Under a new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) rule released on Thursday, international students and exchange visitors will generally be limited to four years, while foreign journalists will be admitted for up to 240 days at a time, or just 90 days for Chinese nationals.

Anyone who wants to stay longer will have to apply for an extension or leave the country and apply to come back.

The regulation, which takes effect 60 days after publication in the Federal Register pending congressional review, could impact admissions for college programmes starting in August and September.

It marks the latest step in Trump’s broader crackdown on immigration since returning to office in January 2025.

“For too long, past Administrations have allowed foreign students and other visa holders to remain in the U.S. virtually indefinitely, posing safety risks, costing untold amount of taxpayer dollars, and disadvantaging U.S. citizens,” a DHS news release said when the changes were first proposed last summer.

The administration says the changes will make it easier to keep track of people on these visas.

“DHS has many examples of students and exchange visitors staying for decades in their student or exchange visitor status,” the rule said.

The department said it had found more than 2,100 people who first entered as students from 2000 to 2010 who still had student status in April this year as they enrolled in new programmes, transferred schools or extended their programme dates to remain in the US.

The rule also tightens restrictions on international students transferring schools or changing academic programmes, particularly at the graduate level.

According to the DHS, there were more than 1.8 million student visa admissions in 2024, up more than 11 percent over the previous year.

The department also said the US admitted more than 500,000 exchange visitors and about 37,300 foreign journalists during the 2024 fiscal year, which ended on September 30, 2024.

“The significant increase in the volume of such visitors poses a challenge to DHS’s ability to monitor and oversee these nonimmigrants while they are in the United States,” the department wrote.

It is the latest step in Trump’s broader push to tighten restrictions on both illegal and legal immigration.

In June, the Department of State said it had revoked more than 100,000 visas since Trump returned to office last year, including 8,000 students. Many of those students’ visas were revoked over their  political activism.

Immigration advocates and universities have warned that the policies risk making the US a less attractive place to study, teach or do research by increasing costs and discouraging coming to the US for longer study programmes.

Fricker won the Oscar for best supporting actress in 1990 for playing Daniel Day-Lewis’s on-screen mother in My Left Foot.

She played nurse Megan Roach in the BBC’s Casualty from 1986, making her final appearance in 2010; and was the Central Park pigeon lady in 1992’s Home Alone sequel.

In a statement, her agent Phil Belfield said: “We will never see her like again and the world is lesser for the lack of her.”

He added: “I was honoured to know, love and work with her and she will always have a place in my heart and in the heart of so many film and TV fans the world over.”

Fricker’s former Casualty co-star Derek Thompson, who played long-running character Charlie Fairhead, paid tribute to the actress, telling BBC News: “Truly the best I have ever worked with, and I’ve worked with a lot of actors”.

Cathy Shipton, who played Lisa ‘Duffy’ Duffin, added that Fricker as “one of the most authentic people I’ve ever met”.

“She lived her life courageously warts and all. I loved her for her wit, her intelligence and her brilliant sense of humour,” Shipton told BBC News.

“Life happened when you were around Brenda. We shared a love of dogs – collies and my girl Juno is named after her favourite collie.

“I love her and miss her and am so glad l knew her.”

Born in Dublin, Fricker began her acting career with parts and in TV and the theatre,including Ireland’s first soap opera Tolka Row in the 1960s,ITV soap Coronation Street in 1977, and Licking Hitler, a Play For Today written by David Hare, in 1978.

She was in the cast of the first episode of long-running BBC medical drama Casualty in 1986, remaining a fixture until 1990 and returning regularly in the subsequent years.

She made history in 1990 when she became the first Irish actress to win an Academy Award, beating Hollywood stars including Julia Roberts and Anjelica Huston.

My Left Foot told the true story of an Irish man named Christy Brown, played by Day-Lewis, who was born with cerebral palsy and could control only his left foot. The actor also won an Oscar for his starring role.

Another memorable role came two years later when Fricker was cast as the homeless bird lady befriended by Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin in Home Alone 2.

Her other film credits included 1993’s So I Married An Axe Murderer, 1994’s Angels In The Outfield, 1996’s A Time To Kill and 2003’s Veronica Guerin.

However, she later claimed she would have gone on to have a better career if it hadn’t been for her success at the Oscars.

“What did happen was the old curse of the Oscars, as they call it,” she told the Times in 2024.

The accolade led to her being typecast and overlooked for a lot of roles, including in theatre, she said.

“So there’s a lot that’s not great about an Oscar. And you don’t get any money. They could give you a few bob with it, at least,” she joked.

‘Warmth and toughness in the same breath’

Ireland’s Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) Simon Harris said he was “deeply saddened” by the death of “a national treasure”.

“She was a consummate performer who graced our screens and stages with remarkable talent and authenticity. Brenda brought depth and humanity to every role she undertook,” he said.

“She truly was among the greatest exports this country has ever produced and an ambassador for Irish talent on the world stage. Quite simply, we will never see the like of her ever again.”

The US ambassador to Ireland, Edward Walsh, paid tribute to Fricker as “a giant of Irish film” and praised her “unforgettable” performance in My Left Foot.

Writing on X, he said: “From Dublin to Hollywood, her work brought Ireland’s stories to the world and inspired generations on both sides of the Atlantic.

“She leaves a remarkable legacy, and I extend my deepest condolences to her family, friends, and all who loved her.”

Teenage trauma

Fricker told her life story in her memoir last year, revealing an unstable upbringing in which she was beaten by her mother and groomed at the age of eight by a man who gave her elocution lessons and was sexually fixated with her, but who “never touched me”.

She spent two years in hospital after a bicycle accident at the age of 14, but was truly left “broken” after being raped at 17 at a party, then raped again later by an English actor.

Despite her traumas, she also had fond memories of that era. “When I was growing up, you could be wild and God bless the wild days.”

In that spirit, the path her life took was not calculated, she told The Times. “It’s all been luck… happy accidents.”

The singer made the revelation while arriving in Ghana with members of his team during a live stream with Nigerian streamer Davrel on June 15, 2026.

In a video from the stream, Davido was seen making a phone call to his wife, asking her to send $4,000 to his longtime aide, Lati, after he was unable to access his account.

“Good morning, my love. Please help me send Lati $4,000. I can’t log in and I don’t know why. I love you,” he said during the call.

After the conversation, the award-winning musician explained to a friend why he had relied on his wife to complete the transaction.

Davido said Chioma has taken responsibility for managing his finances because he does not trust himself to handle money due to his spending habits.

“My wife manages my money. I’m a reckless spender, so she’s the one who arranges everything. She’s my life coordinator and I don’t play when it comes to her,” he said.

Watch the video elow:

Davido and the rest of the team walking to the jet and he randomly calls his wife, Chioma to send Lati 4k dollars. Davrel asked if Chioma manages his money, Davido said yes that Chioma handles all his finances cos he’s a very reckless spender 😭😂💔 pic.twitter.com/AYeLVMqdl4

— Oyindamola🙄 (@dammiedammie35) July 15, 2026

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Dozens of others, including school staff, were injured in the crash in the Kapchorwa area on Thursday evening.

Preliminary investigations show the bus suffered a mechanical fault before the driver lost control on Chekwatit Hill, a stretch of road that has been the site of several serious crashes, according to local officials.

“The driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle, which veered off the road, struck a large stone along the roadside, and overturned,” police said.

The bus, carrying pupils from King David Junior School in Ndejje, crashed at about 20:00 local time (17:00 GMT) at Chekwatit village in Kawowo area, police said.

“Sadly, 20 children and 1 adult, who happens to be the founder and director, Mr Tadeo Ssekade, have gone to be with the Lord,” Minister of Local Government, Balaam Ateenyi Barugahara posted on X, while at the scene.

Videos shared by eyewitnesses showed the bus badly damaged, as local residents rushed to help the injured children.

The pupils were returning from a study tour, with local media reporting they had visited the Sipi Falls, a tourist area.

Uganda records thousands of road deaths every year, with speeding, poorly maintained vehicles and dangerous roads among the leading causes, according to traffic authorities.

The latest crash comes amid renewed concern over the safety of school transport after several serious bus accidents were reported in the country in recent weeks.

Gabriel Perez, who had worked at the White House since 2016, is accused of placing bets on words the president would use during major public addresses, including the State of the Union speech.

The trades were made on Kalshi, a prediction markets platform where users can bet on real-world events. The firm confirmed it reported the activity to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), which regulates the platform.

Kalshi froze Perez’s account before any profits could be withdrawn, according to reports.

The platform told the BBC its analysts noticed unusual betting on “mention markets” – contracts where users predict whether a speaker will use common terms, such as specific countries, economic words, or campaign slogans, in March.

“The words of political leaders like Presidents and Fed chairs cause billions of dollars of movement in FX markets, oil futures, [and] the stock market,” Kalshi said.

Using account data, the company found the user was a federal employee operating White House teleprompters.

The exchange froze more than $90,000 before it could be withdrawn.

Robert DeNault, Kalshi’s head of enforcement, said the firm flagged the trades and had handed evidence to regulators.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Trump was aware of the teleprompter operator and that staffer was now on unpaid leave, before adding Perez would no longer work at the White House.

The story, first reported by ABC News, has been confirmed by the BBC’s US partner, CBS News.

Sources said Perez has been “fully cooperative” with the CFTC.

ABC said federal prosecutors in Manhattan declined to open a criminal case.

When contacted by the BBC to confirm it was investigating, the CFTC said it could not “confirm or deny” any probe.

Also read:

• R. Kelly appeals to Trump to commute 31-year prison sentence

• Trump retreat over Hormuz tolls suggests he is struggling to end Iran war

According to court records made public this week by the Office of the Pardon Attorney and first reported by The Guardian, the application is currently pending and seeks a commutation of Kelly’s sentence, not a full presidential pardon.

Kelly, whose full name is Robert Sylvester Kelly, was convicted in 2021 on racketeering charges after prosecutors said he led a criminal enterprise that recruited women and underage girls for illegal sexual activity and the production of child sexual abuse material. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

A year later, he was convicted in a separate federal case on three counts involving child sexual abuse images and three counts of child enticement. Although he received another 20-year sentence, all but one year runs concurrently with his earlier sentence, leaving him with a combined 31-year prison term.

The 59-year-old singer is serving his sentence at a federal prison in North Carolina and is not expected to be released until January 2046.

Kelly’s lawyer, Beau Brindley, has been lobbying Trump for executive clemency for more than a year. In 2025, Brindley filed an emergency motion seeking Kelly’s transfer to home detention, alleging that prison officials had conspired with a terminally ill inmate to kill the singer in exchange for an early release.

In a statement at the time, Brindley said: “The only thing that can protect Mr Kelly behind the prison walls now is the fact that now the world is watching. And we will call on the courts and President Trump to help put an end to the corruption that now threatens Mr Kelly’s life.”

However, the emergency motion was later denied by the court.

Kelly has consistently denied the allegations against him, while his request for a presidential commutation remains under review.

The ability to switch programmes and transfer between universities and colleges will also be restricted. Until now, higher education institutions had the power to grant visa extensions.

The policy, which comes into effect in September, “combats rampant visa abuse, and strengthens national security through regular vetting”, the Department of Homeland Security said.

The Association of International Educators described the new rules as “misguided and unnecessary”.

Before now, foreign students on F-1 visas and J-1 exchange visas were admitted to the US under “duration of status”, which meant they could remain in the country for as long as it took to finish their degrees. The new rules will put a time limit on that stay.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said: “For decades, foreign students have been admitted into the US indefinitely, allowing thousands to abuse our immigration system by perpetually enrolling in courses to avoid having to leave the US.”

While most US undergraduate programmes are four years, graduate-level programmes, such as doctorates, typically take longer to complete.

Most international students are enrolled in graduate level courses, especially those in the science and technology fields.

Those courses typically require more time to complete and publish research. Funding shortfalls for research and personal circumstances can also often lengthen the study period.

Under the new rules, foreign students will also now have 30 days to pack up and leave after graduation or change to a different visa category – down from the previous 60-day grace period.

NAFSA: Association of International Educators, a non-profit that advises schools on foreign student enrollment, criticised the new rules.

Its chief executive, Fanta Aw, said the new policy “injects uncertainty, bureaucracy, and fear into a system that has long worked effectively. It is a solution in search of a problem.”

The new rules are part of a broader approach by the Trump administration to reduce the number of foreign students and restrict immigration to the US.

The administration has sought to cap the number of foreign students at some elite colleges and moved to revoke the visas of students who have been critical of US foreign policy.

Meanwhile, Trump on Wednesday praised Iran for freeing Dena Karari, a US detainee that he said had been “wrongfully detained” in December 2024.

“The United States of America appreciates this gesture of Goodwill by Iran!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Karari’s attorney, Jared Genser, said she was on her way back to the US.

However, Iran’s judiciary on Thursday said that no US prisoner had been released or exchanged from its prisons, Iranian state media reported.

The development was announced by the the Executive Secretary of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Wisdom Yayra Koku Deku on X, formally Twitter. 

According to the Executive Secretary of NIA , Ghana’s Ambassador to Spain, Kalsoume Sinare Baffoe, officially handed over the first Ghana Card issued at the new registration centre to a Ghanaian applicant.

The NIA is urging Ghanaians residing in Spain who are yet to obtain a Ghana Card to begin the registration process by visiting the NIA’s online portal, where applicants will undergo an interview with officials in Accra before being scheduled to visit the registration centre for biometric capture and card issuance.

The opening of the centre forms part of the Authority’s efforts to expand access to the Ghana Card for Ghanaians living outside the country and strengthen national identity management.

The lecturer, who teaches Biology, was reportedly confronted after students claimed he had repeatedly made sexual advances towards the student.

According to reports, the student, with the support of some colleagues, allegedly set a trap for the lecturer. When she entered his office, she reportedly raised an alarm, prompting other students to rush to the scene.

Students who arrived allegedly found the lecturer in his underwear and attempted to gain access to the room. The lecturer reportedly locked the laboratory door as students gathered outside.

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A video circulating online showed students forcing their way into the room, after which the lecturer allegedly attempted to escape by climbing through a window.

The lecturer was later arrested and taken into custody as authorities began investigations into the allegations.

The incident has sparked concerns among students and members of the public over allegations of abuse of authority and inappropriate relationships between lecturers and students.

Authorities of the institution are yet to officially comment on the matter or provide details on the next steps in the investigation.

The country’s civil protection department said firefighters were still working to contain the blaze as of 06:50 local time (05:50 GMT) on Thursday.

Authorities have not yet disclosed the ages or identities of those who died or were injured in the incident.

The civil protection department said five people with special needs were rescued during the fire and moved to a safe location.

The cause of the blaze remains unclear, with authorities expected to begin investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Emergency teams continue to assess the extent of the damage and provide support to those affected.

Police confirmed that Andile Mvuyelwa Somgxada, the Gauteng province leader of March and March, was shot outside his home east of Johannesburg earlier this month and died several days later in hospital.

“It’s a retaliation,” March and March spokesperson Sandile Dube told the BBC, explaining how the movement believed he was targeted because of its campaign to get undocumented migrants to leave the country.

He said other leaders of March and March, which has been organising anti-migrant demonstrations across the country, had recently received warnings or death threats.

“This seems like an orchestrated hitman type of killing,” Dube told the BBC’s Newsday programme, urging the authorities to get to the bottom of the matter and the intimidation the organisation was facing.

Acting police chief Lt Gen Puleng Dimpane has announced a multidisciplinary team to investigate the shooting, which he said underscored the seriousness with which the service was treating the case.

“We are committed to conducting a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding this murder and to ensure accountability,” she said in a statement on Tuesday evening.

Immigration – especially undocumented migration – has become a highly contentious  political issue in South Africa, with protesters accusing them of placing pressure on public services, as well as being involved in crime.

March and March had set an unofficial deadline of 30 June for all migrants without papers to leave the country. Protesters have promised to stage weekly marches until their demands are met.

The South African government has said more than 53,000 foreign nationals have been deported or repatriated since it launched a “migration management” campaign five weeks ago.

Xenophobia has long been an issue in South Africa, which is Africa’s wealthiest nation and has long attracted migrants searching for better economic opportunities.

It has sometimes led to violence – and this current round of demonstrations has seen violence, intimidation and looting.

On Tuesday, five people were arrested in Limpopo province for allegedly impersonating immigration officers and unlawfully demanding foreign nationals leave the country.

The police said the incident involved a Nigerian national – who was legally in South Africa – being intimidated and forced to close his business by the suspects.

Gallo Images via Getty Images

“The law applies equally to everyone; no individual or group has the authority to conduct immigration inspections, verify legal status, or remove people from communities” – Lt Gen Puleng Dimpane, Acting Police Commissioner.

Lt Gen Dimpane issued a “stern warning” to those who “continue to intimidate, harass and perpetrate violence against foreign nationals”.

“The law applies equally to everyone,” she said.

“No individual or group has the authority to conduct immigration inspections, verify legal status, or remove people from communities.”

When questioned on how some foreign nationals had been treated by anti-migrant protesters, Dube said March and March rejected “any form of violence – we reject any form of anti-law”.

There are more than three million documented foreign nationals in South Africa, according to official figures, which does not account for those in the country illegally.

Several countries, including Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and Uganda, have been organising flights or buses for their citizens to return home in recent weeks.

On Wednesday, the last flight organised by the Nigerian government under its voluntary repatriation scheme landed in Lagos carrying 306 passengers. More than 1,200 Nigerians have now returned under the programme.

A report of a vessel in distress came in at 15:37 local time (22:37 GMT), San Francisco Fire Department chief Dean Crispen said.

A marine unit first on the scene witnessed a man in the water “in severe distress” and initiated CPR, Crispen said. He was declared deceased when brought to shore.

He said 20 adults, mostly family members, were on the three-deck pontoon boat, a 50ft (15m) cabin cruiser called Volare, and they were “engaging in some kind of memorial service”.

Authorities said a search and rescue operation by the San Francisco Fire Department and the US Coast Guard would continue throughout the evening.

Three people on the boat were injured and taken to a local hospital, where they were in a stable condition, Crispen told a news conference.

The man who died was 79-year-old Clifford Joseph Boisa, said the San Francisco medical examiner’s office.

Boisa was a resident of Sutter County, which is around a two-hour drive north-west of San Francisco.

The other 13 members on the boat returned safely to shore and were not injured.

The fire department chief said the initial alert had indicated a vessel was on fire.

But he said later there was no evidence of a blaze when the fire service arrived at the scene, with witnesses reporting rough seas and a vessel that began to take on water and was turned over in the bay.

Longshoreman Justin Marceline, who, alongside fisherman Mike Montoya, helped rescue people from the vessel, according to Reuters, said it was “complete chaos when we showed up”.

“Every time we had to grab a person, each one of them, either they were exhausted, or they were frantic and were flailing,” Marceline said.

The Rastafarian community had argued that the ban on smoking cannabis infringed on their rights to freedom of religion and belief guaranteed under the constitution.

In a landmark judgement, Justice Bahati Mwamuye said the community had failed to prove drug laws violated their constitutional rights, but acknowledged the need for a broader national debate on cannabis.

There has been a continued push to legalise cannabis in Kenya, with advocates arguing that its regulated cultivation and trade could create jobs, boost tax revenue and support industrial and medicinal uses.

Under Kenya’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, possession of cannabis remains a criminal offence.

A person convicted of possessing cannabis solely for personal use is liable to up to five years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to $800 (£600).

Cultivating cannabis carries a penalty of a fine of $1,900 or three times the market value of the plants, whichever is greater, and/or up to 20 years in jail.

More severe penalties apply to trafficking and other drug-related offences.

In their petition, the Rastafari Society of Kenya had argued that cannabis was a sacred sacrament in their faith and sought permission for followers to grow, possess and use it privately during worship without fear of arrest.

It maintained it was not asking for the wholesale legalisation of cannabis, but a limited exemption for religious purposes in private homes and designated places of worship.

In their submission, the Rastafarians argued that smoking cannabis was part of their religious doctrine which must be respected and upheld.

But the state opposed their plea, arguing that creating a religious exemption would undermine the enforcement of Kenya’s anti-drug laws and could create loopholes for illegal cannabis trafficking.

Justice Mwamuye also found that the evidence presented on the centrality of cannabis to the Rastafari faith was inconsistent and insufficient to establish that its use was an essential element of the religion.

He upheld the constitutionality of the drug laws prohibiting the cultivation, possession and use of cannabis, dealing a major blow to the Rastafarians’ six-year legal battle.

The judge noted that any exemption permitting the use of cannabis for religious purposes would require a sound constitutional and legal foundation.

“We ought to have frank conversations on cannabis and which directions we should take,” Justice Mwamuye said.

“This is not a question for the Rastafarian community only. It is a national question that cuts across the entire spectrum of our society,” he added.

The community’s lawyer Danstan Omari said they would appeal against the court ruling.

“Kenya cannot be the only country that is harassing the Rastafarian people. We are determined to reverse that [court’s ruling] and bring back the dignity and respect of the Rastafarians in Kenya,” he said.

The judgment comes seven years after another High Court ruling recognised Rastafarianism as a protected religion in Kenya, finding that a school’s decision to expel a student over her dreadlocks violated her constitutional rights.

The number of Rastafarians in Kenya is unknown, but the movement is thought to be growing, especially among young people.

Their tradition of wearing dreadlocks also resonates with Kenya’s anti-colonial history as many of the Mau Mau fighters who resisted British rule in the 1950s wore their hair long and matted as a symbol of defiance.

The seizure was made at about 2:00 a.m. on July 12, 2026, by the Commercial Customs Brigade of Karang..

According to a report by the Gambia Youth And Women’s Forum, the suspect was travelling on a public transport vehicle from a neighbouring country when officers intercepted him and conducted a search.

During the inspection, officials discovered that the ecstasy pills had been carefully hidden inside the man’s prosthetic leg in what authorities described as an unusually sophisticated smuggling method.

Customs officials said the seizure underscores the increasingly complex tactics being employed by criminal networks to transport illicit drugs across borders.

The suspect has been taken into custody and is expected to be arraigned before the High Court to face legal proceedings.

Authorities say investigations are ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the attempted drug trafficking operation and to identify any other individuals connected to the case.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said the Strait of Hormuz would remain shut until the US ended its “acts of aggression”. They also threatened to close off other regional oil and gas export channels.

The warning came as the US military’s Central Command (Centcom) said it had carried out drone, air and navy strikes on Iran on Wednesday morning, following another seven-hour operation overnight.

Fresh hostilities between the US and Iran in recent days have served to underscore the strategic importance of the Strait to the global economy.

The renewed attacks have also triggered a sharp rise in oil prices, as tanker traffic through the vital shipping route has virtually stalled.

Wednesday morning’s strikes “further degraded Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz”, Centcom said in a statement.

A 90-minute wave was used to target Iran’s coastal defences and cruise missile storage and launch sites on Greater Tunb Island, the Centcom officials added.

On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump vowed to strike Iran’s bridges and power plants next week if the country did not return to talks.

“I’ll save the energy targets for last, but ultimately we’ll hit energy targets,” Trump said in an interview on Special Report with Bret Baier that aired on Tuesday night.

The escalation in rhetoric came after Trump said a 20% toll he had threatened to impose in the Strait of Hormuz would be replaced by “massive” trade and investment deals with Gulf states.

A previous threat by Trump to bomb Iran’s civilian infrastructure, which was made in April, drew condemnation at the time from UN human rights chief Volker Türk, who said: “Under international law, deliberately attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure is a war crime.”

A renewed US blockade on Iranian ports was imposed on Tuesday evening, which stops vessels from transiting to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas.

The blockade had previously been lifted as part of a deal that was struck by the two countries last month – known as a memorandum of understanding – that aimed to end the months-conflict.

However, a dispute over the strait has become a key point of contention.

In response to the renewal of the US blockade, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned the US that it should “expect the closure of other oil and gas export routes that serve the interests of the United States and its allies”. It did not elaborate on which routes could be affected.

Meanwhile, Iran’s state-run broadcaster reported that the country’s army had carried out separate attacks on US targets in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain.

The US allies also said they intercepted drones and missiles launched from Iran.

The charges had been dropped on health grounds, Information Minister Chernor Bah told the BBC.

The 72-year-old former president has always denied involvement in the November 2023 attempted coup when gunmen broke into a military armoury and several prisons, freeing almost 2,000 inmates.

Responding to his case being dropped, Koroma noted his “enduring conviction that peace, justice and reconciliation must always triumph over adversity”.

In his statement on Tuesday, Koroma also expressed gratitude towards Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and the West African regional bloc Ecowas for their support.

After Koroma was charged and placed under house arrest, Ecowas brokered a deal with the government of Sierra Leone, allowing the former president to go into exile in Nigeria and seek medical attention there.

The attorney general had then filed to discontinue the case against Koroma and drop the charges, Bah said.

“The former president is therefore free to return to Sierra Leone at a time of his choosing and to go about his normal business,” he added.

Koroma led Sierra Leone for 11 years until 2018, when current President Bio was elected.

Eleven civilians and 24 soldiers were found guilty of involvement in the coup attempt and received long prison terms in 2024.

Around 20 people were killed in the uprising, which came five months after a disputed election which saw President Bio narrowly re-elected for a second term.

The results were rejected by Koroma’s All People’s Congress. International observers also criticised the elections, highlighting a lack of transparency in the count.

On Monday morning, in a social media post announcing the resumption of an American naval blockade on Iranian shipping, he said that all vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz – including those of US allies – must pay a 20% fee to reimburse the US “for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the world”.

The following day, he abandoned that proposal completely, instead offering to strike “trade and investment deals” with America’s Gulf allies, implying that the US would offer them safe passage through the Strait in return.

The abrupt about-face was the latest twist in a conflict that has now lasted more than four months and, despite a month old “memorandum of understanding” that secured a temporary ceasefire and set up a framework for negotiations, shows no sign of ending.

Trump may be reluctant to escalate the war given its continued unpopularity, the likelihood of rising energy prices and the risks associated with America forces and allies once again coming under Iranian attack. He might find the prospect of ending the conflict without reaching an agreement he can claim is better than the one Barack Obama’s administration negotiated in 2015 also distasteful, however.

“I think the most likely ending is a non-ending,” Rosemary Kelanid, Director of the Middle East program at Defense Priorities “This has turned into a war of attrition, and wars of attrition tend to go on for a long, long period of time.”

The US-Iran memorandum of understanding (MOU) – and the hopes that came with it for an end to the war – died at 10:16 ET (16:16 BST) on Tuesday on Truth Social, when Trump announced a resumption of the US blockade of Iranian shipping, amidst a flurry of new US military strikes on targets across Iran.

The Iranians countered by stepping up attacks on US allies and commercial shipping in the region, grinding traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to a near standstill once more.

After nearly a month of on-again, off-again negotiations between the two nations, punctuated by occasional hostilities that tested the definition of a “ceasefire”, Trump and the Americans appear to be facing the same challenges that had been present through much of the Iran War.

While militarily, the Americans were achieving their objectives, as measured in Iranian ships, planes and targets destroyed and defence capabilities degraded, politically the conflict was far from resolved.

Iran, militarily weakened though it may be, could still deny access to the Strait of Hormuz. And unless the Americans are willing to dramatically escalate their military operations in the region, there was little they could do to stop them.

Trump’s new twist of a 20% fee – possibly a means of making that military commitment more palatable to the American public – wasn’t entirely new. He had suggested such an arrangement on several occasions over the course of the war.

But just last month, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio had condemned an Iranian plan to charge “fees” on shipping through Hormuz.

“No country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway,” he said. “That’s existing international law. That’s the way it is in international waterways all over the world, and that’s the way we expect it here.”

Trump’s Hormuz U-turn is just the latest evidence of a president who does not appear to have a clear path forward. The memorandum of understanding, which both Americans and Iranians claimed as a victory for their side, was intentionally vague, leaving much up to later negotiation.

The document envisioned some role for Iran in overseeing shipping in Hormuz. It read: “The Islamic Republic of Iran will make arrangements using its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge”.

This is a role that Iran has been intent on asserting. The MOU also included billions of dollars in promised “investment” in Iran and an end to international sanctions.

Americans may have believed those sweeteners, accompanied by warnings of the consequences of noncompliance, would be enough to dissuade Iran from attempting to use its geographic advantages to more forcefully assert control over Hormuz. That calculation, at least for the moment, appears incorrect.

“The MOU is completely dead,” said Kelanid. “All of the things that it stipulated have now been undone.”

Now Trump, and the Iranians, find themselves in a familiar predicament. The latter are once again facing American military attacks across their territory, underlining their inability to defend their territorial sovereignty. With the reimposed blockade, their oil revenue – a lifeline for the Iranian regime – is again cut off.

Meanwhile, Trump is again facing a choice between escalation, which comes with domestic economic and political costs, and settling for some kind of resolution that leaves a hostile Iranian regime in power.

“We’re back to where we were initially, where the question was: who’s got more patience?” said Elliot Abrams, senior fellow for Middle Eastern studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. “The Iranians, who will not be able to export oil, or the US and other countries that use Persian gulf oil?”

After months of concern that the Iran war was triggering a new round of popularity-crushing inflation, Trump received some good news on Tuesday that consumer prices were dropping.

A resumption of full hostilities, or even an escalation in the conflict, would inevitably push oil prices back toward previous highs, endangering that positive trend and again putting Republicans in a tenuous position heading into November’s midterm congressional elections.

On Monday, after Trump’s Truth Social post, the price of a barrel of oil jumped nearly 10% – the biggest one-day increase in six years.

The first time around, Trump’s blockade helped pressure the Iranians to the negotiating table and set the table for the memorandum of understanding and a framework for a more lasting peace.

Now, according to Kelanid, the president’s leverage over Iran may be diminished.

“He has already tried the things he can easily do, can credibly do,” she said. “He can attack military targets, regime targets. He’s done that before, and it didn’t cause Iran to surrender.”

The latest target Trump has suggested is Pickaxe Mountain, a heavily fortified nuclear research site south of Tehran. But there is conflicting evidence of the value of the site – or of whether US airstrikes can cause significant damage to the tunnels which are deep beneath granite rock.

If Trump’s latest moves do ultimately end with yet another ceasefire and face-to-face talks, the underlying, difficult-to-reconcile disagreements – over Hormuz, over the disposition of Iran’s nuclear programme, over Iran’s influence in the Middle East – remain.

“I think there’s room for negotiation here over a Strait of Hormuz deal,” said Abrams. “But not a return to the MOU.”

With the war approaching its fifth month, Trump again on Monday noted that other American conflicts – including the Vietnam War – stretched on for years.

That particular quagmire, however, hobbled and ultimately ended the presidency of Lyndon Baines Johnson and damaged US global standing for at least a decade. That is a fate Trump is certainly hoping to avoid.

His supporters also are weary to repeat the kind of Middle East “forever wars” that Trump condemned in previous presidential campaigns.

But with the memorandum of understanding in tatters, the ceasefire ended and the prospect of further conflict looming, the end of the Iran War appears no closer to a resolution than it was in the weeks after it began.

According to the Embassy, normal consular operations will resume on Monday, August 3, 2026, and members of the public are encouraged to plan their travel and documentation needs in advance to avoid disruptions.

In a public notice issued on Tuesday, July 14, the Embassy said the temporary suspension would affect most non-emergency consular services during the maintenance period.

Services that will not be available include walk-in notarial services and Consular Reports of Death Abroad, both of which will resume once regular operations restart.

However, the Embassy noted that some essential services would continue during the period.

Applicants who have already received email confirmation that their U.S. passport or Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) is ready for collection will still be able to pick up their documents every Thursday between 1:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

The Embassy also said adult passport renewal applications submitted through its drop-box service would continue to be processed throughout the maintenance period. Applicants have been advised to follow the instructions provided on the Embassy’s official website.

Emergency consular assistance for U.S. citizens in Ghana will also remain available. Americans requiring urgent support have been encouraged to contact the Embassy’s duty officer through its emergency telephone line.

The Embassy urged travellers, U.S. citizens, and other clients with pending consular matters to plan ahead to minimise inconvenience before the temporary suspension begins on July 20.

The Embassy further encouraged the public to check its website regularly for updates on the restoration of full services and any additional operational changes.

The Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Accra provides a range of services to both U.S. citizens and visa applicants, including passport issuance and renewals, registration of births abroad, notarial services, emergency assistance and other citizenship-related services.

While routine services will be temporarily scaled back during the maintenance period, the Embassy stressed that emergency assistance will continue uninterrupted.

Travellers, U.S. citizens and anyone with pending consular matters have been advised to make the necessary arrangements before the temporary suspension takes effect on July 20.

Also read:

• US Embassy warns Ghanaians on visa fraud, illegal immigration risks

• Most Ghanaians in US not registered with embassy – Ambassador

The comments in a Fox News interview aired as the two countries exchanged fire for the fourth day in a row.

Earlier, Trump reversed a threat to impose a 20% fee on all Strait of Hormuz cargo shipping but resumed the blockade of Iranian ports.

“Next week it gets really bad for them,” Trump said. “We’re going to knock out all their power plants. We’re going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate,” he said, repeating earlier threats condemned at the time by UN officials.

After Trump threatened in April to bomb civilian infrastructure in Iran, including bridges and power plants, UN human rights chief, Volker Türk said: “Under international law, deliberately attacking civilians and civilian infrastructure is a war crime.”

The 1949 Geneva Conventions on humanitarian conduct in war prohibit attacks on sites considered essential for civilians.

“I’ll save the energy targets for last, but ultimately we’ll hit energy targets,” Trump said in an interview on “Special Report with Bret Baier” that aired on Tuesday night.

He said US negotiators had conveyed to their Iranian counterparts on Tuesday evening that they “‘better make a deal, or you’re not going to have anything left'”.

The escalation in rhetoric comes afterTrump said a 20% toll he had threatened to impose in the Strait of Hormuz would be replaced by “massive” trade and investment deals with Gulf states. His announcement came hours before the US resumed its blockade of Iranian ports.

Renewed strikes between the US and Iran triggered a sharp rise in oil prices as tanker traffic through the Strait has virtually stalled.

US Central Command (Centcom) said late on Tuesday its “forces began launching an additional round of strikes against Iran to continue degrading Iranian capabilities used to attack commercial shipping” in the key waterway.

In a statement late on Tuesday, US Admiral Brad Cooper said Iran had “intentionally targeted civilians” in the region by attacking seven commercial ships, which had resulted in “nearly a dozen civilian crew members killed, missing, or injured”.

The United Arab Emirates said on Monday night that Iranian cruise missiles had targeted two national tankers, killing an Indian crew member and wounding eight others, four seriously.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) later confirmed the strikes via a statement to Telegram, where it said two tankers had ignored warnings, turned off navigation systems and attempted to pass through a mined route.

It was unclear which other attacks the Centcom statement was referring to. The IRGC did not immediately comment.

In the early hours of Wednesday, Kuwait’s military said it was intercepting Iranian attack drones, while Bahrain activated air raid sirens.

“Kuwaiti air defences are currently engaging hostile drone attacks following the nefarious Iranian aggression,” the Kuwaiti army said. Bahrain’s interior ministry urged citizens and residents to remain calm and head to the nearest safe place.

Tehran said on Tuesday it had targeted US military facilities in Bahrain and Jordan after earlier hitting two United Arab Emirates tankers.

The ongoing strikes have underscored the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran accuses the US of interfering in its management of Hormuz – but controlling it means Tehran can also threaten the global economy.

Trump on Monday declared that the US was now the “guardian” of the Strait of Hormuz, and vowed to impose a 20% charge on all cargo shipped through the waterway to pay for protecting it.

Raising the stakes further, Trump said the US would also reimpose its naval blockade on Iran in a bid to further squeeze the country’s struggling economy.

In his latest post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “I have decided to replace the 20% United States Reimbursement Fee with Trade and Investment Deals that the various Gulf States will be making into the United States.

“Those Investments will be MASSIVE but, at the same time, extraordinarily good for them, and their future.” The US president provided no further details.

He also said the strait “is open to ALL Ship traffic except for Iran” and that “oil is flowing like never before, thanks to the awesome Power of the United States Military”.

Speaking later after talks in Washington with the new Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, Trump said: “I don’t like the concept of a fee, but at the same time, it’s not fair that we’re protecting this Strait for the entire world.”

He said he had changed his initial fee plan after receiving numerous calls from Gulf leaders.

In response to Trump’s announcement, Iran said it would remain in control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Trump’s blockade decision “has, in a way, dismantled” an earlier agreed truce deal, the AFP news agency reported.

Gharibabadi also told state television, as quoted by Reuters news agency: “If the US thinks that by tightening its measures against us, its military actions and its economic blockade, we will return to negotiations, it is making a mistake.”

The US first imposed a naval blockade of all Iranian ports in April to put pressure on Tehran. Roughly five weeks later, the US military said it had redirected 100 commercial vessels and disabled four under the blockade.

The US lifted the blockade in June as part of a deal – known as a memorandum of understanding – between the two countries that aimed to end the conflict, but a dispute over the strait has become a key point of contention.

Meanwhile, shipping data shows traffic through the strait has slowed to a two-month low. The benchmark Brent Crude oil price has also risen sharply.

The allegations were contained in a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio following Kumi’s extradition from Ghana to the United States to face charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to court documents, Kumi and his alleged accomplice, Daniel Yussif, were part of a criminal network that targeted elderly victims across the United States between April 2023 and November 2025.

Prosecutors allege that the group identified victims through online dating platforms and social media, with a focus on elderly widows and divorcees. They are accused of creating fake female profiles and using those identities to develop romantic relationships with victims before persuading them to send money under false pretences.

The U.S. Department of Justice said Kumi allegedly used “advanced techniques,” including AI-driven video platforms, to communicate with victims while posing as fictitious women.

Other members of the alleged scheme are said to have used encrypted messaging platforms and phone calls to maintain the false identities and strengthen the deception.

Investigators allege that victims were convinced they were involved in genuine romantic relationships before being persuaded to send funds based on fabricated claims involving gold and diamond inheritances.

The money was allegedly transferred into bank accounts controlled by members of the network and later distributed to accomplices in Ghana and other countries.

Prosecutors further allege that the group relied on money mules in Ghana and members of the Ghanaian immigrant community in the United States to launder millions of dollars through shell businesses and bank accounts.

According to U.S. authorities, the alleged operation generated more than $8 million from over 80 elderly victims.

Kumi is also accused of using proceeds from the alleged fraud to acquire luxury properties and vehicles, including a mansion in Ghana, a Lamborghini, a Tesla Cybertruck, a Mercedes-Benz and a BMW. The assets have since been seized by law enforcement authorities.

He was arrested in Ghana on December 11, 2025, and extradited to the United States on July 9, 2026.

Kumi faces charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Prosecutors are also seeking the forfeiture of assets they allege were purchased with proceeds from the scheme.

If convicted, he could face up to 20 years in prison on each count. Any sentence, however, will be determined by the court after considering relevant factors, including his alleged role in the offences and any criminal history.

Kumi is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Dennis Miracles Aboagye released after meeting GH¢50 million EOCO bail conditions

Scientists at the University of Oxford started developing the vaccine eight weeks ago when a public health emergency was declared on 17 May.

It is the first – out of four vaccines under development – to enter clinical trials.

Volunteers are being recruited, with the first doses expected to be given to healthy adults in the UK “within weeks”.

The Ebola epidemic, centred on the Democratic Republic of the Congo has killed 625 people with 1,792 laboratory confirmed cases.

It is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, which has started two outbreaks before.

The six different species of Ebola are known as “sisters rather than twins” because while they are similar, they need separate treatments and vaccines. It means there are no approved drugs or vaccines this time.

The outbreak is still not under control and is taking place in a conflict zone with very mobile populations – heightening the need for a vaccine to help stop the spread of disease.

Dr Katrina Pollock, the chief investigator of the trial based at the University of Oxford, told the BBC: “We’re doing phase one (early stage) trials of new vaccines all of the time, precisely to be ready for exactly this kind of outbreak.”

The trial will be on 50 healthy adults aged 18-55. Researchers are also working with partners in Uganda to prepare for trials in Africa.

Volunteers will be monitored for a year, but scientists should know quickly whether the vaccine is producing the right kind of immune response or any unexpected side effects.

The Oxford team have been able to develop their vaccine in a matter of weeks because they are using the same technology that shot to fame during the Covid pandemic and was used in the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccine.

It uses a common cold virus that infects chimpanzees that has been genetically modified to make it safe.

This acts like an envelope and all the researchers need to do is change the letter inside before posting it into the body.

In Covid, the letter being delivered was a snippet of genetic code from the Covid virus.

This time it’s a snippet from the Bundibugyo species of Ebola.

The vaccine does not cause an infection, but the piece of the genetic code starts producing one viral protein from Ebola inside the body.

This is enough to trigger the immune system to recognise a threat and mount an immune response.

That means the body should already have a head start if it encounters Ebolavirus for real.

The vaccine has been developed, tested on mice and macaque monkeys, and is being manufactured to a clinical standard by the Serum Institute of India. It has manufactured and stockpiled around 620,000 doses.

Based on that data, the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency has given the go-ahead for human trials.

Vaccine researcher Alex Sampson told the BBC: “As soon as we heard there was an outbreak, we were able to scale up really, really quickly.”

Vaccines can normally take up to a decade to research, develop and prove effective. But Sampson says no corners are being cut.

“We’re doing all the same tests that we would normally do, just we’re able to do them in parallel, so it means a lot of teams working in lots of different places around the clock, but we’re still doing everything that we would normally,” he added.

The Oxford Covid vaccine was estimated to have saved six million lives in the first year it was used around the world and hundreds of millions of doses have been taken.

However, the vaccine was also restricted for use in some countries because of rare blood clots which affected up to one in 100,000 people.

It is possible this vaccine carries the same risk, although this is much lower than the threat from the Bundibugyo species of Ebola which kills around a third of those infected.

Pollock said severe side effects are “very rare” and they thought “very deeply” about the implications for trials on healthy people, and that any risk would be communicated to volunteers.

“I want to stress that the Covid AstraZeneca vaccine was given to millions of people safely,” she added.

There are three other vaccines being developed for the Bundibugyo species of Ebola.

These include one from biotechnology company Moderna using their mRNA vaccine technology. The International Aids Vaccine Initiative and Public Health Vaccines, based out of the US, are using the same technique that has been proven to work for another species of Ebola, but is slower to manufacture.

In the latest incident, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) said agents were monitoring an address in Biddeford for a person with a final order of removal at around 07:00 EDT (11:00 GMT) on Monday.

When ICE tried to stop someone driving from that address, “the vehicle attempted to flee the scene and, fearing for public safety, an officer discharged his weapon”, ICE said, adding “the driver of the vehicle was struck”.

Dozens of demonstrators gathered in Biddeford afterwards.

ICE did not share details on why the officer feared for safety.

Maine’s top prosecutor said the incident involved an officer from ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations department, and the agent has been placed on leave pending an investigation.

Initial statements indicate “the subject attempted to flee in a vehicle in the direction of the officer and was fatally shot”, said Maine’s Attorney General Aaron Frey, a Democrat.

The name of the deceased man is not being released until he is formally identified and his family are notified, the statement added.

The inspector general’s office for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, is taking over the investigation, according to Senator Susan Collins, a Republican representing Maine.

Fellow Maine Senator Angus King, a political independent, said he was initially told by DHS chief Markwayne Mullin that the person who was shot dead was a target of an arrest warrant in an immigration operation.

But hours later, King said Mullin called him to say the man was actually not the target of a warrant; his office told the BBC.

The person who was killed was a Colombian national, the Embassy of Colombia confirmed.

The Embassy said it has “requested information and clarification” from DHS “regarding the circumstances surrounding this lamentable death and will continue to follow the case closely as the investigation progresses”.

According to the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition, the person who was killed was a 26-year old Colombian authorised to work in the US.

“He was a member of our community, a neighbour, and a human being whose life was cut tragically short,” the organisation said in a statement, which did not name the man.

Protests broke out in Biddeford, 18 miles (30km) south of Portland, following the shooting. Others gathered outside the entrance of Collins’ office to protest against her vote to fund ICE.

The senator has called for a “full and impartial investigation of what happened”.

One witness told the Biddeford Gazette that at around 07:20 local time, he saw lights flashing from an unmarked white SUV, and “at least two officers wearing green ICE vests”.

Lucas Scott, a Biddeford resident, said the agents were shouting as they surrounded a white sedan. He then heard at least four gunshots.

Another witness told the Associated Press (AP) news agency that the man who was killed lived nearby with his wife and daughter.

“I watched a wife fall to her knees looking at her husband’s dead body on the ground,” Mary Hayes said.

“I watched a little girl crying with a little pink backpack on because she’s never going to see her father again.”

Senator King said that Mullin, the head of DHS, had told him the man was shot after attempting to drive his car at police.

“He was in a vehicle – pulled out in the vehicle, and the term the secretary used was ‘weaponised’ the vehicle and was shot by an ICE agent,” King said.

He added that officers involved did not wear body cameras, and that officials would be investigating whether deadly force was necessary.

“That’s what this investigation is all about and I certainly intend to stay after it to do everything I can to be sure the investigation is as transparent and thorough as possible,” King said, according to the AP.

The incident draws renewed scrutiny on DHS and ICE.

On 7 July, an ICE officer fatally shot 52-year-old builder Lorenzo Salgado Araujo as he was driving to a construction site in Houston.

Federal officials later acknowledged that the Mexican man was not the intended target of the enforcement operation, but they said he had tried to run over an ICE agent.

Mullin took over leadership of DHS in March, replacing Kristi Noem after she was fired by US President Donald Trump.

Noem’s tenure saw fatal shootings by immigration officers of two protesters, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, both American citizens.

The deaths of Pretti and Good came after the Trump administration announced immigration enforcement surges in Minnesota and other states.

Federal officials launched a similar operation in Maine in January, dubbed Operation Catch of the Day.

Civil rights organisations filed a lawsuit alleging that federal agents used aggressive tactics during enforcement surges.

The US president said they were hitting Iran “very hard” as strikes were launched for the third consecutive night amid escalating attacks between the two countries.

Iran’s foreign minister responded to the announcement of a blockade by saying that Tehran would remain the Strait’s “GUARDIAN” – using Trump’s word.

The dispute over control of the Strait of Hormuz threatens to derail efforts to end their war, but Trump insisted a deal was still possible.

As tensions over the international waterway ramped up, the United Arab Emirates said on Monday night that Iranian cruise missiles targeted two national tankers, killing an Indian crew member and wounding eight others, four of which were serious.

Six of those injured were Indian, while two were Ukrainian, the UAE Ministry of Defence said in a statement on X.

“The Ministry of Defence condemns this brazen attack, which constitutes a serious violation and a clear breach of international law, threatening the security and stability of the region,” it said.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) later confirmed the strikes via a statement to Telegram, where it said two tankers had ignored warnings, turned off navigation systems and attempted to pass through a mined route.

In response, the IRGC said it had hit the tankers and disabled them.

It added that “co-operation with the aggressor enemy” would only lead to regret, damage and delays in opening the Strait – as well as the “creation of an energy crisis in the world”.

Oil prices edged higher in Asian trade on Tuesday. Brent crude was up by 0.7% at $83.87 (£62.79) a barrel, while US-traded oil was 0.9% higher at $79.04.

That followed a more than 9% jump in the price of Brent on Monday as the conflict escalated.

The strait remains a key flashpoint between the US and Iran, with both sides clashing over the waterway’s control on Monday after exchanging strikes in the region over Sunday night.

In a Truth Social post earlier in the day, Trump said the US was reinstating a naval blockade of Iranian ports and would impose a 20% charge on all cargo shipped through the Strait of Hormuz.

He said this would stop “Iran’s ships or customers” from entering or leaving the key oil shipping route, but “all other countries will have fair and open use of the Strait”. The blockade will be in effect from 16:00 Eastern Time (20:00 GMT) on Tuesday.

“The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as “THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,” but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World,” he wrote.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said the US was “hitting them very hard”.

“We’re knocking out all of their offensive capability. And we’re controlling the Strait,” he added.

Asked about peace talks between the two countries, he said: “Yeah, I think a deal is possible, sure, I do.”

US Central Command (Centcom) said the strikes were launched at 16:45 Eastern Time (20:45 GMT) on Monday at “the Commander in Chief’s direction”.

Several hours later, it confirmed it had struck military targets across Iran, including Bushehr, Chah Bahar, Jask, Konarak, Abu Musa, and Bandar Abbas, which it says was to “further degrade Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping”.

Iran’s army said it had targeted US military assets in Kuwait in response, Iranian state media reported.

Attacks were also launched on Bahrain, where the IRGC said it destroyed several weapons depots, a satellite communications centre and a building housing US forces.

Trump earlier told Fox News the US would “probably run” the Strait of Hormuz, claiming that Iran “broke” a deal that was made with the US.

“We are taking over the strait,” he said.

Centcom said its forces “will resume blockading maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports” on 14 July.

“The US military continues to support traffic flow through regional waters for all vessels not violating the blockade,” a Centcom statement said.

Last Friday, Trump notified Congress in a letter, seen by the BBC, that the US had resumed military action in Iran on 7 July.

Federal law requires congressional approval to continue military actions for more than 60 days. The White House can also extend the deadline for another 30 days, citing national security.

Responding to Trump’sStrait of Hormuz announcement, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote in a post on X: “POTUS is absolutely right. Whoever provides secure and safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz should be compensated for this service.”

He continued: “Iran has always been the GUARDIAN of the Strait and will remain so FOREVER.”

“20% is of course too much. We will be fair,” Araghchi added.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the International Maritime Organisation – the UN agency regulating global shipping – was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying that “IMO stands firmly against charging fees for passage through straits used for international navigation”.

“There is no legal basis through which to introduce mandatory tolls simply to transit through a strait,” the spokesperson added.

Before Trump’s announcement, Iran’s top military headquarters said it would not allow the US to “interfere in the management” of the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement shared by Iranian media, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson of Khatam al-Anbiya, said “repeated adventurism and malicious actions” from the US in the strait have “seriously endangered regional security, international trade and the passage of oil tankers and commercial vessels”.

Any co-operation with the US would be considered an act of “war” against Iran’s sovereignty, he added, warning that if the conflict spreads “the flames of war will engulf all the countries of the region”.

What Trump’s latest announcement means in practice remains unclear.

United Nations rules allow countries to exercise control of territorial seas up to 12 nautical miles (13.8 miles) from their coastline. At the narrowest point, the Strait of Hormuz and its shipping lanes lie entirely within Iran and Oman’s territorial waters.

Iran effectively shut down the strait – through which some 25% of the world’s oil and 20% of global liquefied natural gas previously passed – after the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on 28 February.

Tehran retaliated by firing missiles and drones on Israel and US military bases in a number of Gulf countries.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) also earlier fired on commercial ships attempting to go through the strait without its permission, and seized two vessels. Maritime traffic through the strait dropped dramatically, triggering a rise in oil prices.

The US first imposed a naval blockade of all Iranian ports in April to put pressure on Tehran. Roughly five weeks later, the US military said it had redirected 100 commercial vessels and disabled four under the blockade.

The US lifted the blockade in June as part of a memorandum of understanding between the two countries that aimed to end the conflict, but disputes over the strait resurfaced.

Now, many US allies are likely to baulk at the prospect of reimbursing the US and paying 20% of all cargo shipped – and Trump detractors at home and abroad are likely to point out that the strait was open and unencumbered before the war began.

The announcement could also become politically complicated for the president domestically.

Some lawmakers – including fellow Republicans – had openly questioned what the US gained from the ceasefire, its extension and further negotiations.

Many Americans are also likely to wonder why – despite repeated promises to the contrary – oil prices are inching up again. Trump is not on the ballot for the upcoming midterm elections, but other Republicans are and will be hearing from constituents concerned about prices.

The announcement could also be a bid to restart negotiations and push other countries to be more involved, a tactic that Trump has used in the past.

Most were from Malawi, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique, officials say, and the number is likely to rise as repatriations and deportations continue.

South Africa is carrying out one of its biggest crackdowns on undocumented migrants in years, following weeks of anti-immigration protests that have seen violence, intimidation and looting.

Protesters have been demanding tighter border controls and mass deportations, accusing migrants of contributing to high unemployment, rising crime rates and collapse of public services.

The UN has warned against using migrants as scapegoats for South Africa’s socioeconomic challenges.

Anti-migrant activists have threatened to stage weekly protests to pressure the government until their demands are met, and there are fears the protests could turn violent.

The demonstrators had set an “unofficial deadline” of 30 June for all undocumented migrants to leave the country, which has seen many foreigners leave to escape violence and intimidation.

Several countries, including Ghana, Nigeria, Uganda and Kenya, have flown their citizens home in recent weeks.

Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi announced on Sunday that 53,499 foreign nationals have been processed for deportation and repatriation, “which is dominated by the Malawians, followed by Zimbabweans and Mozambicans”.

“We are striving to achieve an orderly and regular migration which is mindful and sensitive to the concerns raised by our people, while observing human rights and dignity of all people in our country, irrespective of their citizenship and immigration status,” Kubayi told a news conference in Pretoria.

She said the repatriation and deportation process has helped them catch people who were wanted by the police for alleged criminal activity.

Authorities will continue to enforce its immigration laws, she added, but warned that protesters should not conduct unauthorised searches of homes and businesses that are suspected of sheltering undocumented migrants.

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has acknowledged public concerns about immigration but has condemned attacks against migrants, warning citizens against taking the law into their own hands.

South Africa is the continent’s wealthiest nation and has long attracted migrants searching for better economic opportunities, some of whom enter the illegally.

The man, dressed in a white shirt and shorts, can be seen getting into a red vehicle outside a house in Rotherham with a long object appearing to protrude from his shorts pocket, in footage time-stamped at 07:51 on Wednesday, first reported by the Sun.

On Thursday, 78-year-old Widdecombe was found dead at her home in Haytor, Devon, having sustained serious injuries.

Her death sparked a manhunt, which culminated in the arrest of a 28-year-old white British man in Rotherham, South Yorkshire at around 21:00 on Saturday.

Police were continuing to question the suspect on Monday.

Devon and Cornwall Police earlier said there was “nothing to suggest” the murder was politically motivated.

Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said officers remained “open-minded” about a potential motive and that there was not thought to be any threat to the wider public.

Devon and Cornwall Police previously said it believed Widdecombe was attacked on Wednesday at about 12:30.

The distance between Widdecombe’s home and Rotherham, where the 28-year-old was arrested, is about 270 miles (430km) – about a four-and-a-half-hour drive.

At least two police vehicles were seen parked outside a property in Rotherham believed to be connected to the investigation on Sunday, which was cordoned off while officers and forensic teams worked at the scene.

Speaking to BBC News on Sunday, one neighbour said: “I was making some food in the kitchen and looked out the window, there was loads of banging, and there was armed police in the pathway and they just went into the house and pulled [the suspect] out.”

Another neighbour said police took a red car off the drive.

Widdecombe served as the Conservative MP for Maidstone for 23 years, holding ministerial roles in Sir John Major’s government between 1994 and 1997.

Following her departure from the Commons in 2010, Widdecombe appeared on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing that year, and was a runner-up on Celebrity Big Brother eight years later.

She joined the Brexit Party in 2019, where she represented South West England as its MEP from 2019 to 2020.

On Sunday, about 40 mourners gathered in Haytor Vale to pay tribute to Widdecombe.

Hostilities, which flared up again this week, continued on Saturday after the US said it had struck more than 140 targets across Iran. The attacks were a response to Iranian forces hitting a ship passing through the strait, which it said was using an unapproved route.

Iran has been trying to assert control over the waterway, and early on Sunday said it was closed until further notice.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also launched wide-ranging attacks on US bases and allies across the region on Sunday, marking an escalation in the scale of hostilities.

It said it had hit a US base in Jordan, while the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain all said they had responded to missiles and drones from Iran.

The BBC has approached US Central Command(Centcom) for comment on the attack in Jordan.

Qatar, a mediator in ceasefire talks, had not been attacked since April, while the UAE had not been attacked since May.

On Sunday evening, Centcom announced another round of strikes against Iran, which it said started at 17:00 ET (22:00 BST) and would “continue degrading their ability to attack civilian mariners and commercial ships freely transiting the Strait of Hormuz”.

On Sunday afternoon, Iran’s IRNA news agency said missiles were launched by the “enemy” towards Qeshm Island – a strategically important island in the Gulf, home to an important IRGC base.

The renewed fire has put in jeopardy an interim ceasefire agreement signed last month, which aimed ​to reopen the Strait and eventually bring a permanent end to the conflict.

Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump declared the Iranian attacks meant the ceasefire was over, while Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused the US of violating the deal.

However, Trump said talks would still continue and mediators were trying to revive the process.

US media reported that Iran told American officials attacks on tankers earlier this week were a mistake and blamed a rogue internal group.

The latest hostilities were sparked after the IRGC said it had fired a naval cruise missile at a vessel that was attempting to sail along an unapproved route.

US Central Command (Centcom) said the IRGC “blatantly attacked” a Cyprus-flagged vessel which was “unable to continue its journey” due to damage to the engine room.

A crew member from the MV GFS Galaxy ship was missing, it added.

The UK’s Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it had been informed by military authorities that the crew of the vessel were forced to abandon ship and were in a lifeboat.

“Iran was provided yet another opportunity to demonstrate adherence to the Memorandum of Understanding after being held accountable for earlier attacks on commercial vessels but has again failed,” Centcom wrote on X.

It said US strikes hit 140 Iranian military targets, including missile and drone sites, communication networks, and coastal surveillance locations.

The statement was shared by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who wrote: “Iran made a poor choice. Now they pay.”

The IRGC said the US had targeted “a number of coastal bases and telecommunications towers on the southern coast”.

In response, Iran said its “first phase” of retaliation included strikes on the Prince Hassan Air Base in Jordan, saying it had destroyed the base’s command and control centre and MQ9 drone hangars.

On Sunday, US Central Command reiterated the Strait was open, warning the US military was in position to make sure it stayed free-flowing.

Earlier Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is also the country’s chief negotiator with the US, wrote on X that the “era of one-sided deals is OVER”.

He went on: “We told you: keep your word or pay the price. Reality is knocking.”

Speaking in a recent interview with media personality Joey Akan, Iyke argued that many former students, including himself, are now doing far better than their tutors. 

He added that many successful and wealthy people in society don’t have formal education or aren’t academically accomplished. 

He said the true path to success is learning from one’s parents’ or mentors’ experiences, as well as survival and economic skills.

Iyke said, “There is some truth to ‘school na scam.’ I am doing better than all my lecturers. I once met one of my lecturers, who is now late, on a plane, and we both knew who was doing better. If I had taken everything he taught me verbatim and applied it in my pursuit, I wouldn’t have been successful. 

“I will tell you what worked. It is what the uncles, the traders who barely went to school, told me. They told me to go left at all times and never right. The father who told me to forget theories, know when to be ruthless, conform, or stand my ground, and which books to read.

“Some of the wealthiest men in the world did not get it from the classroom. How many of them have PhD? I have a PhD holder who works for me. We can argue all we want, but school is partly a scam.”

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The figure, from a team at Imperial College London, the Met Office and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, is based on what’s known about the dangers of extreme heat.

Most deaths will have occurred in the June heatwave, they say – the warmest June on record in England, when temperatures hit 37.7C (99.9F) at Lingwood, Norfolk, smashing the previous high of 35.6C (96F) set in 1957.

A rare red heat alert was issued for parts of England and Wales at the time, warning even healthy people of the significant risk to life.

Silent killer

May temperatures, meanwhile, hit a new UK high of 35.1C at Kew Gardens on May 26 – a significant increase on the previous high mark of 32.8C, which had been set back in 1922 and equalled in 1944.

Both heatwaves were caused by a “heat dome” – a stalled area of high pressure that trapped hot air over the region, say experts.

The heat dome was made worse by human-induced climate change, the researchers say. This has warmed the planet by around 1.4C since pre-industrial times and scientists believe it added between 3 and 4C to the maximum temperatures recorded in May and June.

Hot tropical nights added to the sweltering conditions, offering little respite.

Many UK homes are not built to cope, leaving people vulnerable to prolonged, high temperatures.

Heat puts immense physical strain on the body, made worse if you are dehydrated, with the heart pumping harder and faster to cool you off.

Babies and older people are among those most at risk of harm, as well as those with existing health conditions.

It can lead to more heart attacks, strokes and other potentially fatal emergencies.

Intense heat can affect anyone, including fit and healthy people, and is dubbed a ‘silent killer’ because early symptoms are easily overlooked.

And when the hot air is very wet or humid, like it was in June, it’s more difficult for the body to cool down through sweating.

Heatwaves could become more frequent

The study uses death records from previous years to model or estimate how many there might have been in May and June 2026.

It makes assumptions about how badly people were affected by the heat, so the findings may not play out.

One of the researchers, Dr Clair Barnes, who is an expert in extreme weather and climate change at Imperial College London, said: “If by putting out these estimates we highlight to people how dangerous it is and they change their behaviour next time there’s a heatwave and our estimates turn out to be high, I will be thrilled.

“These are big numbers and we don’t want to see this many people dying.”

Experts thought 2025 was going to be a very bad year for heat-related deaths, but the numbers who died turned out to be much lower than expected – roughly half the 3,039 predicted.

Heat health alerts, alongside action taken across the NHS and care system are likely to have reduced the impact, the UKHSA said.

Some of the researchers believe, on current trajectories, heat-related deaths in parts of northern Europe could begin to rival cold-related ones within a couple of decades – though they stress that outcome depends heavily on how fast the world cuts climate emissions and how well countries adapt.

Heatwaves are expected to become more frequent, more intense and longer-lasting the more greenhouse gases are emitted.

Kauana Bilhar, 27, of Brazil, was recently traveling to the United Arab Emirates when she fatally fell from the high-rise, her mother, Darla Bilhar, confirmed in a heartbreaking social media post.

The model’s partner, Barbara Abrantes, had been with her at the time, and was the one to break the harrowing news to her family, according to the Sun.

Authorities have not determined whether her death was a suicide, a freak accident or a murder, according to Brazilian outlet Globo. The exact date of her death was not immediately clear.

“There are no words capable of expressing the magnitude of the longing you left behind,” Darla Bilhar posted on Instagram in a touching tribute to her daughter. “Today you are no longer by my side as I dreamed, but you will live forever within me.” 

“I love you infinitely, my girl. Until the day we can meet again,” the influencer’s mother wrote Wednesday.

The grieving mom has traveled to Dubai to speak with investigators and arrange to have her body brought back to Brazil.

The influencer’s family reportedly learned about her death from her partner, Barbara Abrantes, with whom Bilhar had just celebrated her engagement, according to her social media posts.

Kauana Bilhar had more than 21,000 followers on Instagram alone, where she posted videos and photos of her luxurious trips abroad and designer clothing.

As the investigation continues, Dalar Bilhar declared that her “daughter deserves respect” after her social media post was flooded with hateful comments, according to Jam Press.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) identified the suspect as Will Jessica Ann, who was arrested on Monday, July 6, during the arrival clearance of passengers on Qatar Airways Flight QR1433 from Doha. She was travelling with her three-year-old son.

According to reports, officers discovered 14 large blocks of heroin concealed inside two suitcases linked to the suspect.

The agency said the woman initially denied travelling with any checked baggage. However, further checks revealed that the luggage tags on the suitcases matched the claim tags attached to her passport.

Faced with the evidence, she reportedly admitted ownership of the bags, claiming she had forgotten she had checked them in.

The NDLEA said preliminary investigations indicated that the suspect travelled from Cambodia through Doha before arriving in Abuja.

The agency also alleged that intelligence gathered during the investigation links the suspect and her husband, Jan Coenraad De Jager, to a transnational drug trafficking syndicate operating along the Cambodia–South Africa route.

The suspect remains in the custody of the NDLEA as investigations continue.

The 71-year-old, who was a Republican representative for South Carolina, died on Saturday “from a brief and sudden illness”, his office said.

The statement continued: “Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period.”

Emergency services responded to a call for “cardiac arrest” at Mr Graham’s Washington DC home on Saturday night, according to police scanner audio obtained by our US partner, NBC News.

The senator had just returned from a trip to Ukraine, where he met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Friday.

He was scheduled to appear on NBC News’ Meet The Press on Sunday.

Mr Graham was elected to the US Senate in 2002, and was seeking a fifth six-year term in November.

He was a key Republican voice on defence and international affairs, with his website saying he “consistently pushed for outcomes ​in the War on Terror ​that protect our long-term national security interests”.

US president pays tribute

Mr Trump described Mr Graham as “one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known” in a post on Truth Social.

He added: “He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!! DETAILS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO FOLLOW. So sad!”

Mr Graham was initially critical of Mr Trump when the New York businessman moved into politics – but later became one of his staunchest supporters.

He was one of the few Republicans able to remain a key ally for the US president despite publicly disagreeing with him.

In 2025, Mr Graham criticised the decision to pardon the Trump supporters who stormed the US Capitol on 6 January 2021.

Benjamin Netanyahu is one of the many Israeli politicians who have shared condolences.

“Lindsey understood that the security of Israel and America are inseparable,” he wrote on X. “He devoted his life to defending America, strengthening our alliance and standing up for the free world.

“Israel has lost one of its greatest friends. America has lost a great patriot. I have lost a beloved friend.”

Federal agents delivered subpoenas to some reporters’ homes demanding they appear before a federal grand jury investigating a potential crime, the Times said.

The paper had published stories alleging that the Qatari-gifted plane was not secure enough, and the Secret Service urged Trump to switch planes on his way home from a Nato summit in Turkey.

The Justice Department told the BBC it was investigating illegal leaks, adding: “Reporters are not the targets, those leaking classified information are.”

David McCraw, the Times’s top newsroom lawyer, called the summons a “brazen act” and “nothing more than an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country by intimidating journalists from doing their jobs”.

The subpoenas – a legal requirement from a court or government agency that compels a person to appear or produce records or evidence – say the reporters’ testimony is required “in regard to an alleged violation of federal criminal law”, the Times reported.

The summonses require the reporters to appear before a grand jury in Manhattan on Wednesday, the Times said. Grand jurys are composed of members of the public and convened by the US government to examine evidence and decide if there is enough to charge a person or persons with a crime.

The New York Times reported on security concerns about the president’s plane citing unnamed sources. While speaking to media about classified information is a crime, the US Constitution protects the freedom of the press to report information in the public interest.

“We value and appreciate the important role that the press plays in this country, but DoJ also plays an important role to make sure that the people entrusted with our nation’s secrets do what they’re supposed to do with that information, which means not sharing classified information,” the Justice Department (DoJ) said in a statement provided to the BBC.

The Times reported on Wednesday that while Trump flew to the Nato summit in Turkey on the new Air Force One, he left the summit on an older plane on the advice of the Secret Service. The next day, the newspaper reported that security officials were concerned the newer plane did not have advanced security features, including antimissile capabilities.

“Our journalists report the facts and advance the American public’s right to know how their government is operating and their taxpayer dollars are being used,” McCraw, the Times’ lawyer, said.

Other outlets published similar reports, including CBS News, the BBC’s US news partner. A former US government official told CBS that there was not enough time or money for the plane to be updated with the security requirements to serve as Air Force One.

While these reports were surfacing, tensions with Iran over a negotiated ceasefire deal were growing, and the US was launching strikes.

Trump brushed off concerns about the plane when asked by reporters this week and said: “I have a threat all the time. I’m No. 1 on their list”.

Last month, Trump unveiled the new Boeing 747-8 jet that the Qatari government donated last year as an “unconditional” gift to the US to act as the new Air Force One.

The luxury jumbo jet was modified to transport the president and included upgrades in security, mission communications, logistics support, and advanced technology, the Air Force said. Any potential threats identified with the use of previously owned aircraft were “neutralised” in the new one, it added.

It has been valued at an estimated $400m (£300m).

A local teachers’ union has told the BBC of its “relief” – but families say the ordeal has been harrowing and they are still waiting to be reunited with their loved ones.

The military said that several soldiers died in the rescue mission.

The freed captives are currently receiving medical treatment at an undisclosed hospital and will return home at a later date, army spokesman Danjuma Jonah Danjuma said in a statement issued on Friday evening.

A renewed wave of mass kidnappings has hit Nigeria in recent months, and insecurity remains a major issue ahead of next year’s general election.

The government says it is stepping up security around schools and vulnerable communities but critics say it is not enough.

In this case, the victims were kidnapped by gunmen on 15 May from three schools in the district of Osiire, in Oyo state: Baptist Nursery and Primary School, LA Primary School, and Community Grammar School.

No official confirmation has been given of the victims’ ages, but children at such schools in Nigeria are typically aged between two and 18 years old.

For their families, it has been an agonising wait.

“It was a harrowing experience… but we thank God that it ended well,” Prof Wole Alamu tells the BBC. His wife Rachael Folawe Alamu is the headteacher of Community Grammar School, and he said his family had found it especially difficult to see videos released of her and other teachers and pupils by their abductors.

“We are happy that they are out and we are grateful to everybody who has contributed in one way or the other for the release,” Prof Alamu added.

Speaking to the BBC, Hassan Ajibola, who leads the Teachers’ Union in Oyo State, said he was “happy and elated” and felt huge “joy”, but urged the authorities to fully implement stronger security measures as outlined in their Safe School Initiative that was launched over a decade ago following the infamous Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction.

“I am very much convinced that should that [if the] program be fully implemented and as initiated, our schools will be very, very secured,” he said.

He added measures should include deploying security personnel to schools, CCTV, regular patrols, fencing school premises and using local security groups to support areas facing shortages of personnel.

In Nigeria, continued school kidnappings have led to calls from lawmakers and rights groups for an investigation into how the Safe School Initiative funds have been used.

The Oyo state abductions caused widespread concern in Nigeria because of their scale and because it took place in the predominantly Christian south-west of the country – as opposed to the predominantly Muslim north where such attacks are more commonplace.

The army said the month-long rescue operation involved the military, police, intelligence agencies and local vigilante groups.

It said they identified those behind the abduction and dismantled their support network, including informants and hideouts in the Old Oyo National Park forest. It is one of several large, difficult-to-access areas that have become hideouts for criminal gangs and jihadist groups.

The military acknowledged that some of its personnel were killed during the operation but did not give any more details.

It announced on Friday that it had arrested a number of suspects, but did not say how many remain at large. The army says more operations are planned.

He had earlier refused to sign it in protest over Congress’s failure to pass voter ID legislation but did not veto the housing bill.

Experts have said the legislation marks the most comprehensive action from Congress on lowering housing costs for renters and homebuyers in the 21st Century. Americans have been frustrated with housing costs.

Trump, who has repeatedly made false claims of widespread fraud altering the results of US elections, wanted Republicans to prioritise the voter ID bill ahead of the November midterm elections. Without his veto, it became law automatically.

In June, both chambers of Congress approved the housing bill – called the 21st Century Road to Housing Act – in a rare moment of bipartisan agreement.

“This bill becoming law is a genuine milestone—and I don’t use that word lightly,” Dennis Shea, of the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), said. “Getting Congress to move on housing supply and affordability has been a long time coming, and the American people made clear they were ready for it.”

A survey from the BPC earlier this year found that 89% of voters from across the political spectrum wanted action from Congress to make housing more affordable.

After Congress passed the Road to Housing legislation, Trump cancelled a ceremony to sign the bill and said he would not do so until the voter ID law was passed.

As recently as Friday, he reiterated his call for passage of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE), which would require Americans to provide ID and proof of citizenship to vote.

“I will not sign the Housing Bill, which has been fully approved by Congress and sent to the White House, in protest over the fact that the United States Senate is not capable of passing the Save America Act,” Trump posted on social media.

Republicans, who control the House and the Senate by slim majorities, have said there is not enough support to get the measure over the finish line. Democrats say the SAVE legislation disenfranchises eligible voters.

After Trump’s Friday post about not signing the bill, several Democrats attacked the move on social media.

House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries wrote on X that Republicans “would rather make it harder to vote than easier to afford a home”.

What does the housing bill do?

The housing bill aims to both reduce costs and increase housing supply, as Americans have faced housing shortages for years.

It includes more than 40 provisions, including making it easier to build new homes and limiting how many single-family homes institutional investors can buy nationwide.

The bill comes as the median price of existing homes hit an all-time high in June: $440,660 (£328,000), up 1.8% from $432,700 a year ago, according to the National Association of Realtors.

A US family needs an income of about $117,000 a year to afford an average home on the market, according to the real estate brokerage Redfin, but that is nearly $30,000 more than what most US households earn, according to Census data.

Potential homebuyers also face high inflation and interest rates, making homeownership even more out of reach for many Americans.

Local authorities say 32 Indians and four crew were on board the vessel, which overturned about 400 metres (1,312 ft) from Hon May Rut Ngoai island in rough sea conditions on Saturday.

Several tourist vessels operating in the area quickly came to the rescue, finding many passengers trapped inside the speedboat, Vietnam’s VnExpress reported. Twenty-one people were later saved.

Hon May Rut Ngoai – a pristine island in the An Thoi Archipelago in the Gulf of Thailand – attracts many tourists from around the world for island-hopping boat tours.

Fifteen people have died after a speedboat carrying Indian tourists capsized near a island in the south of Vietnam, according to local media reports.

Local authorities say 32 Indians and four crew were on board the vessel, which overturned about 400 metres (1,312 ft) from Hon May Rut Ngoai island in rough sea conditions on Saturday.

Several tourist vessels operating in the area quickly came to the rescue, finding many passengers trapped inside the speedboat, Vietnam’s VnExpress reported. Twenty one people were later saved.

Hon May Rut Ngoai – a pristine island in the An Thoi Archipelago in the Gulf of Thailand – attracts many tourists from around the world for island-hopping boat tours.

Hon May Rut Ngoai is located about 10km (six miles) south of Phu Quoc, Vietnam’s largest island.

Nguyen Tien Hai, a senior Communist official in the area, said the authorities were still working to confirm the exact number of those who died as well as the survivors.

He is quoted by VnExpress as saying that the speedboat may have capsized due to heavy winds and high waves.

“The top priority is rescue, bringing all victims ashore and focusing all efforts on providing emergency care to those who are still alive,” Hai said.

The Indian embassy in Vietnam described the incident as “tragic”, publishing the full list of the 32 Indian nationals who were on board the capsized boat.

The embassy also set up the telephone hotlines to “provide information and assistance to affected families”.

The payments are the first to be made to US agency staff in relation to the illness, reports of which began emerging a decade ago among CIA officers working in the Cuban capital.

Since then, American staff based elsewhere, including China, have reported “anomalous health incidents”.

Sufferers have described symptoms such as hearing a low hum, clicks, squeals and “grinding metal” while others reported intense pressure on the skull, dizziness and nausea.

The US Department of Defence said it would continue to prioritise “the care of affected personnel” as it announced the compensation, paid out under the Havana Act which was signed into law in 2021.

There has been widespread speculation for many years over what – and who – is responsible for Havana Syndrome.

Some have claimed the illness is caused by microwaves, prompting further speculation that a foreign power may have used some kind of sonar weapon to attack US overseas staff and their dependants.

“My brain is broken,” former CIA analyst Erika Stith told CBS News in 2022.

“We got this as a result of serving our country. And we deserve to be taken care of,” she said.

Last year, most US intelligence agencies and departments surmised that it was “very unlikely” that a foreign actor used “a novel weapon or prototype device to harm” US personnel and their families.

Although a small component of the US intelligence community did not completely dismiss the theory.

The report, by the National Intelligence Council, said none of the agencies or departments it spoke to “call[ed] into question the experiences or suffering” of US workers and their families.

The community believed that they “experienced genuine, sometimes painful and traumatic, physical symptoms and sensory phenomena and honestly and sincerely reported those events as possible anomalous health incidents”.

What is Havana Syndrome?

Havana Syndrome was first publicly reported in 2016, when US diplomats in Cuba reported getting sick and hearing piercing sounds at night.

Other cases have been reported around the world, from Washington to China.

It was these reports that sparked speculation of an attack by a foreign power using a mystery sonic weapon.

In 2017, the US government pulled more than half of its staff from its embassy in Havana after employees and their families reported dizziness, nausea and difficulty concentrating.

Canada’s government also heard of similar symptoms from its embassy employees in Cuba, leading to a sharp reduction in its personnel in Havana in 2019.

While Havana Syndrome cases began to emerge around a decade ago, some claim the illness has been around for much longer, spanning the Cold War years.

The accused, who was extradited from Ghana to the United States, has been accused of conspiring with one Daniel Yussif and others to participate in a scheme that used Artificial Intelligence tools to create fake identities and build relationships with victims in order to solicit money under false pretences.

The U.S. District Court, presided over by Judge John R. Adams of the Northern District of Ohio, Eastern Division, has fixed September 8, 2026, for the jury trial to begin. A pre-trial conference has been fixed for August 25, 2026.

Per court documents, both parties may enter plea negotiations if they so wish, but must do so before the date set for the jury trial.

“Accordingly, the court will not accept plea agreements after the date of the pre-trial,” it said.

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US media cited unnamed officials as saying Tehran had privately acknowledged to President Donald Trump’s advisers that the shooting at ships was a mistake, though the Iranians reportedly pinned the blame on a rogue internal group.

Trump has said both sides have agreed to continue talks despite this week’s fighting over the Strait of Hormuz, which the White House saw as a violation of the ceasefire.

In June the US and Iran signed a ceasefire agreement where Iran would, in part, give safe passage to commercial ships.

Tehran said that an “errant” sect of hardliners was trying to undermine negotiations by firing on the commercial ships, senior US officials told CBS News, the BBC’s US partner.

One official told the TV network: “They [the Iranians] came back to the table and said, ‘We screwed up. We made a mistake. Let’s keep talking.'”

In a briefing for reporters on Friday, the US officials said a message to Tehran’s leadership had been conveyed through regional mediators demanding Iran release a statement declaring the strait open and that it will stop shooting at commercial ships, according to multiple media reports.

“They’re either going to give us that statement or we’re not having a good outcome for them,” said one official, quoted by Reuters news agency.

The White House also wants Iran to publicly acknowledge that firing on the shipping was a mistake, CBS reports.

Vice-President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and two people who have been heavily involved in Middle East talks – special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner – are expected to lead negotiations, which were expected to take place in Oman on Saturday.

Meanwhile, a delegation from Qatar travelled to Iran on Friday for talks aimed at defusing tensions and easing navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social earlier on Friday: “The Islamic Republic of Iran has asked us to continue ‘talks.’

“We have agreed to do so, but the United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that the Cease Fire is OVER!”

No fresh attacks were reported on Friday after fighting broke out in the Gulf region earlier this week, marking the worst exchange of fire between the US and Iran since the two nations signed an interim deal in June.

Three ships were struck while using a US-recommended route through Omani waters. Iran has repeatedly said the only “safe” passage is a separate route through its waters.

Overall progress came last month when the US and Iran agreed on a 14-point memorandum of understanding, which was aimed at extending a ceasefire and ending conflict “on all fronts”.

As part of the agreement Iran and Oman must hold talks “to define the future administration and maritime services” in the strait with other Gulf states.

During the conflict, Iran sought to assert its sovereignty over the strait, including by establishing the “Persian Gulf Strait Authority”, which it said would manage “safe passage permits”.

Iran’s Fars news agency has reported that under the new deal with the US the strait would ultimately be managed by Iran in co-ordination with Oman, including possible “service fees” for ships to transit the waterway.

Also read:

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• US launches strikes on Iran after tankers hit in Strait of Hormuz

Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, the woman said fear, uncertainty and limited access to healthcare have become part of their daily lives as they remain at the camp.

She, however, acknowledged support from the Church of Pentecost, which she said has been providing food assistance to the stranded Ghanaians.

“It’s been difficult, but when it comes to feeding, the Church of Pentecost is helping us,” she said.

According to her, many people at the camp are afraid to move freely because of concerns about being stopped by police and immigration authorities.

“You have to be careful when going out because if you are not careful and the police get hold of you, it will be a different issue,” she said.

The woman, who said she was leaving the camp to purchase medication for her sick brother, claimed access to healthcare has become a major challenge for some of the stranded migrants.

“My brother is sick, and I am going to buy drugs. We can’t access healthcare,” she stated.

She further alleged that a Ghanaian woman was denied medical attention because her passport had expired, although she questioned the basis for the decision.

“One lady was sick and was denied healthcare because they claimed her passport had expired. I don’t know why they are saying that because the passport is for 10 years,” she said.

She also recounted another incident involving a Ghanaian woman who she claimed narrowly escaped arrest while attempting to register for a customer card at a shopping centre.

“Another lady went to Shoprite to register for their card and was nearly arrested, so she had to run,” she alleged.

The woman explained that while some Ghanaians at the camp have secured asylum documents, others are still waiting for their immigration status to be regularised.

She said she applied for legal documentation about three years ago through her employer but has since not received the required permit.

“My boss did it for me and others. I was issued a receipt, and till now, I haven’t received the legal document,” she said.

She also raised concerns about the number of children at the camp, describing their situation as worrying.

“There are a lot of children here. The youngest is five months old. A two-year-old fell sick and almost lost his life,” she said.

The stranded Ghanaians are among those expected to be evacuated to Ghana following heightened concerns over their safety amid renewed xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals in parts of South Africa.

Also read:

• Xenophobic attacks: I’ve lost my shop, home and peace – Ghanaian hairdresser stranded in…

• South Africa’s anti-migrant protesters march nationwide, after thousands flee violence

Burnham’s Labour leadership bid has been backed by 322 out of 402 Labour MPs as he remains the only declared candidate

It makes him just one short of the 323 needed before it is mathematically impossible for a rival to run against him. Some MPs say they were not able to vote on Thursday but will back Burnham once they are back in Parliament.

If no one else enters the contest, as expected, Burnham will be declared Labour leader next week before taking office as prime minister on 20 July.

It would mark an extraordinary rise to power following the former Greater Manchester mayor’s by-election win in Makerfield just weeks ago.

In a statement, Burnham said he was “deeply grateful” to the Labour MPs who had nominated him to be leader of the party.

He said the support had come from across the party and reflected a “shared belief that Britain needs a new approach to politics.”

“That is the circuit breaker I am offering: power out of Westminster, an economy rewired for ordinary people, and good growth in every postcode,” Burnham said.

Later on Thursday, he joked about Reform UK leader Nigel Farage’s decision to trigger a by-election in his own constituency, Clacton, where he will stand again. Labour and the other main parties are boycotting the vote but serial comedian candidate Count Binface is a candidate.

Speaking at the Silver Clef music awards at the Royal Albert Hall in London, where he was delivering the Legend Award to Manchester indie band James, Burnham said, “The legends that we’re here to honour have not shied away from politics in their career, but I promise you, I am not going to talk politics to you tonight…

“Except to say this, ‘Count Binface, you are carrying the hopes of the nation. Don’t let us down.'”

Burnham’s own by-election victory and heavy Labour losses in May’s local elections left Sir Keir facing calls from his own MPs for him to stand aside and allow Burnham to replace him.

Sir Keir quit as Labour leader on the same day Burnham was sworn in as an MP, saying in his resignation speech he had heard the answer to the question of whether “I am best placed to lead us into the next general election”.

Candidates have until Wednesday next week to gather the required backing of 81 Labour MPs in order to take part in the leadership race.

As well as 323 nominations – which is when no one else can reach the 81-MP threshold needed to run against him – Burnham would also need to garner nominations next week from at least three of the 31 socialist societies and trade unions affiliated to the party, although this is expected to be a formality for him.

Burnham would then become Labour leader and be propelled into Downing Street without the need for a vote over the summer among party members and affiliated trade union supporters.

A few dozen MPs had already posted on social media to confirm they were nominating the former mayor.

This included Burnham himself, who joked that it would be “hopefully third time lucky” for him, referring to his two previous failed bids for the leadership in 2010 and 2015.

Burnham’s route to running unopposed was confirmed on Wednesday evening, when former defence minister Al Carns, who had suggested he could throw his hat into the ring, ruled himself out.

But the possibility of Burnham getting the top job without a contest has already led to some calls within Labour for the ex-mayor to set out further details of the policies he intends to pursue in office.

Burnham left Westminster in 2017, limiting his opportunities to forge strong relationships with Labour MPs elected since then, who now make up the bulk of the party’s contingent in the House of Commons.

As things stand he would be the only participant in an official parliamentary hustings scheduled for Monday next week, at which he would field questions from fellow Labour MPs about his plans for power.

“Access talks” with civil servants about his policy proposals are ongoing, run by Cabinet Secretary Antonia Romeo, the UK’s most senior official.

As Labour leadership nominations formally opened on Thursday, Sir Keir said Burnham would make a good prime minister.

“I have known him a long time, I’ve worked with him when I first came to Parliament, in his team directly,” Sir Keir said.

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‘More open’
Burnham offered some details of his blueprint for office in a speech in Manchester last week, including proposals to establish a new No 10 unit in the city.

He has suggested the unit will be tasked with handing local government more control in areas including housing and transport.

A central part of his policy offering is a pledge to give all parts of the UK “greater public control” of the water and energy sectors, although he is yet to spell out what this would mean in practice.

In a video posted to X earlier, Burnham apologised for Labour’s initial response to Israel’s military action in Gaza, saying the party “didn’t get it right” and needs to do better under his leadership.

And in a Times article on Thursday, he also confirmed he wanted to keep Sir Keir’s national security adviser Jonathan Powell, a former Blair aide, in post.

He also said he wanted to see a “sustained increase” in defence investment, without committing to a specific target, whilst being “more open with the public” about cost overruns or delays to military procurement.

In one of his final decisions as prime minister, Sir Keir announced a plan to increase military spending by £15bn over the next four years by cutting spending in other parts of government, whilst leaving the details to his successor.

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Secretary to the Cabinet Patrick Kangwa confirmed that the incident occurred while the Vice President was undertaking an official visit to the district.

“Mrs. Mutale Nalumango had an accident at takeoff in Nakonde, Muchinga Province, during her official visit to the region. The Vice President and all passengers and crew are safe and well,” Mr. Kangwa said in a statement.

As a precautionary measure, Ms. Nalumango was taken to Nakonde Hospital for a routine medical examination following the incident. Officials said she was later discharged after being assessed by medical personnel.

Mr. Kangwa said the Vice President was in good health and that all passengers and crew members aboard the aircraft were safe.

“As a standard precaution, she was taken to Nakonde Hospital for a routine check and has since been discharged,” he said.

Government authorities have not yet disclosed the cause of the incident. Mr. Kangwa said relevant agencies would conduct investigations to establish the circumstances surrounding the occurrence.

“The relevant authorities will establish the circumstances of the incident in a normal way,” he stated.

Despite the incident, the Vice President is expected to continue with her scheduled engagements in the region, according to the government.

Mr. Kangwa also commended the flight crew and emergency responders for their professionalism during the incident and thanked residents of Nakonde District for their swift assistance.

The development prompted a message from President Hakainde Hichilema, who said he had spoken with the Vice President following the incident.

“Fellow citizens, we have just spoken with Her Honour the Vice President and our Running Mate, Mrs. W.K. Mutale Nalumango, who was involved in a helicopter incident today,” the President said.

“We are grateful to God to report that she is in good spirits and unharmed. We thank God for His protection and for preserving her life.”

Authorities are expected to provide further details once investigations into the incident are completed.

The renaming of Palm Beach International Airport to President Donald J. Trump International Airport was a high-profile nod to the Republican leader’s support in his adopted state of Florida, home to his ornate Mar-a-Lago resort.

“I don’t ​think there’s anybody more synonymous with Palm Beach than Donald Trump in maybe all ​of Florida,” Trump’s son Eric Trump said in an interview with Fox News.

Since ⁠he took office for a second White House term last year, Trump’s name has been ​imprinted on a planned class of Navy warships, a visa program for wealthy foreigners, a government-run prescription ​drug website and federal savings accounts for children.

He has also pursued an ambitious remaking of Washington. While the Trump name was added to the United States Institute of Peace building, courts have rejected an attempt to affix it to ​the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts.

Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation in March ​to rename the southeast Florida city’s airport after Trump.

The Federal Aviation Administration three-letter identifier code for the airport was ‌changed from ⁠PBI to DJT on Thursday. But passengers will need to use PBI to book flights until August 18, the airport said on its website, when it will be reflected on baggage tags, tickets and airline reservation systems.

The airport said the name change cost $5.5 million.

Eric Trump and his family were aboard the ​first flight to land at ​the newly named ⁠airport in the pre-dawn hours on a private plane.

“There’s no way in hell I was letting UPS be the first plane to land,” Eric Trump ​said in an interview with “Fox & Friends.”

JetBlue Airways (JBLU.O), opens new tab is the largest carrier in ​Palm Beach ⁠and along with Delta Air Lines (DAL.N), opens new tab and American Airlines (AAL.O), opens new tab operate about two-thirds of flights.

Other U.S. airports have been named for politicians, including Little Rock, Arkansas’s airport after former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary ⁠of ​State Hillary Clinton — but it retained the LIT airport code.

Other ​airports have been renamed after former lawmakers including in Las Vegas and San Jose, California.

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The disclosure was made on the DHS website on Wednesday as part of what the agency described as its updated “worst-of-the-worst” criminal register.

Although the names and photographs have been released, US authorities did not indicate when the affected Nigerians would be deported.

The US immigration authorities said the move forms part of ongoing immigration enforcement efforts, noting that those listed had been convicted of serious crimes. However, the agency did not provide details of the offences committed by each individual or a timeline for their removal.

The statement read, “The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is highlighting the worst of the worst criminal aliens arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“Under DHS leadership, the hard-working men and women of DHS and ICE are fulfilling President Trump’s promise and carrying out mass deportations – starting with the worst of the worst – including the illegal aliens you see here.”

The published list includes Sunday Adediora, Sunday Kunkushi, Mkpouto Etukudoh, Marcus Unigwe, Olaniyi Ojikutu, Boluwaji Akingunsoye, Ejike Asiegbunam, Emmanuel Mayegun Adeola, Bamidele Bolatiwa, Ifeanyi Nwaozomudoh, Aderemi Akefe, Solomon Wilfred, Chibundu Anuebunwa, Joshua Ineh, Usman Momoh, Oluwole Odunowo, Bolarinwa Salau, Oriyomi Aloba, and others.

Others listed are Oludayo Adeagbo, Olaniyi Akintuyi, Talatu Dada, Olatunde Oladinni, Jelili Qudus, Abayomi Daramola, Toluwani Adebakin, Olamide Jolayemi, Isaiah Okere, Benji Macaulay, Joseph Ogbara, Olusegun Martins, Kingsley Ariegwe, Olugbenga Abass, Oyewole Balogun, Adeyinka Ademokunla, Christian Ogunghide, Christopher Ojuma, Olamide Adedipe, Patrick Onogwu, Olajide Olateru-Olagbegi and Omotayo Akinto.

Also on the list are Kenneth Unanka, Jeremiah Ehis, Oluwafemi Orimolade, Ayibatonye Bienzigha, Uche Diuno, Akinwale Adaramaja, Boluwatife Afolabi, Chinonso Ochie, Olayinka A. Jones, Theophilus Anwana, Aishatu Umaru, Henry Idiagbonya, Okechukwu Okoronkwo, Daro Kosin, Sakiru Ambali, Kamaludeen Giwa, Cyril Odogwu, Ifeanyi Echigeme, Kingsley Ibhadore, Suraj Tairu, Peter Equere, Dasola Abdulraheem, Adewale Aladekoba and Akeem Adeleke.

The list further includes Bernard Ogie Oretekor, Abiemwense Obanor, Olufemi Olufisayo Olutiola, Chukwuemeka Okorie, Abimbola Esan, Elizabeth Miller, Chima Orji, Adetunji Olofinlade, Abdul Akinsanya, Elizabeth Adeshewo, Dennis Ofuoma, Quazeem Adeyinka, Ifeanyi Okoro, Oluwaseun Kassim, Olumide Bankole Morakinyo, Abraham Ola Osoko, Oluchi Jennifer and Chibuzo Nwaonu.

The latest action forms part of the immigration enforcement measures introduced by the administration of President Donald Trump following his return to office on January 20, 2025.

On his first day back in office, Trump signed a series of executive orders declaring illegal immigration a national emergency and directing federal agencies to strengthen border security and accelerate the deportation of undocumented migrants.

One of the executive orders, titled Protecting the American People Against Invasion, directed immigration authorities to prioritise the arrest and removal of deportable migrants, particularly those considered threats to public safety and national security.

Defending the policy, the DHS said the administration was fulfilling Trump’s campaign promise to carry out mass deportations, beginning with what it described as the “worst of the worst” criminal offenders.

The department added that officers of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement had been instructed to intensify operations nationwide against non-citizens convicted of serious crimes.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has also defended the immigration crackdown, saying the administration remained committed to enforcing US immigration laws and removing undocumented immigrants with criminal records in line with President Trump’s immigration agenda.

Official US immigration data show that Guatemala has recorded the highest number of deportees since the renewed enforcement campaign began, followed by Honduras, Mexico and El Salvador.

The United States has also expanded deportation flights to countries across Africa, Asia and the Caribbean as enforcement operations continue.

Nigeria has also come under increased scrutiny by the Trump administration. In June, Washington imposed partial visa restrictions on Nigerian citizens, citing concerns over identity management, information sharing, visa overstay rates and security screening.

The body of the child was fished out from a pond on Sunday – a day after her family reported her missing.

The incident in Surjyapur village in Baruipur, on the outskirts of Kolkata, has triggered days of violent protests, a mob lynching and the police killing of one of the suspects. Three other men who have been arrested remain in custody.

Warning: This story contains details that some readers may find distressing.

The child’s rape and murder – and the subsequent killing of the suspect – has snowballed into a huge political row, with the opposition parties accusing the state’s newly-elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of failing to protect women.

The BJP, which swept to power in West Bengal for the first time ever in May, has rejected the accusation. But the crime, barely two months after the win, couldn’t have come at a worse time as the party had campaigned heavily on the issue of making the state safe for women.

Analysts say one of the main reasons three-term chief minister Mamata Banerjee lost the election was growing concern over women’s safety and her government’s shoddy handling of the rape and murder of a junior doctor at a government hospital.

In the latest case, as more horrific details of the crime have emerged, questions have been raised about the role of the police, while a local politician from the governing party has become embroiled in the controversy.

Family members of the girl said they last saw her on Saturday afternoon when she went out to buy a birthday gift for a friend.

When she didn’t return home, they went to the police station at around 20:30 to seek help in finding her.

The family and villagers alleged that the police did not take their pleas seriously and said they would look into it the next day.

Desperate family members and villagers then themselves looked through the CCTV footage from nearby shops and spotted her walking with Prabhash Mondal – a local man who has since been killed by the police.

Early Sunday morning, a mob went to Mondal’s house, caught him and handed him over to the police.

A few hours later, a sack containing the girl’s body was pulled out from the pond, with media reports saying Mondal had led the police to the exact spot.

According to the post-mortem report, the cause of death is drowning, leading to claims that she was alive when she was dumped in the pond.

“Had the police acted earlier, she could have been saved,” her relatives have said.

The police complaint has since been amended to include charges under the Pocso, India’s stringent law on child sexual abuse. The police have yet to hold a press conference on the case or respond to the allegations.

The government has formed a special investigation team (SIT) to inquire into the case.

The recovery of the body saw anger pour out onto the streets, with a mob vandalising roads, shops and a local railway station. A young man was beaten to death by the crowd – Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has since said he was innocent.

Several police officers were injured and vehicles damaged as they tried to contain the mob. Police have registered three cases and detained 40 people so far.

The area remains tense, with a ban on public gatherings and heavy police and paramilitary deployment to maintain order.

The case has also become mired in a political controversy and is threatening to take on religious overtones as the victim was Muslim whereas the arrested men are Hindus.

A local BJP leader, Sushant Mondal’s home was attacked and ransacked by a mob that accused him of helping the suspects. He denied the allegations saying they were “false” and that he had in fact “helped catch the perpetrators”.

To contain the public anger, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari visited the village on Tuesday and met the victim’s family.

“Our government is committed to curb any such incidents in the state. The police is doing what needs to be done. The family has spoke to me, they have lost their beloved daughter. I believe that they are satisfied talking to me.”

Less that 24 hours later, Prabhash Mondal was killed in a “police encounter”.

In a statement on Wednesday morning, Baruipur police said Mondal had been taken to the pond to recreate the crime scene as part of the investigation, but he attempted to snatch the weapon from a policeman and opened fire at them.

The police retaliated and fired back, striking him. The injured accused was taken to hospital, where he was declared dead, the statement said.

Even though no allegations had been proven against Mondal, his mother appeared to have disowned her son and refused to accept his body.

“Two policemen came to my house. I had just woken up. They told me that my son had died and asked if I wanted to go to the hospital. I told them I couldn’t because my husband was ill,” she told news agency ANI.

“I said, do whatever you want to do. I have no objection. My son has been punished for what he did. I will not accept his body. I will not even bring his body home,” she added.

Opposition politicians and rights activists, however, have questioned the killing, saying it went against the rule of law.

Ranjit Sur of the Association for the Protection of Democratic Rights called the matter “suspicious”.

Sur said the story of police encounters in many states of the country is almost the same – the accused tries to escape by snatching the police weapon and is then killed in the encounter.

In 2019 in a similar incident, four men accused of gang-raping and murdering a young woman in Hyderabad were killed by the police in an encounter.

Here are some details: One ​person was rescued alive from the building ​collapse debris in Delhi, news agency ANI reported.

India’s ⁠weather office issued a “red” alert for parts ​of Delhi and the neighbouring state of Haryana, ​forecasting heavy rain.

The Delhi airport advised passengers to allow extra travel time because of waterlogging on some roads leading to ​the airport.

In the southern state of Kerala, ​a landslide in Wayanad on Tuesday killed at least four ‌people, ⁠local media reported.

In the western state of Maharashtra, at least 13 people were killed in rain-related incidents, a state government minister said earlier this week.

In ​the Maharashtra ​city of ⁠Pune, near Mumbai, a large mound of garbage collapsed at a waste ​treatment facility. At least seven people have ​been ⁠rescued, with nine others were feared trapped.

Elsewhere in the country, visuals showed waterlogged streets in Agra and ⁠flooded ​highways in Gujarat, with residents ​wading through knee-deep waters.

The US military says it struck some 90 military targets, some near the Strait. Iranian authorities say 14 people have been killed in the past two days.

Iran reported explosions in several coastal areas and said it targeted US assets in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar in response.

Iran’s foreign ministry denounced the US strikes as a “gross war crime”, saying it targeted civilian infrastructure including railway bridges.

In a statement, the ministry described the US administration as “evil and psychopathic” and that it condemned the attacks, which have damaged bridges and a railway route connecting Tehran to the city of Mashhad, where the late supreme leader Ali Khamenei is due to be buried at a funeral service later on Thursday.

Iran’s Ministry of Health says 14 people have been killed during this latest round of fighting.

Hossein Kermanpour, head of public relations at the ministry, said US attacks targeting five provinces in Iran over 8 and 9 July have also injured 78 people, of whom 47 remain in hospital.

Gulf nations reported Iranian attacks following the US strikes, with explosions in Bahrain’s capital Manama, Kuwait intercepting missiles and drones, and Qatar issuing a security alert.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has confirmed that it launched retaliatory strikes on US military bases in Kuwait and Bahrain overnight, and called them the “first phase of the punitive response against the American treaty-breakers”.

Iran’s parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is also the country’s chief negotiator with the US, said on X that America “still hasn’t learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer cost-free”.

“Let me put it plainly: if you strike, you’ll get hit,” he wrote, adding that the Strait of Hormuz will only open under Iranian arrangements – not “American threats”.

US Central Command (Centcom) said themost recent round of strikes was carried out to “further degrade Iran’s ability to attack commercial shipping and innocent civilian mariners” in the vital waterway.

In a statement it said it had struck 90 Iranian military targets, which included air defense systems and military logistics infrastructure along Iran’s coastline.

“The latest strikes follow successful execution of offensive strikes in Iran the night before,” Centcom added.

Phil Belcher, marine director at Intertanko, an international organisation for independent tanker owners, said the number of ships travelling through the Strait via the southern route was now in “single figures” following the step up in hostilities.

Belcher said the daily figure of about 30 ships was down from about 70 a week ago and well below the normal number of 130 ships that was seen before the Iran war began earlier this year.

“The number of ships that are going through overnight is sort of about single figures in the southern route, which is maintained off the coast of Oman by the US,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, while about 20 travelled through a northern route overseen by Iran.

He told the programme that there had been an “exuberance of optimism” around shipping in the region following the signing of the memorandum of understanding between Iran and the US last month, but now the mood has changed.

“This cycle of violence, this cycle of up-and-down, positive-negative news, it’s having an enormous impact both on business [and] on the seafarers themselves,” he said.

On Wednesday night, several explosions were reportedly heard on other parts of the Iranian coast, including the cities of Konarak and Chabahar.

Iranian state TV reported eight explosions in Bandar Abbas, and said two missiles had hit the ports of both Sirik and Jask – also in southern Iran.

It added that two projectiles had hit the island of Abu Musa, which has been the subject of a longstanding ownership dispute between Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

Air defence systems were activated in Bandar Abbas, according to reports in Iranian state media.

The extent of damage from the US strikes is not yet known, but Iranian media have reported power cuts in Chabahar and a fire at an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) barracks in Bushehr.

Two of three power lines cut off in Chabahar had been restored quickly and a third would be operational soon, the Iranian Students’ News Agency said.

Earlier on Wednesday, Centcom wrote in a statement that it held Iran accountable for “recent unjustified aggression against commercial shipping and civilian crews freely navigating a vital international waterway.”

Speaking to reporters from Air Force One on Wednesday evening, the US president said Iran had “called a little while ago” and wanted to make a deal “so badly”.

Trump added: “I just don’t know if they’re worthy of making a deal – I don’t know that they’re going to honour the deal, that’s the problem.”

On Tuesday, the US military said it had launched “powerful” strikes in response to attacks on three tankers in the strait.

The current flare up has been the worst exchange of strikes between the US and Iran since the deal – known as a memorandum of understanding (MoU) – was signed on 17 June.

Trump said on Wednesday that the ceasefire agreement signed last month with Iran was now “over”.

He told reporters: “I don’t want to deal with them anymore, they’re scum. You know what scum is? They’re scum. They’re sick people.”

In response, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X: “We do not answer vulgarity with vulgarity, but with action: fearlessly and with great valour.”

The deal between the US and Iran included 14 points, among them a 60-day period for a ceasefire during which negotiations should continue, the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz and the US lifting sanctions on Iran.

The 60-day period for negotiations is not yet up, but Trump said he saw further talks as “a waste of time”.

These are not the first strikes since the MoU was signed.

The US launched a series of strikes on Iran on 26 June after an Iranian projectile hit a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz.

Further US strikes took place on 27 June, following an attack on a tanker. But later that month both sides had agreed to “stand down”.

According to the Authority, applicants must present one of the following original documents at their scheduled appointment at a Ghana Embassy or designated registration centre:

• A valid Ghanaian passport;
• A Birth Certificate issued by the Births and Deaths Registry, Ghana; or
• Evidence of acquired Ghanaian citizenship, such as a Naturalisation or Registration Certificate.

The NIA said applicants who are unable to provide any of the listed documents may still complete the registration process through an Oath of Identity, which will be administered to their guarantor by NIA officials.

The Authority stressed that only original copies of the required documents will be accepted during the registration process.

The announcement forms part of efforts to extend Ghana Card registration services to citizens living outside the country while maintaining the integrity and reliability of the national identification system.

In a travel advisory issued on July 7, the Ministry said the Government of Sierra Leone introduced the requirement for all travellers entering or leaving the country, effective June 18, 2026.

The directive applies to Ghanaian travellers, foreign nationals, returning residents, and all other visitors arriving in or departing from Sierra Leone.

According to the advisory, travellers must complete the Health Declaration Form via Sierra Leone’s Health Travel Portal within 72 hours before travel. They are also required to provide their correct and updated seat number before departure and retain the confirmation QR code or reference number generated after submission.

The Ministry warned that providing false, inaccurate, or misleading information could lead to delays, denial of entry or departure clearance, or additional health screening.

Travellers who feel unwell before, during, or after their trip have also been urged to immediately report to a Point of Entry Health Officer and seek medical attention.

The Ministry explained that information submitted through the portal will support disease surveillance, prevention, and other public health measures, while being handled confidentially in line with applicable data protection regulations.

It added that travellers may be subjected to health screening and other public health measures upon arrival in Sierra Leone and must cooperate with health officials.

Those who face challenges completing the online declaration can seek assistance from designated Point of Entry Health personnel at official entry and exit points.

The Ministry encouraged all travellers to complete the declaration before departure to avoid delays and ensure compliance with Sierra Leone’s public health regulations.

The arrivals ​bring to 29 the number sent to ​the southern African country under a $5.1 million ⁠agreement that has been challenged by lawyers ​who say deportees are being detained despite having ​already served sentences for crimes committed in the United States.

Alma David, a lawyer for some of the original ​deportees sent to Eswatini last year — and who ​is in touch with local prison sources there — confirmed ‌the ⁠arrival to Reuters by text message.

Of the 29 deportees sent from the United States to Eswatini, only two have been released and repatriated, ​one to ​Jamaica and ⁠the other to Cambodia.

An Eswatini government spokesperson did not immediately respond ​to a request for comment.

The detainees had ​already ⁠been transported to Eswatini’s notorious Matsapha correctional facility, David said.

The Trump administration has also ⁠deported ​migrants to other countries in ​Africa, Asia and the Americas under the policy.

A court in Berlin on Wednesday found the 41-year-old man, named only as Johannes M. in line with German privacy rules, guilty of murdering 12 women and three men between September 2021 and July 2024.

The authorities believe these killings could be just the tip of the iceberg. Prosecutors are currently investigating dozens of other incidents involving the doctor.

His victims were between the ages of 25 and 94. The court heard how they were all critically ill, but that their deaths were not imminent.

Prosecutors said that during home visits, the doctor administered a lethal combination of various medicines without his patients’ consent.

On several occasions, they said he set fires to cover his tracks.

In July 2024, shortly before his arrest, prosecutors said the doctor killed two patients in a single day – a 75-year-old man at his home in central Berlin and, a few hours later, a 76-year-old woman in a neighbouring district.

They said the doctor tried to set fire to the woman’s house, but failed.

For much of the trial, which has gone on for about a year, the doctor said nothing. But last month, he confessed to having “killed people”, twelve of his severely ill patients.

He told the court he had convinced himself that he was doing the right thing, sparing them “suffering and infirmity”.

“Throughout it all, I thought this was the best thing for everyone,” he said.

He said he apologised for all the suffering he had caused.

The authorities suspect him of having killed further patients. Prosecutors are currently investigating 76 other cases.

German media say if the further cases are proven, and he is found guilty, it would be one of the worst cases of serial murder in Germany’s history.

The doctor told the court that he would “get involved much earlier in the forthcoming proceedings”.

Earlier in the trial, relatives of the victims told the court they still couldn’t believe it.

The mother of the youngest victim, a 25-year-old woman who died in 2021, was in tears. “She never said she didn’t want to live anymore,” she said.

The son of a 72-year-old woman who died in 2024, said his mother had had plans to go to the Baltic Sea with her sister. “My mother wanted to keep on living,” he said.

The court ordered that the doctor be put in preventive detention, following his prison sentence. It also imposed a lifetime ban on him practising medicine.