As the country turns 250, retired judges hit the road to defend judicial independence

A tour bus carrying retired judges on a tour through
the Rust Belt to defend judicial independence is parted outside the
Westmoreland County Courthouse in
Greensburg, Pa., on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.
(Keep Our Republic via AP)

On Friday, a group of retired judges will step off a tour bus in a ritzy Michigan suburb after three days of barnstorming through corn fields, cities and coal towns in Ohio and Pennsylvania. They carry with them a message.

In courthouses and public squares, they have marked the nation's 250th anniversary with a dire warning: The rule of law in America is in grave danger. They will deliver a similar message at a library in Grosse Pointe just outside Detroit — the last stop on an extraordinary tour to defend judicial independence and bolster trust in courts.

Americans' confidence in the court system and democracy has dipped in recent years. The country is more polarized, and President Donald Trump has repeatedly cast doubt on the fairness of the judicial system.

By SUDHIN THANAWALA

Full story at Yahoo News

'Why It Matters Andy Burnham Is Set To Be The UK's First Labour And Co-operative PM'

Andy Burnham smiles during a campaign visit to
Ashton-in-Makerfield before the forthcoming by-election,
in Manchester, England, Tuesday,
June 9, 2026. via Associated Press

What would it mean to have the first Labour and Co-operative prime minister?

It's a question I have been asked several times over the last few weeks, as General Secretary of a Co-operative Party about to hit one hundred years of electoral agreement with Labour.

My answer is simple: it would be a landmark moment, not just for the Co-operative Party, but for the wider co-operative movement and for British politics.

By Joe Fortune

Full story at Yahoo News

America at 250 and South Africa at a Crossroads

As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, we are reminded that nations, like people, are never finished. They are constantly becoming. Their histories are marked by triumphs and failures, by ideals boldly proclaimed and promises imperfectly fulfilled.

Few countries understand that reality better than the United States and South Africa.

Separated by oceans, languages, and cultures, our nations nevertheless share a remarkable connection. Both have wrestled with profound questions about freedom, race, justice, opportunity, reconciliation, and the responsibilities of citizenship. Both have experienced moments when the world questioned whether they could survive their deepest divisions. Both have demonstrated that history need not imprison a people willing to imagine a better future.

Full story at IOL

By Armstrong Williams.

My concerns about the dangers of introducing state police remain, By Jibrin Ibrahim

I think the mood of the Nation is that Nigeria needs to establish police services at the state level to address the massive growth of insecurity in the country. After decades of agitation, the Senate on Wednesday passed the bill seeking to establish state police in Nigeria. The legislation seeks to establish a state policing structure that would operate concurrently with the existing federal police system. Clause 17 of the bill, which deals with appointment, command, direction and tenure, provides that while the Federal Police Service shall be headed by the Inspector-General of Police, the State Police Service shall be headed by a Commissioner of Police appointed by the governor of the state, subject to confirmation by the state’s House of Assembly. Section 17(6) states that a state governor may give lawful written directives of a general policy nature to the Commissioner of Police of the state on matters relating to the maintenance of public safety and public order.

Given widespread concerns that State governors will use the State police to repress their political opponents, Section 17(7) further provides that the Commissioner of Police of a state shall not arrest, detain, investigate or deploy force against any person, political party or group for criticising the government except in accordance with the law. This provision is intended to prevent the misuse of state police against political opponents or critics, ensuring that any action taken against such individuals or groups complies with due process and existing laws.

By Publisher -

Full story at News Dairy Online

Changes to UK defence plan ‘will not include more funding’

Changes to the government's defence investment plan (DIP) after John Healey's resignation will not include more funding, it is understood.

The government has been under pressure to look again at the plan after the former defence secretary quit, accusing Sir Keir Starmer and the chancellor of being "unwilling" to provide sufficient funding for the armed forces.

New defence secretary Dan Jarvis is yet to finalise the plan, which could include changes to the mix of measures in the plan, rather than the overall figure of funding, it is understood.

By Athena Stavrou.

Full story at Yahoo News

Trump Eyes Sunday Iran Deal But Tehran Says Still Reviewing Text

(Bloomberg) -- US President Donald Trump said an interim deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the conflict with Iran would be signed on Sunday, a claim contradicted by Iran as the two sides still differ over key points, including management of the waterway and payments to the Islamic Republic.

“The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL,” Trump said in a social media post on Saturday, while claiming that Iran “no longer wants a Nuclear weapon.”

Pakistan, which has served as a mediator, is preparing for an electronic signing of the peace deal, “followed by technical-level talks next week,” Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said. Those talks would last up to 60 days and focus on Iran’s nuclear program.

Full story at Yahoo News

By Arsalan Shahla and María Paula Mijares Torres

Tinubu is working - Olagunju, Success Taiwo

Tuale o, my old man at Aso Rock; Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

I see your hand o... on those returnees.

We need to treat ZA's f**k up. Believe that!

Thank you, father of our nation - Nigeria.

By Olagunju, Success Taiwo