International
JUST IN: Prominent Televangelist and Founder of Christian Broadcasting Network, Pat Robertson is Dead
A prominent televangelist who founded the Christian Broadcasting Network, Pat Robertson, is reportedly dead at the age of 93 made the Christian right a powerful political force and unsuccessfully ran for president in 1988, died on Thursday.
According to a release by the network, “Pat Robertson, longtime TV host, religious broadcaster, educator, humanitarian, and one-time presidential candidate died at his home in Virginia Beach early Thursday morning. He was 93”.
Regent University in Virginia also released a statement saying it was mourning the loss of Robertson.
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our beloved founder,” Regent University Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs William L. Hathaway said.
“Dr. Robertson was a globally-renowned leader, broadcaster, philanthropist, educator, author, accomplished businessman, and – most importantly – a faithful servant of God who dedicated his life to glorifying the Lord and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Born in 1930, Robertson founded the Christian Broadcasting Network in 1960 and was ordained as a Southern Baptist minister a year later. He used that TV perch to push his message of conservative Christian values to people at home, taking aim at gay rights, feminism, abortion and other social issues.
Robertson helped transform the conservative evangelical movement into a political force on the American right that helped elect Ronald Reagan. He then ran for the Republican nomination for president in 1988, coming in behind both George H.W. Bush and Bob Dole.
Afterwards, he founded the Christian Coalition of America, which promoted conservative Christian political candidates, and returned to his TV show “The 700 Club.”
Robertson made a series of inflammatory and controversial opinions and repeatedly said that acts of terrorism or weather disasters were a form of divine retribution for perceived immorality.
“We have killed over 40 million unborn babies in America,” Robertson said on his September 12, 2005, broadcast of “700 Club,” about two weeks after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans.
“I was reading, yesterday, a book that was very interesting about what God has to say in the Old Testament about those who shed innocent blood. And he [the author] used the term that those who do this, ‘the land will vomit you out.’ … But have we found we are unable somehow to defend ourselves against some of the attacks that are coming against us, either by terrorists or now by natural disasters? Could they be connected in some way?”
In more recent years, he became a supporter of former President Donald Trump, and in 2017 he linked the Las Vegas mass shooting to “disrespect” for Trump.
International
US Vice President Vance announces birth of baby boy
The birth marks the latest addition to the Vance family. Vance and Usha got married in 2014 and previously had three children before welcoming their new son.
United States Vice President JD Vance has announced the birth of his son, saying both the newborn and his wife, Usha Vance, are healthy.
The birth marks the latest addition to the Vance family. Vance and Usha got married in 2014 and previously had three children before welcoming their new son.
Vance made the announcement in a statement shared on Sunday, expressing gratitude to the medical personnel who assisted during the delivery.
Vance also paid tribute to the medical teams at Walter Reed Medical Centre and the White House Medical Unit for their care and support.
“We are excited to announce that our baby boy, Alec Neel Vance, was born this morning.
“Usha and the baby are happy and healthy, and our kids are overjoyed to meet their little brother,“ he said.
International
Andy Burnham set to become Labour leader before taking over as UK PM
Burnham, who has since become known as the “king of the North,” returned to Westminster in June after securing a huge majority in the Makerfield by-election, comfortably beating out challengers from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party and Rupert Lowe’s hard-right Restore Britain.
• Andy Burnham / Euro News
Andy Burnham is set to be announced as the Labour Party’s new leader on Friday.
Euro News reports that the Makerfield MP is scheduled to be unveiled at a special press conference before taking over as the UK’s seventh prime minister in a decade on Monday.
Burnham is expected to deliver a speech during the conference where he will reportedly pledge to be “unashamedly Labour” and vow that his government will have the “courage to fix the big things that politics has neglected.”
Burnham was left with a clear path to Downing Street after his last potential leadership rival ruled out challenging last week.
He received 379 nominations from Labour MPs for the party leadership out of a possible 403.
His uncontested run has sparked concern from some analysts and government insiders, however, and opposition leader Kemi Badenoch has accused Labour of “running scared” of scrutiny.
It comes after Keir Starmer announced he was stepping down as PM last month, as pressure continued to build in the wake of Labour’s disastrous local election results in May.
Who is Andy Burnham?
Born on Merseyside in the northwest of England and raised in the village of Culcheth in Cheshire, Burnham has said he was first inspired to enter politics after watching “Boys From The Blackstuff,” an acclaimed 1982 TV show about five unemployed men in Liverpool navigating life in Margaret Thatcher’s Britain.
He went on to study English at the University of Cambridge before starting out in journalism, working for a number of trade publications.
He soon made the jump into politics, taking a job as a researcher for the late Tessa Jowell, a former MP for Dulwich, while in his early 20s.
He eventually became MP for Leigh in 2001, a position he held until 2017, and served in a number of senior ministerial positions, including as secretary of state for health and chief secretary to the Treasury. He unsuccessfully ran for the Labour leadership in 2010 and 2015, losing to Ed Miliband and Jeremy Corbyn, respectively.
In 2017, he took over as mayor of Greater Manchester, overseeing a period of huge growth and development and gaining a reputation for his loyal defence of the region during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.
Burnham, who has since become known as the “king of the North,” returned to Westminster in June after securing a huge majority in the Makerfield by-election, comfortably beating out challengers from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party and Rupert Lowe’s hard-right Restore Britain.
International
FAO Adopts New Science Guidelines on ‘May Contain’ Precautionary Allergen Labelling
For millions of consumers, precautionary allergen statements can play an essential role in deciding whether a food is safe to eat.
The Food And Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has agreed to adopt new international guidelines on the use of precautionary allergen labelling (PAL), marking an important step towards making “may contain” statements more meaningful, science-based and consistent for consumers with food allergies around the world.
The new science-based recommendations promote more consistent use of precautionary allergen labelling, helping consumers make more informed food choices.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Food And Agriculture Organisation (FAO) noting that for millions of consumers, precautionary allergen statements can play an essential role in deciding whether a food is safe to eat.
This is as food allergies affect an estimated 4.3 percent of the global population, with reactions ranging from mild symptoms to life-threatening anaphylaxis.
The guidelines were adopted as part of the 49th session of the codex alimentarius commission, held in Geneva, Switzerland, from 6th to 10th July 2026.
FAO noted that the use of labels such as “may contain” varies widely across products and countries and remains unregulated in many parts of the world.
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