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Gang leader threatens to kill hostages after attack in Kenscoff in which homes were also set alight‘A massacre’: Haiti gangs carrying out mass killingsAt least 47 people were killed and more than 50 others kidnapped when armed men attacked a once peaceful community near Haiti’s capital at the weekend, the UN has said.A gang leader has threatened to kill the hostages if authorities kill any gang members as they try to secure the community of Kenscoff, nestled in the hills above Port-au-Prince. Continue reading...

More than 40 charities write to Pat McFadden and review head Alan Milburn over fears of stricter eligibility rulesMore than 40 of the UK’s leading charities have warned ministers against imposing tougher benefit sanctions or cuts on disabled young people, as the government considers how to encourage more young people into work.The charities raised concerns that an imminent review of young people and work by Alan Milburn could bring in stricter eligibility rules for keeping disability benefits – or remove them altogether – as part of a wider plan to boost flagging youth job rates. Continue reading...

• A coal mine explosion in Pakistan has resulted in at least 11 deaths, with dozens of miners still trapped underground. • Rescue operations are underway to locate survivors and extract those remaining in the mine following the blast. • The tragedy highlights the critical safety risks and lack of oversight often associated with mining operations in the region.

• The Jammu and Kashmir Awareness Campaign (JAAC) reports that 14 activists were killed and dozens injured during clashes with security personnel in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). • The violence occurs amid a phased election cycle, with the first round of voting already completed in Mirpur on Monday. • Further polling is scheduled for Muzaffarabad on August 2 and the Poonch division on August 10.

Refugee family reunions in limbo, despite Foreign Office saying it is ready get people out of war-torn territoryThe Home Office is blocking the evacuation of dozens of women and children from Gaza, despite the Foreign Office saying it is ready to get people out of the war-torn region.Last September, the Home Office announced it was suspending refugee family reunion applications and that new, more restrictive rules would be announced in the spring. So far there has been no announcement and the process remains suspended. Continue reading...

• The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has discontinued dozens of active research awards after previously slowing the issuance of new grants last year. • Affected researchers, such as physician-scientist Nora Becker from the University of Michigan, have seen funding cut for critical studies, including research on the financial burdens faced by Covid-19 patients. • This sudden withdrawal of support forces scientists to spend significant time "frantically applying" for alternative funding to sustain their ongoing projects.

• The United States has implemented a new wave of tariffs targeting dozens of countries, citing concerns over forced labor. • These levies replace a temporary global duty that was established after the US Supreme Court struck down previous tariffs in February. • Economic security expert Wendy Cutler of the Asia Society Policy Institute warns that the move will likely increase costs for businesses and consumers.