On 31 July Team GB celebrated a stellar fifth day at the Paris Olympics, highlighted by two gold medals in just fifteen minutes. Triathlete Alex Yee and the women's quad sculls rowers secured the fifth and sixth golds for Britain. Team GB also won a BMX silver, and bronze medals in triathlon and diving. Alex Yee, trailing New Zealand’s Hayden Wilde, made a remarkable comeback to clinch gold in the men’s triathlon, surpassing his Tokyo silver. The women's quad sculls team won gold in a photo-finish against the Netherlands. France's Leon Marchand stole the evening spotlight, achieving an unprecedented 200m breaststroke and butterfly double, bringing his gold tally to three after his individual medley win. Host nation France also celebrated as Cassandre Beaugrand won the women's triathlon, with Britain’s Beth Potter securing bronze. At the end of the day Team GB boasted 17 medals, their highest tally at this stage in any Games. Pray for France as she hosts the games.
British radical Islamist preacher Anjem Choudary, 57, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Tuesday for directing a terrorist organisation. He was convicted of leading al-Muhajiroun, a group banned as a terrorist organisation over a decade ago, and encouraging support for it. 'Organisations such as yours normalise violence in support of an ideological cause,' the judge told him, adding, ‘Such groups embolden individuals to commit acts they might otherwise avoid and disrupt peaceful coexistence.’ Choudary received a life sentence with a minimum term of 28 years before parole eligibility, minus the year he has already spent in custody. Once Britain's most prominent Islamist preacher, he had praised the 9/11 attackers and expressed a desire to convert Buckingham Palace into a mosque. He was imprisoned in 2016 for supporting IS and released in 2018 after serving half of his sentence. He stood trial with Canadian Khaled Hussein, 29, who was sentenced to five years for membership in a proscribed organisation.
Türkiye: largest prisoner swap since 1985
01 Aug 2024
Journalist Evan Gershkovich and US marine Paul Whelan have been released from Russian jails in the largest prisoner swap with the West since the Cold War. The exchange, the result of months of complex negotiations, also freed British-Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza, who had been sentenced to 25 years for opposing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Others released include Radio Free Europe editor Alsu Kurmasheva, anti-war artist Aleksandra Skochilenko, dissident politician Ilya Yashin, two former staffers for Alexei Navalny, and Russian-German dual citizen Kevin Lik. The swap, conducted in Turkey, involved the US, Russia, Germany, and other nations, led by Joe Biden and his national security team. Biden, speaking from the White House with the families of the released, called it ‘a very good afternoon’ and praised the diplomacy involved. He acknowledged Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Turkey for their roles in the negotiation and logistical support.
Government-aligned Italian MEPs are defending a plan to detain migrant arrivals in Albania, despite NGOs calling it ‘cruel’. Two Italian-funded migrant reception centres in Albania, part of a five-year agreement, face delays and are now unlikely to open before the end of the year. Under this deal, Albania will host up to 36,000 asylum seekers a year while Italian authorities handle their cases. The upfront costs are arguably minor compared to managing migration in Italy, but critics, including Amnesty International, argue that the plan violates human rights by detaining migrants for long periods and externalising asylum procedures. The externalisation model, also seen in the now-discarded UK government’s Rwanda plan, is seen as effective by some EU states but raises concerns about human rights and costs.
Ukraine: massive drone attack repelled
01 Aug 2024
On 31 July Ukraine repelled one of Russia's most massive attacks since the war began, shooting down 89 Iranian-designed explosive drones and a missile, primarily targeting Kyiv. Despite debris damage to buildings, there were no casualties. This attack comes 29 months into Russia's invasion, with daily bombardments straining Ukraine's air defences. Russia claims it only targets military and energy sites, but residential areas are frequently hit. Volodymyr Zelensky stressed the need for sufficient air defence supplies to protect against Russian strikes and called for faster deliveries of systems like the US-made Patriots. Meanwhile, Ukraine struck a weapons depot in Russia's Kursk region, causing a fire. Russia's slow advance continues, with small gains reported in July, capturing eight villages in north-east, eastern, and southern Ukraine.
Top Hamas leader killed
01 Aug 2024
On 31 July Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, along with his bodyguard, was killed in an airstrike in Iran, an act labelled a ‘severe escalation’ by the Palestinian terror group. His death came hours after he attended a swearing-in ceremony for new president Masoud Pezeshkian. Pezeshkian vowed to defend Iran's integrity and retaliate against the perpetrators. This assassination, attributed to Israel, follows the killing of Hezbollah’s top military leader in Beirut; Israel claimed that he was responsible for a rocket attack on 27 July which killed twelve people, mainly children. Haniyeh, based in Qatar and the face of Hamas’ international diplomacy, was the highest-ranking official killed since the conflict began; his three sons have also been killed.
Colombian president Gustavo Petro has urged a ‘transparent vote count’ in Venezuela amid mass protests following the disputed re-election of Nicolas Maduro. Petro, aiming to improve Colombia-Venezuela relations, emphasised the need for peace and professional international supervision to address the unrest and prevent further violence. He called on Maduro to honor Hugo Chavez’s legacy by ensuring a peaceful election process and accepting the true results. This follows the electoral council’s announcement of Maduro’s victory with 51% support over opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez’s 44%. The opposition claims fraud, asserting Gonzalez actually won. Protests in Caracas and other cities have met with police force, resulting in at least eleven deaths. International observers have expressed concerns, over both the election process and the crackdown on demonstrators.
Sudan: army chief survives drone attack
01 Aug 2024
Sudan's military commander, Gen Abdel-Fattah Burhan, has survived a drone attack at a military graduation ceremony which killed five people. The attack occurred as the conflict continues between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), with military leaders now operating mainly in the east of the country. The drone strike followed the RSF announcement of upcoming ceasefire talks in Switzerland, hosted by the USA and Saudi Arabia. The foreign ministry expressed readiness to participate but emphasised the need to protect civilians and accused the RSF of being the only party attacking cities, villages and civilians. The UN reports that over 4.6 million people have been displaced by the conflict, with many fleeing to safer areas within Sudan or neighbouring countries.