly $100m this cycle, of which $44m has been spent so far, in dozens of congressional races across the country. Nearly half of all spending has converged on a single Manhattan race: Tuesday’s Democratic primary in the district of NY-12.Will Craft and Andrew Witherspoon contributed reporting Continue reading...

• Russia launched a large-scale wave of missile and drone attacks overnight targeting Kyiv, Kharkiv, and various cultural heritage sites across Ukraine. • UN Humanitarian Coordinator Matthias Schmale reported that several civilians were killed and dozens injured, with children among the casualties and residential buildings catching fire. • The attacks are significant for targeting both civilian populations and the country's history and cultural landmarks, drawing strong condemnation from the United Nations.

Paris meeting draws up proposals and calls for ‘urgent diplomacy’ towards two-state solution at summit next weekPalestinian and Israeli civil society groups meeting in Paris on Friday have urged G7 leaders to act at their summit in the French spa town of Évian-les-Bains next week to save the narrowing chances of a two-state solution.The groups called for specific action on enforcing a ceasefire, disarming Hamas and starting reconstruction in Gaza, and said the various peace processes including the Board of Peace initiative should be integrated into one programme. Continue reading...

• The UK, Australia, and Canada have launched a major new international fund designed to scale civil society initiatives and address the root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. • The fund will invest in grassroots projects aimed at rebuilding trust and reducing community divisions, integrating civil society efforts directly into broader diplomatic strategies. • UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper emphasized that Middle East peace is too often viewed solely as a matter of international diplomacy, necessitating this shift toward community-led stability.

• Pakistan conducted air strikes across the border into Afghanistan, claiming to have killed 26 fighters from the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). • The Taliban government has disputed these claims, asserting that the attacks targeted civilians and resulted in the deaths of 11 children. • This escalation highlights the ongoing tension between Pakistan and the Taliban over the TTP's use of Afghan soil to launch attacks.

• The International Day for Dialogue Among Civilizations 2026 will focus on the theme of "Digital Dialogue" to highlight the role of technology in cultural exchange. • The initiative emphasizes how digital communities, including social media groups and virtual exchanges, facilitate mutual learning and global solidarity. • This focus matters as it recognizes the internet's capacity to bridge cultural divides and foster understanding in an increasingly interconnected world.

• Scientists have released a formal "first-contact blueprint" to establish a standardized protocol for humanity's response upon receiving a message from an intelligent alien civilization. • The plan mandates that any discovery be shared with the United Nations and a global network of astronomy, space exploration, and communications organizations. • To ensure transparency and accuracy, the framework requires the public release of all underlying evidence so the global scientific community can independently verify the data.

• Qatar has formally condemned Iranian attacks on civilian targets in Bahrain and Kuwait, labeling the actions a "grave violation" of national sovereignty. • The State asserts that these strikes breach the 1949 Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law, specifically the principles prohibiting indiscriminate attacks on civilians. • This diplomatic response highlights the regional instability caused by unprovoked aggression and the urgent need to protect non-combatants from the consequences of armed conflict.

Violence flares before protests on Thursday over president’s decision to remain in office after his term expiredGovernment troops and militias allied with the opposition have exchanged fire in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, damaging property and forcing some civilians to flee.The violence flared up ahead of planned protests on Thursday over president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s decision to remain in office after his term expired in May. In March, parliament backed constitutional changes that could allow Mohamud to extend his term by a year and push back an election. Continue reading...