• India's PV Sindhu has advanced to the semi-finals of the Japan Open 2026 after her quarter-final opponent, Nozomi Okuhara of Japan, withdrew from the competition.
• Sindhu is now set to face China's Chen Yufei, a former Olympic champion who has reached the semi-finals in all nine of her BWF World Tour 2026 appearances.
• This matchup marks Sindhu's third semi-final appearance of the year, following her previous runs at the Malaysia and Australia Opens.
• On July 14, 2026, Donald Trump withdrew a proposal to implement a transit fee for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
• The decision follows discussions regarding the operational mechanics of other critical global waterways, including the Suez and Panama Canals.
• This move is significant as it aims to reduce economic tension and avoid potential disruptions to global shipping and energy markets.
• President Ilham Aliyev announced that Azerbaijan is considering a full withdrawal from the 46-member Council of Europe.
• This potential exit follows the 2024 suspension of Azerbaijan's voting rights within the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE).
• The move signals a significant diplomatic rift between Baku and the European human rights organization over governance and political standards.
More members of the Democratic party have asked Platner to stand down from US Senate race in MaineThe progressive senator Bernie Sanders has called on Graham Platner to withdraw from the US Senate race in Maine, citing “very serious allegations” of sexual assault.While Platner has denied the claims, first reported by Politico on Monday, a growing list of Democrats have called on him to stand aside as the party’s candidate. Continue reading...
Maine’s party leadership calls for Platner to withdraw after after sexual assault allegation emergesHello and welcome to the US politics live blog.Maine’s Democratic party leadership has called for US Senate candidate Graham Platner to withdraw from the race, as the scandal-hit Marine veteran loses support from his previously most vocal backers.Trump’s latest attempt to delay payment of a $5.8m judgment for defaming a magazine columnist whom a jury determined he sexually abused has been emphatically rejected by a federal court judge. More here.Trump rang the bell of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) from the White House to mark the first trading day for Trump accounts, a government initiative that provides children with a $1,000 investment account. It is the first joint opening of the exchanges, and the first time the bell had been rung at the White House. More here.National guard soldiers on patrol in Memphis shot and killed a man that authorities in the Tennessee city said turned and pulled a gun on the troops during a chase. The shooting took place at about 4am on Sunday as the soldiers responded to a report of gunfire. The Tennessee national guard was deployed controversially by the state’s governor, Bill Lee, in October to support the federal push by Donald Trump, his fellow Republican, to tackle perceived crime surges in Democratic-run cities. More here. Continue reading...
Abbas Araghchi says ‘war has not fully come to an end’ without Israeli forces leaving territories occupied during present conflictMiddle East crisis – live updatesIran’s top diplomat has said a peace deal with the US would require Israel to withdraw from Lebanon, as concern grows that Israel could undermine diplomatic efforts to finally end the Middle East war, with Donald Trump even criticising his ally and war partner as irresponsible.“Without the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territories they occupied during this war, the war has not fully come to an end,” said the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi. Continue reading...
Comments by Israel Katz come after announcement of interim deal between Washington and TehranMiddle East crisis – live updatesIsraeli military forces will not withdraw from a vast swathe of territory they have seized in southern Lebanon, the country’s defence minister has said, hours after Donald Trump and officials in Iran announced a new preliminary agreement between Washington and Tehran to end hostilities on “all fronts” in the Middle East pending a final settlement in about two months.Israel Katz’s remarks were the first official Israeli comments after the announcement of the interim deal. Iranian and US officials are to meet on Friday in Geneva for a signature ceremony, diplomatic sources in Pakistan, the principal mediator, said. Continue reading...
• Serena Williams' return to tennis was cut short at the HSBC Championships after her doubles partner, Victoria Mboko, was forced to withdraw due to a knee injury.
• The pair won their first doubles match in straight sets on Tuesday, but Mboko suffered a left knee injury during a singles match against Karolina Pliskova on Wednesday.
• Tournament organizers confirmed Thursday morning that the 19-year-old Canadian athlete is officially ruled out of the doubles competition.
• Director Wim Wenders has withdrawn his 1975 film *Wrong Move* due to a scene featuring a topless 13-year-old Nastassja Kinski.
• Kinski has criticized the filmmaker, stating that Wenders "didn't protect" her during the production of the scene.
• During a lifetime achievement honor at the German Film Awards on Friday, Wenders admitted he is struggling with whether to permanently remove the footage.
German director says he recognises actor should have been better protected during filming of Wrong MoveGerman director Wim Wenders has withdrawn from circulation his 1975 film Wrong Move, because of a scene featuring a child actor topless who was 13 years old at the time of filming.“Streaming, TV and distribution partners have been instructed to no longer make the film publicly accessible,” the director said in a statement released on Wednesday. Continue reading...
• President Lee Jae-myung addressed the prosecution on the 2nd, urging officials to apologize and withdraw when mistakes are made rather than operating under a delusion of infallibility.
• Lee advocated for the introduction of mail and electronic voting to expand the voting rights of overseas Koreans, describing it as a basic citizen's right rather than a service.
• He emphasized that while minority opinions should be respected, the National Assembly must not avoid the issue and should proceed based on majority opinion if agreements cannot be reached.
London authority’s new Tory-led administration delivers significant blow to Labour’s flagship housebuilding schemeEnfield council in north London has withdrawn from the government’s new towns programme, in a significant blow to Labour’s flagship housebuilding scheme.The move by the new minority Conservative-led administration could present one of the first tests of Rachel Reeves’s planning changes, designed to curb the use of judicial reviews against new infrastructure. Continue reading...
• The Hungarian Parliament voted 133-37 to repeal a previous decision to withdraw from the International Criminal Court (ICC), reversing a move initiated by former Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
• The withdrawal had been announced by Orban as a gesture of support for Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who faces an ICC arrest warrant, with Orban claiming the court had become "political."
• The reversal was driven by a bill introduced by the new Prime Minister, Peter Magyar, signaling a shift in Hungary's international legal alignment.
In state department cable, Jerusalem embassy told to issue protest to Palestinian Authority leaders, warning ‘consequences will follow’ if they failed to complyThe US has ordered its Jerusalem embassy to pressure the Palestinian leadership into dropping a bid for a UN general assembly vice-presidency, anxious that the role could allow Palestinians to chair high-profile debates on the Middle East.A 19 May state department cable seen by the Guardian instructed the US embassy in Jerusalem to issue a démarche (a formal protest) to the leaders of the Palestinian Authority (PA) pressuring them to withdraw the bid by 22 May, warning that “consequences will follow” if they failed to comply. Continue reading...
US announced withdrawal of 5,000 soldiers last week after German chancellor said US was being ‘humiliated’ by IranDonald Trump has threatened to withdraw more US troops from Germany after stunning European leaders and some senior members of his own party by last week announcing the withdrawal of 5,000 soldiers from Germany.The move left 30,000 US troops still in the country, according to CNN. But Trump threatened on Saturday that more cuts were coming. “We are going to cut way down, and we’re cutting a lot further than 5,000,” he told reporters on Saturday. Continue reading...
• The Trump administration announced plans to withdraw approximately 5,000 US troops from Germany over the next 6-12 months.
• The troop withdrawal fulfills an earlier Trump threat and reflects tensions over Germany's stance on the Iran conflict.
• The move signals a broader shift in US military posture in Europe and could weaken NATO presence in a key strategic location.
German government calls redeployment of 5,000 troops ‘anticipated’ and reminder of Europe’s need to invest in its own defence‘We love our Americans’: the German town rocked by Trump’s plan to withdraw US troopsNato is seeking to “understand the details” of a US decision to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, a redeployment ordered by Donald Trump amid a feud with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz.The German government sought to play down the severity of Trump’s move, describing it as “anticipated”, and a reminder of Europe’s need to invest in its own defence. The US withdrawal, which the Pentagon said would take place over the next six to 12 months, comes after criticism from Merz over Trump’s war with Iran and his handling of subsequent talks with Tehran. Continue reading...
German defence minister responds to US president’s announcement that 5,000 US troops will leave bases in GermanyHello and welcome to our live coverage of events in the Middle East.The German defence minister, Boris Pistorius, said that it was “foreseeable” that the US would withdraw troops from Europe, after the Pentagon announced it would pull thousands of American soldiers from Germany.Trump said he is “not satisfied” with a new proposal from Iran on ending the war, as peace talks remain stalled despite a weeks-long ceasefire. Iran delivered the proposal text to mediator Pakistan on Thursday evening, Iranian state news agency Irna reported, without detailing its contents.The US state department said it was approving military sales totalling more than $8.6bn to Middle Eastern allies Israel, Qatar, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. It came as Washington warned European allies including the UK, Poland, Lithuania and Estonia to expect long delivery delays for US weapons as it scrambles to replenish stockpiles depleted by the Iran war, according to a report in the Fianancial Times citing multiple sources.In Lebanon, 12 people were killed in Israeli strikes in the south, Lebanon’s health ministry said, including in the town of Habboush, where the Israeli army had issued an evacuation order despite the continuing ceasefire. Israeli warplanes “launched a series of heavy strikes … less than an hour after” the warning, the state-run National News Agency said.The US Treasury Office warned that any shipping companies that paid tolls to Iran for passage through the strait of Hormuz, including charitable donations to organisations such as the Iranian Red Crescent Society, would risk punitive sanctions. Tehran has proposed charging fees on vessels passing through the strait, as part of a deal to end the war.Trump wrote to US lawmakers on Friday declaring hostilities with Iran “terminated”, despite no change in the US military posture, as he faces continuing pressure at home to seek congressional authorisation for the war.The state department’s announcement on Friday included approving military sales to Qatar of Patriot air and missile defence replenishment services costing $4.01bn and of advanced precision kill weapon systems (APKWS) costing $992.4m. They also included approval of the sale to Kuwait of an integrated battle command system costing $2.5bn and to Israel of APKWS costing $992.4m.Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei urged his people to wage economic battle and “disappoint” its enemies, as the war and years of sanctions take a toll. In a written statement he also said “the owners of damaged businesses should avoid, as much as possible, layoffs and separation of their workforce”. Continue reading...
US president says European countries are ‘absolutely horrible’ to refuse to support operations in strait of Hormuz Europe live – latest updatesDonald Trump has threatened to withdraw US troops from Italy and Spain a day after saying he was looking at reducing the number deployed in Germany.The US president’s threat to Germany came after the country’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, said America was being “humiliated” by Iran. Continue reading...
The US president said he would carry out of a review of US military presence in Europe after public criticism of the US-Israeli war on IranItaly and Spain have joined a growing list of countries that US president Donald Trump is threatening with pulling US troops from as part of a broader review of the US military presence in Europe.Responding to a question from a reporter, Trump said he would “probably” consider such a move, linking it to the two countries’ criticism of the US campaign in Iran.“Look, why shouldn’t I? Italy has not been of any help to us and Spain has been horrible, absolutely horrible.” Continue reading...
US president said he was instead nominating radiologist and Fox News contributor Dr Nicole Saphier for the postSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxDonald Trump on Thursday pulled his nominee to become the US surgeon general, Casey Means, and replaced her.The US president said that Means will continue to fight for the so-called Make America Healthy Again (Maha) movement spearheaded by health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. He stated this was despite opposition from Bill Cassidy, the Republican US senator of Louisiana, to Means’s nomination. Continue reading...
• The United Arab Emirates withdrew from OPEC yesterday, marking a historic split from Saudi Arabia during the escalating regional crisis.
• This decision coincides with the Strait of Hormuz being almost entirely shut down due to a US naval blockade aimed at halting Iranian oil exports.
• The US is threatening to cut off major Chinese banks from its financial system to prevent processing of Iranian oil, intensifying global energy tensions.
Claudia–Liza Vanderpuije has fully withdrawn allegations relating to her former co-host, her lawyers sayThe TV presenter Claudia–Liza Vanderpuije has withdrawn claims against her former Channel 5 News co-host Dan Walker after reaching a “mutual agreement” with the broadcaster and ITN.Vanderpuije, who co-hosted a show with Walker for a year between 2022 and 2023, had filed claims of unfair dismissal, discrimination and harassment on grounds of race and sex, and breach of contract. Continue reading...
• Niger's transitional government announced a three-month extension to its military cooperation agreement with France, pausing its expulsion of French troops and reversing its February timeline for withdrawal.
• The reversal follows intense negotiations between Paris and Niamey, with France agreeing to reduce its military footprint from 1,500 to 900 personnel and committing €200 million in civilian development aid.
• The compromise addresses security challenges in the Sahel region, where French and US military presence remains crucial to counterterrorism operations despite growing anti-Western sentiment among portions of Niger's military leadership.
• The Trump administration announced its withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council and ended all support for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which the administration characterized as funding Hamas.
• The decision represents a significant shift in US policy toward international human rights organizations and Palestinian humanitarian assistance programs.
• The move reflects the Trump administration's hardline stance on Middle East policy and international organizations it views as hostile to US and Israeli interests.
Thom Tillis joins McConnell in warning withdrawal would aid rivals and threaten US securityUS politics live – latest updatesSign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailA second Republican senator spoke out in defense of Nato on Thursday, joining Mitch McConnell and the Democrats, after Donald Trump said that he was “absolutely” considering withdrawing from the alliance after it refused to take part in the joint assault with Israel against Iran.“Nato stood by America when we were under attack and came to our aid after the September 11th attacks. Their soldiers fought and died alongside our troops in Afghanistan,” said Thom Tillis, a Republican, and Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat, who co-chair the Senate Nato observer group. Continue reading...
• Blue Owl Capital investors requested $5.4 billion in redemptions from two private credit funds amid accelerating outflows in the financial services sector.
• The fund manager reversed its policy by capping redemptions at 5% to manage liquidity pressures effectively.
• This development highlights rising concerns over private credit market stability amid broader economic uncertainties.
The president, a longtime critic of Nato, has stepped up criticism after allies refused to join the US-Israel war on IranDonald Trump has said he is “absolutely” considering withdrawing the US from Nato, warning that the matter was “beyond reconsideration” in the wake of the refusal of US allies to join the US-Israeli war against Iran.The president’s threats, his most determined to date, have left the alliance facing its worst crisis in its 77-year history, a former US ambassador has warned. Continue reading...
• President Trump told allied nations to "go get your own oil" and stated it is not America's responsibility to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, shifting burden of regional security to countries dependent on the waterway.
• Trump reiterated the US military could conclude its Iranian operations within two to three weeks and said America will have no further involvement in Middle East strait security following withdrawal.
• The statements reflect Trump's isolationist stance on Middle East commitments, placing responsibility for maintaining critical shipping routes on regional allies rather than continuing US military presence and protection.
Research suggested resurgence in Christianity, especially among young people, but some respondents found to be ‘fraudulent’A YouGov survey showing a significant rise in church attendance in parts of the UK has been withdrawn after some respondents were found to be fraudulent.The poll was central to a Quiet Revival report, published by the Bible Society last year, which prompted news stories about an apparent resurgence in Christianity, particularly among young people. Continue reading...
