US President Donald Trump’s administration deports five migrants to Eswatini – BBC

  1. US President Donald Trump's administration deports five migrants to Eswatini  BBC
  2. Trump tries to move on amid Epstein files backlash as speaker calls for their release – US politics live  The Guardian
  3. Trump Administration Resumes Deportation Flights, Sending Migrants to Eswatini  The New York Times
  4. Trump administration restarts third country deportations with flight to Eswatini  NBC News
  5. DHS sends migrants to Eswatini in new 3rd-country deportation  Axios
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Michigan deacon thwarted attack on church by ramming truck into shooter

When Richard Pryor saw the man firing in the parking lot, he sprang into action, buying time before guards arrived

A Michigan church deacon who had a hand in thwarting a rifle-wielding man’s attempts to shoot worshippers at a service in June by ramming the attacker with his truck says he sprang into action because waiting for first responders’ help was not feasible.

“I’m just realizing there’s no time,” Richard Pryor – who drew gunfire while protecting the congregation of CrossPointe Community church in Wayne, Michigan – said during a recent Associated Press interview in which he revisited his state of mind that day. “I didn’t have a weapon on me, in the truck or anything, so what are your options?”

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Ukraine wing of US-founded terrorist group says it was involved in killing of intelligence officer in Kyiv

The Base, a far-right group with suspected links to Russia, said killing of Ivan Voronych was ‘only the beginning’

The Ukrainian wing of an internationally proscribed far-right terrorist organization with suspected links to Russia is claiming involvement in the brazen assassination of an intelligence officer in Kyiv.

Late last week, a masked assailant shot and killed Col Ivan Voronych of the Ukraine security service (SBU) as he walked through a Kyiv parking lot in broad daylight. Shocking footage of the assassination circulated in Ukrainian media and caused a stir among residents in the capital.

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As democracy in Georgia collapses, Russia, China and Iran see an opening – CNN

  1. As democracy in Georgia collapses, Russia, China and Iran see an opening  CNN
  2. A Georgian Dream Deferred  The Dispatch
  3. EU Eyes Sanctions And Visa Moves Over Georgia's Political Crackdown  Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
  4. Georgia's visa-free regime with EU at risk over 'backsliding' concerns  Euronews.com
  5. Relationship with the EU, with Germany, is in a deep crisis - German Ambassador  BM.GE
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Sick pay changes could benefit UK firms by up to £2bn, TUC says

Exclusive: Analysis shows covering part of salaries from first day off can boost productivity and employee retention

Changes to sick pay to cover part of workers’ salaries from the first day off could end up benefiting British businesses by as much as £2bn, according to analysis commissioned by the UK’s main union body.

The Trades Union Congress (TUC), which is pushing for the government to stick with its plans for workers’ rights, said modelling showed businesses would gain benefits of £2.4bn thanks to productivity boosts, while facing direct costs of £425m to pay for extra sick days.

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Dismay after Southampton airport gets permission to cut down cemetery trees

Campaigners attack council for backing plan to fell trees in burial site near runway to allow for increase in passengers

A Labour-led city council has been criticised for backing an airport’s scheme to cut down “majestic” trees in a historic, wildlife-rich cemetery close to a runway.

Environmental campaigners, people whose loved ones were laid to rest in the cemetery and opposition politicians have expressed dismay that the trees in South Stoneham Cemetery in Southampton are to be lost.

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Russia launches ‘massive’ drone bombardment on Zelensky’s hometown, Ukrainian officials say – CNN

  1. Russia launches ‘massive’ drone bombardment on Zelensky’s hometown, Ukrainian officials say  CNN
  2. The first casualty is sleep as the bombs and missiles fall on Kyiv  The Washington Post
  3. Russia attacks Ukraine with hundreds of drones, energy infrastructure hit  Reuters
  4. Sleeplessness, death, destruction: Russian attacks torment Kyiv  Al Jazeera
  5. Putin Snubs Trump by Unleashing Deadly Strike After President’s Ultimatum  The Daily Beast
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Southern Water issues hosepipe ban for 1m people in Hampshire and Isle of Wight

Announcement takes number of people hit by restrictions across England to about 8.5 million

Southern Water has become the fourth English utility to issue a hosepipe ban, taking the number of people hit by such restrictions to about 8.5 million.

The latest ban, which comes into force for about 1 million residents across large swathes of Hampshire and all of the Isle of Wight from 9am on Monday, comes after Yorkshire, Thames and South East Water announced similar measures.

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No automatic right to resettlement for Afghans in data leak, says Healey

Defence secretary says it was ‘never the plan to bring everyone’ on dataset to UK, while Ben Wallace denies Tories sought superinjunction

The defence secretary, John Healey, has said there is no automatic right to resettlement for Afghans named in a leaked Ministry of Defence database, as the former Conservative ministers Ben Wallace and Johnny Mercer clashed over whether “thousands of people with little or tenuous links” had been admitted to Britain.

The controversy revolves around a dataset containing the personal information of nearly 19,000 people who applied for the Afghan relocations and assistance policy (Arap) that was released “in error” in February 2022 by a British defence official.

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Trump threatens to impose drug and chip tariffs as soon as 1 August

US president talks of low tariff to give pharmaceutical firms a year or so to build, and then making it ‘very high’

Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on pharmaceutical products and semiconductors as soon as 1 August, the latest deadline for the introduction of his “reciprocal” levies on individual countries.

The US president told reporters late on Tuesday the taxes on drug imports could be announced “probably at the end of the month, and we’re going to start off with a low tariff and give the pharmaceutical companies a year or so to build, and then we’re going to make it a very high tariff”.

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As Iran Deports a Million Afghans, ‘Where Do We Even Go?’ – The New York Times

  1. As Iran Deports a Million Afghans, ‘Where Do We Even Go?’  The New York Times
  2. The scale of Afghans returning from Iran is overwhelming, says UN official  AP News
  3. The Take: Why are Afghan refugees being sent back to Taliban rule?  Al Jazeera
  4. Iran expels half a million Afghans in 16-day stretch since recent conflict with Israel, UN says  CNN
  5. One of history’s biggest expulsions: Iran is throwing out 4m Afghans  The Times
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Cuban minister resigns after saying ‘there are no beggars in Cuba’ – BBC

  1. Cuban minister resigns after saying 'there are no beggars in Cuba'  BBC
  2. Cuban labor minister resigns after her suggestion beggars were pretending sparked backlash  AP News
  3. Cuban minister resigns after suggesting beggars are pretending  Al Jazeera
  4. Cuban minister under pressure for saying country has no beggars  Reuters
  5. Cuban minister resigns after downplaying poverty  Chronicle-Tribune
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EU accused of ‘cruel and unlawful betrayal’ of Palestinians over failure to confront Israel

Stinging rebuke from Amnesty International follows EU ministers declining to endorse any sanctions over Gaza war

The EU has been accused of a “cruel and unlawful betrayal” of Palestinians and European values after failing to take action to impose sanctions on Israel over the war in Gaza.

The stinging rebuke from Amnesty International, echoed by other human rights organisations, came after EU ministers meeting in Brussels on Tuesday declined to endorse any measures to sanction Israel over the brutal war in Gaza and endemic violence in the West Bank.

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