British counter-terrorism police are now leading the investigation into the suspected murder of former UK lawmaker Ann Widdecombe “following new information and evidence,” UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said on Monday. Police had previously said there was no information to suggest Widdecombe’s murder was an act of terrorism or politically motivated. “The police are pursuing multiple lines of enquiry to establish the motivation for this attack,” Mahmood said in an update. She later said the suspect was not previously known to the government program that works to stop individuals at risk of becoming terrorists.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/13/uk/ann-widdecombe-killing-uk-counterterror-police-intl
Amanuel wakes up each day not knowing if it will be his last. A rap at his cell door could mean his time is up; no farewell call, no last meal. Executions in Saudi Arabia often arrive without warning. “I’m a dead man walking,” he says. “After my friends were executed, I don’t eat food, I don’t drink water.” Amanuel is a pseudonym for one young prisoner who’s been imprisoned for several years. CNN obtained his account from inside Khamis Mushait prison, in the southwest of Saudi Arabia. CNN is not naming him for his own protection.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/13/africa/ethiopian-migrants-saudi-arabia-death-row-intl
A federal judge on Monday said a controversial lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump against the IRS sought to “manipulate the judicial process” and that he acted in bad faith in bringing it. US District Judge Kathleen Williams is ordering sanctions for the attorneys involved in the lawsuit, which led to an attempt to create the now-defunct $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund for allies of the president. It was also used to justify a Trump administration order giving the president and his businesses amnesty for any past tax issues. Williams’ 56-page opinion blasted the behavior of both the Justice Department — arguing that the administration’s response to the case disregarded DOJ policies and potentially the law — and of the private attorneys who brought the lawsuit on Trump’s behalf.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/13/politics/trump-irs-judge-ruling-settlement-sanctions
Japan may have its first ever female prime minister, but her government’s attempts to avoid a royal succession crisis are making the chances of a woman taking the imperial throne ever slimmer. With just three eligible heirs to the Chrysanthemum throne – and two of them 60 or over – the imperial family is facing a succession crisis. Japan’s monarchy has for centuries maintained male-only succession, which is on-brand for a deeply patriarchal society where men dominate other spheres of life such as business and politics.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/13/asia/japan-royal-crisis-women-emperor-ban-intl-hnk
Since the US-Israeli war with Iran broke out, shipping companies have been calling for greater protection for vessels to safely cross through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical trade route that is controlled by Iran. President Donald Trump now says the United States can provide that — but in exchange for a 20% fee on cargo moving through the waterway. “The U.S.A. will be, from this point forward, known as ‘THE GUARDIAN OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,’ but as such, and as a matter of FAIRNESS, will be reimbursed, at the rate of 20% on all cargo shipped, for any and all costs necessary to do the job of providing safety and security to this very volatile section of the World,” Trump said in a Truth Social post on Monday. His proposal, however, raises several questions of legality and feasibility.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/13/economy/trump-hormuz-fee