Day News Recap: Hormuz tensions deepen as Iran, US and Russia drive a volatile global day
Iran kept the Strait of Hormuz closed and linked any reopening to US demands, while President Donald Trump repeated his claim that the United States has total control of the waterway and will keep it shut. Transit through the strait fell to a one week low, with only eight vessels crossing, underlining the pressure on one of the world’s most important shipping lanes. 🔗 🔗 🔗US forces also stepped up pressure at sea, with Central Command saying a Navy MH 60 helicopter fired missiles into the engine room of the Panama flagged M/V Vela Nova after repeated warnings were ignored.... [Continue Reading]
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Trump secretly left decoy plane in Turkey, leaving cabinet members aboard
Two members of the US president's cabinet remained on a decoy aircraft after Donald Trump secretly left it before a separate flight in Turkey last month. According to the supplied report, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stayed on the plane that had been treated as Air Force One while Trump moved to another aircraft. The episode took place on 8 July and involved a security arrangement linked to concerns about Iran.The report says Trump boarded Air Force One with both officials and members of the press before hiding on a catering truck and being moved... [Continue Reading]
Noontime News Recap: North Korea fires second missile as Trump confirms secret plane swap
North Korea has launched a second ballistic missile in less than a week, with the test detected from the Wonsan area early on Wednesday local time, just ahead of planned US South Korea drills. 🔗Donald Trump has confirmed he secretly changed aircraft during travel linked to a NATO summit in Turkiye after what he described as an Iran threat, adding a fresh security twist to his overseas movements. 🔗In Wisconsin, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley has narrowly won the Democratic gubernatorial primary, edging out state lawmaker Francesca Hong in a close race for the party nomination. 🔗In the Gulf, Space42,... [Continue Reading]
Germany approves draft law to expand spy agency powers after recent attacks
Germany's government has approved a draft law that would lift many of the postwar restraints on the country's intelligence agencies. The move comes after two recent security incidents that have intensified pressure on ministers to show they can respond more effectively to modern threats. The bill still needs parliamentary approval before it can take effect.Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the changes would turn the intelligence services into "genuine secret services" and give them the operational capabilities needed to confront modern state terrorism and extremist groups. He said Germany should be able to operate on an equal footing with partner services... [Continue Reading]
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Trump confirms secret plane swap after alleged Iran threat during NATO summit travel
United States President Donald Trump has confirmed that he secretly changed aircraft during travel linked to a NATO summit in Turkiye after what he described as a potential assassination threat from Iran. He said the move was made on the advice of the Secret Service and the military, and that he complied with their instructions. The aircraft change took place on 8 July and was not disclosed publicly at the time.Trump told reporters that he was moved between planes in a catering truck in Ankara, while journalists and top aides remained on the original aircraft. He said the plane he... [Continue Reading]
Russia frees ailing ex-US Marine Robert Gilman as he returns to the United States
Russia has freed former US Marine Robert Gilman, who had been detained since 2022, and he has now returned to the United States for medical care. The release was described by US officials as being on humanitarian grounds after discussions involving President Vladimir Putin and US special envoy Steve Witkoff. Gilman arrived at Dulles airport near Washington on a State Department plane before continuing on to a rehabilitation centre in San Antonio, Texas.US officials said Mr Putin approved a pardon for Gilman and that Russia did not seek any concessions in return. Mr Witkoff said Gilman could now return to... [Continue Reading]
Trump says Russia has released American ex-Marine Robert Gilman after talks with Putin
President Donald Trump made multiple posts on Truth Social in the last hour: Mehmet Oz announced that Medicaid will NO LONGER fund gender transition surgeries and hormones for minors. We are not going to pay for our innocent children to undergo these barbaric surgeries and practices, which result in unthinkable and irreversible harm to their young bodies. Thanks to our strong position and pressure on this issue over the past year and a half, dozens of U. S. hospitals have already ended this so-called "gender-affirming care, " and we expect many more to follow. Just think about all of the... [Continue Reading]
Day News Recap: Deadly conflict, disasters and political shocks dominate a grim global day
Yemen's government says four crew members were killed when a small cargo ship was hit in the Red Sea, in an attack it blames on the Houthis, underlining the continuing danger to shipping in the waterway. 🔗In Gaza, health reporting said miscarriages have tripled between January and June as pregnancy care worsens amid displacement and shortages, while Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a 15 point Gaza peace plan drafted by the US led Board of Peace, deepening his public dispute with Donald Trump. 🔗 🔗Ukraine and Russia kept up overnight strikes, with President Volodymyr Zelensky accusing Moscow of using North Korean missiles... [Continue Reading]
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Breakfast News Recap: Ebola spreads in Congo as Middle East tensions, Ukraine strikes and oil risks mount
The World Health Organization says the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is still spreading, with health teams struggling to keep pace as the response lags behind the virus. 🔗In the Middle East, violence has widened on several fronts, with Houthi forces launching ballistic missile attacks on al Makha and Marib in Yemen, while UN peacekeepers said Israeli forces fired 455 projectiles into south Lebanon and breached Lebanese airspace 97 times over the same period. 🔗 🔗Gaza diplomacy also remains stalled after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu formally rejected a 15 point peace plan drafted by the US... [Continue Reading]
Europe braces for another intense summer heatwave as warnings spread across the continent
Much of Europe is facing another intense summer heatwave, with warnings already in place in parts of Britain and France and high temperatures forecast across several other countries. The latest spell is expected to push temperatures into the mid-30s Celsius in some areas, while dry conditions are also worsening fire risk in the south of the continent. The developing episode is affecting a wide stretch of Europe, from the British Isles to the Mediterranean and into central Europe.In the United Kingdom, the Met Office said the summer's fifth hot spell was about to take hold, with temperatures reaching the mid-30s... [Continue Reading]
Sydney Airport near-miss prompts investigations and staff stand-downs
Two airport workers have been stood down after a near-miss at Sydney Airport in which two passenger aircraft came within metres of each other on the tarmac. The incident involved a Jetstar flight preparing to depart for the Gold Coast and a Qatar Airways aircraft being towed across the airport. A Jetstar crew member was injured when the aircraft braked abruptly to avoid a collision.Federal Transport Minister Catherine King is due to meet Airservices Australia chief executive Rob Sharp in Canberra, as emergency meetings are held over the incident. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau is leading the investigation, while Airservices... [Continue Reading]
Lessons learned from Dubai … or not?
It might be early to assess the impact of war on Dubai, the self-declared crisis proof planet, but some lessons can be drawn from its magic well, right now. First and foremost, I remember a saying about fairness: No, not the boomerang, and that what goes around comes around (the dark tales related to Lebanon and Gaza), but about a simple rule of thumb. If you expect the world to be fair with you because you are fair, you’re fooling yourself: that’s like expecting the lion not to eat you because you didn’t eat it. It applies to humans and... [Continue Reading]
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