President Trump's administration made significant moves, including a takeover of Washington D.C.'s police force and deployment of the National Guard, sparking widespread criticism, while key appointments and policy changes affecting immigration and social programs were also announced. The Texas Senate passed a gerrymandered map amid a Democratic quorum denial, and Vice-President Vance's UK holiday drew protests.

• Texas Senate passes Republican-drawn gerrymandered map as House Democrats continue to deny quorum – live updates — The Guardian -
• ‘We don’t want him’: Dance Against Vance in Cotswolds in protest at vice-president’s UK holiday — The Guardian -
• Under Pressure by Trump, Mexico Sends 26 Accused Cartel Operatives to U.S. — New York Times World -

• US announces criminal charges against Haitian gang leader Barbecue — BBC World -
• White House says 23 arrested after hundreds of federal officers deploy to DC — The Guardian -
• Sheinbaum’s rare agreement with Trump says more about Mexico City than DC — The Guardian -
• Mexico and Brazil Rebut Trump’s Claims About Violence in Their Cities — New York Times World -
• New York City mayoral race: Mamdani leads Cuomo by 19 points, poll shows — The Guardian -
• JD Vance has met Jenrick on Cotswolds visit but not expected to see Badenoch — The Guardian -
• Canadians steer clear of US as travel from north falls for seventh month — The Guardian -
• Trump administration to review 19 Smithsonian museums to ensure exhibits are ‘patriotic’ — The Guardian -
• Texas attorney general seeks jail for Beto O’Rourke over funding Democrats’ walkout — The Guardian -
• DoJ says George Washington University violated law over Jewish students and faculty — The Guardian -
• Trump could expand role of national guard for ‘quick reaction’ to unrest — The Guardian -
• Trump officials move to sanction lawyer who tried to block client’s deportation — The Guardian -
• US court says Trump’s Doge team can access social security numbers and other sensitive data — The Guardian -
• Trump law will cut food stamps for 2.4 million people as work rules widen — The Guardian -
• New Trump labor official has history of racist, sexist and conspiratorial posts — The Guardian -
• Trump deploys National Guard to Washington DC and pledges crime crackdown — BBC World -
• Trump will ignore crime reduction data for the political value of a show of force — The Guardian -
• Trump condemned for ‘dangerous’ move to seize control of DC police and deploy national guard | First Thing — The Guardian -
• Tuesday Briefing: Trump’s Washington Crackdown — New York Times World -
• Trump nominates chief economist at rightwing Heritage Foundation to lead Bureau of Labor Statistics – as it happened — The Guardian -
• Gavin Newsom urges Trump to abandon Texas redistricting effort in letter — The Guardian -

Intensified Israeli bombardments in Gaza led to a call for a nationwide walkout by hostage families and warnings of antibiotic-resistant diseases, as Ukraine's refusal to cede territory came amid Russian battlefield advances and preparations for a Trump-Putin summit to discuss peace. Meanwhile, Myanmar's military was accused of detaining young children, a deadly attack occurred in a Sudan camp, and a Chinese warship collided with a coastguard vessel in the South China Sea.

• Israeli Hostage Families Call for Nationwide Walkout — New York Times World -
• ‘It’s a horrible picture’: Gaza faces new threat from antibiotic-resistant disease — The Guardian -
• Zelensky rules out ceding Donbas region as Russians make fresh advance — BBC World -

• Wednesday Briefing: Russian Forces Advance in Ukraine — New York Times World -
• Foreign Recruits in Ukraine Military Are Killed in Russian Missile Strike — New York Times World -
• Ukraine will not cede land that could be Russian springboard for new war, Zelenskyy says — The Guardian -
• Zakaria Zubeidi, Palestinian Militia and Theater Leader, Speaks After Release From Prison — New York Times World -
• Ukraine's borders must not be changed by force, EU leaders say — BBC World -
• When Trump Meets Putin, Anything Could Happen — New York Times World -
• Philippines Condemns China After South China Sea Collision Captured on Video — New York Times World -
• Israel bombards Gaza City as UK and allies demand action against 'unfolding famine' — BBC World -
• Middle East crisis: 25 foreign ministers issue joint call for ‘flood’ of aid into Gaza – as it happened — The Guardian -
• Israel intensifies bombing of Gaza, killing 89 Palestinians in 24 hours — The Guardian -
• Russia Makes Battlefield Advances in Ukraine, Seeking an Edge in Trump Talks — New York Times World -
• Madonna urges Pope to visit Gaza 'before it's too late' — BBC World -
• Trump Says He’s Going to Alaska to See What Putin ‘Has in Mind’ — New York Times World -
• Europe live: EU says Ukraine should be able to ‘choose its own destiny’ ahead of Trump-Putin meeting — The Guardian -
• Myanmar army detaining two-year-olds as proxies for parents, witnesses tell UN — The Guardian -
• Dozens killed in attack on Sudan camp for people who had fled war — BBC World -
• Who were the Al Jazeera journalists killed by Israel in Gaza? — BBC World -
• EU leaders defend Ukraine’s freedom to decide future ahead of Trump-Putin summit — The Guardian -
• Why Surrendering a Key Eastern Region Would Be Hard for Ukraine — New York Times World -
• Chinese warship crashes into own coastguard vessel while chasing Philippine boat in South China Sea — The Guardian -
• Anthony Albanese says Benjamin Netanyahu is ‘in denial’ about crisis in Gaza — The Guardian -
• North Koreans tell BBC they are being sent to work 'like slaves' in Russia — BBC World -
• North Koreans tell BBC they are being sent to work 'like slaves' in Russia — BBC World -
• Australia PM says Israel's Netanyahu 'in denial' about Gaza war — BBC World -
• Footage Shows Medical Volunteer Execution in Southern Syria Amid Sectarian Violence — New York Times World -

The Reserve Bank of Australia implemented a rate cut, and major banks announced delayed mortgage relief, while President Trump extended a trade truce with China which influenced global market rallies and US consumer costs. Crypto mogul Do Kwon pleaded guilty to fraud, and the UK saw cuts in employer bonuses and hiring due to an economic slowdown.

• Australia news live: arrest after firearm discharged at Sydney airport; Commonwealth Bank profit rises to $10.2bn — The Guardian -
• Crypto mogul Do Kwon pleads guilty to fraud for $40bn market collapse — The Guardian -
• Trump’s China trade truce extension spurs market rally — The Guardian -

• UK employers cut back on bonuses and hiring as economic slowdown hits jobs market — The Guardian -
• Three more interest rate cuts may be on the way. But when is increasingly looking like anyone’s guess — The Guardian -
• Australia’s borrowers may have to wait weeks for Reserve Bank’s rate cut to reduce their mortgage — The Guardian -
• Trump Extends China Tariff Truce by Three Months — New York Times World -
• Club World Cup and summer tennis bring in the bets for Entain — The Guardian -
• Price of gold eases after Trump rules out tariffs on imported bars — The Guardian -
• US prices continued rise in July as Trump tariffs impact consumer costs — The Guardian -
• US and China extend trade truce to avoid tariffs hike — BBC World -
• RBA interest rates decision: relief for borrowers as Reserve Bank cuts cash rate to 3.6% — The Guardian -
• Westpac and CBA pass on cut after RBA reduces cash rate – as it happened — The Guardian -
• Trump announces another 90-day pause on China tariffs — The Guardian -

The UK faced scrutiny over immigration, with over 50,000 Channel crossings since the new Labour government took power, and concerns rose about the abuse of suspected migrants, while new police guidance suggested revealing suspect ethnicity. Discussions included free bus travel for under-22s, inheritance tax reforms, and the potential collapse of Thames Water.

• Abuse of suspected migrants not an ‘innocent mistake’, says UK equality campaigner — The Guardian -
• Under-22s in England should get free bus travel to access work and training, MPs say — The Guardian -
• UK police should consider revealing ethnicity of suspects, says new guidance — The Guardian -

• Two men charged over attempted murder of police officer in Omagh — The Guardian -
• Police seize supercars worth more than £6m in crackdown on antisocial driving in London — The Guardian -
• Wisconsin Woman Convicted in Failed Assassination Attempt in Birmingham, England — New York Times World -
• British soldiers using sex workers in Kenya despite ban, inquiry finds — BBC World -
• More than 50,000 people have crossed Channel in small boats since Labour took power — The Guardian -
• Treasury targeting inheritance tax reforms to help plug UK deficit — The Guardian -
• UK politics: Pressure grows on Starmer as Channel migrant figures pass 50,000 since Labour’s win – as it happened — The Guardian -
• UK visa services firm sues ex-boss for £6m over alleged improper use of profits — The Guardian -
• Conservatives not close to recognising ‘how badly placed they are’, says Gauke — The Guardian -
• Woman disguised in niqab guilty of conspiracy to murder in Birmingham — The Guardian -
• Vape sellers to pay disposal costs under plans to end UK’s ‘throwaway culture’ — The Guardian -
• UK recovers position in EU’s Horizon Europe science research programme — The Guardian -
• Thames Water: advisers appointed to plan for company’s potential collapse — The Guardian -
• Imperial War Museum rejects criticism of caption in Holocaust display — The Guardian -
• Rising job losses and cooling wage growth pose a challenge for Rachel Reeves — The Guardian -
• David Lammy faces possible legal action over Foreign Office secondments — The Guardian -

Australia's Reserve Bank cut interest rates, offering relief to borrowers despite some banks delaying the full pass-on, while a police firearm discharge occurred at Sydney airport. Environmental concerns were highlighted by a report on climate crisis risks and criticism of a museum's partnership amid record coral bleaching, as Labor reviewed its election win and Aukus laws sparked nuclear waste dump concerns.

• Australia news live: arrest after firearm discharged at Sydney airport; Commonwealth Bank profit rises to $10.2bn — The Guardian -
• Man arrested after police firearm discharged inside Sydney domestic airport — The Guardian -
• ‘Deceptively cute’ ancient whale with razor-sharp teeth and eyes the size of tennis balls discovered in Australia — The Guardian -

• WA Museum partnership with Woodside criticised as record-breaking marine heatwave decimates coral reefs — The Guardian -
• AI and misinformation in crosshairs of Labor’s review of its landslide election win — The Guardian -
• Aukus laws will mean anywhere in Australia could be potential nuclear waste dump, critics say — The Guardian -
• ‘Play by the rules’: Fortnite developer Epic Games wins Australian court battle against Apple and Google — The Guardian -
• Pilot in crash that killed Outback Wrangler star panicked and lied to investigators, court hears — The Guardian -
• Last call: Melbourne airport ranked Australia’s least convenient — The Guardian -
• Risks of climate crisis to Australia’s economy and environment are ‘intense and scary’, unreleased government report says — The Guardian -
• Academic labels Julie Bishop ‘hostile and arrogant’ in tearful evidence to ANU inquiry — The Guardian -
• ‘No clinical benefit’ to blood test for Pfas, government says, after ‘forever chemical’ found in Blue Mountains — The Guardian -
• Worst bleaching on record for Western Australian coral reefs — BBC World -
• Woman sentenced to prison for importing illegal cacti and plants to Australia in fake lingerie packages — The Guardian -
• Mark Latham has an ‘abusive obsession with me’, NSW MP Alex Greenwich tells tribunal — The Guardian -

Deadly heatwaves fueled wildfires across Southern Europe, with thousands evacuated and concerns over antibiotic-resistant diseases in Gaza, while England faced worsening dry conditions and plans to save water. A train derailment involving hazardous materials occurred in Texas, and there were warnings against using AI for health advice after a man developed a rare condition.

• Train with at least 35 cars carrying hazardous materials derails in Texas — The Guardian -
• Watch: Europe's wildfires seen from above — BBC World -
• As Heat Wave Hits Southern Europe, Wildfires Kill 2 — New York Times World -

• Wildfires rage across southern Europe as temperatures top 40C — BBC World -
• Thousands evacuated in Spain as deadly heatwave fans Mediterranean wildfires — The Guardian -
• Minnesota works to replenish lake level after draining from mechanical failure — The Guardian -
• ‘Petri dish for disease’: attorney raises alarm of possible Covid outbreak at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ — The Guardian -
• Hundreds more waterways in England used recreationally than recorded by government, data finds — The Guardian -
• All the buzz: US dog helps researchers identify bacteria that harms honeybees — The Guardian -
• As Europe’s Heat Waves Intensify, France Bickers About Air-Conditioning — New York Times World -
• Jellyfish Shut Down French Nuclear Power Plant — New York Times World -
• Experts discuss plans to save water as dry conditions worsen across England — The Guardian -
• Flames near Madrid as wildfires burn across Spain and Portugal — BBC World -
• Rise in dengue fever outbreaks across the Pacific driven by the climate crisis, experts say — The Guardian -

South Korea's former first lady was arrested on corruption charges, Guatemalan officials were found guilty in the deaths of 41 girls in a shelter fire, and US charges were announced against a Haitian gang leader. An Icelandic bank theft from 1975 saw a confession, and Nigerian military raids killed scores of bandits, while a US steel plant explosion resulted in two deaths.

• South Korea’s Ex-First Lady Kim Keon Hee Is Arrested on Corruption Charges — New York Times World -
• Guatemalan judge finds six people guilty over deaths of 41 girls in 2017 fire — The Guardian -
• Perpetrator in 1975 Iceland Bank Theft Comes Forward, 50 Years Later — New York Times World -

• Baltimore police arrest pastor accused of abusing six teens — The Guardian -
• Scores of bandits killed in air and ground raids, Nigerian military says — BBC World -
• Man faces jail in US for shipping 850 turtles in socks to Hong Kong — BBC World -
• Hundreds of Indian Lawmakers Detained at a Protest Claiming Vote Rigging — New York Times World -
• Migrant sentenced to life for murdering Maryland mum in case invoked by Trump — BBC World -
• Explosion ‘like thunder’ at Pennsylvania US Steel plant leaves two dead — The Guardian -

Remains of a British researcher lost in Antarctica in 1959 were discovered, and a "deceptively cute" ancient whale fossil was found in Australia. Concerns arose over AI's role in health advice after a man suffered from a condition from a ChatGPT query, while stargazers prepared for the Perseids meteor shower, and Imperial War Museum's Holocaust display caption drew criticism.

• Remains of British Researcher Lost in 1959 Are Discovered Off Antarctica — New York Times World -
• ‘Deceptively cute’ ancient whale with razor-sharp teeth and eyes the size of tennis balls discovered in Australia — The Guardian -
• Man develops rare condition after ChatGPT query over stopping eating salt — The Guardian -

• Rescuers Find Body of American Hiker Who Was Missing in Pyrenees — New York Times World -
• Anna Sorokin ‘horrified’ after rabbits used for photoshoot dumped in New York park — The Guardian -
• A Glow-Up Gone Awry — New York Times World -
• Charges dropped against teen pilot detained in Antarctica — BBC World -
• Grammy-winning Afropop star Tems: 'Women are not respected in the industry' — BBC World -
• Stargazers prepare for meteor shower of the year as the Perseids peak — The Guardian -
• Taylor Swift announces new album on boyfriend Travis Kelce's podcast — BBC World -
• Are Samosas Unhealthy? Some Indians Find Official Advice Hard to Swallow. — New York Times World -
• A Haven for English in the Most French of North American Cities — New York Times World -
• Ronaldo engaged to long-term partner Georgina Rodríguez — BBC World -
• Nepal offers free climbs to 97 peaks as tourism to Everest surges — BBC World -