Iran attacks Gulf countries following fresh US strikes – Middle East crisis live

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Jordan, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and the UAE reportedly came under attack as Tehran says it is closing Strait of Hormuz

There has been almost no visible traffic in the strait of Hormuz so far today, with only two oil products tankers seen approaching the narrow waterway, according to a Bloomberg report.

As a reminder, the US president, Donald Trump, has declared the ceasefire over while leaving the door open for talks, and mediators have been trying to salvage a diplomatic solution despite the attacks intensifying.

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Outcry after Atlanta tosses unhoused people’s belongings near World Cup spot

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City official says staffers were performing ‘routine park maintenance’ where 15 people have gathered for months

City employees in Atlanta, Georgia, recently threw away tents, medication, identification and other belongings of unhoused people at a public park without warning. This led activists and a local official to point to an apparent violation of procedures created after a city employee ran over a tent with a front loader last year, killing a man.

The sweep through the park occurred less than a mile from a popular spot for World Cup watch parties, drawing into focus ongoing tension over the issue of what happens to the city’s several thousand unhoused people during the month-long event.

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Nothing to suggest Ann Widdecombe death politically motivated, say police

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Officers say they are not looking for anyone else after arrest of man, 28, on suspicion of murdering ex-Tory politician

Police have said there is nothing to suggest the death of Ann Widdecombe was politically motivated.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday morning, the assistant chief constable of Devon and Cornwall police, Matt Longman, said detectives were open-minded about the motive for the killing, but stressed there was no evidence to suggest it had been politically motivated. He also said it was not being treated as terrorism.

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Lindsey Graham, key ally of Donald Trump, has died after sudden illness, his office says

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Republican served in Senate since 2003 and was sharp Trump critic before becoming one of his most loyal backers

Lindsey Graham, a longtime US senator and key ally of Donald Trump, has died from a sudden illness, his office said on Sunday. He had just turned 71.

Graham’s abrupt death will send shock waves through Washington and the Republican party. He had served in the Senate since 2003, representing South Carolina, and was running for re-election in November.

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ESPN analyst Matt Miller faces financial investigation amid car crash recovery

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Miller takes indefinite leave after arm amputation and questions of possible financial improprieties

An on-air analyst for a top US sports broadcaster says he is pulling back from his role indefinitely as he heals from a car crash in Missouri that forced him to undergo a life-saving amputation – and while he reportedly faces a law enforcement investigation into possible financial improprieties connected to what he billed as side charity work.

Matt Miller’s announcement on Friday that he was taking indefinite leave from ESPN provided only the latest twist in an unusual case that has drawn significant attention from both media as well as the substantial number of American football fanatics who follow his area of expertise: the process by which NFL teams select, or draft, collegiate prospects.

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Israel’s war in Gaza dominates US midterm races as Democrats split

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Tensions between progressive and moderate camps of Democratic party on display in key Senate race in Michigan

The Israel-Gaza war created gaping divisions in the Democratic party and contributed to a resounding loss in a critical presidential election year in 2024. Two years later, the issue continues to dominate races across the country, as progressives try to seize on Israel’s falling popularity and a broad anti-war sentiment ahead of November’s midterms.

A recent debate among two Democrats vying for one of the most competitive US Senate seats in the country openly displayed the tension between progressive and moderate camps of the party.

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New LS Lowry exhibition aims to demolish ‘naive and uncultured’ myth

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Gallery director says collection of 140 paintings will offer a more balanced view of Manchester painter’s work

A new exhibition of work by LS Lowry will “bust a few myths” about the Mancunian artist, who the show’s co-curator says is still wrongly derided for being “naive and uncultured”.

LS Lowry: the Theatre of Life features 140 paintings by the artist, who captured working-class life in the industrial north-west of England during the early and mid 20th century.

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Tommy Robinson’s Musk-funded Russia trip spurs call to defend UK democracy

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Ed Davey voices concern about the Musk family foundation taking the far-right activist on a visit to Moscow

The UK must do more to defend its democracy after it emerged that Elon Musk’s family foundation had taken the far-right activist Tommy Robinson to Russia, Ed Davey has said.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was brought to Russia by the Musks, the billionaire tech mogul’s father told the Guardian.

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Reeves tells Burnham to expect ‘shocks and challenges’ from outset in No 10

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Chancellor says PM-in-waiting needs ‘worked through plan’, in what could be one of her final interviews in No 11

Rachel Reeves has urged Andy Burnham to arrive in Downing Street with a “worked through plan”, saying the incoming prime minister will be tested quickly by a range of incoming “shocks and challenges”.

In what could be one of the first female chancellor’s final major interviews while in No 11, Reeves said Burnham should remain focused on the priorities that first brought him into politics.

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US attacks Iran over ship being hit in Strait of Hormuz; Tehran lashes out again at Gulf Arab states – AP News

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  1. US attacks Iran over ship being hit in Strait of Hormuz; Tehran lashes out again at Gulf Arab states  AP News
  2. Live updates: New US strikes on Iran and Gulf nations intercept attacks  CNN
  3. Iran War Live Updates: U.S. Launches Strikes After Iran Fires on Ship in Strait of Hormuz  The New York Times
  4. U.S. launches airstrikes against Iran after Tehran attacks container ship in Hormuz, Pentagon says  CNBC
  5. Iran attacks Gulf countries following fresh US strikes – Middle East crisis live  The Guardian
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14 nations and the EU reaffirm 2016 ruling invalidating China’s claims in South China Sea – AP News

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  1. 14 nations and the EU reaffirm 2016 ruling invalidating China’s claims in South China Sea  AP News
  2. South China Sea joint statement says China's maritime claims have no basis  Reuters
  3. Beijing renews attacks on landmark South China Sea tribunal on ruling’s 10th anniversary  South China Morning Post
  4. A decade after historic ruling, Philippine fishermen say driven away from disputed shoal by China  Yahoo
  5. Beijing's acts dilute impact of South China Sea award, Manila's lawyer says  Nikkei Asia
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Iran closes Strait of Hormuz, US launches fresh strikes – DW.com

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  1. Iran closes Strait of Hormuz, US launches fresh strikes  DW.com
  2. US strikes Iran, Tehran hits Gulf states, says Strait of Hormuz closed  Reuters
  3. US, Iran Trade Wave of Attacks as Tehran Says Hormuz Closed  Bloomberg.com
  4. Iran privately told Trump advisers "they made a mistake" in shooting at ships in Strait of Hormuz  CBS News
  5. Iran war updates: IRGC navy declares Strait of Hormuz closed  Al Jazeera
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US and Iran exchange strikes as Tehran again says strait of Hormuz is closed

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Tehran says vessel using unapproved route in strait was struck, drawing retaliation from US forces

Iran and the US exchanged fresh strikes early on Sunday over what Tehran said was unauthorised use of the strait of Hormuz by a container ship, raising further doubts about the prospects of talks to agree a way forward for the vital waterway.

The latest flare-up began when the ⁠Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it had struck a vessel travelling on an unapproved route and then closed the strait, warning that any retaliation would be met with a “severe response”.

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Former emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, dies at 74 – Reuters

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  1. Former emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, dies at 74  Reuters
  2. Former Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani dies aged 74  Al Jazeera
  3. Qatar announces four-day national mourning  The Peninsula Qatar
  4. Sheikh Hamad, Leader Who Made Qatar One of Richest Nations, Dies  Bloomberg.com
  5. Qatar's former ruler Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani has died at age 74, state news agency says  AP News
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Gas queues grow as Ukraine targets Russia’s fuel supply – DW.com

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  1. Gas queues grow as Ukraine targets Russia's fuel supply  DW.com
  2. Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, July 10, 2026  Institute for the Study of War
  3. Bringing the war to Putin’s front door: Is Ukraine’s energy strike strategy working?  Fox News
  4. Russia's diesel export ban deepens global supply crunch  Reuters
  5. Russian fuel shortages bite – but will Putin change tack in Ukraine war?  BBC
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EU accused of dragging its feet over ban on trade with illegal Israeli settlements

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Foreign ministers will discuss options on Monday but decision on imports is not expected for months

The EU has been accused of dragging its feet over upholding international law, on the eve of a long-awaited debate about banning trade with illegal Israeli settlements.

EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday will discuss a possible ban on imports from the settlements, against an ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where a UN inquiry found Israel to be committing a genocide, and surging state-backed violence in the occupied West Bank, which has killed at least 235 children.

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