The Trump administration is under intense scrutiny regarding Ghislaine Maxwell transcripts and an FBI raid on John Bolton's home, while federal agencies implement policies impacting union rights, immigration, and research funding; internationally, tensions rise with Venezuela as the US naval buildup continues, and Canada adjusts trade tariffs with the US.

• Trump Begins Buildup of U.S. Naval Forces Outside Venezuela, but Many Remain Skeptical — New York Times World -
• Ghislaine Maxwell transcripts: Epstein associate says she ‘never’ saw Trump receive a massage – live — The Guardian -
• US health department moves to strip thousands of employees of collective bargaining rights — The Guardian -

• Ghislaine Maxwell transcripts: what we know at a glance — The Guardian -
• Ghislaine Maxwell never saw Trump in ‘any inappropriate setting’, transcript shows — The Guardian -
• Hegseth fires top US general after Iran assessment that angered Trump — The Guardian -
• Federal Reserve set to cut interest rates – but still Trump won’t be happy — The Guardian -
• John Bolton raid shows weaponization of FBI against Patel’s ‘gangsters’ list — The Guardian -
• Canada To Drop Some Retaliatory Tariffs on U.S. Products, Carney Says — New York Times World -
• Is the Trump Administration Building Up to a Military Confrontation With Venezuela? — New York Times World -
• Checked out: Jenrick’s migrant hotel record haunts his rightwing bid for attention — The Guardian -
• Canada to drop counter-tariffs on some US goods one day after call with Trump — The Guardian -
• David Lammy given warning after fishing with JD Vance without licence — The Guardian -
• Florida appeals against judge’s order to close ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ immigration jail — The Guardian -
• FBI raids home of John Bolton, Trump’s ex-national security adviser — The Guardian -
• Eswatini government faces court challenge over men deported by US — The Guardian -
• Fed chair Jerome Powell signals interest rate cuts amid Trump attacks — The Guardian -
• Thousands face deportation to danger as Trump targets temporary protections — The Guardian -
• Members of Congress Seek to Expand Sports Diplomacy — New York Times World -
• Protests at Glacier as national parks reel from Trump cuts: ‘They’ve gutted staff, gutted funding’ — The Guardian -
• US to review all 55 million visas to check if holders broke rules — BBC World -
• Ex-pastor at Pete Hegseth’s church calls for public executions and says Bible backs Ice raids — The Guardian -
• Government workers are ‘canary in coalmine’ for Trump bid to gut union rights, leaders warn — The Guardian -
• Trump’s Cuts May Spell the End for America’s Only Antarctic Research Ship — New York Times World -
• Trump Budget Office Is Withholding H.I.V. Funds That Congress Appropriated — New York Times World -
• Supreme court allows Trump officials to cut research millions in anti-DEI push — The Guardian -

Gaza City is officially declared to be in famine by global monitors, with UN officials attributing the crisis to Israel's actions and a high civilian death rate, leading to fears of a looming Israeli ground operation and calls for medical aid for Palestinians.

• Global Monitors Confirm Famine in Part of Gaza. What Does That Mean? — New York Times World -
• How Israel's policies created famine in Gaza — BBC World -
• ‘We didn’t understand the goals of the war’: Israel’s inflated Hamas death toll shows lack of strategy in Gaza — The Guardian -

• Famine in Gaza City is 'failure of humanity', UN chief says — BBC World -
• Gazans Fear Looming Israeli Operation — New York Times World -
• Gaza City and Surrounding Areas Officially Hit by Famine, Global Group Says — New York Times World -
• Gaza mother blames famine for halving daughter's weight — BBC World -
• UN agency says Gaza famine is direct result of Israel’s actions and may amount to war crime – as it happened — The Guardian -
• UN-backed experts declare famine in and around Gaza City — The Guardian -
• 'My youngest child doesn't know what fruit tastes like': Gaza residents on famine — BBC World -
• First Thing: Israeli military’s own data indicates 83% civilian death rate in Gaza — The Guardian -
• Israel Is Expanding Its Gaza City Operation, but Where Does It Stand? — New York Times World -
• Gaza City will be razed if Hamas does not agree our terms, Israel minister says — BBC World -
• Friday briefing: Is Israel’s plan for Gaza City a full-scale assault – or political theatre? — The Guardian -
• Indonesia working on details of plan to treat 2,000 people from Gaza amid concerns about right to return — The Guardian -
• Australian doctors subjected to vexatious complaints over social media posts on Gaza, GP peak body says — The Guardian -

Diplomatic efforts for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine stall, while North Korea acknowledges soldiers aiding Russia and Ukraine targets a key oil pipeline; meanwhile, Sri Lanka's former president is arrested on corruption charges, and Colombia experiences deadly attacks, alongside reports of discriminatory incidents against Israeli children in France.

• ‘No Meeting Planned’ Between Putin and Zelensky, Top Russian Diplomat Says — New York Times World -
• Russia is trying to stop meeting on peace and prolong war, Zelensky says — BBC World -
• Israeli children refused access to leisure park in southern France — The Guardian -

• Canada to drop some of its retaliatory tariffs on the US — BBC World -
• ​North Korea Honors Its Soldiers Who Fought in Ukraine — New York Times World -
• Sri Lanka's former president Ranil Wickremesinghe arrested — BBC World -
• Iran Extends Government Shutdowns Amid Soaring Heat and Power Cuts — New York Times World -
• UK agrees to pay Kenyans affected by military fire — BBC World -
• Has Russia Advanced? Ukrainians Use This Online Map to Check Every Morning. — New York Times World -
• No Putin-Zelenskyy meeting planned until agenda is agreed, Russia’s foreign minister says – as it happened — The Guardian -
• New bodies found near site of Kenya's starvation cult burials — BBC World -
• Prigozhin knew he was ‘doomed’ after failed rebellion, says mother — The Guardian -
• Nigeria deports Chinese scammers in crackdown on 'foreign-led' cyber crime — BBC World -
• Ukraine attacks pipeline that sends Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia — The Guardian -
• Ghanaian music star Shatta Wale briefly detained over Lamborghini probe — BBC World -
• Former Thai PM Thaksin acquitted in royal insult case — BBC World -
• Proposed Ukraine land concessions are Putin's trap, EU's top diplomat tells BBC — BBC World -
• Thailand former PM cleared of royal insult charge but Shinawatra dynasty’s fate still hangs in balance — The Guardian -
• Friday Briefing: U.S. and Europe Flesh Out Trade Deal — New York Times World -
• Kneecap press on with European tour despite Hungary ban and cancelled gigs — The Guardian -
• At least 18 killed and dozens injured in separate Colombia attacks — BBC World -
• Drone Explosion in Haiti Kills 2 SWAT Members and Injures 6 Others — New York Times World -
• U.S. Kills Islamic State Operative in Rare Raid in Syria — New York Times World -

The US West grapples with wildfires and a scorching heatwave in California, while tragic accidents include a fatal New York bus crash and gas exposure deaths in Colorado; separately, Hurricane Erin impacts the East Coast, and concerns rise over FEMA aid rules requiring email access for disaster victims.

• Wildfire explodes in California wine country as heatwave scorches US west — The Guardian -
• Multiple fatalities, including at least one child, reported in New York bus crash — The Guardian -
• Apparent accident with gas exposure kills six in Colorado, including high school student — The Guardian -

• Hurricane Erin intensified at a near-record rate. Is Florida ready for the next big storm? — The Guardian -
• Alarm over Fema aid rule requiring email address for disaster victims — The Guardian -
• Federal judge orders Florida to shut ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ in 60 days – as it happened — The Guardian -

A Colorado judge rejected a plea deal in a corpse abuse case, while Ghislaine Maxwell's interview transcripts were released, detailing her relationship with Epstein; the Menendez brothers' parole bids continued, and Noel Clarke lost his libel case against the Guardian regarding sexual misconduct allegations.

• Colorado judge rejects plea deal for funeral home owner in corpse abuse case — The Guardian -
• Kilmar Ábrego García released from criminal custody after court order — The Guardian -
• French Authorities Investigate Death of Streamer Jean Pormanove After Months of Abuse — New York Times World -

• Noel Clarke loses libel case against Guardian over sexual misconduct investigation — The Guardian -
• Key findings from the high court ruling in Noel Clarke’s libel case against the Guardian — The Guardian -
• Noel Clarke claimed he was a victim. Twenty-six witnesses painted a very different picture — The Guardian -
• A timeline of Erik and Lyle Menendez’s case over the last three decades — The Guardian -
• Lyle Menendez to face California parole board after brother Erik denied freedom — The Guardian -
• Woman charged with concealing birth of deceased child after infant’s body found in WA drain — The Guardian -
• Outback Wrangler star agreed helicopter pilot had ‘thrown everyone under the bus’ in covert recording played in court — The Guardian -
• California parole board denies release of Erik Menendez — The Guardian -
• Erik Menendez denied parole three decades after killing his parents — BBC World -
• Anger in Italy over non-consensual photos of women shared online — BBC World -

The Federal Reserve signals potential interest rate cuts, while Elon Musk's X settles with former Twitter employees over severance pay; Guzman y Gomez shares plummet on the ASX despite expansion plans, and Royal Mail continues to miss delivery targets.

• Elon Musk and X reach tentative settlement with laid-off Twitter employees — The Guardian -
• GYG shares: Guzman y Gomez plummets on ASX but expansion still on the menu as increased US losses rattle investors — The Guardian -
• Royal Mail still missing delivery targets after sale to Czech tycoon Křetínský — The Guardian -

• Wes Streeting’s row with pharma firms grows as talks end on NHS drug pricing — The Guardian -
• Fears grow over impact of ONS data reliability on Rachel Reeves’s budget — The Guardian -
• OnlyFans owner paid $701m in dividends as platform readies for potential sale — The Guardian -
• Block Elon Musk’s bid to supply UK home energy, Ed Davey urges — The Guardian -

Scientists identify four new giraffe species, three of which are endangered, as air pollution from oil and gas is linked to tens of thousands of premature US deaths annually; monsoon rains cause deadly floods in Pakistan and India, and the WHO warns about extreme heat risks in the workplace.

• Scientists Split Giraffes Into Four Species. Three Are In Trouble. — New York Times World -
• Air pollution from oil and gas causes 90,000 premature US deaths each year, says new study — The Guardian -
• Wolf hunting in western US does little to prevent livestock losses, study finds — The Guardian -

• Weather tracker: monsoon rains cause deadly floods in Pakistan and India — The Guardian -
• WHO warns of risks of extreme heat in the workplace — BBC World -
• ‘Bee buffets’: the pollinator pathways turning drab alleys into insect havens — The Guardian -
• Bumper whale calving season a ‘sign of hope’ for South Australia’s oceans — The Guardian -
• Ultra Violette pulls Lean Screen sunscreen from shelves as new tests find ‘inconsistent’ SPF protection — The Guardian -
• New species of dinosaur with ‘eye-catching sail’ discovered on Isle of Wight — The Guardian -

Serena Williams's weight-loss admission sparks discussion, while obituaries honor a Mali activist and US WWII flying ace; UK asylum hotels face protests, and Australia implements childcare safety reforms alongside concerns over autism support on the NDIS.

• Will Serena Williams's weight-loss admission help shed stigma of anti-obesity drugs? — BBC World -
• Tiébilé Dramé, Voice for Rights in Mali, Is Dead at 70 — New York Times World -
• US’s last surviving second world war flying ‘ace’ dies aged 103 — The Guardian -

• Protests expected at asylum hotels across UK as tensions mount — The Guardian -
• Notting Hill carnival came ‘very close’ to not happening, says chair in funding appeal — The Guardian -
• ‘I’m not against development, but …’: Sydney’s plans for greater density face a morass of confusion and hostility — The Guardian -
• Government to appeal against court ruling blocking asylum seekers being housed at Epping hotel – as it happened — The Guardian -
• BA flight attendant on US-London route found ‘naked and high on drugs’ in toilet — The Guardian -
• A-levels and GCSEs need overhaul to keep pace with generative AI, experts say — The Guardian -
• Seven Wyoming newspapers were about to be shut. They were given a second life — The Guardian -
• India scales back plan to remove stray dogs from streets of Delhi — The Guardian -
• Florida removes rainbow crosswalk honoring victims of Pulse nightclub shooting — The Guardian -
• ‘A nuisance and an eyesore’: hire ebikes accumulate at London border between rival firms — The Guardian -
• Hundreds of TikTok UK moderator jobs at risk despite new online safety rules — The Guardian -
• Italian pizzeria owner praised for tracking down ‘dine and dash’ tourists — The Guardian -
• Denmark Wants Kids to Read More. Will a Tax Cut Help? — New York Times World -
• The Hobbyist Restorer Who Rocked the Art World With an A.I. Innovation — New York Times World -
• Congo Has Astronomical Rates of Sexual Violence. Now Victims Have Lost Access to Care. — New York Times World -
• Lil Nas X arrested and taken to hospital after wandering LA streets in underwear — BBC World -
• Disability groups join states in surprise at plan to divert children with autism from NDIS — The Guardian -
• Protesters against ban on Palestine Action intend to make mass arrests ‘impossible’ — The Guardian -
• National childcare worker register, CCTV trial and mobile phone ban declared in major Australian safety reform — The Guardian -
• Character actors: Australia’s children celebrate 80 years of Book Week — The Guardian -