The US has launched aew wave of attacks on military targets in Iran. The US Regional Command said the aim was to weaken Tehran's ability to attack merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has responded with counter-attacks on US bases in the Gulf region. Commentators discuss strategies and risks.

Petrol and diesel are in short supply across Russia. Filling stations are either closed or dispensing limited quantities, and prices have soared. The shortages are the result of relentless attacks by Ukrainian drones on refineries across the country and in places as remote as Siberia. The Kremlin has responded with export bans and isow trying to import fuel. Commentators are divided over whether the crisis could destabilise the Putin regime.

Ann Widdecombe, who served as a minister for the Conservatives in the 1990s, was found dead at her home on 9 July with serious blunt force trauma to her head. The police say they doot believe her murder was politically motivated. Widdecombe had recently become active in the right-wing populist Reform UK party and attracted attention with extreme statements, for example when she likened Brexit to slaves rising up against their masters.

Water supplies in the coastal region around Almada in Portugal have been repeatedly disrupted for over a week – in the middle of the high season. The shortages are the result of rising resident and touristumbers and an ageing infrastructure in which around a third of the water volume is lost through leaks. Portuguese media call for action.