Reuters World News - Lindsey Graham dies, Iran strikes and World Cup semis set

Episode Date: July 12, 2026

Lindsey Graham, a senior Republican senator and one of the President Trump’s closest allies, has died. The U.S. and Iran exchange strikes - and disagree over whether the Strait of Hormuz is open. Plus,England keep their cool in the Miami heat to reach their fourth-ever World Cup semi-final against title holders Argentina. *This episode has been corrected to insert a missing word to make it clear in the Houston story that community members have told Reuters they are less confident an  investigation into the shooting will hold all parties accountable. Watch the latest On Assignment: Collateral damage: The war comes for Iran’s ancient past Listen to the Morning Bid podcast ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Sign up for the Reuters Econ World newsletter ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Listen to the Reuters Econ World podcast ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Visit the Thomson Reuters Privacy Statement for information on our privacy and data protection practices. You may also visit megaphone.fm/adchoices to opt out of targeted advertising. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hi, I'm Tara Oaks in London. It's Sunday, July 12th. Today, Lindsay Graham has died at the age of 71. The US and Iran trade a wave of new attacks, as Tehran says the Strait of Hormuz is closed again. And the World Cup semifinals are set, with England to face Argentina. This is Reuters World News, bringing you everything you need to know from the front lines in 10 minutes, 7 days. a week. If you want a $3,000 a month payday for life, what would you feel free to do? Maybe take a long weekend, every weekend, or try a bunch of new hobbies. Would you feel free to upgrade and listen ad-free? Don't worry, we get it. Every $20 ticket could win you $3,000 a month for life and

supports life-saving cancer research at the Princess Margaret. Feel free to buy your payday for life ticket today. Raffle number 155-214. Please play responsibly. U.S. Senator Lindsay Graham has died at the age of 71. His death follows a brief and sudden illness, his office posted on X early on Sunday. A pivotal Republican, Graham went from a vocal critic of President Trump to one of his most loyal allies and frequent golf partner. After his death was announced, Trump posted on Truth Social calling Graham one of the greatest people and senators I have ever known. and a hard-working patriot. A defense hawk, Graham consistently pushed for outcomes

to protect national security interests. The US and Iran have exchanged heavy missile and drone assaults, with Iran's Revolutionary Guard saying the Strait of Hormuz is closed and will remain so until, quote, the end of US interference in this region. US Central Command, however, says commercial vessels continue to transit through the waterway. To run strikes mark a sharp escalation in pace and targets,

including a jet maintenance centre and command facility in Qatar. Toronto has been left reeling after a shooting at a Latin music festival in Midtown. At least two people were killed and several others injured. More than 13,000 people were at the Solsa on St. Clair Festival. Police at first warned of an active shooter incident, but later said there was no threat to people living in the area. This seemed to be an exchange of gunfire between individuals targeting each other, obviously indiscriminately putting vast numbers of people in great danger.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a post on X that he was horrified by the shooting. I'm certainly probably the first American politician who's been detained by the IDF and Israeli settlers. U.S. Congressman Roe Kana telling Reuters he was detained by armed Israeli settlers during a West Bank visit this week. And these hoodlums come in with machine guns, an M4, an American-made machine gun, and they detain us. They block off the road. The California Progressive says Israeli settlers blocked his group's van for more than an hour near a destroyed Palestinian village, before Israeli police intervened. Canis trip comes as Israel's favorability among Democrats has plunged from 59% in 2018 to just 22% this May, according to Reuters polling.

And what people in America are asking is, are you so bought and sold by the establishment and political donors that you cannot see human injustice? Israel's police did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem. A storm system the size of France has flooded streets and felled hundreds of trees on the eastern coast of China. Chinese authorities evacuated more than 2 million people ahead of the arrival of Typhoon Barvi,

mostly in the Jaijiang province. Barbie has weakened to a tropical storm as it moves inland, but cities in eastern and northern China are braced for days of torrential rain. Scientists say the emerging El Nino weather system could bring more severe typhoons to China this year, as it pushes up temperatures and shifts typhoons west towards the country's coast. Weather life serves you an ace or an unexpected backhand. The high-protein yogurt, Oikos Pro, is there to feed your strength and help you turn every challenge into a smash. Oikos Pro helps build strong muscles and support muscle recovery with high protein and contains no added sugar

because true strength isn't about being able to take the hits. It's about being able to bounce back. Oikos Pro Feed your strength. Visit oikos.ca for more details. Cuba's power grid collapsed for the second time in a week on Friday, plunging all 10 million residents into darkness. It's the fourth nationwide blackout this year. A U.S. imposed oil blockade has crippled the island's already aging power generation system,

leaving families unable to refrigerate food and businesses counting the losses. Havana resident Juan Carlos says when National Electric Power System goes down, there's no other choice you sit on the sidewalk and wait. Large swathes of a country, including Santiago de Cuba, remain disconnected due to severe fuel shortages. The killing of a Mexican man by a US agent in Houston last week has reignited outrage over immigration enforcement in the US. The Department of Homeland Security has said that the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Arajo was in self-defense.

But three witnesses who are being held at an immigration processing centre are offering a different version of events. White House Bordersah, Tom Homan, says he's confident an investigation into the shooting will hold all parties accountable. So let the investigation play out. If the officers acted outside policy or illegally, they'll be held accountable. Our reporter in Houston, Arati Somershakaa,

says community members are less confident in the system. ISIS said that Salgado, a Mexican national, who has been living in the United States for over three decades illegally, rammed his van into a law enforcement vehicle and attempted to run over the officer, who then fired a shot in self-defense. Salgado's family has, however, disputed the account and said that they would like an independent investigation into the incident.

Three men who were detained by ICE after the shooting of Salgado have a completely different version of the shooting itself. The lawyer demanded that the men, be released immediately for fear that they would be asked to sign documents that would allow for self-depotation. President Trump is increasingly pointing to the stock market as a scorecard for his presidency, highlighting record highs on Wall Street as proof his economic agenda is working. But that picture doesn't reach everyone.

Nearly 40% of Americans don't own stocks, an economist say market gains are concentrated among wealthier households. At the same time, Trump is promoting new government-backed investment programs, including the so-called Trump accounts. Critics argue a focus on stocks can obscure ongoing concerns about inflation and the cost of living. White House reporter Jacob Bogage has more. The irony here is he's talking about success for a narrow sliver of Americans, and he's leaving out about 40% of the country. So it's not like it's a faulty metric to use, and it's not like people who are not invested

are being completely left out of the equation. But their individual prosperity is not growing the same way it's growing for the people who are invested and especially the wealthiest people who hold most investments. Now, if you use the market as a measure for success, the incentives for certain policy decisions are different. It can affect the way administrations make decisions because of the metrics that they're using.

The land under Jared Kushner's planned billion-dollar Albanian resort may have been sold using forged deeds. Albanian prosecutors are alleging their artist Shehu, the Miami-based businessman who sold the coastal property to Kushner, linked developers, faked the ownership documents. Shehu is facing an arrest warrant for allegedly laundering cocaine money through Albanian real estate. Shehu denies all accusations.

Kushner and his partners are not accused of any wrongdoing. And another bit of Albanian financial controversy, as the Prime Minister has defended spending over $4 million on a concert by US rapper Kanye West. adding heat to public protests and demands for his resignation. Kanye West, who is also known as Yeh, has been banned from performing in several European countries this summer following remarks that have included praise of Adolf Hitler and content featuring Nazi imagery.

But the show went on with fan Mark Rosenberg making the trip from Latvia. I like his music. I don't agree with everything he said, but I've grown up with his music and it was my dream to visit him once, to see him once. And the World Cup's semifinals are set after a nail-biting 2-1 win for England against Norway. The Norwegian fans giving a farewell rendition

of their now iconic Viking row as they bow out. Raining champions Argentina beat Switzerland 3-1 to complete the semifinal foursum. They'll now go head to head with England on Wednesday and the winner will go on to the final, facing either Spain or France, who were already locked in for a match on Tuesday, July 14th, coincidentally, the date of France's Bastille Day national celebrations, although several planned firework displays and parades in the country have been cancelled for that day due to extreme heat.

For more on any of the stories from today, check out Reuters.com or the Reuters app. Don't forget to follow us on your favourite podcast play. If you're listening on a smart speaker, just ask for the latest news from Breuters seven days a week. We'll be back tomorrow with our daily headlines show.