Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu travels quietly to Washington

A Senegalese court has sentenced three TikTok influencers to custodial sentences and fines for insulting President Bassirou Diomaye Faye. Critics have condemned the ruling as a direct blow to free expression within the country. The creators work for Feenal Digital, an online channel known for producing content supportive of former Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko. The decision follows a recent political rift between President Faye and Sonko. Mandoumbe Diop, operating under the moniker Lamignou Darou, received a three-month unconditional prison term. He represents the most prominent of the group, boasting over 500,000 followers on TikTok. Magueye Diaw and Moustapha Ndiaye were each handed two-month custodial sentences alongside fines of 500,000 CFA francs. Defence counsel Abdy Nar Ndiaye argued the posts were purely satirical and did not warrant criminal sanction.

LIMA: A tourist aircraft crashed in southern Peru on Saturday, killing all 13 people on board during a sightseeing flight over the world-famous Nazca Lines, authorities confirmed. The aircraft, identified as a Cessna Caravan C-208, was carrying 11 foreign tourists and two pilots when it went down near the Nazca archaeological site shortly after taking off from Pisco Airport. According to officials, the passengers included seven Italian nationals, two Germans and two Spaniards. Emergency responders rushed to the crash site, but there were no survivors. Police and rescue teams launched recovery operations immediately after the accident. Authorities said the impact completely destroyed the aircraft, making rescue efforts impossible. Investigators have begun examining the wreckage to determine what caused the crash. The Nazca Lines, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, attract thousands of visitors every year. The enormous ancient geoglyphs, etched into the desert more than 1,500 years ago, are best viewed from the air, making sightseeing flights a popular tourist activity. Local authorities expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and extended condolences to the victims’ families. The airline operating the flight said it would cooperate fully with investigators and review its flight operations in line with directives from aviation authorities. The accident is the latest in a series of aviation incidents involving sightseeing flights over the Nazca Lines. Similar crashes in previous years have raised concerns about the safety of tourist flights in the region. Officials said a full investigation is underway to establish the exact circumstances behind the fatal crash.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on Wednesday that she is stepping down from the Trump administration by the end of the month. She cited wanting more time with her family as the reason behind the decision. In a social media post, the 28-year-old explained that returning to the White House after having her daughter left her struggling to balance the demands of the role with being present for her two young children. She called it a bittersweet decision to move into a new chapter of her life. President Trump responded publicly, saying he understood and respected her choice. He added that Leavitt would remain part of his inner circle, describing her as one of his top outside advisors and an influential voice within the Republican Party going forward. The sudden announcement caught many off guard, sparking a wave of speculation online about what actually prompted her exit. No official replacement has been named yet, but multiple reports have pointed to Natalie Harp as a likely contender for the role. The 34-year-old serves as Trump’s executive assistant and is frequently seen by his side at public events. She reportedly manages much of his digital presence, including posting pre-approved content to his social media accounts after hours, according to a Wall Street Journal report from May 2026. Given her closeness to the president, Harp has emerged as one of the more plausible names being floated to take over the press secretary role. Alongside the succession talk, unverified theories have also surfaced online suggesting Harp may have played a role in Leavitt’s exit. Some reports, including one from the Irish Star, claim Harp accompanied Trump during a security-related jet switch amid threat concerns, while Leavitt was left behind, though this remains unconfirmed. A source told the Daily Mail that Harp holds an unusually close position within Trump’s team, describing her as closer to the president than anyone else on his staff. Separately, a widely circulated video appeared to show Leavitt seemingly sidelined during a tense exchange involving Trump and another woster believed to be Harp, shortly before her resignation announcement. None of these claims have been independently verified so far.

One in three people worldwide, approximately 2.69 billion individuals, cannot afford a healthy, nutrient-rich diet, according to a joint report by five United Nations agencies. The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2026 calculates the global average cost of a healthy diet at 4.28 purchasing power parity (PPP) dollars per day. This figure significantly exceeds the international extreme poverty line of $3 PPP per person, placing diverse, nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, dairy, and lean meats out of economic reach for billions. Public health experts note that historic agricultural subsidies have heavily favoured starchy staples over nutrient-dense options, driving a global surge in adult obesity rates from 12.1 per cent in 2012 to 16.2 per cent in 2024. While global hunger declined for a third consecutive year in 2025, affecting 7.8 per cent of the world’s population compared to 8.1 per cent in 2024, regional disparities remain severe. Africa has become home to the highest absolute number of hungry people for the first time, with roughly 309 million affected. Across the continent, 66.6 per cent of the population was unable to afford a healthy diet in 2025, more than double the rates observed in Asia or Latin America. UN officials warn that ongoing disruptions to maritime trade, alongside potential climate shocks, threaten to reverse recent progress and jeopardise international targets to eliminate global hunger by 2030.

MOSCOW: Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) has charged Telegram founder Pavel Durov with allegedly facilitating terrorist activities and issued an international arrest warrant for him. The FSB announced the charges on Wednesday. It accused Telegram of failing to remove content that was allegedly used by Ukrainian intelligence-linked groups and terrorist and extremist organisations. According to the Russian security agency, the material was allegedly used to prepare and coordinate acts of sabotage, terrorism, mass killings and cyber-fraud operations inside Russia. The allegations have not been independently established, and Durov has not publicly responded to the charges. Soon after the announcement, Telegram’s official account on X posted an image of Durov making an obscene gesture. The post did not include an explanation or detailed response to the Russian allegations. Telegram is an encrypted messaging platform founded by Durov in 2013. The service has grown into one of the world’s largest messaging applications, with more than one billion users. The platform is widely used in both Russia and Ukraine and has played a significant role in communication during the Russia-Ukraine war. Russian authorities have repeatedly sought to restrict Telegram’s operations. The government has also promoted its own state-backed messaging service, MAX. Despite previous attempts to limit Telegram, Russian state institutions continue to use the platform. The Kremlin and the Russian Defence Ministry remain active on Telegram and regularly publish official updates. Durov was born in Russia but now holds French and Emirati citizenship. Before creating Telegram, he founded VKontakte, a major Russian social networking platform often described as the country’s equivalent of Facebook. He sold his remaining stake in VKontakte in 2014 after facing increasing pressure from Russian authorities. The latest Russian case comes as Durov is also facing legal scrutiny in France. French authorities are investigating allegations that Telegram failed to adequately tackle criminal activity on its platform and did not sufficiently cooperate with law enforcement agencies. Durov has denied wrongdoing in the French case. Russia’s latest move was preceded by reports earlier this year that Durov was already being investigated in connection with a terrorism-related case. In April, Durov said on Telegram that a summons addressed to “Suspect P.V. Durov” had been delivered to an apartment in Russia where he had lived about two decades ago. He responded sarcastically at the time, suggesting that the authorities could be targeting him for defending constitutional protections related to freedom of speech and private correspondence. Durov’s current location was not immediately confirmed. A post on his Telegram channel in May indicated that he was in Dubai. On July 23, he said he had been impressed by Georgia and hoped to return there soon.