In Britain

Labour’s leadership contest is opening with Andy Burnham, the former Greater Manchester mayor, unopposed for now as nominations begin. The party’s internal drama remains impressively efficient, at least in the sense that it has already found a way to make “no contest” sound like a contest.

Elsewhere, the government is preparing a law change to allow the deportation of Shabir Ahmed, the Rochdale grooming gang ringleader, after Maggie Oliver said he should have been removed years ago. And more buildings will now be eligible for funding to remove dangerous cladding, including smaller blocks that had previously been left out of support.

In international security

Ukraine has denied involvement in the Nord Stream pipeline blasts after Germany indicted a former Ukrainian soldier, with Kyiv proposing a joint investigative team instead. Germany says the suspect was acting on behalf of Ukrainian entities, while Ukraine is pushing back hard against that account.

Syria has regained voting rights at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons after its new leadership made progress on chemical weapons issues. In Sudan, the ICC says new evidence could help prosecute Rapid Support Forces leaders accused of war crimes in Darfur. And traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has continued after the June 17 US-Iran memorandum of understanding, even though a number of vessels are still stuck there.

In tech and global policy

The AI for Good summit is underway in Geneva, with countries debating what global AI rules should actually look like, while the conference also reports a record number of visitors this year. The pace of the technology keeps outrunning the pace of agreement, which is becoming a recognizable feature of the genre.

In sport

Karolina Muchova is through to the Wimbledon final after saving a match point and beating Coco Gauff in a deciding-set tiebreak. It was the kind of match that reminds everyone why tennis insists on making emotional collapse look like a scoring system.

In U.S. politics and security

The Trump administration has stripped civil service protections from nearly 8,000 federal workers, moving them into a new career classification that leaves them more exposed to retaliation and dismissal. Public employees say that means a quieter government, staffed by people who know better than to speak freely.

Separately, the Secret Service urged Trump to leave Turkey on the older Air Force One rather than the newly retrofitted plane gifted by Qatar, citing security concerns.

In public health and regulation

Millions of bottles of eye drop medication are being recalled nationwide after the FDA said they may contain a foreign substance. The products are used to treat allergies and inflammation.

Ofcom has fined a group of porn sites £630,000 for failing to put proper age checks in place. The regulator says the companies did not do enough to keep children out of adult content.

In the Middle East and Africa

The U.S. military says it struck 90 targets in Iran, and Iran says it responded with drone attacks on U.S.-linked sites in the Gulf. The exchange raises the risk of wider regional escalation.

In Sudan, the UN says the Rapid Support Forces’ actions amount to genocide. Investigators warn of mass atrocities as RSF fighters besiege El Fasher and now El Obeid, with survivors describing rape, killings, and starvation used as a weapon.

In Europe and global trade

The EU is preparing tougher rules that could let it block foreign companies from public contracts on security grounds. The draft also points to concerns over data transfers and Europe’s dependence on foreign technology and minerals.

Deaths in music

Bonnie Tyler, the singer behind “It’s a Heartache,” “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” and “Holding Out for a Hero,” has died in Portugal at 75.

Brian Potter, the songwriter and producer behind hits for Glen Campbell, Take That, the Four Tops, and others, has died at 87 after living with Alzheimer’s disease in recent years.

In business and defense tech

Microsoft says it will cut about 4,800 jobs, or 2.1% of its global workforce, adding another round of uncertainty for tech workers. Apple, meanwhile, is reportedly lining up at least five new iPhone models over the next two years and has raised production plans for its first foldable to around 10 million units, which is a fairly busy schedule for a company that enjoys pretending every launch is a revolution.

In defense, Britain’s Kraken Technology Group has raised $175 million at a $1 billion valuation as it pushes uncrewed patrol boats for NATO navies. Belgium is also planning to buy 10 NASAMS air defense batteries, part of a major rebuild of its air defenses. Russia says it has delivered a new batch of Su-30SM2 and Su-34 jets, even as open-source trackers say its air force has taken heavy losses. The Air Force’s own new trainer jet is still years behind schedule.

In world news

Flooding from Tropical Storm Maysak has killed 39 people in southern China, with about 130,000 people evacuated in Guangxi and thousands of rescuers deployed. In Gaza, medics say Israeli air strikes and gunfire killed nine Palestinians, including two children, despite the ceasefire.

A UK poll from More in Common found 55% of respondents believe diversity has eroded British national identity. Separate survey, same familiar British talent for turning a national argument into a moral spreadsheet.

In security and crime

Authorities say an organised predator network was operating on Telegram across Europe, with tens of thousands of users in dozens of hidden chat rooms sharing abuse material and instructions, while using code words to conceal what was happening. That case is being treated as a major cross-border investigation.

And in a much smaller but still revealing security story, a professional red teamer says he used a fake Wi-Fi troubleshooting pretext to move around a company campus, then walked off with a trophy from a marketing display to show how easily people accept anyone who looks like they belong. It is, in fairness, a depressingly efficient audit of office trust.

In Washington

President Trump is pushing ahead on several fronts at once. He told Congress he plans to remove Syria’s long-running designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, and he said he will ask the Supreme Court to reconsider the ruling that blocked his effort to end birthright citizenship. The Court is unlikely to bite.

Separately, the Secret Service advised Trump not to fly the Qatari-gifted Air Force One, while he also falsely claimed that the “Islamic Republic of Japan” fired missiles at the USS Abraham Lincoln. That is not a real country, which feels like a useful detail for any commander-in-chief briefing.

In the Middle East and national security

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards say they struck U.S. military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait after fresh American attacks, and warned that further U.S. strikes would bring wider retaliation across the region. The IMF says the war is now weighing on the global economy, cutting its 2026 growth forecast to 3 percent even as AI-driven demand offers some offset.

In a separate warning sign for NATO, former U.S. official Jim Townsend said he is unsure America would send troops if an ally were attacked. That kind of uncertainty is not especially soothing, which is usually the point of alliances, in theory.

On the home front

ICE fatally shot Houston man Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, and his family is demanding an independent investigation. The agency says he “weaponized his vehicle,” while the family disputes that account and wants body camera footage, surveillance video, and witness statements released. Three eyewitnesses are reportedly in ICE custody, which raises its own obvious concerns.

In business and tech

Creative Artists Agency is criticizing Meta’s Muse AI tool, saying names, images, voices, likenesses, and creative work should not be used without clear documented consent. The agency objects to Meta’s opt-out model, arguing that permission should come first, a position that remains stubbornly popular outside Silicon Valley.

In defense news

South Korea apologized after losing Canada’s submarine contract, with its defense acquisition chief saying Ottawa placed more value on NATO ties. Meanwhile, twelve NATO countries, including the UK, have signed onto a more than £37 billion long-range missile project meant to strengthen deterrence against Russia, and London is separately spending £190 million on Precision Strike Missiles for the Army.

The Royal Navy also tested a different kind of future warfare, dropping an uncrewed surface boat from an Airbus A400M over the North Sea. Engineers carried out four live airdrops of a Kraken K3 SCOUT, and the boat stayed operational after each landing, which is the sort of detail defense planners love to say out loud.

In U.S. politics and the Iran standoff

Donald Trump traveled to Britain on the older Air Force One after saying he was under threat from Iran. The newer Qatari-gifted aircraft flew separately, and Trump did not really explain the change, though he again spoke about fears of being targeted after the U.S. ordered fresh strikes in Iran.

That uncertainty is still rippling through the economy. Oil prices rose and global stocks fell after Trump cast doubt on the temporary ceasefire, reminding investors that even a brief pause in a war can vanish faster than a campaign promise.

In technology

SK hynix and TetraMem say they have demonstrated a prototype analog in-memory computing chip that can do some AI calculations inside memory itself. The companies say the approach could cut energy use, reduce heat, and ease one of the biggest bottlenecks in AI systems, which is the part where data has to keep running back and forth like it forgot something.

In public health

The cyclospora outbreak in Michigan and Ohio has grown again, with Michigan approaching 1,000 confirmed cases and hundreds more reported in Ohio. Officials still have not identified the source, and they say the outbreak is clearly ongoing, with dozens hospitalized and cases continuing to climb in southeastern Michigan.

In politics

In Maine, Dan Kleban, the owner of Maine Beer Company, says he wants to seek the Democratic nomination to replace Graham Platner after rape accusations against Platner. Platner has not yet suspended his campaign.

In Asia

Indonesia’s free school meals program is facing fresh criticism over alleged corruption and waste, with opponents saying resources are being directed toward wealthier areas instead of where they are most needed.

In U.S. courts and immigration

A federal judge in Georgia quashed a grand jury subpoena for the personal information of thousands of Fulton County election workers and volunteers, calling it a “staggering” fishing expedition. Judge William M. Ray II said any related charges would be time-barred and that the subpoena did not show a valid prosecutorial need.

In a separate case, former Wisconsin judge Hannah Dugan was fined $5,000 and avoided prison after a federal obstruction conviction tied to an ICE arrest. A U.S. district judge said she ushered a defendant out of her courtroom to avoid immigration agents, a lapse, but not one that led to jail time.

A son of a Mexican father fatally shot by an ICE officer is now calling for an independent investigation. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo had spent decades working in home construction and was trying to secure legal status; his son says the family deserves answers.

In business and media

Sky’s $2.1 billion deal to buy ITV is the biggest sign yet of a new consolidation wave in European television. Regulators, after years of resistance, seem a little less allergic to large media mergers.

Argentina’s football association is facing a U.S. federal money-laundering investigation while the national team pushes toward another World Cup title. It is not the sort of off-field attention any federation wants, especially one trying to sell a clean sporting image.

In U.S. politics and foreign policy

An appeals court rejected President Trump’s bid to delay the removal of his name from the Kennedy Center while he challenges the lower court ruling. The panel said his lawyers had not shown irreparable harm if the name comes down during the appeal.

At the NATO summit in Ankara, allies pledged higher defense spending and continued support for Ukraine, while Trump used the stage to attack Europe and Iran. On the flight home, he did not take the newly assigned Air Force One, and he declined to give a straight answer about whether the change had anything to do with security concerns.

A federal judge also ordered that writer E. Jean Carroll be paid $5 million plus interest in damages owed by President Trump.

In Europe

The European Union has set a new minimum standard for child sexual abuse survivors, allowing victims of child rape to report the crime until age 50. The directive applies across all 27 member states.

In France, the competition authority has ordered Meta back into copyright talks with publishers after earlier deals expired, warning that the company’s approach could seriously damage the press. Separately, French lawmakers approved a contested policing bill critics say could make fatal shootings harder to challenge.

Elsewhere in the bloc, an EU court rejected Apple’s challenge to the digital competition rules, keeping the company under the new framework. And Marine Le Pen says she will run for president again, one day after her sentence was reduced.

In Bosnia, more than 6,500 people joined a peace march to mark the Srebrenica genocide and honor the victims and survivors who fled on foot.

In U.S. news

The Trump administration has revoked an Iran oil sanctions waiver after tankers were struck in the Strait of Hormuz. The Treasury move came ahead of fresh U.S. strikes on Iran, as tensions in the region kept climbing.

The U.S. Navy has identified the airman missing after an emergency helicopter landing in the Arabian Sea as Cmdr. Gabriel Edwards of Oregon, the commanding officer of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5. He went missing July 1 after the MH-60S Seahawk went down.

A federal judge in Florida dismissed Donald Trump’s $3.8 billion defamation suit against The Washington Post, ending the case over a report about a bank tied to the pornography industry helping fund his early social media venture.

In Nebraska, Rep. Mike Flood was booed at a town hall while defending Trump’s tax and spending bill, after voters pressed him on disability benefits. Police in the U.S. also released video of an attack on a wheelchair user with a Molotov cocktail, a brutal assault that is under investigation.

In U.S. foreign policy

President Trump said the ceasefire with Iran is over after overnight strikes between U.S. and Iranian forces and new trouble around the Strait of Hormuz. He also said he no longer wants to deal with Tehran, while the administration revoked a sanctions waiver that had let Iran sell oil and petrochemicals. Gulf states are urging Washington and Tehran to keep talking and show restraint, which is a polite way of saying nobody wants to relive this particular crisis.

In Europe and NATO

At the NATO summit in Turkey, Trump again went after allies he said are insufficient on defense spending, and repeated his demand for the U.S. to take control of Greenland. He also revived his threat to pull American troops out of Europe. Separately, European NATO countries and Canada announced plans for a $50 billion long-range missile program over the next decade, a reminder that the alliance can still find money when it is alarmed enough.

In U.S. politics

Democrats are building a governing blueprint for 2029, an early attempt to line up policy for the next Democratic president after watching parts of Project 2025 move under Trump. In Maine, party officials are also gaming out what happens if Graham Platner drops out of the Senate race, while the Justice Department has given election officials five days to explain how they will enforce voter-eligibility rules.

In Arizona, Trump’s tax and health care bill is drawing backlash from Democrats and health advocates, who say new coverage rules are forcing some cancer and addiction patients to prove they still qualify and are pushing tens of thousands off insurance and food aid.

In consumer news

Mars Petcare has recalled two lots of Pedigree High Protein Chopped Chicken & Duck Flavor dog food after possible contamination with sharp metal and plastic fragments. Pet owners should check the cans, and dogs, unlike lawmakers, do not usually benefit from a little extra crunch.

In Britain

Virgin Media has been fined £28 million after regulators said it blocked customers from cancelling contracts, with millions of calls likely mishandled over nearly three years. Labour is also pressing Nigel Farage to explain a reported £5 million donation after money-laundering concerns were raised, while the Liberal Democrats say the situation should end, not be staged into a by-election sideshow.

Elsewhere, Prince Harry has taken a legal hit in his case against the British tabloid press, and the final bill could still reach £50 million. Separate analysis from the Resolution Foundation says Manchester saw the steepest fall in living standards among England’s major cities between 2021 and 2023, with real purchasing power down 7 percent.

In Europe and the Arctic

Donald Trump’s renewed claim that the United States should control Greenland has again rattled NATO talks, with Denmark’s prime minister repeating that the territory is not for sale. Canada’s foreign minister, Anita Anand, says Russian pressure is shifting north toward the Arctic and argues Canada needs to stay ready across land, sea, and air. The Arctic remains popular with people who want other countries to have less of it.

In France, an appeals court has upheld Marine Le Pen’s conviction over the misuse of EU funds, and an ally says she will prove her innocence. Separately, European anti-fraud investigators say they have broken up a smuggling ring that hid counterfeit goods, including fake condoms and weight-loss pens, inside toy boxes.

In the Middle East

Iran’s military says it has carried out retaliatory strikes on U.S. targets in Bahrain and Kuwait after U.S. attacks. The claims raise the risk of a wider regional escalation, and details are still developing.

And in a separate case

Bedfordshire Police says it believes the suspect wanted over the deaths of a mother and two children has left the country, and an international search is under way. This is now a cross-border manhunt in a case that remains deeply serious.

In U.S. news

A federal judge has dismissed Trump Media’s $3.8 billion defamation lawsuit against The Washington Post, handing the paper a clear courtroom win after more than three years of litigation.

In Maryland, Democratic lawmakers say the legislature will return for a special session next month to consider a redistricting amendment. In Philadelphia, police say a DoorDash driver was shot and killed Tuesday night while making a delivery in Southwest Philadelphia.

Philadelphia is also pushing back again against a federal order that would allow the slavery exhibit at the President’s House to be removed and replaced.

In tech and business

Europe’s top court has upheld a €4.1 billion antitrust fine against Google, rejecting the company and Alphabet’s final appeal over Android practices the EU said shut rivals out of the search market by forcing preinstalled Google apps and default settings.

A new OECD report says three in four jobs in London are highly exposed to generative AI, with finance, professional services, and creative work carrying the greatest risk. City Hall has already set up a taskforce to study the impact.

In the Middle East

Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, sounded missile alert sirens after the United States carried out fresh strikes on Iran following attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded by warning Washington it would take whatever measures it deems necessary.

In Britain’s waters

Scientists say Britain may be heading into its worst marine heatwave on record, with coastal waters running up to 5.3C above seasonal averages. The Thames Estuary is already in extreme conditions, and experts are warning about fish deaths, stressed marine life, harmful algal blooms, and possible disruption to shellfish production.