Next week’s primary elections in Florida will prove pivotal as the state decides its political future. Voters are tasked with selecting nominees to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is stepping down due to term limits. Additionally, the ballot includes a close watch on a tarnished congressman’s bid for re-election and a rising socialist challenger aiming to dethrone a centrist Democratic incumbent.

The August 18 contests mark a significant shift, being the first following the adoption of Florida’s newly redrawn congressional maps. Political experts predict these will likely boost Republican chances in four key House districts as the crucial November midterm elections approach.

Here are the key races garnering attention:

Four districts where redistricting boosted Republicans

• Florida’s 22nd Congressional District, held by Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), who has opted to run in the 23rd District Democratic primary. Trump has not endorsed in the GOP race. The leading GOP candidates include university administrator  Belinda Keiser, businessman Casey Askar and entrepreneur Michael Carbonara.

• Florida’s 25th Congressional District, held by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), who has opted to run in the vacant 20th District Democratic primary. Trump has not endorsed a Republican. Businessman Dan Franzese, former state Rep. George Moraitis, and former Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer are the top contenders for their party’s nomination. 

Incumbent Dem faces Hasan Piker-backed DSA challenger 

The Democratic primary in the newly drawn 25th Congressional District will see centrist Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) face off against insurgent socialist candidate Oliver Larkin. 

Larkin, 33, proudly touts endorsements from far-left streamer Hasan Piker and controversial kids YouTuber Ms. Rachel on his campaign website, along with his active membership with the Broward County Democratic Socialists of America. 

A former organizer with the 2016 Bernie Sanders presidential campaign, Larkin has expressed support for abolishing the Senate and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), arresting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in Gaza and many other far-left policy positions. 

Moskowitz, who has served in the House since 2023, is a staunch supporter of Israel and is backed by Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC). 

The incumbent is polling ahead of Larkin, and has the fundraising advantage, heading into primary night. 

Longtime Democratic rep faces primary challenge from indicted former congresswoman and rapper 

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), the former chair of the Democratic National Committee and a member of Congress since 2005, is running in the black-majority 20th Congressional District this year and facing a slew of challengers. 

Among them is former Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Fla.), who resigned from the House earlier this year after federal prosecutors indicted her on 15 counts related to her alleged use of $5 million in COVID-19 relief funds on her political campaigns and luxury goods, including a 3.14-carat yellow diamond ring.

Cherfilus-McCormick is slated to go to trial in February and faces up to 53 years in prison if convicted of all charges. 

Wasserman Schultz is also facing a challenge from Luther “Uncle Luke” Campbell, the rapper behind the 1980s hip hop group 2 Live Crew. 

Polling is all over the place in the 20th District race, with some surveys showing Campbell with a 24 point lead and others putting Wasserman Schultz ahead by 18 points. 

Trump-backed Republican fights to hold on amid scandals 

Rep. Cory Mills (R-Fla.) is fighting to hold onto his 7th Congressional District seat amid allegations of domestic assault and “stolen valor” and reports he is under investigation by the Justice Department. 

Mills, who is currently being probed by the House Ethics Committee over “serious and complex” accusations, is being challenged by several Republicans, including former Orlando news anchor Ryan Elijah. 

Elijah has racked up dozens of endorsements in recent weeks, including from Reps. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) and Mike Haridopolos (R-Fla.). 

Mills, who vehemently denies any wrongdoing, has been endorsed by Trump three times and received a warm reception at a recent GOP debate in the district. 

Polls predict landslide win for Byron Donalds in race to replace DeSantis 

Eleven GOP candidates, including Rep. Byron Donalds, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins , former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner and businessman James Fishback, are vying for the Sunshine State’s GOP nomination in the governor’s race. 

Donalds, a member of Congress since 2021, leads the field by 34 percentage points, according to a RealClearPolitics average of polls. 

Donalds, who has Trump’s endorsement, has raised more than $100 million for his campaign and committees backing his bid. 

If elected in November, he would become Florida’s first black governor.

On the Democratic side, former Republican Rep. David Jolly is the favorite to make it out of the primary. 

Jolly served a term-and-a-half in the House between 2014 and 2017 before becoming a cable news pundit. 

In 2018, Jolly left the Republican Party to become an independent. In 2022,  he joined Andrew Yang’s Forward Party. Finally, in 2025 he registered as a Democrat to run for governor in the Sunshine State. 

Florida’s last Democratic candidate for governor, Charlie Crist, who lost in a landslide to DeSantis, was also a former Republican.

DeSantis has not made an endorsement in the race.

In a tragic turn of events, a prominent Cambridge University academic, embroiled in a plagiarism controversy, has been discovered dead.

Professor Jason Arday was found lifeless at a residence in London shortly after 3 p.m. last Friday.

This incident follows several turbulent weeks during which colleagues raised doubts about the originality of the 41-year-old scholar’s research.

The scrutiny had extended to reviewing his previous academic endeavors.

Amid growing inquiries from the academic community, media outlets, and broadcasters, Professor Arday stepped down from his esteemed position.

He had been Cambridge University’s youngest ever black professor, having been appointed a professor of sociology of education in March 2023.

But after a succession of questions about his past achievements, he quit on August 5.

Cambridge University announced it had ‘begun an investigation following new information about Mr Arday’s academic qualifications and honorary appointments’. Jesus College, where he was a fellow, also launched an investigation.

When Professor Arday resigned from his professorship and his fellowship, he said that this should not be ‘mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me’. He cited the ‘personal cost’ of the furore which he said had been ‘too great’. He also cancelled a series of events to promote his new memoir, Great And Unfortunate Things, which was released in the US this week.

The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: ‘Police were called by the London Ambulance Service at 3.12pm on Friday, August 14, following a report that a man had been found unresponsive inside a property.

‘Sadly, a 41-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. His next-of-kin have been informed and are being supported by officers.

‘At this time his death is being treated as unexpected, but is not believed to be suspicious.’

The statement added: ‘The case is being investigated by officers from the Met’s Central South Command Unit. A file will be prepared for the coroner.’

In a statement, University of Cambridge Vice-Chancellor Professor Deborah Prentice said: ‘We are desperately saddened to hear this tragic news. Our heartfelt sympathies go to Jason’s family and friends at this incredibly difficult time.’

Professor Arday, a married father-of-two, seemingly had the world at his feet in 2023 when he was appointed Cambridge University’s youngest ever black professor, with the appointment celebrated by the world’s media in which he was the subject of glowing profiles.

His rise was meteoric, given the childhood he described.

Diagnosed with autism and global developmental delay, Professor Arday said he could not speak until he was 11 and could not read or write until he was 18.

In recent weeks, doubts were cast on his claims but the then-professor denied the accusations against him and disputed claims made about his past.

Many of the claims were connected to Professor Arday’s work for good causes during which he said he had raised £5million for charity through long distance running.

When he quit, Professor Arday said it was ‘with profound sadness’. He said his appointment had been ‘without question, the greatest professional privilege of my life’, adding: ‘To become the youngest Black professor in the University’s history was something I could scarcely have imagined as a child growing up with a diagnosis of autism, unable to speak until I was 11 years old.’

After days of questions from all quarters, he said: ‘There comes a point when the personal cost becomes too great. I have a family. I want to be present for them. I want to reclaim some peace, some privacy and some semblance of an ordinary life. I no longer wish to feel as though I am living under a constant spotlight, where every aspect of my life is subject to public examination and judgment.

‘For my own wellbeing, for my family, and for those who have stood by me throughout this difficult period, I have concluded that the only way to bring this chapter to an end is to step away.’

Professor Arday said: ‘This decision should not be interpreted as a loss of faith in scholarship or in the values that first brought me to Cambridge. Nor should it be mistaken for an acceptance of the narratives that have surrounded me. It is simply the decision of someone who has reached the limits of what any person should reasonably be expected to endure.’

Amid the mounting questions over the truth, Cambridge University announced an inquiry. This week the university’s vice-chancellor said she understood the concerns raised by the appointment and shared them too.

In a letter to staff, Professor Deborah Prentice acknowledged the ‘anger and anxiety around this damaging and difficult case’.

The university head also announced Cambridge’s investigation would be independent and carried out by senior academics from within and beyond Cambridge and will begin ‘as soon as possible’.

Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, has voiced strong opposition to past allegations accusing Israel of purposefully starving the population of Gaza. He argued that recent data showing a notable decrease in child malnutrition in Gaza effectively counters these wartime accusations. The ambassador described such claims as a “blood libel” propagated by figures linked to Hamas.

Danon’s comments coincide with the release of a U.N.-backed survey revealing that severe malnutrition among young children in Gaza has significantly declined. The current figures indicate a situation that is on par with, or even better than, the conditions before the Israel-Hamas conflict erupted.

“Throughout the Gaza conflict, numerous countries and several U.N. officials accused Israel of intentionally starving Gaza’s residents,” Danon remarked to News Media. “Such allegations were nothing short of a blood libel. When we sought evidence for these claims, we discovered that they were primarily based on reports from Hamas.”

Danon further contended that the latest U.N.-backed data discredits the earlier accounts of starvation. He claimed that the previous statistics, often linked to Hamas, were fabricated.

“For the future, we shouldn’t count on a terrorist organization. We are a reliable country, we share data, we share concerns regarding humanitarian issues, and we should not collaborate with terrorists,” he said.

The Gaza SMART nutrition survey — coordinated by the UNICEF-led Nutrition Cluster and presented by the State of Palestine Nutrition Cluster on July 22, 2026 — evaluated 1,335 children under age 5, covering regions home to approximately 83% of Gaza’s population.

About 17% of the population could not be surveyed due to security and operational constraints.

The survey found acute malnutrition rates between 0.2% and 0.8% using weight-for-height (WHZ) measurements (estimated globally at 0.5%) and 1.3% using mid-upper-arm circumference (MUAC).

Evaluators concluded there was “no widespread acute malnutrition at population level,” noting that rates are significantly lower than those in neighboring countries, though lingering challenges like stunting, poor diet diversity and illness remain.

Danon pointed directly to past statements made by senior international officials, including U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Tom Fletcher.

During a 2025 BBC interview about border access, Fletcher said 14,000 babies were at risk of dying within 48 hours without immediate nutritional aid. The figure was later clarified as referring to an 11-month projection involving children at risk of severe malnutrition.

“That was false and did not happen. Using starvation and babies to spread blood libels against Israel is outrageous,” Danon said of Fletcher’s comments.

“We care about babies in Gaza more than those making these allegations against us.”

The ambassador emphasized that Israel kept records of food supplies moving into the enclave throughout the conflict.

“In terms of the food coming into Gaza, that was very easy for us to prove because we control the checkpoints and count the number of trucks coming in,” Danon explained.

“We know what they carry. Thus, we know there is no lack of food entering Gaza, and we always ensure sufficient supplies are brought in. Looking at recent reports, the situation is much better than expected, and we are glad for that. We do not want to see famine anywhere in the world, and certainly not in our backyard.”

Danon also accused Hamas of hijacking aid distribution networks for financial gain.

“We know for a fact that Hamas took the aid and sold it in the market, taking advantage of the situation with inflated prices,” he said. “That is why we are trying to work with NGOs that are not infiltrated by Hamas. We want NGOs to be able to deliver aid and food without Hamas gaining control over it.”

Israel withdrew its military and civilian presence from the Gaza Strip in 2005.

The war broke out following Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on southern Israel and continued for two years until a ceasefire agreement took effect on Oct. 10, 2025.

Now, the region continues to face military strikes as talks over a proposed 15-point U.S. peace and disarmament plan appear stalled.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the proposal, saying Israeli forces will not withdraw until Hamas is fully disarmed.

“Unfortunately, Hamas took over and turned it into a terror state,” Danon said.

“Our vision remains unchanged: we have no desire to control Gaza. However, for progress to occur, Hamas must disarm and not move weapons from one warehouse to another.”

“Regarding the food situation, we see improvement on the ground,” Danon concluded. “The prices in the markets in Gaza have gone down dramatically, which serves as the clearest indicator that there is no food shortage.”

In a controversial move, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signaled his intent to withdraw state funding from two prominent Texas airports, citing their provisions for Islamic religious accommodations. This decision has already influenced officials at one major airport, leading them to abandon plans for a Muslim foot-washing station.

Governor Abbott declared on Friday that state authorities would commence a thorough evaluation of grants at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport and Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport. This scrutiny could result in the cancellation of existing funds and block any future financial support.

Moreover, Abbott has escalated the matter by referring both airports to the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration, urging a formal investigation.

“Government-owned airports cannot favor one religion over all others,” the Governor, a Republican, asserted in a post on social media platform X, announcing the funding review process.

Targeting specifically a proposal at Dallas-Fort Worth to install ablution facilities—used by Muslims for cleansing rituals prior to prayer—Abbott labeled the initiative as “illegal.”

‘Texas will not allow illegal religious discrimination at taxpayer-funded facilities,’ Abbott declared.

The governor, who has renewed calls for lawmakers to ban Sharia law in the state, made similar arguments in his letter to North Texas Airport’s CEO Christopher McLaughlin.

He argued that the ablution facilities ‘appear designed to single out one subset of the population for special treatment based on religion,’ noting that the wash station at George Bush Intercontinental Airport connects to a prayer room that includes copies of the Quran, prayer rugs, prayer beads and a turban.

‘I am unaware of either airport installing standalone facilities to meet the particular needs of the many other religious groups represented across Texas,’ he noted. 

‘Both the federal and state constitutions prohibit government from facilitating this sort of discrimination,’ Abbott continued. ‘Just as the government cannot favor the secular over the sacred, it also cannot favor one religious view over all others.’

He also noted that the airports are owned by the government.

‘It was unlawful to use city-owned property to publicly advertise a Muslim-only event at a waterpark,’ Abbott wrote, referring to a canceled plan in the city of Grand Prairie to host an Eid Al-Adha event at a city-owned waterpark.

‘It is also unlawful to use city-owned property to publicly advertise a Muslim-only washing station,’ he added, noting that recipients of state grants must certify compliance with laws prohibiting discrimination.

In a separate letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Abbott asked the DOT and the FAA to ‘take appropriate corrective action.’

‘I look forward to working with you to ensure that these airports conform their facilities to constitutional requirements,’ the governor wrote.

But just hours after receiving the letter, officials at Dallas-Fort Worth announced they were scrapping their plan to install an ablution facility at Terminal D.

‘DFW was in the process of evaluating an internal proposal to add a set of ablution washing stations on the pre-security side of Terminal D, the international terminal,’ a spokesperson for the airport told Fox News.

‘Like all proposed projects, the airport ultimately considers the operational benefits, customer service impacts, operation of risks and costs before approving them,’ the spokesperson said.

‘While that evaluation was planned, the airport accelerated its review due to elevated public interest this week and has determined not to proceed with the project as it would not deliver the originally anticipated operational benefits.’

The project had been officially registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation on July 31.

The filing initially listed the project as being privately-funded, estimated its cost at $300,000 and indicated construction on the facility would be completed by the end of the year.

But airport officials have since claimed those details were the result of administrative errors by the airport’s outside design firm, as they stressed that the project had not received a final approval.

‘While the estimate noted was $300,000, that was a preliminary high estimate, and we expect the project, if it were approved to proceed, would cost closer to $120,000,’ a spokesperson previously told Fox.

They then went on to claim that the design firm mistakenly selected ‘private funding’ when submitting the regulatory filing.

‘That was an error and it should have indicated that airport funds would be used to pay for the work like all our projects,’ the spokesperson said, noting that the airport does not use taxpayer dollars for airport operations – and instead relies on revenue streams, including parking and concessions.

Under the proposal for the washing stations at Dallas-Fort Worth, airport officials would provide a dedicated space in the public airport bathrooms for Muslims to wash their feet before prayer, an Islamic tradition known as Wudu. 

The project was also intended to prevent airport passengers from using regular sinks for the same purpose, which had led to complaints of unhygienic conditions and water on the floor. 

George Bush Intercontinental Airport has had an ablution facility since 2024, when airport officials said ‘the calming and welcoming prayer room provides another option for passengers of all faiths and beliefs.’

Washing facilities and interfaith spaces also exist at other major US airports, including Chicago O’Hare.

The Daily Mail has reached out to officials at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, the Houston Airport System and the DOT for comment.

In a landmark ruling, a Syrian court has issued death sentences in absentia to former Syrian President Bashar Assad and his younger brother, holding them accountable for crimes against humanity and war crimes spanning the country’s brutal 14-year conflict. The long-standing turmoil has tragically claimed approximately half a million lives.

This consequential verdict was delivered by the Fourth Criminal Court in Damascus. Marking a pivotal moment in Syria’s history, these are the initial sentences against Assad or his tight-knit circle since the end of the Assad family’s half-century reign, which concluded 20 months ago.

During a live broadcast on state television, Judge Fakhareddine al-Aryan resolutely stated, “Bashar Assad utilized state institutions to perpetrate war crimes and crimes against humanity,” underscoring the gravity of the charges.

The court also handed down a death sentence to Assad’s maternal cousin, Atef Najib. Najib was found guilty for his role in orchestrating the harsh suppression in Daraa, which ignited the uprising that eventually escalated into a devastating civil war.

Amid tight security, Najib stood inside a cage wearing a prisoner’s uniform as the judge read the sentence. A crowd of people gathered outside the courthouse in central Damascus to hear the verdict.

Assad and his brother Maher fled to Russia after the government’s fall in December 2024 and received political asylum. Syria’s new rulers have asked Russia to hand the Assads over.

Najib, who was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in April 2011, was later detained and is one of the highest-ranking officials to be put on trial.

Najib is a former Syrian army brigadier general who was head of the Political Security Branch in southern Syria’s Daraa province under Assad in 2011.

During his tenure, more than a dozen teenagers who scrawled anti-government graffiti on a school wall in Daraa were arrested and tortured. The case became a catalyst for mass protests against the repressive policies of Assad’s security forces.

The protests were met by a brutal government crackdown and spiraled into a 14-year civil war that ended with Assad’s ouster in a lightning rebel offensive.

Maher Assad was a former commander of the Syrian military’s 4th Armored Division — which Syrian opposition activists have accused of killings, torture, extortion and drug trafficking, in addition to running its own detention centers.