🇨🇳 UK Court Upholds China's Mega Embassy in London
The High Court has ruled that the government's approval of China's planned embassy on the site of the old Royal Mint, near the Tower of London, was lawful.
The 20,000-square-metre development would become the largest embassy complex in the UK by area.
Around 49,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta in a single day, officials say — nearly five times the daily peak of Europe's 2015 migration crisis. At least 19 people died during the crossings.
The influx, made by sea and land, overwhelmed local authorities in the territory of 80,000 residents. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez travelled to Ceuta to coordinate the government's response, while Spain and Morocco moved to reinforce the border. France announced tighter checks on its border with Spain in response to the crisis.
🪖 U.S. Congress Weighs Terrorist Label for Sudan's RSF
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators introduced the PEACE in Sudan Act in June, with overlapping House bills pushing to designate Sudan's Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as a terrorist organization — a move that could reshape the conflict now in its third year.
The RSF has been at war with the Sudanese Armed Forces since 2023, killing tens of thousands and displacing millions. The Biden administration sanctioned RSF commander Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo ("Hemedti") in January 2025 after determining the RSF committed genocide, but experts say targeted sanctions have had limited impact on RSF leadership.
Proponents argue designation would pressure the UAE — credibly accused of backing the RSF — and signal U.S. commitment to ending the war. Critics warn it could complicate ceasefire talks led by Trump's Africa advisor Massad Boulos, hamper humanitarian access, and repeat the pattern of sanctions that failed to change behavior in Iran and Russia. Several experts cautioned a designation alone would be insufficient without a broader U.S. strategy — one the Trump administration has yet to articulate.
🇮🇱 Israeli Strikes Kill Children Across Gaza Overnight
Israeli airstrikes hit multiple areas of Gaza overnight, including tents sheltering displaced families in al-Mawasi, killing and wounding several children.
The attacks struck across the territory as the conflict, now in its second year, continues to cause heavy civilian casualties. Al-Mawasi had been designated a humanitarian zone for displaced Palestinians.
The strikes underscore the ongoing toll on civilians, with displaced families among those killed despite sheltering in designated safe areas.
A missile that struck Polish territory during a Russian attack on Lviv was "probably Russian," Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said, after an unidentified object crashed near the village of Tarnawa Kolonia, roughly 100km from the Ukrainian border.
The object violated Polish airspace and territory after apparently missing its target, leaving a 10-metre wide crater near the eastern city of Lublin. The incident occurred overnight during Russian strikes on western Ukraine.
Poland is a NATO member, making any confirmed violation of its territory by Russian munitions a significant escalation with potential alliance-wide implications.
🇺🇸 U.S. May Block France's Ambassador Pick Over Rights Criticism
The United States is considering delaying or blocking President Emmanuel Macron's choice for France's next ambassador to Washington, according to four sources familiar with the matter.
The move follows public French criticism of the U.S. human rights record — a rare diplomatic friction between two close allies that has prompted Washington to weigh action against the ambassador nomination.