Why is Trump risking midterm disaster by resuming an already unpopular war with Iran? 18. July 2026 (11:00) Less than a month after hailing a ceasefire, Trump resumed strikes on Iran, a move experts warn could prolong the war and hurt Republicans ahead of midtermsFor half a century, Donald Trump has performed a public high-wire act based on high-stakes risks and shattering time-honored norms to get what he wants.The approach has paid off handsomely, helping him survive multiple bankruptcies to reach billionaire status and numerous legal and political scandals to be elected US president twice. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Burnham must shift UK mood on racism, chair of Operation Black Vote says 18. July 2026 (11:00) Incoming PM must seize chance to stop race discourse deflecting from class inequalities, says David WeaverAndy Burnham has a historic opportunity to shift the national mood on racism, the chair of Operation Black Vote has said.In an interview marking the 30th anniversary of the influential nonpartisan civil rights organisation, David Weaver, the chair of Operation Black Vote (OBV), said Burnham must seize the chance to change a UK political culture where race and migration discourse is used to deflect from class inequalities and ineffective leadership. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Wessex Water chief pockets above-inflation pay rise despite bonus ban over sewage spills 18. July 2026 (09:00) CEO’s pay packet surges to £791,000 as union says public ‘sick of obscene pay’ and bosses ‘feathering own nests’Wessex Water awarded its chief executive an above-inflation pay increase even as the company was banned from paying bonuses because of sewage spills, it has emerged.Ruth Jefferson received a 14% base salary increase in October, from £590,000 to £670,000, before other benefits, according to accounts published this month. It was far above the 3.5% given to workers, and put her pay at 18 times that of the company’s median employee. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
London Underground users should know about toxic dust risk, whistleblower says 18. July 2026 (08:58) Former tube network cleaner says tribunal vindicated his health concerns, including about asbestos, that could affect publicA London Underground worker who was unfairly sacked after whistleblowing about his concerns over exposure to asbestos and other toxic dust has said he wants all tube passengers to know about the potential hazards his case has revealed.Micky Steeds, a former professional boxer from Aveley in Essex, started working for London Underground in 2018 cleaning up decades of dust from vents, lift shafts and inverts – confined channels underneath station platforms for cabling. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Farage’s furious clash with Times editor stuns figures close to him 18. July 2026 (08:00) ‘Strong confrontation’ comes at fragile moment for Reform’s relations with rightwing media as coverage turns negativeNigel Farage is no stranger to expressing his ire at what he regards as the liberal establishment, but even figures close to him were surprised at the tirade of anger he unleashed upon the editor of the Times.The exchange, which is said to have included an expletive aimed at Tony Gallagher, was triggered by the Reform UK leader’s outrage that the paper was planning to run a story about his houses, which he said endangered his family. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Israeli ministers announce plans for new illegal settlements in Gaza and West Bank 18. July 2026 (08:00) Defence minister seeks three ‘Naha’ outposts in Gaza as top commander says Israel now controls 65% of the strip, violating Trump ceasefire dealIsrael’s defence and finance ministers announced plans for three illegal settlements in Gaza and more than $400m (£300m) in funding to expand construction in the occupied West Bank, as Israel’s military commander for the region celebrated violent outposts as his “security partners”.With national elections scheduled for 27 October, Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right coalition is racing to expand control of land in occupied Palestine and drive out Palestinians before its mandate expires. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘It’s only going to get worse’: wildfires forcing firefighters to make impossible choices 18. July 2026 (07:00) As the climate crisis fuels more intense blazes, pushing them to new parts of the world, those tackling them are forced to ration resources and decide which to fightCésar Alcaraz had only just become a firefighter in the late 1990s when he found himself ambushed by a fast-moving blaze. Barely able to breathe and with no more water left in his truck, he and his colleagues fled an inferno ravaging Spain’s Montgó mountain region, wishing their bosses had sent more support.But nearly three decades on, as an officer with Alicante’s provincial firefighters, Alcaraz has more sympathy for the agonising choices that commanders have to make. When wildfires overwhelm an area, his job resembles that of a doctor in an emergency room with too few ventilators. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘We are preserving a tradition’: how Ghana’s sensationalist film posters became collectible art 18. July 2026 (06:00) Hand-painted works are often wildly unfaithful to the movies they portray – reinterpretations that sometimes resulted in threats, insults and even physical attacks from viewers who felt dupedSitting on his porch in Teshie near Accra, Heavy J dipped a brush into red oil paint and dabbed it carefully on to his canvas – a flour sack – adding blood to a knife being wielded by a man. Higher on the canvas, he had started on an outline of a skull.Heavy J was creating a poster, but not as you might have expected for a horror film. Instead, it was for the animated fairytale The Little Mermaid. The man with the knife wasn’t a killer but the film’s kind-hearted prince, Eric. The skull was also unrelated to the story. “We add more to make people interested,” said Heavy J, whose real name is Jeaurs Affutu. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Memphis rallies for progressive Democrat after four fatal shootings by taskforce: ‘Fight of our lives’ 18. July 2026 (04:18) Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley join rally to support Justin Pearson’s bid for a seat in CongressMore than a thousand people rallied for Justin Pearson, a Democratic state representative running for Congress, in the wake of four fatal shootings by members of the Memphis Safe Task Force over the last two months.Crowds packed New Direction Christian Church in the city’s Hickory Hill neighborhood in support of Pearson, who is running in the now-fractured ninth congressional district’s Democratic primary. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
San Francisco police find wreckage of boat that sank as body identified 18. July 2026 (02:39) Tondra Madruga named as second victim in deadly capsizing as police continue search for two missing peoplePolice on Friday discovered the wreckage of a boat that sank this week in the San Francisco Bay after recovering the body of a missing person the day before.The body was identified as Tondra Madruga, 58, also known as Tondra Miller, the San Francisco medical examiner said. She was one of three people missing after the Volare, a 49ft (15m) cabin cruiser, sank on Wednesday afternoon with 20 people onboard after being hit by a wave and capsizing. The group was on the boat to scatter the ashes of a loved one. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
