Dispatch from Iran: U.S. Sinks in the Strait of Hormuz

by Leonidas Vatikiotis | kommon.gr

19/07/2026

Leonidas Vatikiotis travels to Iran and records reality through a series of dispatches. This is the second article in the series. Read the first article here.

The U.S. Navy had the rare opportunity to learn some basic sailors' language on the morning of Tuesday, July 14. The Wall Street Journal described the incident. It began with a radio message broadcast on the frequency used by ships in the Strait of Hormuz, stating: “U.S. forces are prepared to ensure freedom of navigation and lawful commerce in accordance with international law. The southern transit route through the Strait remains open.”

Trump's insatiable greed and crumbling of ethical standards will spell disaster for Republicans in November

The Greek Courier

July 20, 2026

By Yiannis Damellos

It is the degradation of Ethics in the White House and Trump's insatiable greed that will likely become his Party's Doom in November. People and markets are observing a President who is monetizing every aspect of his control, prioritizing his family's interests over the welfare of Americans. This unprecedented behavior is contributing to his poor poll numbers.

Recent revelations that the Trump Media & Technology Group is offering high-paying clients expedited access to Donald Trump's posts on Truth Social raise significant ethical concerns around the intersection of politics, social media, and financial markets. For a hefty sum of $100,000 per month, traders and hedge funds can secure a direct line to the president’s communications, essentially paying for preferential treatment in accessing information that could influence market movements.

Alaska Airlines Boeing 787-9 Declares Emergency on Rome-to-Seattle Flight, Safely Returns to Rome

July 20, 2026

Felix Yim  2 hours 34 minutes ago

An Alaska Airlines Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner operating flight AS181 from Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) declared an in-flight emergency on July 19, 2026, performed a U-turn over the United Kingdom, and safely diverted back to its departure airport in Rome. No injuries were reported among passengers or crew.

Scientists identify the rare meteorite that killed the dinosaurs 66 million years ago

Science News from research organizations
Date: July 19, 2026
Source: University of British Columbia

Summary: The asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs was likely an exceptionally rare CO chondrite from a distant region of the solar system. Its unusual chemistry suggests that planet-cooling dust and debris, rather than sulfur inside the asteroid, may have delivered the deadliest blow.

Why is Trump risking midterm disaster by resuming the unpopular Iran war?

Less than a month after hailing a ceasefire, Trump resumed strikes on Iran, a move experts warn could prolong the war and hurt Republicans before the midterms

 Analysis  Robert Tait in Washington

Sat 18 Jul 2026 10.00 BST
For half a century, Donald Trump has performed a public high-wire act based on high-stakes risks and shattering time-honored norms to get what he wants.

US launches ninth night of Iran strikes as strait of Hormuz standoff sees oil price pass $90 a barrel

After the US military confirmed that a service member had been killed in Iraq – the third in recent days – Donald Trump said the new attacks were ‘in honour’ of the dead
Guardian staff and agencies 

Mon 20 Jul 2026 03.01 BST

The US launched a ninth night of strikes targeting Iran early Monday, after announcing the death of another American service member, as the price of Brent crude oil climbed above $90 a barrel, the highest level since June.

It’s Scary As Hell Being Black in America Right Now

The deaths of Nolan Wells and Kohen Wiley are symptoms of a nation retreating from any pretense of equal rights.

ALAIN STEPHENS
July 19 2026, 6:00 a.m. ET

There is a tangible heat to being Black in America this summer.
Every morning starts the same. A jolt of coffee and nicotine as my thumbs scroll a daily intake of Black death and indignity.

Spain wins the World Cup by beating Argentina 1-0 on Ferran Torres’ goal in extra time

 BY TIM REYNOLDS
Updated 3:20 PM PDT, July 19, 2026

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Ferran Torres’ first goal of this year’s World Cup was the goal of his life, and it put Spain back atop the soccer world.

Denying Lionel Messi a second straight title in what he has indicated would be his final World Cup match, Torres came off the bench and scored in the 106th minute and Spain — in a match it simply dominated — ended Argentina’s reign with a 1-0 win on Sunday.

Troy Jackson has effectively secured the Maine Senate Democratic nomination

Jackson’s preferred delegates have won a majority of the seats at next week’s nominating convention to replace Graham Platner
By Aaron Pellish and Andrew Howard
07/19/2026 01:55 PM EDT

POLITICO
SANFORD, Maine — Troy Jackson has effectively secured the Democratic nomination in the crucial Maine Senate race, winning the support of a majority of the state delegates who will officially nominate a candidate next weekend.

Vengeful Iran, fixated on killing Trump, accuses US of striking Iranian nuclear facility under construction

July 19 2026

Editorial Team

There is only one point on which we find common ground with Donald Trump in the Iranian affair and it's not his folly in the Strait of Hormuz: it's the urgent need to eradicate any of Iran's nuclear ambitions. A theocratic fundamentalist regime should never possess the capability to harness nuclear power for any purpose. Iran has repeatedly demonstrated that it cannot be trusted and remains a persistent source of instability in Middle Eastern affairs. If the United States has indeed intensified its military campaign against Iran—especially targeting critical nuclear facilities like the under-construction Darkhovin nuclear power plant, as suggested by reports from Turkish media—then so be it. Such actions may ultimately benefit the broader international community and salvage a war that should never have started in the first place. 

The Police: Synchronicity Tour

 From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tour by The Police, Associated album Synchronicity'

Start date: 23 July 1983, End date: 4 March 1984

No. of shows 66 in North America, 

36 in Europe, 3 in Australia

105 total

The Synchronicity Tour was a 1983–1984 concert tour by the Police to promote their fifth album, Synchronicity. It commenced on July 23, 1983 in Chicago and concluded on March 4, 1984 in Melbourne. It touched three continents for a total of 105 shows.

Mexico: Sixth journalist killed in 2026, government must urgently address violence against the press

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) condemns the killing of Josué Martínez Contreras, director of the online news outlet Noticias San Martín Texmelucan, on 16 July in the state of Puebla. 

He is the sixth journalist to be killed in Mexico since the beginning of 2026. RSF calls for the federal government to ensure the crime is thoroughly investigated, establish whether it was linked to his journalistic work and urgently strengthen measures to prevent the unrelenting attacks against the press.

France, Germany expand defence partnership as Europe seeks more military autonomy

By Andreas Rinke and Florence Loeve

July 17, 2026 8:16 AM PDT

Summary

• German troops will join a French nuclear exercise for the first time
• France will keep fully funding its nuclear deterrent, Macron said
• Merz, Macron cite Chinese overcapacity and undervalued currency as pressures on Europe

BRUEHL, Germany, July 17 (Reuters) - The leaders of Germany and France pledged on Friday to deepen defence cooperation and counter intense economic competition ‌from China, which they said was exerting drastic pressure on Europe through overcapacity and an undervalued currency.

There Won’t Be a Japanese Empress Anytime Soon

July 18, 2026

There have been only eight female monarchs. The last was Empress Gosakuramachi, who ruled from 1762 to 1770.

Japan's parliament has enacted a controversial, male-only succession rule, ensuring that Princess Aiko, the popular daughter of Emperor Naruhito, cannot inherit the throne and solidifying a patriarchal, 19th-century law. Critics, including feminist scholars, condemn the move as a prioritization of tradition over the viability of a shrinking imperial family, effectively treating royal women as "childbearing machines" to ensure male lineage.

Xi offers AI olive branch to the world, calling for ‘symphony of global cooperation’

By Han Guan Ng, Chan Ho-Him, and The Associated Press

July 17, 2026, 11:37 AM ET

Development and governance of artificial intelligence should be a global effort, Chinese President Xi Jinping said Friday, while reiterating China’s objections to what he called the “overstretching” of national security concerns.

Speaking at a conference in Shanghai, Xi said AI should not be dominated by any single nation. American-led restrictions have blocked China from accessing some of the world’s most advanced technologies, spurring China’s efforts to build its own know-how and intensifying the rivalry between the world’s two biggest economies.

Andrew Tate and brother arrested in US after more charges laid against them in UK

July 18, 2026

Kathryn Armstrongand

Claire Keenan

Reuters

Controversial influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan have been arrested in the US after British authorities announced they were bringing further charges against them. The UK's Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said Andrew Tate was being charged with seven further counts of rape, as well as other charges relating to alleged crimes including sex trafficking and child pornography.

Two U.S. service members killed in Jordan, one missing; Iran threatens ‘unforgettable lessons’ after calling off interim peace agreement

Published Sat, Jul 18 2026

6:56 PM PST

Michael Wayland Azhar Sukri Terri Cullen
Key Points

• The U.S. military said two American service members in Jordan were killed on Friday and one is missing in action.
• Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the country has suspended its commitments to the memorandum of understanding signed last month with the U.S.
• When asked about Iran no longer abiding by the interim peace agreement, U.S. President Donald Trump reportedly said, “I couldn’t care less.”
• Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said Iran has “unforgettable lessons in store” for the U.S. after American forces concluded a seventh straight night of strikes against his country.

The U.S. military said on Saturday that two American service members in Jordan were killed in action in Jordan on Friday as U.S. Central Command and partner forces defended against Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks. Another service member is missing in action, according to Centcom.

How data centers became a symbol of Americans' rage

Feeling ignored by political and economic powers, people are rallying against computer hubs over concerns about their communities’ future

July 18, 2026 at 5:00 a.m. EDT

By Shira Ovide

Kyle Schmidt ticked through what makes him irate about the massive Google data center slated for construction about a mile away from his home near Sand Springs, Oklahoma.

He didn’t like that residents were kept in the dark about what would be built on a pristine tract of mostly forested land. He’s worried about the data center’s potential impact on the community’s water supply and on the dream home that his family moved into last year.