Troy Jackson secures Democratic nomination for Maine Senate seat after chaotic primary race 25. July 2026 (17:44) Progressive former state senate president gains nomination after Graham Platner dropped out over sexual assault allegationsIn a race defined by scandal, withdrawals and a frantic hunt for a replacement candidate, Maine Democrats hit reset on their chaotic Senate primary on Saturday as Troy Jackson officially secured the party’s nomination.He took the stage at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor to rapturous applause, a standing ovation and Noah Kahan’s Northern Attitude blaring over the speakers. “This is the absolute honor of my life,” Jackson said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Eight family members found dead in Michigan fire, some with gunshot wounds 25. July 2026 (17:18) Firefighters responded to an emergency call and found the bodies, six of which were those of childrenA devastating tragedy has unfolded in Michigan after emergency crews responding to a house fire found eight members of the same family, including six children, dead. At least some of the dead inside the home had gunshot wounds.Deputies with the Ottawa county sheriff’s office and firefighters from the Grand Haven fire department were dispatched at about 11.40am local time on Friday to a residence on Riverside Trail in Grand Haven Township. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
More than 250,000 people flee wildfires in France and Spain 25. July 2026 (16:50) Hundreds of firefighters battle blazes as strong winds drive fires towards Bordeaux and smoke prompts health warnings in MadridUnrestrained wildfires in Spain and France have forced more than 250,000 people to flee, authorities from both countries have said, as they struggle to contain the blazes.About 70,000 people were evacuated from central Spain, while 197,000 people fled in France, including tens of thousands from the wine region city of Bordeaux. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Fourth firefighter dies from burns received in June during Colorado wildfire operation 25. July 2026 (16:45) Nathan Matthews, 43, died a month after deadly burnover enveloped his fire crew near the Colorado-Utah borderA fourth firefighter has died from burns after he and several colleagues were overcome by a fast-moving wildfire near the Colorado-Utah border last month, officials said on Saturday.Nathan Matthews, 43, died on Friday, the US interior department said in a release. He was from Lincoln, Nebraska. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Former top US food safety official says Trump’s mismanagement of cyclospora is approaching ‘a catastrophic level’ 25. July 2026 (16:04) Frank Yiannas, formerly of the FDA, calls for an independent review of federal response to illness causing explosive diarrheaDonald Trump’s former top food safety official has accused the administration of a near “catastrophic” mismanagement of the cyclospora outbreak that has sickened thousands of people in the US.There should be an independent review of the federal government’s response to the rash of illnesses caused by the spread of a parasite found on raw produce, according to Frank Yiannas, who was deputy commissioner for food policy at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) across the presidencies of both Trump and Joe Biden from 2018 to 2023. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Lou Koller, frontman of New York hardcore band Sick of It All, dies aged 59 25. July 2026 (15:22) Koller, who co-founded the celebrated band in 1986, had been battling cancer of the esophagusLou Koller, the singer and co-founder of New York hardcore band Sick of It All, has died after a battle with cancer, his bandmates announced. Koller was 59.In a social media post on the band’s Instagram page, a statement paid tribute to Koller and his work and said: “The level of loss that we feel at this time is overwhelming.” Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Indian celebrities fiercely criticised for silence on Cockroach protests 25. July 2026 (15:00) Bollywood stars accused of ‘cowardice’ as hundreds of thousands of young Indians take to the streets to challenge governmentBollywood stars and other Indian celebrities have faced fierce criticism for staying silent in the face of some of the biggest protests India has seen in years.Hundreds of thousands of young Indians took to the streets this week as part of a new youth movement that calls itself the Cockroach Janata party (CJP), demanding accountability over exam paper leaks in an unprecedented challenge to prime minister Narendra Modi’s government. Many vented their anger against what they saw as “cowardice” from India’s biggest celebrities. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Iran-backed Houthis claim missile attack on Saudi Arabia as regional tensions escalate 25. July 2026 (14:28) Saudi air defences intercept ballistic missiles as Iran reports first night without US strikes in two weeksYemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed a missile attack on the southern Saudi city of Jizan on Saturday, after vowing retaliation against the kingdom for attacks this week.Iran, meanwhile, reported no strikes overnight on Saturday for the first time after two weeks of US attacks. The Iranian health ministry spokesperson, Hossein Kermanpour, said: “Iran had a peaceful night” in a post on X. Tensions, however, remain high. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Troy Jackson: the Maine lumberjack Democrats believe can beat Susan Collins 25. July 2026 (14:00) Jackson, set to replace Graham Platner, is prominent workers’ rights advocate and a leading progressive voiceAs cinemagoers flock to The Odyssey, Democrats in Maine are hoping that their long and perilous quest for a political hero ends in Troy.They are set to nominate lumberjack Troy Jackson this weekend as their candidate to challenge Susan Collins, a veteran Republican in the US Senate, after the implosion of the party’s original candidate left them scrambling for a replacement less than four months before the midterm elections. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Really inappropriate’: teachers decry plan for humanoid robot in New York high school 25. July 2026 (14:00) Robot from company that acquired sex doll maker to be introduced in school with large Native American populationA humanoid robot is being introduced as part of a pilot program, along with an AI teaching assistant, at Salamanca high school in Salamanca, New York, located on the Allegany territory of the Seneca nation.Teachers have criticized the program, deeming it “inappropriate” and claiming it dehumanizes the profession with the introduction of human-like robots. Some local Native American residents have also criticized the pilot program, citing its implementation as “culturally tone deaf”. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
