Global tensions remain high, marked by ongoing Israeli military actions in Gaza and Iran's internal purges following conflict, while diplomatic efforts in DR Congo-Rwanda face skepticism and geopolitical maneuvering from Russia and China spark concerns over resources and sovereignty.

• I feel like I've been gaslit - like the life I had before the war was made up — BBC World -
• At least 81 people killed in Israeli strikes in Gaza, Hamas-run health ministry says — BBC World -
• Iran Holds State Funeral for Military Commanders and Nuclear Scientists — New York Times World -

• DR Congo-Rwanda peace deal met with scepticism in rebel-held city — BBC World -
• Israeli strikes kill more than 60 people in Gaza, health officials say — The Guardian -
• Israeli strikes kill dozens in Gaza as Qatar calls for peace talks – as it happened — The Guardian -
• Amid War With Israel, Iran Pursues Enemies From Within — New York Times World -
• Netanyahu hopes for boost from Iran conflict - but do Israelis still trust him? — BBC World -
• China ‘planned car collision’ during Taiwan vice-president’s visit to Prague — The Guardian -
• Iran holds state funeral for military leaders killed in Israel conflict — BBC World -
• EU ‘cannot linger at the margins’ of Gaza conflict, says former top diplomat — The Guardian -
• ‘Everything is opportunistic’: Can Netanyahu expect more years in power after Israel’s war with Iran? — The Guardian -
• Watch: Anger and uncertainty in Iran as crowds mourn dead — BBC World -
• Russia Seizes Key Lithium Field in Challenge for U.S.-Ukraine Minerals Deal — New York Times World -
• Israel Suggests It Could Strike Iran Again to Counter New Threats — New York Times World -
• 'In business, indecision is killer' - Canadian firms seek certainty in tariff war — BBC World -

American politics is shaped by Republican legislative efforts to pass a tax-and-spend bill and the ongoing influence of Donald Trump, whose policies on social welfare and international relations are drawing both support and opposition, with family members hinting at future presidential runs.

• Senate Republicans scrambling to pass tax-and-spend bill by Trump deadline — The Guardian -
• Joe Biden and Kamala Harris attend funeral of slain Minnesota lawmaker — The Guardian -
• America’s Trump-Fueled Brain Drain Benefits Canada — New York Times World -

• Anti-Trump conservative Don Bacon will not seek re-election to Nebraska congressional seat eyed by Dems — The Guardian -
• Trump on a high after 'tremendous' wins at home and abroad — BBC World -
• Eric Trump suggests he could run for president when his father’s term ends — The Guardian -
• Wall Street shivers over ‘hot commie summer’ after Mamdani’s success — The Guardian -
• ‘You open the fridge – nothing’: renewed threat of US hunger as Trump seeks to cut food aid — The Guardian -
• A Celebration of Canada and a Protest Against Musk and Trump — New York Times World -
• US Senate votes against resolution to limit Trump’s Iran war powers – as it happened — The Guardian -

Rights and freedoms are central as K-pop stars bravely come out, Budapest hosts massive Pride marches defying bans, and protests erupt in Bangkok; simultaneously, police conduct faces scrutiny in France and Australia, **China clamps down on LGBTQ+ themed literature, and debates intensify over free speech regarding Palestine Action and societal issues like pornography and the use of the 'Karen' term**.

• 'Proud to be gay': K-pop star on coming out to the world — BBC World -
• Takeaways From a Times Investigation of the Pope’s Legacy on Sex Abuse — New York Times World -
• French Police Officers Who Beat a Black Man on Camera to Stand Trial — New York Times World -

• Budapest Pride draws huge crowds in defiance of Orban legal threats — BBC World -
• Crowds gather for Budapest Pride march despite Orbán’s threat of ‘legal consequences’ – as it happened — The Guardian -
• Tens of thousands defy Hungary’s ban on Pride in protest against Orbán — The Guardian -
• Protesters in Bangkok demand resignation of prime minister over leaked phone call — The Guardian -
• Marilyn Manson Brighton concert cancelled after pressure from campaigners — The Guardian -
• Thai Protesters Vent Their Exasperation With the Prime Minister — New York Times World -
• Home Office staff concerned about ‘absurd’ Palestine Action ban, says senior civil servant — The Guardian -
• Calling someone a ‘Karen’ is ‘borderline racist, sexist and ageist’, tribunal says — The Guardian -
• Is Pope Leo a Man of Action on Sexual Abuse Cases? Or the Opposite? — New York Times World -
• ‘Unless you see it, you can’t believe how bad it is’: the peer demanding a minister for porn — The Guardian -
• Greens call for investigation into NSW police arrest that injured former candidate — The Guardian -
• Transgender campaigners call for European rights body to report on UK — The Guardian -
• ‘It’s a complete assault on free speech’: how Palestine Action was targeted for proscription as terrorists — The Guardian -
• Chinese Police Detain Dozens of Writers Over Gay Erotic Online Novels — New York Times World -
• Budapest Pride expected to be a rallying cry against Orbán’s rollback of rights — The Guardian -
• Federal agents blast way into California home of woman and small children — The Guardian -

The climate crisis is manifesting through Europe's first major heatwave of 2025 and a week of sweltering US temperatures, highlighting increased risks of flash floods in Pakistan and the existential threat leading Tuvalu citizens to seek climate visas, while crucial hurricane forecasting data faces potential discontinuation.

• Europe on alert as first major heatwave of 2025 pushes temperatures to 42C — The Guardian -
• Week of sweltering US heat – is this the new normal in a warming world? — The Guardian -
• Sudden loss of key US satellite data could send hurricane forecasting back ‘decades’ — The Guardian -

• At least 32 people killed as flash floods hit northern Pakistan — The Guardian -
• Southern Europe swelters as heatwave spreads — BBC World -
• Torrential rain expected to hit Sydney next week as wild weather system brews off Australia’s east coast — The Guardian -
• A Special ‘Climate’ Visa? People in Tuvalu Are Applying Fast. — New York Times World -
• A Special ‘Climate’ Visa? People in Tuvalu Are Applying Fast. — New York Times World -

The business world sees Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's lavish wedding, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's aggressive pursuit of AI talent, and Lotus's uncertain future in the UK, alongside innovations in digital banking, major market redevelopment plans in London, and the harsh realities of a cost-of-living crisis in Malawi.

• Final party set to end Bezos-Sánchez wedding extravaganza in Venice — The Guardian -
• Business secretary to meet Lotus chiefs amid doubts over future of operations — The Guardian -
• Mark Zuckerberg’s secret list of top AI talent to poach has tech world atwitter — The Guardian -

• Venice divided as lavish Bezos wedding brings glamour and protests — BBC World -
• At Bezos’ Venetian Wedding: Buzz, Bling and Backlash — New York Times World -
• First interior images of Mike Lynch’s recovered Bayesian superyacht revealed — The Guardian -
• In pictures: Celebrities descend on Venice for Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's wedding — BBC World -
• On the ground in Venice for Bezos's glitzy wedding — BBC World -
• Zopa launches current account with cashback and 7.1% on savings — The Guardian -
• Smithfield and Billingsgate market redevelopment plans begin – but traders’ future in doubt — The Guardian -
• 'I tell my children not to play so we save money on soap' — BBC World -

Concerns for public safety include tragic accidents like a child killed by a falling tree, severe criminal justice outcomes such as life sentences for migrant deaths, and the global rise of cocaine trafficking, alongside incidents like a shark bite in New York and illegal product sales involving an NHS manager.

• One child killed and another in critical condition after tree falls in Essex park — The Guardian -
• Two men found guilty in deaths of 53 migrants in Texas sentenced to life in prison — The Guardian -
• Woman likely bitten by shark at New York’s popular Jones Beach — The Guardian -

• Cocaine Is the Fastest-Growing Illegal Drug Worldwide. Here’s Why. — New York Times World -
• New Orleans jailbreak fugitive captured peacefully by police — The Guardian -
• NHS manager ordered to stop selling ‘sleep drug-laced’ children’s gummies — The Guardian -
• US charges 11 people in Russia-based scheme to bilk Medicare of $10bn — The Guardian -

UK politics is currently engaged in discussions around parliamentary ethics with a Tory MP's self-referral, significant proposed changes to NHS funding based on patient satisfaction, and Keir Starmer's critiques of Nigel Farage's political tactics.

• Tory MP refers himself to parliamentary watchdog over adviser role — The Guardian -
• NHS hospital funding in England to be tied to patient ratings, ministers say — The Guardian -
• Keir Starmer accuses Nigel Farage of ‘taking people for fools’ in Wales — The Guardian -

The cultural landscape showcases Kneecap's controversial and politically charged Glastonbury performances, the global recognition of an Indian chef's Tamil cuisine, the burgeoning appeal of Japanese sweet treats and romance novels in the UK, and the unexpected success of McDonald's in Ukraine amid conflict.

• Kneecap lead anti-Starmer chant during politically charged Glastonbury set — The Guardian -
• US multinationals on track for minimum tax reprieve after G7 deal — Financial Times -
• Rosalind Fox Solomon, Whose Photos Captured Emotional Nuance, Dies at 95 — New York Times World -

• Kneecap’s Glastonbury set will not be broadcast live, BBC confirms — The Guardian -
• Better Half — New York Times World -
• Golden Arches in a War Zone: McDonald’s Thrives in Ukraine — New York Times World -
• ‘We need to reclaim these words’: Inside England’s first romance-only bookshop catering to record levels of popularity — The Guardian -
• From mochi ice cream to strawberry sandos, Japanese sweet treats are tickling UK tastebuds — The Guardian -
• Kneecap to take to Glastonbury stage in what could be festival — The Guardian -
• From obscurity to Glastonbury. Did Doechii really predict success five years ago? — BBC World -
• How Indian chef defied odds to win food Oscar and take Tamil cuisine global — BBC World -
• Japan loves them. And now they're in the UK - strawberries and cream sandwiches — BBC World -
• Japan loves them. And now they're in the UK - strawberries and cream sandwiches — BBC World -

In Australia, Queensland Premier David Crisafulli faces findings of carelessness for failing to declare significant payments related to a company he ran, highlighting an issue of political financial transparency.

• David Crisafulli found to be ‘careless’ in not declaring $200,000 in payments related to company he ran — The Guardian -