5 Big News Stories Overnight - Friday, June 26, 2026

BBC requests Trump’s diary and phone logs in editing scandal lawsuit

The Telegraph reports:

The BBC has requested that Donald Trump hand over his phone records and private schedules from around the time of the Jan 6 2021 insurrection as part of the US president’s defamation lawsuit against the corporation.

Lawyers for the broadcaster have demanded Mr Trump disclose a string of documents for the case, including his telephone logs, calendars, schedules and diaries from Nov 3 2020 to Jan 20 2021.

The US president is demanding $10bn (£7.5bn) in damages from the BBC in the defamation lawsuit brought about by The Telegraph’s reporting.

In November, this newspaper disclosed that Panorama had allegedly spliced separate parts of Mr Trump’s speech on Jan 6 in a way that wrongly suggested he had urged his supporters to “fight like hell” and storm the US Capitol. In fact, he said he wanted supporters to demonstrate peacefully.

Iran fired on cargo ship in Hormuz, US officials tell Reuters

Times of Israel reports:

Iran fired on a cargo ship that reported earlier being hit by a projectile as it attempted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, two US officials tell Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The ship reported being struck on its starboard side by a projectile 7.5 nautical miles southeast of Oman’s port of Dahit, the British navy agency UKMTO said.

Iran has not specifically commented on the incident. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said earlier that safe passage through the strait would only be possible through routes designated by Iran, adding that it would take action against vessels that failed to comply.

CENTCOM Forces Kill Senior ISIS Leader in Syria

CENTCOM Forces Kill Senior ISIS Leader in Syria

USCENTCOM

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted an airstrike in northwest Syria, that resulted in the death of a senior ISIS leader.

The precision strike killed Ali Husayn al-‘Ulaywi and is part of ongoing U.S. efforts to disrupt and eliminate terrorists seeking to attack Americans abroad or the U.S. homeland. CENTCOM forces continue to work alongside regional partners.

“CENTCOM and our partners remain committed to rooting out remaining remnants of ISIS to ensure its enduring defeat,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM commander. “We will continue to defend the U.S. homeland, our service members, and allies and partners across the region.”

U.S. Military’s Weapons Shortage Shows Few Signs of Easing Soon

New York Times reports:

President Trump and senior Pentagon officials sought to solve the country’s munitions shortage by approaching the problem from two directions in meetings this week.

They urged defense companies to speed up production of depleted weapons systems. And they pushed lawmakers to approve additional money to pay for the war against Iran, which helped to deplete munitions.

It is likely to be an uphill battle.

In a meeting at the White House on Wednesday, defense companies told Mr. Trump that they wanted more money to fund expanding production, according to two officials with knowledge of the meeting.

Mr. Trump, one of the officials said, was more conciliatory than he has been in past meetings with the companies and told them that his administration was working to secure more funding. But his request for $70 billion to pay for the war is expected to face stiff opposition in Congress. The proposal needs bipartisan support in the Senate to advance, and nearly all Democrats have said they will not vote to fund a conflict they oppose.

PHOTO: Centcom

Anti-gay chant makes a return in Mexico's World Cup match against Czechia

ESPN reports:

Fans at Mexico's final World Cup group stage match Wednesday chanted a slur that has previously led to fines and other sanctions against the country's soccer federation.

The slur, which literally means male prostitute in Spanish, could be heard at the Azteca stadium toward the end of the first half when Czech goalkeeper Matej Kovár took a goal kick.

The chant has cost Mexico hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines levied by FIFA. It rose to popularity roughly 25 years ago and is used to intimidate goalkeepers when they take goal kicks.