announces

Tehran, Iran – Iran’s judiciary has announced several executions this week linked to unrest over recent months, as part of a campaign against those accused of trying to “create divisions” during the war with the United States.

The judiciary’s official news outlet on Wednesday announced the execution of Mehdi Khanaki, who was identified as an “active element of a terrorist group” arrested during nationwide protests in January.

State television showed security forces raiding a home in Karaj near Tehran, where several handguns, ammunition and explosives were allegedly found. A “revolutionary court” in the city tried him for “operational action in favour of the Zionist regime, the United States and hostile groups”, among other things.

On Sunday, two more men were executed in connection with a 16-defendant case arising from deadly protests in Isfahan, in central Iran, on January 8. The authorities said the men played a role in the killing of several police officers, but foreign-based activists have countered the state narrative and alleged a lack of due process and the use of torture.

The protests started last December 28 in central Tehran over economic issues but quickly morphed into nationwide expressions of frustration at the establishment, as in previous rounds of demonstrations.

The authorities refer to the unrest, when thousands were killed across the country, mostly on the nights of January 8 and 9 , as a “coup” orchestrated by the US and Israel.

They also reject findings by Amnesty International and other international human rights organisations that security forces carried out “mass unlawful killings on an unprecedented scale” during a total internet and communications shutdown.

Tens of thousands have been arrested in the aftermath of the protests, as well as the US-Israeli war that started on February 28 .

The Coordinating Council of Iranian Teachers’ Trade Associations, a non-governmental body inside Iran, last week condemned what it called “intensified prison sentences and continued pressure on teachers’ guild activists” by the authorities.

Security-related offences follow a law passed after the 12-day war with Israel in June 2025, which aims to more severely punish “espionage” and other actions perceived to be cooperating with “enemies” and undermining national security.

Hundreds of Iranians, including businessmen and celebrities based in Iran and abroad, have also had their entire assets confiscated by the state.

State TV also periodically airs “confessions” from people arrested or executed for those charges.

The latest was broadcast on Monday, when a young man with a blurred-out face could be seen saying he posted Instagram stories that opposed the Islamic Republic during the current war. Tehran’s police force said the unidentified man released “norm-breaking and anti-homeland content” online in an attempt to “damage the psychological security of the society”.

“I made a mistake and I will not repeat it. I am now sure that we must all now stand together to build Iran, nobody else has a right to commit an aggression against our country,” he said.

On July 13 , Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence released a list of “hostile media” that included dozens of media networks, 61 individual “human-media” figures and 310 accounts or online pages. It warned that sending photographs, video or information to a listed outlet, person or account can trigger a prison sentence and permanent exclusion from public employment, unless authorities invoke a more serious charge.

‘Infiltrators’

The message goes along with rhetoric of steadfastness and togetherness that has been repeatedly emphasised by Iranian authorities during the war.

Earlier this week, Mojtaba Khamenei, who was selected as Iran’s new supreme leader in March after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in the opening salvo of the war, called for a “sacred unity” among the people and political factions.

Speaking during a televised meeting on Monday with President Masoud Pezeshkian and senior clerical judges in the judiciary, Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei doubled down on the same message – complete with heavy religious undertones.

“We must not allow devils among humans and jinn to infiltrate the ranks of believers and our people to create division and schism,” he said.

The judiciary chief said these “alarmists, rumour-spreaders, hypocrites and infiltrators” would not all declare themselves as such, instead disguising themselves as insiders who would set people against each other.

This comes as the US increasingly points to alleged rifts among Iranian authorities, and categorises them into a faction that wants to keep fighting, especially over the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, and another group that wishes to reach a negotiated resolution soon in order to stop the country from being destroyed.

Iranian authorities have rejected such classifications.

Susanna Reid issued an update to her followers and shared a tribute to one of her Good Morning Britain colleagues.

Susanna Reid has confirmed she will be off-air for several weeks.

The Good Morning Britain presenter, who hosts the ITV daytime show alongside the likes of Richard Madeley and Ed Balls, fronts the programme from Monday to Wednesday.

However, she’s now revealed she won’t be back on screens for a while, with replacements stepping in.

Susanna confirmed that she’d be taking her annual summer break in a message on social media.

Alongside a snap of her in the Good Morning Britain studio wearing comfy slippers, she wrote: “SHOES OFF, OUT OF OFFICE ON! Time for my summer break – but also time to say goodbye to our wonderful Director @stuearl who has been the champion of this programme for a decade. Thank you for everything Stuart.”

Susanna went on: “@edballs and I will be back September 1st after our travels. THANK YOU to our amazing viewers for watching and for contacting us and sharing your views – never a “waste of time” being on this brilliant programme and thanks to everyone on Team.”

Susanna’s ‘waste of time’ comment appeared to reference a moment from the programme on Wednesday, July 22, after an interview with Robert Jenrick.

In an awkward aside, the Reform MP could be heard saying, “Well that was a waste of time” after his interview with Susanna and Ed.

After making light of the moment with her message on social media, Susanna was showered with support, while her co-stars also paid tribute to their colleague.

Kate Garraway wrote: “We’ll miss you both @susannareid100 @edballs and @stuearl – we’ll miss you so much – good luck with your next adventure!!!”

Strictly’s La Voix said: “Pyjamas for me and slippers for you! It’s contagious causal glamour!”

One follower meanwhile commented: “We will miss you. Enjoy your holiday,” as another added: “Love the slippers! Have a fab break, see you in September.”

Another echoed: “Aww going to miss you,, but have a lovely break with your family and friends.”

Susanna’s announcement comes after she took a break from the show earlier this year, teasing a “special project”.

After an extended programme that ran into Lorraine Kelly’s usual ITV slot to provide commentary after Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation speech, Susanna confirmed after the show ended that she was taking a break.

She teased on social media: “BREAKING! At 9.30 this morning the Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer RESIGNED as Prime Minister live @gmb. ANOTHER resignation at Number 10 in the last DECADE after Cameron, May, Johnson, Truss and Sunak.

“I’m on a special project and will be back @gmb on Monday 6th July, the week that nominations for a new leader open. See you then @itv.”

One person replied: “You will be missed Susanna.” Another said: “Oh it’s never the same when you’re not there!”

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays from 6am on ITV1 and ITVX.

Taylor refereed the 2015 EFL Cup final, with Chelsea beating Tottenham Hotspur 2–0.

In 2020, he became the first referee since 1901 to take charge of two FA Cup finals when Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1.

Taylor previously took charge of the 2017 FA Cup final, also a 2-1 win for Arsenal against Chelsea.

He also refereed the Community Shield in 2015 and the 2018 Championship play-off final.

Taylor received praise for the way he handed the Euro 2020 game between Denmark and Finland, which had to be halted when Christian Eriksen collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest.

He has also been appointed to several high-profile Uefa matches, including the 2020 Super Cup final, with Bayern Munich beating Sevilla 2-1, the 2021 Nations League final, in which France beat Spain 2-1, and the 2023 Europa League final which saw Sevilla beat Roma on penalties.

Taylor faced a great deal of abuse after the Europa League final, but was firmly backed by Uefa referees’ chief Roberto Rosetti.

Roma boss Jose Mourinho called Taylor a “disgrace” twice in a post-match news conference before confronting him in a car park – an incident the Portuguese was given a four-match ban for.

Taylor was then shouted at by angry fans as he walked though Budapest Airport with his family.

In October 2025, Taylor spoke to BBC Sport about the impact of that night and the events that followed.

“That’s the worst situation I’ve dealt with in terms of abuse,” Taylor said.

“Not only because I was travelling with family members at the time, but it also highlights the impact of people’s behaviour on others. Even in a match like that, where there was actually no major mistakes in the game.”

Taylor, who also took charge of games at the Fifa Club World Cup in 2022 and 2025, hinted in last October’s interview that his career could be coming to an end.

“I’m 47 next week, so that’s quite old for somebody to be operating at this level, running around after people a lot younger than you,” Taylor said.

“It’s much more of a challenge now to maintain the levels of fitness and to rest and recover.”

His retirement creates a gap at the top of refereeing in the English game.

Refereeing body Pro Ref, formerly known as PGMO, has merged its officials into one group for the 2026-27 season.

The creation of the professional referee group, which will service the Premier League and Championship, is intended to give greater opportunities to up-and-coming officials, such as Farai Hallam and Tom Kirk.

Saronic, the company that makes the first sea drones ever to be used as kinetic weapons by American forces, announced it will build a big new shipyard in Brownsville, Texas where they plan to construct an array of crewed and uncrewed ships as big as 850 feet. It is a big step for a company whose largest vessel is a 180-foot drone boat called Marauder.

The move comes as the U.S. is struggling to come anywhere near keeping pace with China in the number of ships it can build and amid delays and cost overruns of projects underway. Boosting America’s capacity to turn out new ships and keep existing ones sailing has been a focus of the Trump administration.

The Austin, Texas-headquartered Saronic said it plans to invest more than $3 billion of its own money to build the facility, which it is calling Port Alpha. The location was chosen after a year-long search.

“Brownsville was selected after a rigorous review of workforce availability, infrastructure readiness, land scale, logistics, and expansion potential,” the company said in a release. “Initially situated on 835 acres at the Port of Brownsville, with the opportunity to expand to nearly 4,400 acres, Port Alpha will encompass a shipyard and manufacturing facility capable of producing vessels up to 850 feet. Future site expansion could support the production of vessels over 1,200 ft. The site provides hundreds of acres of waterfront access, deepwater channel connectivity, multimodal logistics infrastructure, and room for long-term expansion—everything required to anchor a next-generation shipbuilding hub.”

In an interview with TWZ earlier this month, company co-founder and CCO Rob Lehman laid out his vision for the new facility.

“Port Alpha is planned to be the largest shipyard in the Western Hemisphere,” Lehman told us. “We are seeing the need for more shipbuilding capacity, and we are answering the call with a greenfield new yard that will provide the Navy, Coast Guard — all of our sea services — the capacity that they’ve been asking for, and they desperately need.”

“We are here to help address the gaps that we are facing and do it at a speed and scale that hasn’t been seen before,” he added.

Asked about what kinds of ships the yard will build, Lehman said Port Alpha “will be capable of producing everything up to Panamax-sized cargo containers, roll on/roll offs, we are open to a variety of different ship classes, both commercial and military.”

Panamax ships — so named because they are the biggest vessels that can fit through the Panama Canal — have a maximum length of 294 meters and a maximum width of 32 meters, according to SeaRates.com. 

Panamax vs Capesize Ships: What’s the Real Difference? #panamax #capsize #ruzave

Lehman said Saronic is focusing on “how do we create a shipyard of the future that is able to support multiple types of vessels and move at a pace and a level of agility that aligns with how technology is advancing. So commercial ships, military ships, modules, everything under the sun.”

“We are keenly focused and ruthlessly focused, frankly, on what does the customer set need, what are they unable to acquire or sustain within the timelines that they require, and how can we address that? So, as long as we know what’s needed, we can put our private capital to work and not force the government to pay never-ending research and development costs.”

At the time of the interview, Lehman declined to provide any further details about the plans or the exact location. However, he did compare it to an existing shipyard the company purchased last year.

“When we acquired the former Gulf Craft yard last April, [compared] to what it looks like now, we’re investing $300 million into that yard already to expand capacity,” he noted. “We’re bringing hundreds and thousands of jobs to the Gulf Coast, and we look to take that same model and just on steroids at Port Alpha. So, unlike Gulf Craft, it’ll be a greenfield yard, so we have all of the flexibility to design the shipyard of the future without the constraints of an existing physical plant.”

In the media release issued today, Saronic claimed that “the project is expected to generate more than $160 billion in regional economic impact for Cameron County and $264.5 billion for the State of Texas, while creating up to 10,000 direct jobs. This makes Port Alpha one of the largest economic development projects in modern Texas history.”

Construction is anticipated to begin in 2026, with Port Alpha expected to open for operations in 2028, the release continued. Company officials did not specify exactly what ships will be built at Port Alpha. Currently, Saronic makes three uncrewed surface vessels (USV).

Corsair, the aforementioned USV used as a kamikaze weapon, is a 24-foot vessel capable of carrying up to 1,000 lbs over 1,000 NM.

Mirage is a 52-foot USV with a range of 2,500 NM of range and 3,500 lbs of payload capacity.

Marauder is a 180-foot USV with a range of 5,200 NM and is capable of carrying up to 150 metric tons in four 40-foot containers, eight 20-foot containers, or other modular payload configurations.

The Navy is set to evaluate Marauder, as well as designs from six other companies, as part of the first round of prototyping under its latest Medium Unmanned Surface Vessel (MUSV) effort. This is part of a larger strategy the service rolled out in March to try to field more USVs and do so faster, as you can read more about here 

Saronic is on a roll of late. As we noted earlier in this story, three of its Corsair sea drones were used earlier this week to attack “a submarine and ship maintenance facility in Iran,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced. It marked the first time that the U.S. used sea drones as kamikaze attack weapons.

Last month, a Saronic Corsair USV rescued the crew of a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache that crashed in the Gulf of Oman after it was downed by Iran. That was the first known instance of a drone boat being used to recover personnel as part of a search and rescue mission, and has major implications for these operations going forward.

In December 2025, the company was awarded a $392 million contract from the Navy. The production contract was for the construction of USVs like the Corsair. 

If Port Alpha lives up to the hype, it would be a boon to the Navy and an American shipbuilding industry that struggles to get new vessels out on time and on budget, while supporting those that are already in the water. 

As we noted in previous coverage of U.S. shipbuilding woes, keeping existing vessels afloat “has been a massive challenge as the Navy’s fleet ages while demands for more hulls increase. Crumbling shipyards around the U.S.and a limited number of them that can support mainline military vessels is a huge problem that has led to major delays in maintenance, greatly harming available end strength. It is also of major concern if ships were to get damaged in battle during a conflict and need to be regenerated quickly. While some improvements and investments have been made in upgrading shipyards, it is still a glaring and highly concerning issue.”

GAO: Poor Conditions at Navy Shipyards

The situation is so dire that “the U.S. Navy has officially issued two Requests for Information (RFIs) to major South Korean shipbuilders to assess their capacity to build American destroyers and fleet tankers,” according to Naval News. Such a move “could end an 80-year ban on foreign warship construction,” the outlet added.

Given the state of U.S. shipbuilding, a lot is riding on Port Alpha and the future of this plan is definitely worth keeping an eye on.

Contact the author: howard@twz.com

Goalkeeper Craig Gordon has announced his retirement from football, bringing an end to a 25-year playing career.

Gordon, 43, ended his second spell at first club Heart of Midlothian this summer and was part of Scotland’s World Cup squad.

He first left Tynecastle for Sunderland in 2007, with the Black Cats paying a then £9m British record fee for a goalkeeper. Gordon made one of the most famous saves in Premier League history when he denied Bolton Wanderers’ Zat Knight from close range in 2010.

However, a serious knee injury affected his time at the Stadium of Light and, at the end of his five-year spell, he entered a two-year spell out of the game rehabilitating and coaching.

Gordon joined Celtic in 2014 and won his first league title, adding four more during a medal-laden six-year spell before returning to Hearts. A double leg break in 2022 resulted in another lay-off but the veteran keeper again recovered to return to playing.

The new series will see a beloved TV star explore the world’s most luxurious hotels

Channel 4 have confirmed a brand new travel series with a TV favourite as host.

Fronted by First Dates star Fred Sirieix, the travel show titled Fred’s Ultimate Hotels will see the star explore the world’s most luxurious hotels.

The hospitality expert is swapping the restaurant floor for the open road to spotlight some of the most breathtaking places to stay.

From the regal splendour of The Royal Mansour in Marrakech and the stunning Royal Madikwe safari lodge in South Africa, to the timeless grandeur of Raffles Singapore, Fred will travel the globe checking into the world’s most spectacular hotels.

He will take viewers behind the scenes to reveal the people, precision and passion that create world-class service. During his stay, he uses own Five Fs: First Impressions, Facilities, Flawless Service, Fine Details and Feeling.

But this is far more than a luxury travel series. In every episode, Fred experiences each hotel from both sides of the reception desk.

First checking in as a guest to enjoy everything the property and destination have to offer, he then swaps five-star luxury for staff uniform, working alongside the teams responsible for creating seamless guest experiences.

Speaking about the new show, Fred said: “People often think the secret to a great hotel is the building, the food or the luxury.” Of course, those things matter but for me, it’s always about the people.

“The welcome, the attention to detail and the passion of the staff are what turn a wonderful hotel into an unforgettable experience.”

Every episode ends with Fred presenting his Hospitality Hero Award to one exceptional member of staff. Fred remarked: “It was an incredible privilege to work alongside some of the world’s best hospitality teams and to see first-hand the pride they take in what they do.

“I hope viewers will discover some extraordinary places, but more importantly meet the remarkable people who make them so special.”

Jannine Waddell, Executive Producer at Waddell Media, said: “Fred is the perfect host for this series. As one of the world’s leading hospitality experts, he knows exactly what it takes to deliver truly exceptional five-star service.

“But what makes Fred so special is that he’s never afraid to roll up his sleeves and get back to the job he loves. Whether he’s checking in guests, working front of house or supporting the team behind the scenes.

“He has enormous respect for the people whose passion and dedication create unforgettable experiences.”

Fred’s Ultimate Hotels is due to air on Channel 4 later this year.

July 14 (UPI) — Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger, the pilot who safely landed an airliner in New York City’s Hudson River in 2009, announced Tuesday that he’s been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

He revealed the news in a post to his personal website. He described the condition as “the unwanted visitor at the door.”

“I recently found out that I have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease,” he wrote. “It is early stage. For now, this means a name may not come easily to me, I forget a story I have recently told, or I don’t sleep as well, but I am in the beginning of this long journey.”

Sullenberger was the pilot of US Airways Flight 1549, which made a safe emergency landing in the Hudson River after striking a flock of birds that disabled the plane’s engines. Aviation officials and the plane’s passengers credited Sullenberger with guiding the Airbus A320 safely to the surface of the water. All passengers and crew members aboard the flight survived, prompting observers to describe the incident as the “Miracle on the Hudson.”

In addition to working as a commercial airline pilot, Sullenberger served in the U.S. Air Force, an accident investigator and was the U.S. ambassador to the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization.

He said the diagnosis has challenged what it means to live an act of service.

“And the answer is to speak up. It is my hope that by sharing this, other families living in the shadows with this disease will feel they too can step forward,” he said Tuesday.

“Over the years, when people would ask about the successful outcome of Flight 1549, I would say that ‘courage can be contagious,’ and on that day it helped everyone band together to get everyone off that airplane successfully. Now we need that courage to battle this disease. I am now part of a larger community with many of you, and we will be courageous together.”

July 13 (UPI) — Mexico announced the United States will begin to restore Mexican sugar’s access to its market, a measure that could significantly increase exports during the 2026-2027 season and boost income for about 170,000 sugarcane producers.

Mexico’s presidency said in a statement released Friday that the measure is the result of talks with U.S. authorities led by President Claudia Sheinbaum since November 2025.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated the country will need to import up to 1,152,000 tons of Mexican sugar during the 2026-2027 marketing year, an amount 512% higher than the estimate for the current marketing year, according to the statement.

The estimate appears in the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on July 10, the Mexican government said.

The presidency said the new conditions could generate a potential increase of up to 4.76 billion pesos, about $272 million, in the price paid by the sugar industry to about 170,000 Mexican sugarcane producers.

The talks that led to the announcement began in November 2025 during a visit by U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to Sheinbaum, the statement said.

The Mexican government said the outcome demonstrates that “through dialogue it is possible to build important agreements” benefiting agricultural producers and food consumers in both countries.

Sugar trade between Mexico and the United States has been regulated since late 2014 under the so-called suspension agreements, according to background information published by the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System.

In June 2017, the governments of both countries reached an agreement in principle that reduced the share of refined Mexican sugar to 30% of total imports from the previous 53% limit, while increasing the share of raw sugar, the regional organization reported.

The U.S. sugar industry initially refused to support that agreement. Then-Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said Mexico had accepted nearly all of the requests made by the industry, but U.S. producers still did not support the proposed terms.

U.S. refiners argued that high-quality Mexican raw sugar was reaching consumers directly instead of passing through their plants, according to the Latin American and Caribbean Economic System.

The dispute involved a coalition of U.S. sugarcane and sugar beet producers, as well as ASR Group, maker of Domino Sugar, and Imperial Sugar.

ASR Group and Imperial Sugar said at the time that the 2014 agreement did not provide sufficient supplies for their refining operations and had asked the U.S. government to end the pact, the regional organization reported.

STUDENTS have been left thouands of pounds out of pocket after a UK travel company unexpectedly went bust.

Customers have called the news “gut-wrenching”, as bosses say they “deeply regret” the decision to shut close after nearly three decades.

UK gap year students may lose thousands after volunteer travel company, Global Vision International (GVI), cancelled all its holidays.

The Exeter-based company offered a range of conservation and “voluntourism” placements all over the world, becoming especially popular with school leavers and gap year students who paid to take part.

On July 1, after 28 years, the company was plunged into liquidation in a move that bosses say they “deeply regret”.

CEO of GVI, Andrew Valentine, said in a statement: “It is with an incredibly heavy heart that I write to share that GVI is today closing its doors.”

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“I deeply regret the effect that GVI’s closure will have on staff, projects and customers, and we are committed to providing clear information to those affected as GVI goes through a formal liquidation process.”

GVI states on its website that “all current and future GVI programs have been cancelled”.

It continues to inform customer that “all impacted participants will receive formal correspondence detailing the liquidation process and instructions on how to lodge a claim”, and how to get their money back.

Amy Taylor, 21, a wildlife conservation and zoo biology student from Manchester, told BBC Newsbeat that GVI’s closure was “gut-wrenching”.

The student forked out £4,000 to pay for her once in a lifetime South Africa internship, hoping it would help her “stand out” on the job market -but now she is just filled with “disappointment”.

Linus Rowland-Bell, 23, from Liverpool worked two days a week alongside his university studies to pay for a programme in Peru.

Advertised as an internship in the Amazon rainforest, he found out about it through his university careers fair, paying £2,258 in total for his trip.

“The thought of all that money, all that time that I’ve saved up, that excitement completely vanishing into the ether, it was terrifying,” he told Newsbeat, after receiving the news of the liquidation.

Rowland-Bell received a full refund, but many more are waiting for more information from the liquidators.

Taylor further said she was relying on her bank to reclaim the money, as her insurance was booked through GVI.

“If I don’t get the money back, I can’t go anywhere else and I don’t really trust anyone at the moment to be able to go anywhere else.

“It didn’t seem like they were struggling – everything looked professional.”

The Sun reached out to RG Insolvency, who are overseeing GVI’s liquidation, that declined to comment.

A Democratic senator alleges that whistleblowers have detailed several problems stemming from rushed or improper reconstruction of the Kennedy Center, adding a new layer to the travails of the arts complex after President Trump tried to seize control of it and its name.

Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island said in a release Saturday that he had received a whistleblower disclosure from the Government Accountability Project, a nonprofit whistleblower protection group, alleging that “the Center rushed a series of renovations driven by the President’s aesthetic whims and his desire to star in a series of televised events in December.”

“The Center’s subservience to the President’s desires and its corner-cutting contracting practices have resulted in steel columns that are rusting through fresh paint, a reflecting pool that may have to be torn out and rebuilt, and a brand-new bathroom floor torn out over an offending tile color,” Whitehouse said. “This is waste, and it treats a national memorial to President Kennedy as if it were a private renovation project.”

Whitehouse released a letter he wrote to the Kennedy Center’s executive director, Matt Floca, seeking answers by July 23. He said the whistleblower report included “firsthand accounts of multiple former Center project managers, supported by contemporaneous documents and photographs.” He also included an 83-page appendix full of internal center documents, emails and photos of apparently shoddy construction.

The allegations in the letter include that the center rushed work before it was authorized by Congress because it wanted it to be complete for Trump to accept the so-called FIFA Peace Prize that the soccer federation awarded him.

In doing so, the letter alleges, the center didn’t follow required contracting guidelines and wasted money replacing a bathroom because the president didn’t like the color and inking no-bid contracts. One $8-million contract to replace the concert hall’s floor went to a firm with no experience in concert halls, Whitehouse contended.

The Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump seized control of the arts and culture venue named for President Kennedy at the beginning of his second term. Trump ousted the center’s leadership and replaced it with a Board of Trustees that named him chairman and added his name to the building.

Democrats sued to remove it, and a federal judge ruled that Trump’s name must come off the venue, noting that only Congress has authority to rename it. Trump also tried to close the center for two years, only to be ordered by the court to keep it open.

Many artists have boycotted the venue in protest of the president’s actions.

Riccardi writes for the Associated Press.

Yulia Svyrydenko to step down as prime minister amid government shake-up aimed at prioritising foreign policy and security goals.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced a government reshuffle, as well as proposing the replacement of Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and the heads of some law enforcement agencies.

“Ukraine is changing its political strategy. Each priority foreign policy direction will be overseen by a specific individual with substantial experience who is capable of delivering on the agreements reached at the leaders’ level and fulfilling the expectations of the Ukrainian people,” Zelenskyy said on Sunday in a lengthy post on social media.

“I discussed the details with Ukraine’s Prime Minister, Yulia Svyrydenko. We agreed that implementing these changes requires a renewal of the Cabinet of Ministers.”

Svyrydenko became prime minister a year ago, succeeding Denys Shmyhal. She previously served as first deputy prime minister and economy minister, roles that brought her into close contact with the administration of US President Donald Trump. She was widely credited with negotiating a critical minerals agreement between Washington and Kyiv last year that helped thaw what had initially been a frosty relationship between Trump and Zelenskyy.

“I am proud to have had the honour of leading the Government during one of the most difficult periods in Ukraine’s modern history. I thank every man and woman defending Ukrainian land. Our warriors are our strength and the foundation of our independence,” the 39-year-old wrote on X.

Zelenskyy also said there would be changes in the leadership of law enforcement agencies.

He said the new political strategy would focus on key foreign policy priorities, including agreements to manufacture Patriot air defence systems under licence, advancing Ukraine’s bid for European Union membership and deepening ties with the Gulf region, which he described as one of the world’s “most promising” areas for security and economic cooperation.

Zelenskyy thanked Svyrydenko for her offer to lead a “new significant direction in relations with a key partner”.

Mérida, July 7, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – The Venezuelan government has launched a reconstruction program to recover damaged housing and infrastructure in the wake of the June 24 double earthquake.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez oversaw the official launch of the Great Mission Venezuela Renace (“Venezuela reborn”) on Monday, with dozens of brigades simultaneously deployed to evaluate the condition of affected structures. Officials have estimated 190 flattened buildings and 856 with some level of damage.

“Venezuela is a seismic country and we have to ensure that, from a technical standpoint, families are protected from risk,” she said during a televised broadcast in Caracas. “This reconstruction is a task for the whole country, and it’s not just about infrastructure.”

Technical brigades will classify buildings using a traffic-light code, with green meaning they are safe to be occupied, yellow meaning that they require work before families can move back in, and red that they must be cleared for significant repairs or demolition.

On Sunday, the acting president appointed Jacqueline Faría to head the new government program. She will be “responsible for coordinating and leading housing and infrastructure recovery efforts to provide timely assistance to families affected by the earthquakes.”

During a meeting with governors from affected states, Faría detailed the mission’s first purpose as generating “a diagnosis for action.” The Venezuelan official underscored the need for an exhaustive structural census for reconstruction work.

Faría, who has held multiple cabinet posts since 1999, will be replaced by Francisco Garcés as minister of transport.

The new mission is going to unify the existing infrastructure-oriented social programs “Barrio Nuevo, Barrio Tricolor,” “Juntos Todo Es Posible,” and “Venezuela Bella” to execute repairs and allow families to reoccupy their homes as soon as possible. 

Rodríguez announced that an initial US $200 million fund, set up with resources frozen by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), will be used for the reconstruction and recovery of the affected areas.

During a Saturday meeting with her economic team, the acting president reported talks with public and private banks “to activate the mortgage portfolio,” adding that loans would be subsidized up to 80 percent. Rodríguez went on to announce the exoneration of fees and taxes related to property transactions and a temporary ban on the export of construction materials.

The June 24 twin earthquakes, with 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude and their epicenter near Morón, Carabobo state, have left an official death toll of 3,685 and more than 16,000 injured. The search for bodies continues to be a priority task for Venezuelan teams and volunteers, especially in the coastal La Guaira State where most of the building collapses are concentrated.

Coordination of these search and rescue operations has been transferred to Venezuela’s Civil Protection agency. Unofficial counts estimate over 40,000 missing people.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has noted a growing displacement of affected families from La Guaira to other regions and has warned of the “many needs” of the population.

The wind-down of the search and rescue operations to find survivors has seen most of the foreign specialized teams leave the country in recent days. Venezuelan authorities have acknowledged the role played by international brigades and decorated them.

On July 4, acting President Delcy Rodríguez decorated US rescue teams with “Hero of Venezuela” and “Canine Heroes of Venezuela” medals. During the ceremony, the acting president thanked the American people for their help, expressing her wish that the rescuers “carry in their hearts part of the Venezuelan people.”

US emergency rescuers included the Los Angeles USAR International Team and Virginia’s Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 1.

In addition to its emergency brigades, Washington also deployed hundreds of military personnel to the Caribbean nation following the natural disaster. US forces have taken control of operations at the Simón Bolívar International Airport and La Guaira port after executing repair works. Helicopters and surveillance drones are likewise flying daily over the capital and surrounding areas.

Venezuela’s earthquake recovery efforts have also seen the controversial arrival of a diplomatic and military delegation from Israel led by Home Front Command Chief of Staff Brigadier General Elad Edri.

The Israeli mission has held multiple meetings with Venezuelan officials and, according to Edri, was asked by the Rodríguez government to evaluate infrastructure conditions and formulate a reconstruction plan.

In a press conference, the acting president expressed her appreciation for the arrival of the “highly trained and professional” Israeli team.

Caracas and Tel Aviv have not held diplomatic relations since former President Chávez severed ties in 2009. Both Chávez and his successor Nicolás Maduro recurrently condemned Israel for genocide and excoriated its war crimes in Gaza and Lebanon.

The Maduro administration publicly endorsed South Africa’s activation of the Genocide Convention against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2024.

Edited by Ricardo Vaz in Caracas.

A Palestinian technocratic committee will take its place to manage the enclave’s day-to-day governance.

The Palestinian group Hamas has announced the dissolution of the body that has governed Gaza for nearly two decades, paving the way for a technocratic committee to implement civilian rule in the war-ravaged, besieged territory.

The move on Monday marks a significant political shift by Hamas, which has governed Gaza since its fighters seized control from rival Palestinian movement Fatah in 2007 after Hamas won legislative elections the previous year.

Since a United States-brokered “ceasefire” with Israel took effect in Gaza last October, the group has repeatedly said it is prepared to step aside from day-to-day governance, but the question of its disarmament remains unresolved.

Mohammed al-Farra, head of the government’s emergency committee, “has decided to submit his official resignation from his position and to announce the dissolution of the Government Emergency Committee, as a demonstration of the seriousness of these measures, in implementation of the agreed arrangements, and to facilitate the administrative transition process”, read a statement released by Gaza’s Government Media Office on Monday.

A Hamas official said the group wished for the swift entry of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG), a body which is tasked with overseeing the future administration of Gaza under a US-backed plan to end Israel’s genocidal war on the Palestinian territory.

“Hamas has taken a new step in that it will no longer be in charge of the Gaza Strip, in order to remove any pretexts for the occupation, which continues its aggression and war of extermination,” Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told the AFP news agency.

“We hope for the swift entry of the [NCAG], and Hamas affirms its readiness to hand over governmental responsibilities to the committee to ensure its success.”

Reporting from Gaza City, Al Jazeera’s Hani Mahmoud said Hamas’s announcement appears to be “politically significant”.

“It has been viewed as part of the concession from the Hamas side in order to move the negotiations forward, to pave the road for the technocratic committee to arrive to the Gaza Strip and take responsibility after months of an increasing power vacuum there.”

Mahmoud stressed that the move doesn’t mean that Hamas is relinquishing its political or military role in Gaza, but rather “stepping back from the direct civilian government in Gaza”.

The head of the NCAG welcomed Hamas’s announcement.

“We affirm that the [NCAG] is fully prepared to assume its national responsibilities as soon as the necessary resources and capabilities are available,” Ali Shaath, head of the committee, wrote on social media.

Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative overseeing the US-founded Board of Peace for Gaza, which would supervise the NCAG’s work, said the decision “underscores the importance of bringing the roadmap discussions to a successful conclusion”.

“It is the bridge between declarations and implementation,” he added.

Mladenov noted that once an agreement is reached on the remaining implementation provisions, the NCAG will be able to assume its responsibilities.

The NCAG has remained based outside Gaza for months, reportedly due to Israeli objections to its entry into the besieged enclave.

Israel has ruled out allowing Hamas to rule the enclave but has also rejected a direct takeover by the Palestinian Authority, which controls the occupied West Bank, at this stage.

The two former Strictly Come Dancing stars have teamed up together for a new project

A Strictly Come Dancing star announced their new career move on Wednesday’s Lorraine.

During the latest instalment, host Lorraine Kelly spoke to Lorraine’s showbiz correspondent, Ross King, who typically airs his segment live from Los Angeles.

However, on Wednesday’s show, Ross, 64, was live in the Lorraine London studio for Wimbledon, where he shared some exciting career news.

Lorraine said: “You have teamed up with Will Young for something very, very special. I would never have put the two of you together necessarily but it is for something super!”

To which Ross replied: “I know, it is… pantomime! So last year I came back, I was back with Rylan over at Southend and then this year we’re going to be at Plymouth so I’m heading up to Plymouth next week for the press call with Will Young for Cinderella again. So I can’t wait!” confirming he will be playing Buttons again.

Lorraine gushed: “We love that, because we all went as a work outing to see you, and it was just the best night. It was the best night. It was great fun.”

The presenter added: “But it just shows you the planning that goes into it, that you all know that you’re all going to be doing that in Plymouth at Christmas time already.

“It’s got to be though, it’s got to be all sorted out, because it’s such a big, big deal” with Ross exclaiming: “No, it’s great, I can’t wait!”

Theatre Royal Plymouth and Crossroads Pantomimes announced earlier this year that Will Young will headline this year’s pantomime as The Fairy Godfather in Cinderella, running from Friday 4 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027.

As well as his Lorraine presenting duties, Ross recently appeared on Strictly Come Dancing, where he was paired with professional dancer Jowita Przystal in 2025. The duo were the second contestants to be eliminated on the BBC One show.

Singer Will, 47, who soared to fame after winning the first-ever Pop Idol in 2002, has also appeared on Strictly.

Will appeared on the dance show back in 2016, where he withdrew during the competition for personal reasons at the time.

Lorraine continues on weekdays at 9:30am on ITV and ITVX.

Plan includes more than 5 billion pounds for drones and autonomous systems over four years, Ministry of Defence says.

Outgoing Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that Britain will spend almost 300 billion pounds ($397bn) over the next four years to modernise its armed forces amid rising threats.

Starmer, expected to leave office next month after losing the support of Labour MPs, announced on Tuesday that the overall defence budget would increase by 15 billion pounds ($20bn) over the next four years to almost 300 billion pounds as he launched his long-awaited defence investment plan.

“Last year I made the decision in the national interest to reprioritise aid spending towards defence and achieved the biggest uplift in defence spending since the end of the Cold War,” Starmer said.

“That was the right choice because the world has changed. National security is economic security.

“Today we uplift defence spending further – an additional 15 billion pounds worth of funding – by … reprioritising spending across government.”

The plan includes more than 5 billion pounds ($6.6bn) for drones and autonomous systems over the next four years, the Ministry of Defence said in a news release.

The announcement followed months of wrangling within Starmer’s Labour government over the resources required to modernise the United Kingdom’s armed forces in the face of rising threats, including from Russia.

Two defence ministers quit this month in a row over the spending proposals, including Defence Secretary John Healey, who said the plans risked making Britain “less safe”.

Starmer’s pledge came as United States President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged NATO allies to spend more on defence and become less reliant on Washington for security.

Starmer will take the plan, which foresees spending nearly 80 billion pounds ($105.7bn) a year by 2029, to Ankara for a NATO summit on July 7-8. He wants to signal Britain is on track to spend 3.5 percent of its gross domestic product on defence by 2035.

With likely successor Andy Burnham due to take power as early as July 20, Starmer acknowledged new governments could “build” on his blueprint.

Critics said the plan, delayed for more than nine months, was too little, too late.

US president says talks will take place on Tuesday, but Tehran has not confirmed the negotiations in Doha.

President Donald Trump says a meeting will take place between Iran and the United States in Qatar on Tuesday, suggesting that diplomacy is still on track despite the recent military skirmishes in the Gulf.

Trump’s announcement on Monday came less than two hours after a top Iranian official said that technical talks over the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Washington and Tehran “are not planned” for this week.

“IRAN HAS REQUESTED A MEETING. IT WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW IN DOHA!” Trump wrote in a social media post.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the meeting would take place after conditions are met, without providing details.

“Although consultations with Qatar, including regarding the follow-up of the implementation of the other party’s commitments, are ongoing as usual, the news from some media outlets that technical talks of the working groups will be held in Doha cannot be confirmed,” Gharibabadi told Tasnim news agency.

The two statements from Washington and Tehran appear to contradict each other, but it is possible that a breakthrough finalising the meeting occurred after Gharibabadi’s comment.

Iran, however, has not confirmed that talks have been scheduled.

White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, will lead the US negotiating team in Doha.

“Special Envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner will be flying to Doha for high-level meetings this week as we continue to discuss the memorandum of understanding,” she told Fox News.

Leavitt added that technical talks will take place on the sidelines of the high-level negotiations.

The US and Iran reached a deal to end the war earlier this month, kicking off a 60-day period of negotiations over the thorniest issues in the relationship – Tehran’s nuclear programme.

But the deal has been tested by Israel’s continuing attacks in Lebanon and Iran’s assertion of control over the Strait of Hormuz.

The first sentence of the 14-point MoU calls for a full ceasefire in Lebanon, “ensuring the territorial integrity and sovereignty” of the country.

But the US has sponsored a separate agreement between the Lebanese government and Israel that conditions Israeli withdrawal on the disarmament of Hezbollah across the country.

Hormuz has been another sticking point. Iran has rejected routes through the strait outside of its control and fired at ships passing through lanes not designated by Tehran.

The US has struck Iranian positions near the waterway, to which Iran responded with missile and drone attacks against American bases in Bahrain and Kuwait.

But diplomatic and de-escalation efforts appear to continue, despite the trading of attacks.

“As far as we’re concerned, we’re holding up our end of the ceasefire,” Leavitt said on Monday, but she warned that “violence will be met with violence” if Iran attacks commercial ships or US interests.

On Monday, Trump hailed the drop in oil prices that followed the deal, which lifted Tehran’s blockade on Hormuz and eased US sanctions on Iran’s energy products.

“GAS PRICES COMING DOWN, FAST! REPORT ANY ABUSES AT RETAIL LEVEL,” the US president wrote on his Truth Social platform.

The average price of one gallon (3.8 litres) of gasoline in the US has dropped to $3.86, down from a peak of $4.56 in May. It was less than $3 before the war.

South Korean president frames the push as a race against time to secure the country’s domination in AI boom.

South Korea has laid out a sweeping industrial strategy focused on semiconductor chips and artificial intelligence projects as President Lee Jae Myung pledges to cement overwhelming industry leadership with investments of hundreds of billions of dollars over several years.

Flanked by the heads of the world’s two biggest memory chipmakers, Lee cast the initiative on Monday as a “great leap forward” centred on the “triple axis” of semiconductors, physical AI and data centres.

“We must secure the core elements of AI faster than any other country,” the president said in a televised address.

The world’s two largest memory chipmakers, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, will invest 800 trillion won ($518bn) with suppliers to build two new chip fabrication sites each in South Korea’s southwest, Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan said.

Lee said the country’s southwestern city of Gwangju and South Jeolla province will also invest 5 trillion to 20 trillion won ($3.2bn to $13bn) in the projects. Kim said a further 81 trillion won ($52.5bn) is expected to be invested for a chip-packaging cluster in the Chungcheong area near Seoul.

The government also unveiled plans to build AI data centres in the region, backed by 550 trillion won ($356bn) in investments from the SK Group, GS Group and Naver.

“By 2035, an additional 10-gigawatt AI data centre will be built with a total investment exceeding 18.4 gigawatts and 1,000 trillion won,” or $648bn, Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon announced.

The announcement marks the government’s boldest push yet to align South Korea’s AI and chip ambitions with Lee’s pledge to narrow regional disparities and revive economies beyond the Seoul metropolitan area.

The opposition has criticised the plan, arguing that his government’s decision to locate a second semiconductor cluster in Honam, the traditional electoral stronghold of his liberal Democratic Party, is driven more by regional politics than by industrial logic.

They have accused the government of pressuring memory chipmakers to invest in the region to bolster political support rather than allowing companies to choose the most commercially viable locations.

As part of the overall initiative, the southwest would be the home of new, large chip production clusters, Lee said, in part to use the rich power resources yet untapped there.

The president defended the proposed southwestern chip hub in a series of X posts over the weekend, rejecting criticism that it favours a region where 85 percent of voters backed him in last year’s presidential election.

BREAKINGBREAKING,

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced the deal after talks unfolded in Washington, DC.

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has announced a deal framework between Lebanon and Israel after negotiations in Washington, DC.

Details about the agreement remain scarce. But in his remarks on Friday, Rubio made clear that the deal was only the “first step” in further negotiations.

“It’s the beginning of the beginning,” Rubio said, surrounded by representatives from both Lebanon and Israel.

“There’s a lot of work ahead. We don’t in any way underestimate the difficulty of the task ahead, but we understand the importance of it, how vital it is.”

The two sides had gathered in Washington, DC, for three days of US-mediated talks this week, starting on Tuesday.

More details to come…

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the UK will ban social media for teens under the age of 16 and impose tighter rules on gaming and livestreaming platforms, with regulations to follow by the end of the year. He says the move is aimed at protecting children, and will curb the power of big tech companies through tough online safety measures.

British PM warns social media platforms are exposing children to content that is ‘dangerous’ and ‘designed to be addictive’.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced a ban on social media sites ⁠⁠for under-16s as the United Kingdom plans to join a growing list of countries that place online restrictions on children.

The sweeping changes will reflect Britain’s values, help to protect children online and push back against the power of big technology companies, Starmer said at a ⁠⁠news conference on Monday.

“It is clear to me a full ban is the right choice,” he told reporters.

“This will change the conversations that parents have and the expectations of children over time. It will make a huge difference. It will make our children safer. It will make our children happier. It will give them more time, more security, more freedom to grow up, more opportunity.”

As well as a ban on sites ‌‌such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram, he said his government would take action against gaming and livestreaming services that allow children to talk to strangers.

“Is there a situation in the offline world where you would just let your child pair up with a stranger, an adult that you don’t know anything about? No, so we’re taking action on that,” Starmer said.

The prime minister warned that social media platforms are “exposing them to content that is dangerous” and “designed to be addictive”.

Timeline

Starmer said he hoped to pass the regulation by late December so the ban could come into force in the spring next year.

The government said in a statement it will also consider overnight curfews and breaks in infinite scrolling for under-18s and will announce more details in July.

Starmer said the upcoming ban was influenced by the experience of Australia, which in December became the first nation to ban people under 16 from social media.

Canada’s culture minister last week put forward a bill that would prohibit anyone under 16 from having social media accounts and oblige AI chatbot platforms to curb the creation of harmful content.

The UK announcement followed government-led consultations in which British teenagers trialled social media bans and time limits on apps.

A spokesperson for YouTube responded with a warning that such a blanket ban would push children towards “less safe services”.