This is the website page in The Multiplural World of current world news headlines and analysis for the months of July 2026. Items with red headlines indicate they were published in full on the home page of the website; notices of these published items are emailed to website subscribers as they appear. Comments and information in square brackets [ ] are by the website editors. World news headlines for the preceding month of June 2026 are archived here; all previous months of ‘World news headlines and analysis’ (since March 2024) are archived here. The ‘World news’ page of The Multiplural World website is the most active page on the website, updated daily by website editors.
World news headlines and analysis for July 2026
China’s exports feed the Global South’s industrial engines, report in South China Morning Post, July 31, 2026 Far from stifling development, China’s export portfolio indicates a positive-sum diffusion of industrial growth (Read the report here in pdf format: China’s exports feed the Global South’s industrial engines)
An excellent book on AI and at the future of work, book review by Tom Knowles, in New Scientist (UK weekly print magazine), June 17, 2026 Sarah O’Connor’s ‘We Are Not Machines’ explores how we are contorting ourselves to fit AI into our working lives – and what to do about it Reviewing: We Are Not Machines, by Sarah O’Connor, publishers Allen Lane (UK); Godine (U.S.) (Read the book review here in pdf format: An excellent book on AI and at the future of work)
Related: The autonomous hack of OpenAI agent is a warning to the world, op-ed commentary by Professor Quentin Parker (professor emeritus at the University of Hong Kong), in South China Morning Post, July 30, 2026 Humanity is engineering its own obsolescence if it fails to establish strict, binding international guard rails for AI software deployment and educational integrity (Here in pdf format: The autonomous hack of OpenAI agent is a warning to the world)
U.S. resumes aggression on Iran after five-day pause, Al Mayadeen English, July 30, 2026
Number of uninsured health care patients is rising sharply in U.S, following cuts to Affordable Care Act (‘Obamacare’), New York Times, July 30, 2026 More people who lost coverage under the Affordable Care Act after congressional Republicans ended enhanced federal subsidies are now seeking care in emergency rooms and unable to pay bills. Roughly 30 million adults and children in the United States are uninsured. (Read the report here in pdf format: Number of uninsured health care patients is rising sharply in U.S, following cuts to Affordable Care Act (‘Obamacare’)
Can the U.S. fend off China’s subsea drones? Its coast guard looks for answers, South China Morning Post, July 30, 2026 As China expands its fleet, the U.S. Coast Guard is scrambling for technology to plug gaps in the country’s maritime defences (Here in pdf format: Can the U.S. fend off China’s subsea drones? Its coast guard looks for answers)
Ministerial shuffles in Ukraine create illusions of change while repression intensifies, report from Ukraine by Dmitri Kovalevich, re-published in The Multiplural World, July 29, 2026 (Dmitri Kovalevich is the special correspondent in Ukraine for Al Mayadeen English, where this report was first published on July 25. He writes two report each month for the publication. You can read here all of his reports since April 2024.)
Related:
* Western establishment gloats over Ukraine’s pivot to civilian targets as Russian military action heats up. Report on the Substack page of ‘Simplicius The Thinker, July 27, 2026
* The more things change, the more they remain the same: New British PM Andy Burnham welcomes Zelensky visit to England, report by Politico, July 28, 2026 …Burnham has pledged there will be continuity in Britain’s Ukraine policy…
* New British PM Burnham hosts Zelensky and offers ‘Stone Cloak’ warfare devices, one week after assuming job, The Independent, July 27, 2026
Major Gulf fighting resumes as U.S. and Saudi strike Iran’s allies in Iraq, Reuters news agency, July 28, 2026
Related: U.S.-Saudi aggression on Iraq kills at least 20 fighters of the Popular Mobilization Forces, Al Mayadeen English, July 28, 2026
Netanyahu and Zelensky meet separately with Trump at the White House, ABC News, July 28, 2026 Both meetings unfolded entirely behind closed doors, which was unusual for Mr. Trump, who typically invites television cameras in during White House visits by foreign leaders
State banks in China bet big on chipmaker CXMT, ‘SCMP Plus’ report (paywalled) by South China Morning Post, July 28, 2026 Top lenders help make CXMT the most valuable listed firm in China (Read the report here in pdf format: State banks in China bet big on chipmaker CXMT)
India is losing its regional primacy as Beijing and Washington move in, commentary by Professor Syed Munir Khasru, in South China Morning Post, July 27, 2026 (Read the commentary here in pdf format: India is losing its regional primacy as Beijing and Washington move in)
Schools in some U.S. states are adding pepper-spraying drones to help combat active shooters, paywalled report in Washington Post, July 28, 2026 The plastic, nonlethal aircraft can smash windows and ram attackers. They will be at the ready in a handful of schools in Florida, Georgia and Colorado…
Far-right ideologue and Trump ally in U.S. changes tune on Ukraine war, meets with Zelensky to offer her support. Reference: Report by Associated Press, July 23, 2026 [Just like Trump himself, Laura Loomer has dropped the pretense of criticizing the NATO proxy war in Ukraine. A generation of journalists and commentators in the West who bought into the ‘Trump doesn’t like never-ending wars’ swindle beginning in 2016 and repeated it ad nauseum are left looking like the fools they are.].
Related: Nazis and Jews in Ukraine: What Laura Loomer is missing when she proclaims support for Zelensky, by RT News, July 27, 2026
India proving reluctant to confront U.S. over its attacks against Iran’s port of Chabahar, Press TV, July 27, 2026 …The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in New Delhi has simultaneously cultivated close strategic relations with Israel, a policy that has further aligned India’s foreign policy with that of Washington…
Related:
* Chabahar is Iran’s only oceanic port and the first deepwater port to put Iran on the global oceanic trade route map. Background here
* India should not abandon its golden gateway of the Port of Chabahar in Iran, analysis by Mohd Akram, Eurasia Review, June 16, 2026 …Chabahar is not an isolated project. It is a key linnk in the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) project being developed [see map in the report]. Ratified in 2002 by India, Iran, and Russia, the 7200-km trade corridor seeks to establish a multimodal trade network to promote transportation cooperation between the member states. It provides a shorter alternative route to the traditional Suez Canal, connecting India to northern Europe through St. Petersburg in Russia using ship, rail, and road routes…
Iran will halt attacks as long as US maintains pause, Iranian source says after Trump calls off strikes, report by Reuters, July 26, 2026
Related:
* News headlines and reports on July 26 (paywalled):
Trump holds off on major escalation against Iran as advisers raise concerns, New York Times
Trump giving U.S.-Iran talks ‘some space’ amid pause in attacks, aide says, Washington Post Over the weekend, the U.S. military halted its bombing raids on Iran after 13 straight days of heavy strikes and warnings of even more aggressive attacks
* Saudi oil is burning, and Trump has no way out, interview with Seyed Mirnadi (Tehran U.), broadcast on the YouTube program of Glenn Diesen, Sunday, July 26, 2026 (58′) U.S. attacks against Iran have ceased during the previous 48 hours, as Saudi Arabia’s oil industry comes under pressure and attack by the governing authority in Yemen due to the ongoing naval blockade (siege) it is facing from the Saudis
Computer chipmakers in China bet on supernodes amid U.S.-China tech race, South China Morning Post, July 26, 2026 Tech firms are racing to build colossal clusters for next-gen AI, but cost, power and scale remain challenges (Read the report here in pdf format: Computer chipmakers bet on super¬nodes amid U.S.-China tech race)
Related: Big Tech companies urge U.S. gov’t to uphold open access to open-weight AI models, report by Politico, July 24, 2026 A coalition of tech companies is urging the Trump administration to preserve access to open-weight artificial intelligence models, warning in a letter that restricting the technology would undermine competition and drive more users toward Chinese AI systems [‘Open-weights’ models are large language models (LLMs) whose trained parameters — known as weights — are publicly available. These weights are the internal variables the model learns during training that determine how it processes input and generates output. Public access to weights enables users to inspect, fine-tune, or adapt the model for new tasks.]
Deportation roundups are surging in the U.S.; the Trump White House has stopped publicizing them, report in The Globe and Mail, July 24, 2026 …Deportation roundups are surging in the U.S., however, the Trump White House has stopped publicizing them. ICE arrested 39,563 people in June, its highest-ever monthly total, according to figures released this week by the agency. That same month, Republican lawmakers authorized a further US$70-billion for the deportation campaign. In July so far, ICE is approaching an average of 1,500 arrests per day… (Read the report here in pdf format: Deportation roundups by ICE are surging in the U.S.)
China hits back against anti-Russia sanctions by EU targeting Chinese firms, South China Morning Post, July 24, 2026 The action by China’s Ministry of Commerce action follows a new round of EU sanctions against Russia that affected 14 firms from mainland China and Hong Kong (Read the report here in pdf format: China hits back against anti-Russia sanctions by EU that target Chinese firms)
China boosts its overland trade routes, South China Morning Post, July 24, 2026 Beijing is doubling down on developing overland trade routes across Central Asia as continued disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz and the wider region expose the vulnerability of global shipping chokepoints (Here in pdf format: China boosts its overland trade routes)
Previously reported:
* 
China is rapidly expanding its land trade routes to Central Asia, South China Morning Post, July 21, 2026 China became the largest trading partner of all the Central Asian countries for the first time in 2025 as trade jumped by 12 per cent to exceed US$100 billion. China’s exports to the region, dominated by high-value goods, are twice the value of its imports. (Read the report here in pdf format: China is rapidly expanding its land trade routes to Central Asia)
* China, Russia plan fifth rail link to keep trade chugging along in harsh winter months, South China Morning Post, July 21, 2026 Heilongjiang province is studying feasibility of connecting Heihe city with Blagoveshchensk in Russia by train, aiming to remove road and waterway bottlenecks. In the first half of 2026, bilateral trade between China and Russia saw year-on-year growth of 25.6 per cent to US$134.1 billion, according to China’s customs data. (Here in pdf format: China, Russia plan fifth rail link to keep trade chugging along)
Trump imposes double-digit tariffs on dozens of countries as his 10% levies are set to expire on July 24, Associated Press, July 23, 2026
‘Nothing left for the U.S. to hit in Iran that matters’, interview with John Mearsheimer, broadcast on ‘Deep Dive With Daniel Davis’ program on YouTube, July 23, 2026 (56’)
Related: Iran military says it has hit an Amazon data center and U.S. Ali Al Salem military base in Kuwait, Al Mayadeen English, July 24, 2026 …The Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps has reported that the American military has suffered hundreds of deaths and a significantly higher number of wounded than acknowledged during the five-month war waged by the U.S. and Israel militaries… [The New York Times reports on July 24 its count that 18 U.S. military have died in the war launched against Iran since February 2026. It also writes, “Since the ceasefire collapsed, the Pentagon has provided little information about the American military strategy and has been slow to release information about troops’ injuries. The last major Pentagon briefing on the war was in early May…
New computer chip developed in China breaks AI memory bottleneck, storing data with a single electron, South China Morning Post, July 24, 2026 The technology enables AI chat models to run on phones using minimal power, without ‘losing memory’ during conversations (Read the report here in pdf format: New computer chip developed in China breaks AI memory bottleneck, storing data with a single electron)
Previously reported: China just erased America’s lead in Artificial Intelligence, report by Axios, July 17, 2026
Support frays for Japan PM Takaichi over controversial laws, South China Morning Post, July 23, 2026 Recent opinion polls show the approval ratings for Sanae Takaichi to be slipping, reflecting the public’s disdain for her priorities, analysts say (Here in pdf format: Support frays for Japan PM Takaichi over controversial laws)
Iran strikes back against U.S. bases, assets in Jordan, Kuwait, by Al Mayadeen English, July 23, 2026 (source: news agencies)
Related: Recent attacks show that Iran retains ability to inflict damage on U.S. targets, report in New York Times, July 22, 2026 (paywalled, with extensive photos) Iranian attacks on nine U.S. locations across the Middle East in the two weeks since the U.S.-Iran ceasefire broke down show that Iran maintains an ability to inflict damage on precise targets, despite the Trump administration’s repeated claims that Iran’s military capabilities have been diminished or destroyed…
U.S. trade war targeting China is reaching the streets of India, South China Morning Post, July 23, 2026 Indian leader faces ‘perfect storm’ at home as proposed U.S. trade deal sparks backlash and Trump ramps up pressure over Russian oil and China (Read the report here in pdf format: U.S. trade war targeting China is reaching the streets of India)
Pentagon says the U.S. war against Iran has cost the country $37.5 billion so far, Reuters news agency, July 22, 2026
Lockheed-Martin to make cheaper Patriot interceptor missiles as air defense demand soars, Military Watch magazine, July 21, 2026 …The new missile is expected to cost approximately $2.5 million per interceptor, roughly half the estimated $5 million price of the PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) variant currently in production… The announcement of the development of the new missile appears to have been made in response to growing questions regarding the affordability of U.S. and broader Western missile defence programs, with use of Patriots in Ukraine and against Iran having cost billions of dollars for relatively conservative achievements…
As the EU erects barriers, China’s trade tilts south and east, commentary by Bob Savic, in South China Morning Post, July 20, 2026 (Bob Savic is head of international trade at the Global Policy Institute in London and visiting professor of international relations at the University of Nottingham. Read his commentary here in pdf format: As the EU erects barriers, China’s trade tilts south and east)
Yemen’s anti-imperialist government announces naval blockade of Saudi Arabia, Al Mayadeen English, July 20, 2026 …In making the declaration, Yemen military spokesperson Brigadier General Yahya Saree said the decision followed calls made during the ‘Warning and Mobilization Friday’ million-man demonstrations on Friday, July 17 as well as tribal gatherings and rallies held across the country… About 4.2 million barrels of crude oil and refined petroleum products flow through the Bab el-Mandeb strait daily, representing roughly six per cent of all seaborne-traded oil worldwide…
[Red Sea traffic has not recovered since October 2023. Traffic through the Suez Canal was down 52 per cent in 2025 compared to 2023 levels and at its lowest in at least 50 years.–Reuters, July 20, 2026)
Thousands in Tokyo protest Japan’s growing militarism, RT News, July 20, 2026 Organizers say 25,000 people took part in the latest rally against Japan revising its constitution and formally abandoning its ‘pacifism’
‘New’ prime minister in Britain affirms continued support for war in Ukraine, Reference: …’Among Burnham’s first calls today will be with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the new leader told reporters on the morning of Monday, July 20. He said that Britain’s support for Ukraine would be “steadfast and resolute,” according to the BBC’…New York Times, July 20
Venezuela earthquakes death toll surpasses 5,000, Associated Press, July 18, 2026
Related: Neo-colonial news reporting of Venezuela earthquakes adds insult to injury, by Ricardo Vaz, in Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR.org), July 18, 2026 A devastating double earthquake hit Venezuela on June 24… The natural disaster followed two unnatural catastrophes: a decade-plus of US-led economic sanctions, and the January 3 US bombing attack and kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro. But rather than sympathize with the beleaguered country, the Western media establishment seized the opportunity to continue demonizing the Bolivarian Revolution—while whitewashing Washington’s economic terrorism and its present efforts to tighten its semi-colonial stranglehold on the country… (Ricardo Vaz is a political analyst and editor at Venezuela Analysis.)
Russia’s growing anger over the NATO proxy war in Ukraine; and is an EU-Russia war coming? Interview with military analyst Stanislav Krapinsky, broadcast on the YouTube program of Glenn Diesen, July 19, 2026 (34’)
U.S. military bases in Jordan targeted by Iran as renewed U.S. war enters ninth day, report in New York Times, July 19, 2026 Four Iranian attacks in five days have targeted U.S. troops in Jordan, U.S. officials said, including one on Friday that killed two soldiers and left another service member missing (Read the report here in pdf format: U.S. military bases in Jordan targeted by Iran)
The renewed U.S. war against Iran, interview with Professor Seyed Mirandi, broadcast on the YouTube channel of Glenn Diesen, July 17, 2026 (49′)
Related: Iran inflicting massive damage on the warmaking U.S., interview with John Mearsheimer, broadcast on the YouTube program of Danny Haiphong, July 18, 2026 (60′)
Charged with assaulting ICE agents, the cases are crumbling, New York Times, July 17, 2026 The Trump administration has lost or abandoned hundreds of criminal cases against protesters and immigrants, a Times investigation finds (Read the report here in pdf format: Charged with assaulting ICE agents, the cases are crumbling)
2026 World AI Conference, held in Shanghai (photo by Xinhua)
Xi Jinping warns against creating ‘new historical injustices’ in AI era, South China Morning Post (page one), July 18, 2026 The Chinese leader’s presence at World AI Conference signals Beijing’s push to elevate AI from tech priority to pillar of geopolitical strategy (Read the report here in pdf format: Xi Jinping warns against creating ‘new historical injustices’ in AI era)
All-out war in the Middle East, and Trump’s war against on Russia, interview with analyst John Mearsheimer, broadcast on the YouTube program of Glenn Diesen, July 15, 2026 (68’) Professor John Mearsheimer discusses how to make sense of the U.S. going back to war against Iran, and Trump’s decision to deepen the U.S. involvement in the war against Russia. Prof. Mearsheimer is the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor in the Political Science Department at the University of Chicago.
Wildfires, floods and military conflicts are symptoms of a global polycrisis, analysis by Rizwan Basir, re-published in The Multiplural World, July 17, 2026 (with an introduction by editors of the The Multiplural World) This essay first appeared in the South China Morning Post on July 17, 2026. The writer Rizwan Basir is a a sociologist working as a Senior Technical Specialist at Climate Resourcing and Coordination Center (CRCC) in Islamabad, Pakistan.
Fourteen-country statement on South China Sea is an expansionist overreach, commentary by Jianlu Bi, in South China Morning Post, July 16, 2026 The statement by 14 countries is a geopolitical exercise, amplifying the flawed 2016 Hague arbitral ruling to try to drive a wedge between China and its neighbours (Read the report here in pdf format: Fourteen-country statement on South China Sea is an expansionist overreach. Jianlu Bi is a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy in Focus think tank at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC, and a research fellow at the Charhar Institute in Beijing.)
EU to strip arriving, conscription-age Ukrainian men of refugee protection, RT News, July 15, 2026 Military-age newcomers (25-60) must prove compliance with Kiev’s conscription rules under the new scheme
Antiwar conference in Britain fails to condemn the NATO proxy war in Ukraine, says little of the U.S./Israel war against Iran, report and analysis by the editors of The Multiplural World, July 12, 2026 (with a postscript dated July 18) Of the three most deadly and illegal wars being waged by the imperialist powers in 2026, only one received central attention (as it should) at the June 20 London conference. That is the genocidal war being waged by the U.S./Israel against the people of Palestine…
Gaza genocide persists as Apartheid Israeli attacks kill 16 Palestinians in 24 hours, Al Mayadeen English, July 15, 2026
Renewed U.S. attacks target grain warehouse, water facility in Iran, Al Mayadeen English, July 15, 2026 [July 16 marks the fifth day of renewed military attacks by the U.S. against Iran.].
Related: U.S. resumes Iran ports blockade as Gulf attacks continue, Al Jazeera, July 15, 2026 Less than one month after signing an MoU as a step towards peace, the U.S. reinstates a naval blockade on Iranian ports
China’s growth slowdown, analysis by Michael Roberts, published in his website blog, July 15, 2026
Reefs and islands under China’s control are reshaping the South China Sea, special report by Laura Zhou, in South China Morning Post, July 15, 2026 Ten years after the Hague’s landmark tribunal ruling, Beijing’s island-building strategy has effectively eclipsed the 2016 decision, observers say (Read the report here in pdf format: Reefs and islands under China’s control are reshaping the South China Sea)
U.S. strikes against Iran continue for third consecutive night, Al Mayadeen English, July 14, 2026 On their third consecutive night, U.S. forces targeted morer locations in Iran, this time against Bushehr province. Iranian officials report no casualties.
Related: Risk of all-out war with Iran, and dark future for Israel, interview with analyst Chas Freeman, broadcast on the YouTube program of Glenn Diesen, July 13, 2026
China’s optical chip breakthrough boosts AI speed 100-fold using fraction of computing power, South China Morning Post, July 14, 2026 (Here in pdf format: China’s optical chip breakthrough boosts AI speed 100-fold)
Japan’s ‘destructive potential’ in South China Sea may eclipse that of the U.S., South China Morning Post, July 14, 2026 Japan’s recent firing of an anti-ship missile was first time it had shown its ‘military muscle’ since World War II, security round table told (read the report here in pdf format: Japan’s ‘destructive potential’ in South China Sea may eclipse that of the U.S.)
Related: Will Manila and Hanoi’s maritime deal challenge Beijing in the South China Sea?, South China Morning Post, July 14, 2026 A new cooperation agreement chips away at China’s bilateral negotiation tactic, but experts say its value is mostly symbolic (Here in pdf format: Will Manila and Hanoi’s maritime deal challenge Beijing in the South China Sea?)
Iran targets Gulf States after night of intense U.S. strikes, NY Times, July 12, 2026
Related: U.S. attacks Iran over ship being hit in Strait of Hormuz; Tehran responds by hitting Arab states, Associated Press, July 12, 2026 The United States attacked Iran early on the morning of Sunday, July 12 after an Iranian strike on a vessel in the Strait of Hormuz that set the container ship ablaze and forced its crew to abandon it. Iran responded with attacks targeting nearby countries allied with the U.S., including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Jordan…
Evidence of near-zero interception rate of Patriot PAC-3 anti-missile systems, interview with MIT scientist Theodore Postol, broadcast on the YouTube program of Glenn Diesen, July 12, 2026 (48′)
The continued U.S./Israel attacks against Iran, interview with John Mearsheimer, broadcast on ‘Deep Dive with Daniel Davis’ on YouTube, July 10, 2026 (68′)
A sea of mourners during the past week has buried the myth of a weak Iran, analysis by Farhad Ibragimov, RT News, July 11, 2026 (Farhad Ibragimov is a lecturer at the Faculty of Economics of RUDN University and lecturer at the Department of Political Science, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, in Moscow.) On July 9, Iran’s Supreme Leader since 1989, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was laid to rest in Mashhad. He was buried in the Imam Reza Mausoleum, one of the holiest sites in the Shiite world and a particularly significant shrine for the Islamic Republic. This marked the conclusion of a multi-day mourning ceremony that began in Tehran, continued in Qom, the spiritual center of Iranian Shiism, then moved to the Iraqi cities of Najaf and Karbala (the main centers of Shiite Islam), concluding in Khamenei’s hometown of Mashhad. The farewell ceremony marked the culmination of the week-long mourning route; and the funeral itself drew enormous crowds…
Iran-Arab-Turkey alignment after the U.S./Israel-waged war?, interview with Trita Parsi, broadcast on the YouTube channel of Glenn Diesen, July 11, 2026 Neither the U.S. not Iran have declared an end to the June 14 Memorandum of Understanding, but a perilous situation prevails in the Middle East
Pentagon turns earthquake response in Venezuela into occupation, by Gary Wilson, in Resumen Latino America English, July 10, 2026
Related: Venezuelan gov’t demands release of frozen assets for post-earthquake reconstruction, report by Jessica Dos Santos, in Venezuela Analysis, July 9, 2026 Over 100 economists urged the US and allied governments to back Venezuela’s recovery through sanctions relief, debt cancellation, and other mechanisms. A great deal of Venezuela government wealth is being hel;d by imperialist governments and financial institutions.
Xi Jinping urges stronger China-North Korea ties, called ‘combat friendship forged in blood’, South China Morning Post, July 10, 2026 (Here in pdf format: Xi Jinping urges stronger China-North Korea ties)
Beijing is allowing AI firms buy the Nvidia H200 computer chip, South China Morning Post, July 9, 2026 The move aims to ‘temporarily ease the training bottleneck’ in China’s AI industry, but analysts say it remains focused on tech self-sufficiency (Read the report here in pdf format: Beijing is allowing AI firms buy the Nvidia H200 computer chip)
The battle for Konstantinovka, in Donetsk, and why Russia’s victory matters, by Sergey Poletaev, in RT News, July 10, 2026
Trump and Rubio hoping against hope that deep strikes by Ukraine against Russia will bring Russia to negotiating table, analysis published on the Substack page of ‘Simplicius The Thinker’, July 8, 2026
Related: ‘Peacemaker’ Trump tells NATO gathering in Turkey the U.S. will give Ukraine license to produce Patriot defense systems, Associated Press, July 8, 2026 …”Zelensky has done an amazing job”, Trump told reporters before the two met on the sidelines of the July 7-8 NATO summit meeting in Turkey. “Look, he’s been very effective, and he’s had the best equipment because he’s had our equipment.”…
[This latest pronouncement is likely more Trumpian hot air than reality. But it does explode the longstanding myth (lie) being perpetrated in corporate and ‘alternative’ media in the West to the effect that the Trump regime wishes to calm the war in Ukraine in order to direct its ‘main attention’ towards a trade war with China. In reality, the U.S. ruling class, wisely or not, is pursuing aggression against the Russian Federation and the Peoples Republic of China, and simultaneously against the Islamic Republic of Iran. A headline in one of Canada’s national daily newspapers on April 10 reads: ‘Donald Trump sincerely wants to wash his hands of the Iran war but doesn’t have the cards’.]
Trump says ‘the ceasefire is over’ with Iran, while escalating war with Russia, interview by Glenn Diesen with analyst Daniel Davis, broadcast on the YouTube program of Glenn Diesen, July 9, 2026 (35′)
Iran after Ayatollah Khamenei: The Memorandum of Understanding, the Israel war in Lebanon, and the road ahead for the people of the region, broadcast on the YouTube program of the Community Alliance for Peace and Justice (New England), July 6, 2026 (84′) Ever since the June 17th Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding brought a fragile end to the U.S.-Israel war on Iran, the agreement has faced serious strain. The June 26th Israel-Lebanon framework ties Israeli withdrawal to Hezbollah’s disarmament, and low-level attacks between Iran, the U.S., and Israel continue. Is the Trump administration genuinely pursuing a grand bargain with Tehran, or is this just a tactical pause before renewed conflict?
U.S.-China scientific decoupling shows the hidden costs of geopolitical rivalry, South China Morning Post, July 9, 2026 As Washington and Beijing lock horns over national security, political friction may be dismantling decades of fruitful shared discovery (Read the report here in pdf format: U.S.-China scientific decoupling)
Trump tantrums over NATO and Iran peace agreement intended to mask U.S. decline and its defeat at the hands of Iran. [The Trump regime in Washington is lashing out verbally against the NATO military alliance and has undertaken new military attacks against Iran on July 7. The tantrums are designed to befuddle and to distract attention from U.S. decline. Much of not-so-alternative media in the West fell for similar ruses in the last three U.S. presidential elections. At that time, they crowed: ‘Trump wants to end U.S. involvement in forever foreign wars, wants out of NATO, and wants peace with Russia’. There is no sign such reporting naivete will change. This all stems from alt media’s anti-Russia and anti-China prejudices, making them unwilling to report facts that contradict their prejudices.]
Day five: Millions flood the streets of Qom to pay tribute to Sayyed Khamenei, Al Mayadeen English, July 7, 2026 Millions of mourners packed the streets of the holy city of Qom on Tuesday, July 7 to perform funeral prayers for the late Leader and martyr Sayyed Ali Khamenei. Analysts are calling the funeral gatherings across Iran in recent days a massive reaffirmation of allegiance to the principles of the Islamic Revolution. The gatherings have drawn crowds described by the Financial Times as “the largest in the modern history of the world”…
The military sites in Ukraine struck by Russia overnight on July 5-6, RT News, July 6, 2026 The Russian Defense Ministry says five plants involved in Ukrainian kamikaze drone operations were among the main targets
Related: Ukraine war will be settled on the battlefield, interview with Professor John Mearsheimer, broadcast on the YouTube program of journalist Rachel Belvins, July 2, 2026 (37’. Russian forces are making significant advances in the Donetsk republic of the Russian Federation (Donbas region) as they close in on Ukraine’s “fortress belt” of the cities of Slavyansk, Kramatorsk and to Konstantinovka, close to the western border of Donetsk. This occurs as the Kiev regime increases its drone attacks against Russian civilians and Moscow responds with a massive barrage of drone and missile strikes, the latest directed against military installations in and around Kiev on Thursday, July 2. Dr. John Mearsheimer, an author, international relations expert and professor at the University of Chicago, explains that this war “will be settled on the battlefield”. It is becoming clear “the Russians are on the march”. As for the U.S. and Israel war against on Iran, Mearsheimer emphasizes that the Memorandum of Understanding is a ‘surrender document’. If the U.S. wants a nuclear deal (which it does), then it is likely going to have to give in to Tehran’s key demands on sanctions relief, frozen assets, control of the Strait of Hormuz, and a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Coffins of Sayyed Khamenei, family members make way through mourners in Tehran, Al Mayadeen English, July 6, 2026 Millions filled the streets of Tehran in a historic display of grief and solidarity on the fourth day of funeral ceremonies for the martyred leader Millions of mourners have filled the streets of Tehran for the main funeral procession of Iran’s martyred Leader, Sayyed Ali Khamenei. The ceremony follows a two-day public viewing at Tehran’s Grand Mosalla and is taking place during a nationwide public holiday. Iranian authorities expect total attendance throughout the week-long funeral events to reach between 12 and 20 million people…
Related: Sayyed Ali Khamenei: Architect of the Axis of Resistance, tribute by Hanna Eid Hanna Eid, in Al Mayadeen English, July 5, 2026
U.S. efforts to renegotiate the ‘Memorandum of Understanding’ with Iran, interview with analyst Larry Johnson, broadcast on the YouTube program of Glenn Diesen, July 5, 2026 (45’) [The concluding ten minutes of the interview discuss the state of the NATO proxy war in Ukraine.].
Related: Iran stands firm on control of Hormuz Strait, analysis published on the Substack page of ‘Simplicius The Thinker, July 4, 2026
The end of Russian restraint? And a new, U.S. grand strategy, interview with professor John Mearsheimer, broadcast on the YouTube program of Glenn Diesen, July 5, 2026 (71’)
As the U.S. turns 250, young Asian-Americans weigh identity and China, feature report in South China Morning Post, July 3, 2026 Many feel more at ease with their heritage but see the future of US-China ties, not anniversary festivities, as more relevant to their lives (Read the report here in pdf format: As the U.S. turns 250, young Asian-Americans weigh identity and China)
China’s influence on African ports extends to software, automation and AI, report in South China Morning Post, July 3, 2026 The Africa Centre for Strategic Studies says Chinese firms are deeply embedded across the continent’s maritime networks (Here in pdf format: China’s influence on African ports extends to software, automation and AI)
As Ukraine and NATO war provocations continue, will Russia strike first?, interview with Stanislav Krapivnik, broadcast on the YouTube program of Glenn Diesen, July 4, 2026 (48′) Stanislav Krapivnik speaks of his recent visit to the war-torn Donbas region
Millions gather in Tehran on day two of Iran’s official mourning ceremonies for Imam (Supreme Leader) Sayyed Khamenei, Al Mayadeen English, July 4, 2026 Millions have assembled in Tehran on July 4 for the second day of funeral ceremonies for martyred leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei. Across Iran, the country has entered a period of national mourning and widespread tributes to its longtime leader.
Related:
* Live from Tehran: Huge crowds gather in Tehran for Imam Khamenei’s funeral, eyewitness report from Tehran by Dimitri Lascaris, broadcast on his YouTube program ‘Reason To Resist’, July 4, 2026 (22′)
* Millions to gather In Tehran for Imam Khamenei’s funeral, eyewitness report from Tehran by Dimitri Lascaris, broadcast on his YouTube program ‘Reason To Resist’, July 2, 2026 [Imam Khamenei was one of the historic leaders of Iran’s 1979 Revolution and its aftermath, succeeding founding Supreme Leader Iman Ruhollah Mostafavi Musavi Khomeni in 1989. Imam Khamenei was martyred at the outset of the U.S./Israel attack (war) against Iran on February 28, 2026. Iran is holding a day of mass commemoration for him in Tehran on July 3. Commemorations will take place across the country during the week beginning July 3.]
Lebanon analyst Amal Saad on Beirut’s agreement with Israel, interview by Jeremy Scahill with Amal Saad, broadcast on Drop Site News, July 2, 2026 (59’) Jeremy Scahill speaks with the Axis of Resistance scholar about Iran, Hezbollah, Israel, and Trump—and why she believes another regional war is inevitable
Could China’s containerised aircraft launcher reshape rules of modern warfare?, South China Morning Post, July 3, 2026 Details of a growing family of standard-sized weapon systems appeared on social media, along with video of an electro-magnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) in action (Read the report here in pdf format: China’s containerised aircraft launcher could reshape modern warfare)
Russia’s war objectives in Ukraine, interview by Glenn Diesen with conservative U.S. analyst Douglas Macgregor, broadcast on the YouTube channel of Glenn Diesen, July 1, 2026 (44′)
Ukraine’s most loyal sponsor Poland is being shamed by Kiev’s open association with neo-Nazism, analysis by Anastasia Mironova, in RT News, July 1, 2026 Poland’s dispute with Ukraine reveals a deeper rift shaped by history, refugee fatigue and growing public frustration
Israel has found Türkiye’s weak spot, analysis by Farhad Ibragimov (lecturer at the Faculty of Economics at RUDN University, in Moscow), published in RT News, July 1, 2026
Scientists in China aim to build electric rocket launch pad on the roof of the world, South China Morning Post, July 1, 2026 China’s electric launch technology stems from a two-decade-old idea and could potentially make SpaceX’s chemical rockets obsolete Read the report here in pdf format: Scientists in China aim to build electric rocket launch pad on the roof of the world)
Related: Space firms in China join to invent supercritical, carbon dioxide cold-launch technology, South China Morning Post, July 1, 2026 Novel approach would ‘fundamentally change’ model for small liquid-fuel launch vehicles, including ending reliance on fixed launch pads. Most rockets currently employ ‘hot’ launches, requiring major repairs to pads after each launch. (Here in pdf format: Space firms in China aiming to invent supercritical, carbon dioxide cold-launch technology)
The great AI reckoning: how China is flipping the script on the new industrial revolution in the U.S., report by journalist Vincent Chow, South China Morning Post, July 1, 2026 From EVs to robotics, China’s advancement in cutting-edge tech has seen it shake off the West’s long-standing belief in U.S. exceptionalism (Read the report here in pdf format: How China is flipping the script on the new industrial (AI) revolution in the U.S.)
Melat Kiros, a 29-year old lawyer fired in 2023 for criticizing Israel, wins Democratic primary in Colorado, report in New York Times, July 1, 2026 The June 30 election win by Ms. Kiros unseats a 15-term incumbent and further propels the insurgent coalition that swept a series of congressional contests last week in New York (Here in pdf format: Melat Kiros, a 29-year old lawyer fired in 2023 for criticizing Israel, wins Democratic primary in Colorado)
Background:
* Interview with Melat Kiros, broadcast on Drop Site News daily podcast on election day, June 30, 2026 (interview begins at 20′ mark)
* Report in Drop Site News, June 29, 2026 …Melat Kiros has run as a critic of unchecked AI development, telling Drop Site News she supports a moratorium on data center construction. Her opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza and to Israel’s ongoing efforts at occupation and ethnic cleansing in Lebanon has meanwhile drawn the attention of pro-Israel donors hoping to rescue their longtime ally, incumbent Diana DeGette. Melat Kiros’ family moved to the U.S. from Ethiopia in 1998, one year after Melat was born…
