Five claims Trump made in primetime address not backed up by evidence 17. July 2026 (22:04) US president offered litany of misleading and false claims during Thursday speech on alleged threats to US electionsDonald Trump offered a litany of misleading and false claims during his Thursday speech on threats to US elections, and released previously classified documents to try to support his specious claims. In some cases, his claims were not supported by those documents. Here is a look at some of the key claims that could mislead the American public. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Jeffrey Donaldson to appeal against conviction for child sexual offences 17. July 2026 (20:32) Former Democratic Unionist party leader’s legal team has lodged documents with the court of appeal in Belfast Jeffrey Donaldson is to appeal against his conviction for rape and other sexual offences against two children.The former Democratic Unionist party (DUP) leader’s legal team lodged documents with the court of appeal in Belfast on Friday, his solicitor, John McBurney, said. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Nigel Farage says questions over his finances are part of ‘coordinated pile-on’ 17. July 2026 (20:05) Reform leader says he’s been ‘demonised’ since revelation he received £5m from billionaire before electionNigel Farage has accused people raising questions about his financial backing of “demonising” him as part of a “coordinated pile-on” to stop Reform UK.In one of his first speeches since the opening of two parliamentary standards inquiries into his financial support, the Reform leader said he had been “dehumanised in the most extraordinary way” in recent months, after the Guardian revealed in April that he had received a £5m gift from the crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne before the last election. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Feline good: why kitten heel flip-flops are winning over flats-only gen Z 17. July 2026 (19:20) From Lily Collins at Wimbledon to the cast of Love Island, heels-averse cohort is stepping it up a notchGen Z, the flats-only generation, has finally succumbed to the heel – albeit a tiny one. Long vocally anti-heel, the cohort who were born between 1997 and 2012 have famously shunned millennials’ obsession with Jimmy Choos in favour of pancake-flat shoes, from the Adidas Samba “It-trainer” to the split-toe Margiela Tabi and so-called “French girl ballet flats”.But they now appear to be embracing a potential gateway heel, typically measuring in the region of 1.5in (3.8cm) or the height of a triple-A battery. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
DHS secretary doubles down on Trump’s baseless 2020 election claims 17. July 2026 (19:12) Markwayne Mullin at presser repeated many of Trump’s unverified claims from controversial primetime speechThe US homeland security secretary, Markwayne Mullin, doubled down on Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated election claims on Friday amid his agency’s efforts to support the president’s agenda.Trump used a memo compiled by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as the basis of many of his unsubstantiated claims on Thursday during his televised primetime address to the nation. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
‘Master yachtsman’ who fled 2005 trial for sexual assault arrested off US coast 17. July 2026 (18:30) Ronald Fischer, 70, was sentenced to life in his absence after telling lawyer he planned to ‘enjoy life in another country’A “master yachtsman” who went on the run for more than two decades after fleeing a sexual assault trial in Rhode Island which resulted in his conviction despite his absence was captured on Thursday on a sailboat off New Jersey’s coast, according to authorities.Ronald L Fischer, 70, had been considered one of Rhode Island’s most wanted fugitives before his arrest, state police officials said in a statement on social media. And his case had been mentioned repeatedly over the years on the true-crime television program America’s Most Wanted. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Meta trying to destroy whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams, US senator says 17. July 2026 (18:27) Republican Josh Hawley accuses Mark Zuckerberg’s firm of relentlessly pursuing and attempting to bankrupt herA US senator has accused Meta of using lawfare in “efforts to destroy” a whistleblower who made allegations about the social media company’s dealings with China and its treatment of teenagers.In a letter to its founder, Mark Zuckerberg, the Republican senator Josh Hawley demanded to know what measures Meta had taken to monitor Sarah Wynn-Williams, Facebook’s former global head of public policy, and her family. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Israeli strike on Gaza funeral killed at least seven people, hospital says 17. July 2026 (18:06) Another 22 reportedly injured while mourning Palestinian killed in Israeli attack earlier in the dayAn Israeli strike on a funeral in the Gaza Strip has killed at least seven people and injured another 22, according to a local hospital.There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Europe’s most effective tool to cut greenhouse gas emissions ‘risks being weakened’ 17. July 2026 (18:01) European Commission proposal to overhaul emissions trading system would give companies less demanding pathway to reductionsEurope’s most effective method of cutting dangerous planet-heating gases risks being weakened after the European Commission proposed an overhaul of its flagship carbon market, critics have said.In a long-awaited review of the European Union emissions trading system (ETS), the European Commission proposed giving companies a less demanding and cheaper pathway to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
Intercity rail passengers face summer disruption amid slashed services and strike votes 17. July 2026 (17:49) East Midlands Railway cancels trains on Midland mainline, as drivers on LNER and Avanti West Coast ballotIntercity rail travellers face potential disruption this summer across Great Britain’s three north-south mainlines, with drivers voting on strike action on two lines and timetables slashed on the other owing to malfunctioning trains.East Midlands Railway announced it will cancel hundreds of services in the coming weeks from its intercity timetable on the Midland mainline, because of continued problems with its fleet of Hitachi trains. Continue reading...(The Guardian)
