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Photo: State of Florida / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

Gates Foundation finds no Epstein payments in review

An independent external review of the Gates Foundation found no evidence that it paid Jeffrey Epstein or was involved in his criminal activities, while noting that staff had some past interactions with him. The review, covering 2011‑2014 and involving two matters—the proposed donor-advised fund and polio-related funding to the International Peace Institute—led the foundation to approve stricter governance and vetting measures to bolster oversight going forward.

10 sources

Prosecutors raid Fidesz servers, opposition says

Hungary’s opposition Fidesz says prosecutors raided the party’s data centre amid an embezzlement-related probe linked to the National Cultural Fund, while Fidesz alleges the action is a politically motivated attack by PM Peter Magyar’s new government; the authorities have provided few details. Magyar’s administration, pursuing anti-corruption reforms and constitutional changes to curb Orbán-era influence, has framed the move as part of turning the page from the previous leadership, with Fidesz calling the actions autocratic.

6 sources

UN reports 144 migrants dead off Mauritania

The UNHCR reports 144 refugees and migrants dead or missing off Mauritania after perilous West Africa-to-Europe sea crossings, with three rescue operations between July 14–18 that saved 387 people. By 2026, about 2,147 individuals have been rescued in Nouadhibou and Nouakchott, while cross-Atlantic migration remains deadly even as overall arrivals to Europe grow more cautious.

9 sources

Netanyahu warns Iran of stronger response

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Iran that any future attack would trigger a far stronger Israeli response, emphasizing readiness to act decisively and promising no repeat of past outcomes. The remarks, delivered at the Negev conference amid ongoing tensions and recent Israeli strikes in Iran and regional hostilities, signal a renewed posture of deterrence as the ceasefire remains fragile and the risk of escalation persists.

8 sources