Minimalist News

UAE Crude Output Nears Record High Following OPEC Exit Amid Surge In Chinese Buying The United Arab Emirates raised ‌its crude output to near record highs above 3.8 million barrels per day in June, after the Gulf nation quit OPEC to escape production caps, Reuters reported citing two sources familiar with production data said on Monday. Bloomberg data showed even higher UAE exports, rising to 3.94mmb/d, just shy of the record hit in late 2025. June's output was the highest since April ​2020, according to Reuters estimates, exceeding levels seen before the Iran war and providing an early ​vindication of

Has The Breakthrough Moment For Soccer In America Arrived? The World Cup is turning into a major ratings boom for US broadcasters, with Fox Sports, Telemundo and Peacock drawing record audiences. The US Men's National Team (USMNT) is currently 1-0 down against Belgium in a Round 16 match, a game that could mark a breakthrough moment for soccer in America. About a month into the 39-day tournament, top matches featuring the US, Mexico, England, France and Argentina have helped drive viewership levels rarely seen outside NFL games, according to Fox Sports analytics chief Michael Mulvihill. "The U.S. matches have out-delivered

Priced Beyond Perfection: Samsung Electronics Tumbles As Soaring Profit Not Good Enough The memory bubble appears to be rapidly deflating. After the semiconductor/memory sector was walloped in Monday US trading without any clear negative catalyst, the semiconductor-chasing world was eagerly waiting to hear what Samsung - the world’s largest memory maker - would report in its preliminary Q2 earnings report as investors sought to justify sky-high investments and valuations around AI. In the end, it was not good enough, and the stock is down 5% at last check. Samsung Electronics’s quarterly profit surged 19-fold due to relentless demand for memory

Micron Breaks Ground On $9 Billion Hiroshima Memory Chip Plant US memory giant Micron Technology on Saturday broke ground on the expansion of its factory in Japan's Hiroshima Prefecture, a ¥1.5 trillion ($9.3 billion) undertaking to produce advanced memory chips, Bloomberg reported. The Boise, Idaho-based company is building the facility in Hiroshima Prefecture to make chips such as high-bandwidth memory crucial for AI processors like Nvidia’s, with shipments to start around the summer of 2028. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has allocated up to ¥500 billion to help cover the cost. The move is part of a global

"Reaching A Climax": Hedge Funds Turn Most Bearish On Yen Since 2007, As Former FX Czar Sees 20% Undervaluation For much of the past year, when the USDJPY disconnected - initially playfully and then terminally - from 2Y yield differentials, FX traders have been asking when and how will this gaping divergence finally converge. Alas, that answer remains elusive still, even as the collapse in the yen has pushed the currency to a generational low, and become an increasingly political topic leading to a surge in Japanese bankruptcies , and a relentless battering of what little is left of Japan's

White House Report Accuses Smithsonian Leaders Of 'Extreme Political Activism' Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times , A White House report accused leaders of the Smithsonian Institution of adopting an ideological framework that shifted the National Museum of American History away from its mission of historical education toward what it called an "extreme political activism." People visit the Smithsonian Museum of American History on the National Mall in Washington, on April 3, 2019. Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Photo The 162-page report , released by the White House Domestic Policy Council on July 4, alleges that the National Museum of

2028 Democrat Presidential Hopeful Exposes Party Civil War Against Its Socialist Wing Gov. Josh Shapiro sat down with Dana Bash on CNN's State of the Union this weekend and said the quiet part out loud : his party is being overrun by its socialist and far left flank. Bash pressed Shapiro on Darializa Avila Chevalier, who won the Democratic congressional primary in New York’s 13th congressional district last month while running as an open socialist. Chevalier's platform includes abolishing prisons, opening the borders, ending deportations, and granting mercy even to violent criminals. Bash also noted that Chevalier attended a pro-Palestinian

Key Dems Pull Out After Platner Campaign Rocked By Sexual Assault Allegations Update: That didn't take long... key democrats including Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Rep. Ro Khanna have pulled their endorsements of Platner following the allegations, according to Fox News ' Bill Melugin. BREAKING: Sen. Gallego (D-AZ) withdraws his Platner endorsement shortly after Rep. Khanna (D-CA) does the same. The dam is breaking. https://t.co/4T5JEmc5kx — Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) July 6, 2026 "These allegations are very serious and credible. Graham Platner should drop out from the race. I am withdrawing my endorsement," Khanna wrote on X. I’ve been very clear

SBA, USDA To Combat 'Regulatory Abuse' Lawfare Aimed At Farmers And Ranchers Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times , The Small Business Administration (SBA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have signed a memorandum to counter lawfare targeting rural communities, ranchers, farmers, and small businesses. Ranchers work to evacuate cattle as the Gifford Fire burns nearby in Los Padres National Forest, Calif., on Aug. 4, 2025. AP Photo/Noah Berger Lawfare refers to the strategic use of legal proceedings to hinder targets. The SBA's agreement with the USDA gives producers a "direct line to report the regulations and

American Nuclear Energy: The Highest Ambitions And The Highest Costs McKinsey published its take on the nuclear sector titled " Nuclear power: A renaissance in the making ." The report starts by highlighting the bull cases for nuclear, such as AI data center demand, electrification, onshoring, decarbonization goals, and energy security concerns. The firm goes on to reiterate their projection that global nuclear capacity could at least double and potentially triple by midcentury under net-zero scenarios, reaching as high as 1,200 gigawatts . But, that's about as far as the happy feelings go. From there, it's a review of the

Tech CEOs: Just Kidding About That Jobpocalypse For three years, everyone from Goldman , to Richmond Fed President Thomas Barkin , to tech CEOs have been forecasting mass unemployment due to AI wiping out jobs - which would only be accelerated by the proliferation of cheap(er) Chinese models. Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley said last year that AI would replace "literally half of all white-collar workers in the U.S." And while that may only be a matter of time, tech CEOs have changed their tune - albeit while facing public pitchforks over data centers, the cost of electricity, and their

Dramatic Video Shows BJ's Wholesale Club Roof Collapse In New Jersey After last week's brutal heat dome baked the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast with triple-digit temperatures, dangerous storms struck the tri-state area on Monday, triggering flash flooding and high winds. BREAKING: Coastal New Jersey is under water after 6"+ of rainfall Monday. Flooding is submerging vehicles and is being blamed for a roof collapse at a BJ's Wholesale in Ocean Township. FORECAST DETAILS: https://t.co/9MO6YDi6bd pic.twitter.com/0cgQqEC5r6 — WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) July 6, 2026 Late Monday morning, a BJ's Wholesale Club in central New Jersey experienced a partial roof collapse that was caught on

Biden's Illegal Alien Invasion Sparked 30% Home Price Growth, 20% Rent Growth: Fed Paper A new Federal Reserve working paper adds hard data to a dire economic realities that tens of millions of hardworking Americans already face: being priced out of homeownership or trapped paying ungodly high rents. For years, the housing affordability crisis was blamed almost entirely on low interest rates, pandemic-era demand, institutional buyers, and a shortage of new construction. However, one major point was largely and conveniently ignored by mainstream media: the Biden-Harris regime's open border policies, which facilitated a massive illegal alien invasion. The paper ,

On The War For The Soul Of Our Nation... Authored by James Howard Kusntler, Werewolves Of London “To use language to obscure reality is to show ‘indifference regarding the truth’ - to lie to the public and cease to treat our fellow citizens as equals.” - Justice Clarence Thomas Now that the grand 250th USA birthday party is over - the speeches, the shrieking warplanes, the dazzling fireworks, the speeches and strawberry shortcake - there is only one way this thing can go. What thing ? The war for the soul of the nation. Some mysterious somebody is behind the

Officials Tracking Growing Outbreak Of Legionnaires' Disease In New York Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times, An outbreak of serious pneumonia is growing in New York, officials said on July 5. Eighteen cases of Legionnaires’ disease have been confirmed in several Manhattan neighborhoods, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said late Sunday, up from 14 earlier in the day and 10 on Saturday. The cases are clustered in three zip codes, 10028, 10128, and 10075, on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, the department said. We’re investigating a cluster of Legionnaires’ disease on the

"Arms Race Has Started": War Unicorns Enter M&A Phase As Ondas Snaps Up Kamikaze Drone Maker DZYNE The writing is on the wall: defense-tech unicorns , particularly those focused on loitering munitions, autonomous drones, and counter-UAS systems, are positioned for years of growth as warfare changes forever. These "war unicorns," as we call them, are increasingly ripe for M&A as larger players race to consolidate across drones and counter-drone systems. The latest example is Nasdaq-listed defense and industrial technology firm Ondas Holdings moving to acquire DZYNE Technologies, a maker of drones, loitering-munition-type systems, and counter-drone technology. Ondas Drone Box Bloomberg

When The Monetary Laws Of Physics Change Authored by Mark Jeftovic via BombThrower.com, “You just wait until the next bear market…” Last month, I talked about how many of the legendary investors I’ve long followed as well as many of my contemporary financial commentators (speaking specifically of the contrarian ilk), are almost unanimous in the opinion that the AI trade is well into bubble territory and stocks in general are overvalued. Hell, even I think that and I’m personally “all in” on AI and have a fair bit of equities exposure to it (not a tonne, but it’s there, and

Cuba's Entire Power Grid Collapses As Castro's Grandson Seeks Talks With Trump Summary: Cuba's Power Grid Collapses Castro's Grandson Ready To Talk With Trump Cuba Goes Dark Hours after USA Today published an interview between one of its journalists and Cuban President Castro's grandson, Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, the communist-run island experienced an island-wide power grid collapse. The electrical workers' union said the entire power grid went offline and that officials were investigating the cause. Cuba's energy ministry confirmed the blackout and said crews were working to restore service. "A total disconnection of the National Electric Power System is occurring.

Hormuz In The Rearview As Asia-US Ocean Container Rates Soar Past $7,900 By Stuart Chirls of AmericanShipper The container shipping market is being driven by geopolitics, rates, and network reshuffling, but freight-rate volatility and adjustments by carriers to protect schedules and pricing has supplanted Middle East disruptions as top-level concerns. Asia-U.S. West Coast prices increased 8% to $6,175 per forty foot equivalent unit (FEU), according to Freightos, a data contributor to SONAR ocean market data. Prices for Asia-U.S. East Coast transportation also rose 8%, to $7,998 per FEU. SONAR ‘s Ocean Supply/Demand Index reflects the surge in trans-Pacific demand, having

Nvidia Turns Green After Denying Report Its Kyber Server Rack Has Been Delayed Overnight, Asian tech stocks slumped after a report that Nvidia’s next-generation AI server rack system has been delayed by more than a year due to manufacturing difficulties (we profiled it back in May in " Nvidia's Vera Rubin Rack Will Cost $7.8MM: Here's What's In It ".) Research firm SemiAnalysis said in an X post that Nvidia’s Kyber NVL144 hit setbacks in the construction of printed circuit boards for the platform. MASSIVE DELAY: Just 3 months after Jensen demoed Kyber NVL144 at GTC, it has faced major

Impoverished island was already struggling to keep the lights on before the US imposed a blockade in January Cuba on Monday suffered its third nationwide power outage since the start of the year, the state electricity company said. The impoverished island was already struggling to keep the lights on before the US president, Donald Trump, imposed an oil blockade in January, which has depleted the already dwindling supply of fuel for Cuba’s power plants. Continue reading...

TKMS beats South Korean rival to multibillion-dollar contract that will deepen Canada’s Nato ties Canada has selected a German consortium to build a dozen cutting-edge submarines in one of the country’s largest-ever defence contracts that will further deepen its Nato ties before a crucial summit this week. On Monday the prime minister, Mark Carney, announced the winner of a tightly contested battle for the lucrative government contract to replace its fleet of ageing, secondhand subs, most of which are undergoing maintenance. Continue reading...

Arrival of endangered cats, including rare white cub, revitalises team straining under fuel and medicine shortages For the Cuban zookeeper Ángel Cordero, the sight of four Bengal ⁠tiger cubs playing in a cage at the Cuban national zoo is a small miracle on an island stifled by shortages ⁠of fuel, medicine and ⁠days-long power outages. The ​birth of these endangered big cats – including an exceedingly rare white tiger – has revitalised a team of zoo workers, he said. Continue reading...

Interim president says unrest will not break out despite anger at official response to the 24 June disaster Venezuela’s interim president has defended her country’s emergency response to the twin earthquakes that have killed more than 3,000 people, vowing the country would not descend into social unrest. Many Venezuelans have expressed anger at what they see as the US-backed government’s inadequate response to the 24 June disaster before international teams arrived. Continue reading...

‘Haiti is a failed state’, says Carlos Giménez, congressman and Miami Cuban exile, after controversial court ruling Carlos Giménez, a Republican congressman from Florida, broke with the Trump administration on Sunday, calling on the White House to reconsider its push to eliminate temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitian migrants. Returning about 350,000 Haitians to their chaotic, dangerous homeland following the US supreme court’s ruling that the Trump administration can cut off temporary legal protections, would be a grave error, Giménez said. Continue reading...

The Australian government says there was ‘insufficient notice’ as details of missile path are released by Taiwan government China’s missile test in the Pacific did not comply with international law and was conducted with “insufficient notice” to nearby countries, officials in the US and Australia have said, amid growing international condemnation. But a Chinese government spokesperson claimed the test was “safe” and part of “routine” military training, telling critics to “not over-interpret it.” Continue reading...

Tropical storm causes extreme flooding in south of the country with heavy rainfall expected in coming days A tropical storm has killed two people, caused dam breaches and forced tens of thousands to evacuate in southern China. Typhoon Maysak killed two people in Nanning, in China’s southern Guangxi province. Maysak, which lashed Vietnam and China’s southern island province of Hainan over the weekend, will dump the water it sucked up on its way ⁠across the South China Sea as it weakens and heads inland, meteorologists say. Continue reading...

Launch comes just hours after Australia and Fiji sign defence agreement as expert says timing not a coincidence China has conducted a long-range missile test in the South Pacific just hours after Australia signed a defence agreement with Fiji, sparking condemnation from Canberra and regional leaders. The Australian foreign minister, Penny Wong, said the missile test was “destabilising” to the region, while her New Zealand counterpart, Winston Peters, described it as “deeply concerning”. Continue reading...

Ezra Jin, founder of Zion Church, lands in the US and reunites with family who are ‘overwhelmed with joy’ The founder of one of China’s most prominent underground churches has been released from prison and reunited with his family in the United States. Ezra Jin, the founder of Zion Church, landed in the US on Friday evening. He was one of dozens of church members who were detained in a sweeping crackdown on Christians in October . Continue reading...

Officers found body of 34-year-old man in luxury rental home in Pattaya area, local media says A 21-year-old British woman has been arrested in Thailand after allegedly fatally stabbing her boyfriend, according to local media reports. The Bangkok Post reported that on Thursday morning local time, officers found the body of a 34-year-old man, who operated a cannabis farm, in a luxury rental home in the Pattaya area, a beachside region two hours from Bangkok known for its large expat population and nightlife. Continue reading...

Albanese says work on comprehensive treaty advancing as new health and education funding from Australia is announced. Follow today’s news live Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Richard Marles said he doubted China tested the long-range weapon yesterday in response to Anthony Albanese being in the Pacific to sign a new defence alliance with Fiji but said Australia remained deeply concerned by the development. He told ABC News: At the end of the day, what we’re seeing here is a long-range missile test from China, which China itself has said is nuclear-capable … This

Man on bridge allegedly refused to come down after allegedly posting tax complaint on social media Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Victoria police have arrested a man who allegedly scaled the top of a major inner-city bridge and painted the well-known Pam the Bird graffiti tag, before bringing traffic to a crawl. The arrest came after an hours-long standoff with authorities, which began when emergency services were called to the Bolte Bridge about 3am on Tuesday after reports a man had climbed one of

Mernda school community in mourning after Nathan Fitzgerald, 27, dies in hospital Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A Melbourne teacher who died after a horror head clash during an Australian football game has been remembered for the ways he touched the lives of his loved ones. Nathan Fitzgerald, 27, was taken to the Royal Melbourne hospital after he fell to the ground and hit his head on a covered cricket pitch during an Australian rules football game in Lalor in Melbourne’s north on Saturday.

Bees respond to tasty treats or plain water based on context, a study that may provide support for establishing insect sentience shows Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast When bumblebees taste something good, they reach out their glossa – or insect tongue – for a while afterwards, almost as if they are licking their lips. And when they don’t like something, the insects will shake their heads and wipe their mouths. Scientists who captured the miniature facial expressions on slow-motion video say the behaviour is consistent with “liking” and “disliking” responses observed in mammals.

Exclusive: Economists warn Labor’s removal of caps could be pushing up prices as support flows to people in better financial positions Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Most Australian first home buyers are using the government’s 5% deposit scheme, with one in three new participants earning more than the scheme’s previous cap for high-income earners. The influx of high-income earners into the first home guarantee program, economists warn, has pushed up property prices by increasing buying capacity for people who would have bought anyway. Continue

Outgoing PM will stress British commitment to defence spending at meeting in Ankara to counter Trump rebukes Keir Starmer will seek to work with European allies to shore up support for Nato at its summit in Ankara on Tuesday amid concerns that Donald Trump could further destabilise the military alliance with threats over defence spending. Downing Street said the prime minister and other international leaders would be focused on “building a stronger and more European Nato” as they attempt to address the US president’s concerns in the Turkish capital. Continue reading...

Zelenskyy calls for ‘strong decisions’ at talks after attack on Kyiv and surrounding region exposes air defence gaps A wave of Russian missiles and drones has struck across Ukraine, killing 21 people, and heavily damaging apartment blocks and other buildings, in an attack on the eve of a Nato summit in Turkey that has exposed widening gaps in Ukraine’s air defences. Fifteen people were killed in Kyiv, Russia’s main target, and 56 others were injured in the attacks early on Monday, according to the city’s administrative head, Tymur Tkachenko. Continue reading...

Ukraine’s president makes plea ahead of summit this week in Ankara where he is due to meet Trump on the sidelines Meanwhile, the UK has just sanctioned Russian actors involved in researching, developing and producing the novichok nerve agent and the lethal toxic Epibatidine, used in the Salisbury attack and the poisoning of Alexei Navalny. Among those sanctions are SC Signal, a Russian state scientific research institute, as well as three individuals researching novichok and Epibatidine. “Russia’s repeated use of chemical weapons is a sickening violation of international law and a direct threat to global security. From the use of

Tour de France spectator ban as country along with Spain, Portugal and Greece faces ‘powder keg’ after heatwave Europe live – latest updates Wildfires raging across southern Europe have forced thousands to flee their homes and prompted officials to ban spectators from a stage of the Tour de France, amid warnings of “powder keg” conditions after a record-breaking early summer heatwave. Hundreds of firefighters are tackling blazes that have burned through almost 20,000 hectares (49,500 acres) in Portugal, Spain, France and Greece. Strong winds are forecast to fan the flames and temperatures are expected to rise again this week. Continue

ECHR rules that prosecutor’s remarks perpetuated ‘sexist stereotypes’ and downplayed gender violence The European court of human rights has ordered the Italian state to pay compensation to a woman whose allegations of repeated rape by her partner were dismissed by a prosecutor as “normal” for men who struggle to overcome resistance from “tired” women. The court ruled that the remarks perpetuated “sexist stereotypes” and downplayed gender violence, resulting in the woman being subjected to further victimisation. Continue reading...

Friends of Yeshivat Shavei Hevron sent nearly £200,000 to school in Hebron – where Israel has been accused of imposing apartheid – between 2019 and 2024 A British charity is funding a religious school at the heart of expansion plans for the illegal Israeli settlement in the Palestinian city of Hebron. Friends of Yeshivat Shavei Hevron sent nearly £200,000 to the school between 2019 and 2024, the last year for which accounts are publicly available on the website of the Charity Commission, the charity regulator for England and Wales. Continue reading...

Crowds swelled through Tehran as mourners dressed in black carried flags proclaiming: ‘We will rise’ A crowd of “millions” assembled on Monday for the funeral procession of Iran’s assassinated supreme leader, Ali Khamenei . The scale and depth of the march, however engineered, represents an extraordinary turnaround for a country that only seven months ago was gripped by street protests at which thousands of people were killed by government security forces. Continue reading...

Millions join funeral procession in capital of Tehran to mourn Khamenei who was kiled in US-Israel airstrikes in February Lebanese state media said an Israeli strike on a car in the country’s south on Monday killed four people, including three women, despite a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Lebanon’s official National News Agency (NNA) said a school principal, her mother, a foreign female domestic worker and a male Syrian worker were killed when “an Israeli drone targeted the car” they were travelling in as they returned from inspecting their family home in Nabatieh al-Fawqa. Continue reading...

Hussam Abu Safiya faces ‘tangible danger to his life’ following 18 months in prison without charge or trial Middle East crisis live – latest updates One of Gaza’s most prominent doctors is almost unrecognisable because of severe injuries inflicted in Israeli detention, his lawyer has said, and faces “tangible danger to his life” after being held for 18 months without charge or trial. Hussam Abu Safiya met his lawyer on 2 July, after a transfer to Israel’s notorious underground Rakefet prison in late June. He had difficulty breathing and speaking continuously, was so weak he struggled to sit upright, and

Elbit Systems supplied Tzayad digital army programme to map people, vehicles and other objects in real time Israel identified about 1,000 potential targets a day during the first two years of the wars in Gaza and Lebanon with its command and control system, according to a presentation by the country’s largest arms supplier, Elbit Systems. A total of 850,000 targets were detected in real time by the Israeli Tzayad digital army programme across all the military’s theatres of war between 7 October and the end of 2025, the company said at a military conference in London. Continue reading...

Victims with cuts and gunshot injuries rushed to hospital after fighting between prisoners from two drug gangs Clashes at a Sri Lankan jail have killed 26 people, including seven guards, and wounded more than 100 in the country’s deadliest prison riot in years, officials said. Victims with cuts and gunshot injuries were rushed to Negombo hospital, north of the capital Colombo after overnight fighting between prisoners from two drug gangs, police said on Monday. Continue reading...

Local officials said preliminary reports showed the centre was unregistered and operating inside a privately owned residential building Fourteen children died after ⁠the roof of a tutoring centre collapsed in Pakistan’s eastern city of ⁠Lahore on Tuesday, ⁠rescue ​officials have said, as authorities opened the way for a possible negligence ⁠investigation. Punjab’s emergency service said rescuers found children and a 30-year-old female teacher ⁠under the rubble of the private after-school facility. The ​children killed were aged ‌five to ‌16 with most below nine. Continue reading...

Government hopes for 30% of city’s fleet to be electric by 2030, in move hailed as ‘gamechanger’ on air pollution The unruly chaos of Delhi’s roads would be unrecognisable without the rickshaws and scooters that zip through India’s capital in their millions, emitting toxic fumes in their wake. But now, ambitious policies aim to give the city’s most recognisable vehicles an environmental makeover. On Monday, Delhi’s government announced plans to eventually ban petrol scooters, motorbikes and autorickshaws in favour of those running on electricity, in an attempt to bring down dangerously high pollution levels in the city by the end

Exclusive: Activist tells of his life as one of India’s most prominent political prisoners and his opposition to the government of Narendra Modi Prison is hardest at sunset. As the thousands of prisoners incarcerated in Delhi’s most infamous jail are cast out of their cells and forced into the dank yard until darkness falls, prisoner number 626714 feels the punishing dread begin to rise. Yet the inmate – better known as Umar Khalid – was recently moved to discover that another political prisoner, exiled at a camp thousands of miles from India, wrote of the very same feeling more than

Pakistan says strikes were aimed at a terrorist group while Taliban condemn ‘cowardly act of aggression’ Pakistani airstrikes in three eastern provinces of Afghanistan killed 36 civilians and wounded 163 others, Afghan officials have said, as attacks between the two countries showed no sign of abating. Pakistan’s information minister, Attaullah Tarar, said the operations on Sunday night were aimed at a terrorist group his country blamed for a deadly militant attack in Karachi that killed three security personnel over the weekend. Continue reading...

Report by HM inspector of prisons for England and Wales comes as spending on frontline education falls by up to 50% “Brutal” cuts to prison education and training by Labour ministers are leading to an increase in drug use, self-harm and violence, a watchdog’s withering final annual report has said. Charlie Taylor, who steps down as HM inspector of prisons for England and Wales in the autumn after six years, has also warned the authorities must keep a “close eye” on the impending release of thousands of prisoners later this year. Continue reading...

Scottish government to consider SNP national council motion for moratorium on all new datacentres The Scottish government is about to consider a sweeping moratorium on building new datacentres, putting a key plank of the UK’s AI strategy at risk. Last Sunday the Scottish National party (SNP)’s national council passed a motion to freeze all new datacentres in Scotland. That motion has been sent to the Scottish government to consider. Continue reading...

Jake Richards announces measures to prevent abuse like that at Medomsley detention centre in County Durham One of the UK’s most horrific and shocking child custody scandals was collectively ignored for decades because the victims were working-class boys from the north of England, a government minister has said. The sentencing and youth justice minister, Jake Richards, has announced he is implementing a number of recommendations to prevent abuse such as that which took place between 1961 and 1987 at Medomsley detention centre in County Durham from ever happening again. Continue reading...

Nigel Farage urged to clarify ‘dependence’ on Cottrell, who also joined Reform leader in Abu Dhabi in December Nigel Farage has been accompanied by his friend George Cottrell, a convicted fraudster, to numerous Reform events and fundraisers and on a trip to Abu Dhabi, raising questions about the claim that he has no official role in the party. Labour has called on Farage to clarify his “personal and financial dependence” on Cottrell, who has also been supporting the politician’s lifestyle through accommodation and security before the election. Continue reading...

PM stepped in over proposal to shift World Cup match to an earlier time, amid concerns it would benefit Mexico Keir Starmer intervened through diplomatic channels to oppose Fifa’s plan to bring forward England’s World Cup game against Mexico, amid concerns the change would hand the hosts an unfair advantage, it is understood. The prime minister instructed officials to argue against proposals to move the kick-off from 1am UK time (6pm local time) to earlier after being alerted by the Football Association that it would reduce England’s time to acclimatise to the high altitude in Mexico City. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed. Woman accuses Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner of sexual assault Sign up for the Breaking News US email Cruz just thanked Donald Trump for “getting rid of that ridiculous red card” – apparently in reference to Folarin Balogun . The US striker received a straight red card from referee Raphael Claus after a video review, but Fifa have now lifted Bolagun’s one-match ban, making him now available to play for the USA in their knockout match against Belgium on Monday. As my colleagues covering the World Cup note, despite the move being considered excessively

Staff decline to give updates on senator’s health and whether he will be at Capitol when Senate returns Staff for Mitch McConnell said last week that the Kentucky senator was “continuing his recovery” in a hospital while the Senate is out of session. But his office has released no details about the former Republican leader’s condition during his weeks-long hospitalization or whether he will be at the Capitol when the Senate returns next week. McConnell was admitted to the hospital on 14 June, according to a statement from his office that only said he was “receiving excellent care”. A statement

Several top Democratic figures call on beleaguered Maine Senate candidate, who denies accusation, to step down Calls for Graham Platner, the Democratic candidate for US Senate in Maine, to withdraw his candidacy intensified Monday after a woman accused him of sexual assault in an exclusive report by Politico. While Platner denied the claims, many top Democratic figures quickly called on the beleaguered nominee to step down. Continue reading...

Andrea Shaw and husband appeared on RFK Jr-linked podcast after deaths in May last year of 18-month-olds An Idaho mother who said her 18-month-old twins died last year after receiving three vaccines has been charged with murder in their deaths, officials said last week. Andrea Shaw, 23, was indicted on two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of her toddlers, Tyson and Dallas, who were found dead in a shared bed on 1 May last year. Continue reading...

British-born vocalist competed on The X-Factor before joining the girl groups Paradiso Girls and G.R.L. Lauren Bennett, member of the girl group G.R.L. and featured artist on LMFAO’s global smash hit Party Rock Anthem, has died at the age of 37. “It is with great sadness that we share the passing of our beloved Lauren,” the group wrote on their Instagram page. “Our hearts are broken, and we cannot begin to express how much she meant to us.” A cause of death was not specified. Continue reading...

As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its founding, it confronts a new world order dominated by its relationship with China. In this wide-ranging series, we examine the pressure points and possibilities in those ties, from hard tech to soft power. In this article, Sylvia Ma examines the numerous financial links between the two economies that make a true decoupling a difficult affair. On a landmark visit to Beijing in 1986, the New York Stock Exchange chairman at the time, John...

In a closely watched outcome, Canada on Monday chose a major German defence contractor over its South Korean competitor to build a US multibillion-dollar fleet of submarines, as mid-tier nations increasingly work together in the face of a less reliable United States. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that Ottawa chose Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS)’s package over Hanwha Ocean Company’s. The move is expected to strengthen ties between Canada and Nato, which is holding a two-day summit...

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he is building a granite helipad on the White House lawn, insisting that the landing area is needed to accommodate new, more powerful presidential choppers. Confirmation of the project came as construction crews had already begun working on the helipad on the South Lawn, where the president had UFC build a temporary arena for a cage fight celebrating his 80th birthday. He said the project would be privately funded and estimated its cost at up to US$6...

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Damascus on Monday for the first visit by a Western European head of state since Syria’s new authorities took power. President Ahmed al-Sharaa has been rebooting Syria’s international credentials and seeking to revive his struggling country after toppling long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. “I have come to reaffirm France’s commitment to the Syrian people. To a sovereign Syria, united in its diversity and at peace with its neighbours,”...

With the integrity of Fifa and the World Cup under attack from European football leaders, Fifa President Gianni Infantino acknowledged taking a call from US President Donald Trump before US forward Folarin Balogun was cleared to play against Belgium later on Monday. Balogun was issued a red card in the US match against Bosnia-Herzegovina last week, resulting in a suspension for the Belgium contest. Trump called Infantino after the match with Bosnia to plead his case to overturn the call and Fifa...

Nato cannot be “naive” about China’s military development, as the Indo-Pacific and European theatres are becoming “more intertwined”, evident in Beijing’s support for Moscow’s war in Ukraine, Nato’s secretary general has said. During a pre-summit press conference on Monday, a day before the Nato summit in Ankara, Turkey, this week, Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte responded to questions about a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine firing a test missile into the Pacific. Rutte said that Nato...

Prince Harry arrived in Britain on Monday for a five-day visit expected to go ahead mostly without his wife and children after they were reportedly refused police protection. Harry’s visit has been hit by several snags as plans for his family to accompany him fell through, his accommodation at Buckingham Palace was in disarray and a judgment in his latest legal battle against British tabloids loomed. The visit, to mark the one-year countdown to next year’s Invictus Games for wounded veterans,...

Comcast’s Sky has agreed to buy the broadcast channels and streaming service of Britain’s ITV for £1.6 billion (US$2.13 billion), creating a British champion to compete with global players YouTube, Netflix, Amazon and Disney. Sky CEO Dana Strong said the deal, announced on Monday and confirming a Reuters story, was a “defining moment” in British broadcasting. The combination of Britain’s biggest free-to-air commercial broadcaster, home of the soap opera Coronation Street, and subscription...

Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas announced on Monday the dissolution of the body that has governed Gaza for nearly two decades, clearing the way for a technocratic committee to implement civilian rule. The move marks a significant political shift by Hamas, which has run Gaza since its fighters seized control from rival Palestinian movement Fatah in 2007 after winning legislative elections the previous year. Since a ceasefire took effect in Gaza last October between Hamas and Israel, the group...

For much of the post-Cold-War era, the European Union understood economic interdependence as a source of mutual prosperity. Open markets, free trade and multilateral rules were regarded not merely as economic principles but as the foundations of European normative influence. That assumption is rapidly giving way to a different logic. In an era of intensifying geopolitical rivalry, Brussels increasingly views trade, investment and technology as the power instruments of strategic competition. The...

Vast crowds gathered for the funeral procession of Iran’s slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Monday, with authorities estimating millions were on the streets in numbers that could rival those of his predecessor’s farewell nearly four decades ago. Authorities have yet to give an official turnout figure but huge numbers stretched along major boulevards in the Iranian capital. The ceremonies offer Iran an opportunity to project resilience after war with the United States and Israel,...

Hernan Gil was working his shift as a security guard in the basement of a building in Venezuela on the afternoon of June 24 when he felt the earth shake. The first tremor was short, Gil recounted in an interview from the hospital room where he was recovering after being rescued from the depths of a collapsed building. Gil became a symbol of hope for Venezuela after he survived eight days of being buried alive by the double earthquake that devastated the north of the Caribbean country, leaving...

We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Noted neurobiologist and ex-taekwondo captain Chih-Ying Su leaves US for China Celebrated neurobiologist Chih-Ying Su, who specialises in research on the sense of smell using fruit flies and mosquitoes, has left her position as faculty vice-chair at the University of California San Diego to join...

Russia hammered Kyiv with missiles and drones early on Monday, killing at least 20 people, officials said, as shortages of US-made interceptors left the Ukrainian capital struggling to defend itself, just days after the deadliest attack this year. The heavy overnight bombardment came ahead of a ‌Nato summit in Turkey this week, where US President Donald Trump will meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to make a renewed push to end the war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in...

If one word could capture the essence of Hong Kong, it would be resilience. Just two years ago, much of the international community had written off Hong Kong. A widely circulated newspaper commentary carried the headline: “It pains me to say Hong Kong is over”. Though the writer later changed his opinion, the piece captured the pessimism about the city’s future as a global hub. Hong Kong’s dramatic comeback is well documented. According to Boston Consulting Group, the city has overtaken...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that some Christian villages in southern Lebanon had “asked to be annexed to Israel” so that they could be protected from Hezbollah militants. Lebanon was drawn into the wider war in the Middle East on March 2 when Hezbollah fired rockets at Israel in retaliation for the killing of Iran’s supreme leader in US-Israeli strikes. Israel responded with massive air strikes and a ground invasion of southern Lebanon, where its troops now occupy...

Venezuela’s interim president said on Sunday the country would not descend into social unrest after the twin earthquakes which killed more than 3,300 people and left thousands more missing. One of Latin America’s worst earthquake disasters, the June 24 shocks collapsed scores of buildings, leaving thousands homeless, especially in the coastal La Guaira area north of the capital Caracas. “There will be no social unrest here, what we have here is deep social solidarity,” Delcy Rodriguez said...

It’s unfortunate for Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu that his speech on July 1 marking the 29th anniversary of the handover and highlighting his government’s achievements may have been overshadowed by the outcry over an anti-drug video – or at least what was intended as one. The Correctional Services Department released the video, generated by artificial intelligence (AI), on June 26 before having to pull it twice, ahead of the anniversary. The video – featuring an appealing K-pop...

Burglars stole millions of euros’ worth of jewellery from the museum of French luxury glassmaker Lalique in a daring early-morning raid on Sunday, just months after a stunning gem robbery at the Louvre in Paris. A gang of masked thieves broke into the museum in Wingen-sur-Moder in northeastern France at around 5.30am local time, forcing a door before heading for the jewellery room and smashing open six display cases, a source close to the investigation told Agence France-Presse. “Around 20...

US President Donald Trump plans to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa on Wednesday while attending the Nato summit in Turkey, the White House said. Those discussions will come as Kyiv tries to refocus Trump’s attention on the conflict with Moscow and as Trump has publicly mused about Syria’s role in the Middle East. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly confirmed the meetings in a call with reporters while previewing the summit in Ankara, where Trump...

Federal officials had no reason to stop a white ⁠supremacist group’s July ⁠4 rally in Washington because ⁠of free speech protections, US Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said on Sunday. Hundreds of masked Patriot Front members who marched through the nation’s capital on Independence Day on Saturday did nothing illegal, Burgum told CNN’s State of the Union. Although the organisation’s ‌white supremacist, anti-immigrant ideology is “nothing that I could possibly agree with”, Burgum said, it is...

Egypt has inaugurated a new armed forces headquarters, which observers say is the largest in the world, with an elaborate ceremony and a rare appearance from the president and former general Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi in military uniform. The Octagon, as the complex is being called, consists of eight buildings each with an eight-sided floor plan in an area of around 90 sq km (34.7 square miles), the size of the Portuguese capital Lisbon. It has replaced the Pentagon, the headquarters of the US Defence...

Charlie Kirk’s widow and parents are expected this week in a Utah court where prosecutors seeking the death penalty will argue that the man charged with killing the conservative activist should stand trial for murder. The five-day preliminary hearing that starts on Monday will be the first time members of Kirk’s family are in the Utah courtroom with defendant Tyler Robinson. The hearing will be live-streamed. Robinson turned himself in after the shooting. Prosecutors allege that he also sent a...

Hard-right British politician Nigel Farage on Sunday faced fresh allegations over non-disclosure of gifts after a newspaper reported a convicted fraudster paid for his security and staff before he became an MP. An MP said he had asked parliament’s standards commissioner to investigate the new claims against the leader of the anti-immigration Reform UK party, which is currently leading in opinion polls. Farage is already the subject of an investigation by the parliamentary anti-sleaze watchdog...

A “super typhoon” with equivalent force to a category-5 hurricane made landfall on the US island of Rota in the Pacific on Monday, the National Weather Service (NWS) said, warning of “catastrophic damage and [a] life-threatening situation”. “The western eyewall of Super Typhoon Bavi is currently moving over the island of Rota. The latest forecast intensity is at 180mph (290km/h) as it passes over Rota,” the NWS said. “Catastrophic winds exceeding 150mph will continue across Rota during eyewall...

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said Sunday that the federal government is considering withholding information from ministers in state administrations if they are formed by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). The AfD is regularly criticised for close ties to Moscow. Polls indicate that the AfD could win an absolute majority in a state election in September in Saxony-Anhalt, meaning that it would form a state government for the first time. Under Germany’s federal system, state...

“The Emiratis – by far the most hawkish, by far the most pro-Israel country in the [Gulf Cooperation Council] – they’re having conversations with the Iranians that have never happened before,” US Vice-President J.D. Vance told British media outlet UnHerd following the Iran-US negotiations in Switzerland. The Iranians “are certainly talking differently than they have in the past”, he added in a note of cautious optimism, highlighting how both Washington and its allies in the Persian Gulf are...

Hundreds of firefighters battled forest infernos in France, Spain and Portugal on Sunday as temperatures rose again in heatwave-scarred Europe. The latest wildfires have already devastated more than 17,000 hectares (42,000 acres) of land – twice the size of Manhattan – across the three countries where temperatures in some places were predicted to touch 40°C on Sunday. Authorities registered thousands of excess deaths during one of Europe’s worst heatwaves in June, and with more extreme weather...

Residents at the epicentre of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC’s) Ebola outbreak are pinning their hopes on experimental treatments after researchers began a highly anticipated study in early July of two possible Ebola treatments in hopes of fighting the still-growing outbreak. At the Ebola treatment centre inside Bunia’s Evangelical Medical Centre, in eastern Congo’s Ituri province, the launch of the research was marked by urgency rather than ceremony on Thursday. As ambulances continued...

The world’s attention is fixed on frontier artificial intelligence (AI) models, but China’s robot-making factories deserve just as much attention. Chinese e-commerce company JD.com has predicted that robots would ultimately replace its 700,000 delivery workers, while workers at South Korean carmaker Hyundai are threatening strike action over issues including the roll-out of robots. These are early signs of what could be China’s next export shock. The first “China shock” was from its low-cost...

Since he started work as Nato secretary general almost two years ago, Mark Rutte has spent much of his time trying to keep the United States anchored to the world’s biggest military alliance, employing outright flattery to dissuade US President Donald Trump from acting on threats to abandon it. But the goalposts keep shifting, raising the stakes ahead of this week’s summit in Turkey. Initially, it was about money. Trump has long railed against Nato allies for spending too small a fraction of...

US Vice-President J.D. Vance said Britain had been “failed by its ⁠leadership for a long ⁠time”, adding that he hoped the country’s ⁠next prime minister could deliver the structural change voters were seeking after years of political turmoil. In an interview with the Sunday Times newspaper, Vance said frequent changes of government pointed to deeper problems in British politics. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced last month he ‌would step down after two years in office, paving the way for...

The future of energy exports through the Strait of Hormuz hangs in the balance after negotiations between Iran and the United States in Doha this week ended without an agreement on releasing frozen funds to the Islamic Republic. With Tehran also failing to begin demining the strait, and still threatening to attack ships attempting to leave the Gulf without its permission, neither side has yet met the two key obligations under their June 17 memorandum of understanding (MOU) to freeze the conflict...

A performer at the funeral for Iran’s late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called for the death of US President Donald Trump before a crowd of hundreds of thousands of people on Sunday in the capital, Tehran. The comment represents the first, direct call for Trump’s death by an emcee at the funeral, which has seen posters and graffiti calling for the killing of Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. That has been a hardline demand even as Tehran negotiates with the US over a...

US President Donald Trump hailed America on its 250th birthday on Saturday as the “crowning achievement” of human history, even as he used the event to renew his attack on domestic opponents he called communists. In a speech delayed by several hours when storms forced the temporary evacuation of crowds in Washington, Trump claimed that under his presidency the United States was “prouder than ever before.” While Trump had promised a huge political rally to stamp his brand on the national...

Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump discussed Ukraine and the coming Nato summit in Turkey in a phone call on Saturday. Putin congratulated Trump on the 250th anniversary of US independence in the call that lasted 85 minutes, Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov said in an audio message to reporters. “The presidents naturally touched on the topic of a Ukrainian settlement, including in light of Trump’s upcoming participation in the Nato summit in Turkey on July...

The groom wore a white tuxedo, the couple wrote their own vows and Stevie Nicks sang, according to guests at Friday’s star-studded wedding of megastars Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce in an intimate garden built for the occasion within New York City’s Madison Square Garden arena. Details trickled out on Saturday of the lavish nuptials ‌that had been a closely guarded secret. Their union was confirmed on giant billboards that flashed “JUST&T MARRIED!” The pop music superstar and football player...

There is something odd about the debate on China’s “overcapacity”. Europe says the world needs cheaper and faster clean energy deployment, yet complains when China produces the solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and electric vehicles that make this possible. Bruegel, a Brussels-based think tank specialising in economic policy, recently published a working paper, “To what extent can green infrastructure investment mitigate China’s clean-energy overcapacity?” It argues that China’s industrial...

Venezuela’s devastating twin earthquakes have killed nearly 3,000, official figures showed on Saturday, as international rescue teams began winding down search operations for survivors in the rubble. Fatalities jumped by more than 300 from Friday to 2,954, following the June 24 disaster that left thousands homeless in the streets and shelter camps. Tens of thousands more are still missing. One of Latin America’s worst earthquake disasters hit hardest in the coastal La Guaira area north of the...

Ukraine still controls the strategically important eastern city of Kostiantynivka, President Volodymyr Zelensky and the General Staff said on Saturday, rejecting Russian claims that it has been captured. Russia’s military ignored Zelensky’s assertions, said it was mopping up remaining pockets of resistance and offered to exchange the remains of dead servicemen. Russian military commanders told President ‌Vladimir Putin on Friday that Moscow’s forces had taken control of Kostiantynivka, a target...

President Donald Trump will headline US Independence Day celebrations on Saturday with a speech and a show that seek to place him at the centre of the nation’s 250th anniversary. Trump has made no secret of his joy at presiding over the July 4 festivities, portraying the timing as a side benefit of winning a second term starting in 2025 – even as the Republican falsely claims he also won the previous election against Democrat Joe Biden. Celebrations will be held across the US to mark the...

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun on Saturday urged the United States to stand by his country, after reaching a US-backed framework deal with Israel aiming to permanently end hostilities after the latest Israel-Hezbollah war. The deal reached in Washington calls for the disarmament of Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, a gradual Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon and the deployment of the Lebanese army there, starting with two “pilot” areas. Hezbollah has rejected the deal, which does not...

Summer came too early to Europe’s most important rice-growing region, and weeds are taking over Sharon Angoli’s parched paddies in Italy’s Pavia province. “That one is done for, no matter what happens,” the 22-year-old said as she surveyed one desolate field that has been baked by what is among the most severe heatwaves to hit the continent in June. Even abundant rains for the rest of the summer would probably not save the crop, she said. Angoli and her father, Carlo, also fear for their other...

Pope Leo on Saturday visited Italy’s Lampedusa island, a major port of call for migrants risking the perilous crossing from Africa, in a stark message to US and EU leaders. The Catholic Church’s first US pope, who has clashed with the administration of President Donald Trump over its treatment of migrants, is marking July 4, the United States’ 250th anniversary of independence, on a migration frontline. Leo’s visit also comes just two weeks after the European Union’s approval of new migrant...

Almost anywhere you look these days, you can find claims from political, academic and other various sources that China’s supposed overproduction and exports of manufactured goods pose unfair advantages. These sources may also claim such unfair advantages justify protectionist countermeasures. But it is difficult to counter one’s own folly. For decades, the US, much of Europe and even Japan, long proud of its manufacturing skills, have prided themselves on becoming “post-industrial” and...

A White House correspondent and a sports reporter confirmed that President Trump had called Gianni Infantino of FIFA to review the suspension of a top U.S. goal scorer.

Senator Mitch McConnell was admitted to the hospital on June 14, and his office has provided few updates about his condition. Here’s what we know.

The state’s important Senate primary just became a head-to-head battle between Abdul El-Sayed, an outspoken left-wing candidate, and Haley Stevens, a moderate backed by party leaders.

In selecting a joint bid from Germany and Norway, Prime Minister Mark Carney is elevating Canada’s naval power and reducing its military and economic dependency on the United States.

Publicly and behind the scenes, the president continues to try to impose his own views of American history and culture, presenting an ongoing challenge to Lonnie Bunch, the institution’s leader.

The nation’s largest group of scholars of U.S. history denounced a White House report attacking the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History.

On Day 1 of what is expected to be a weeklong hearing, prosecutors played videos of the shooting for a judge, but they were graphic and kept from public view. Erika Kirk and Donald Trump Jr. were in court.

Mr. Johnson’s hair product company, a longtime sponsor of “Soul Train,” was the first Black-owned company listed on a major American stock exchange.

The Washington Passport Agency started issuing the limited-release documents with President Trump’s image on Monday, catching a few applicants by surprise.

The retailer said it will lower prices for beef, produce, drinks, pools, toys, grills and summer clothing.

The United States Preventive Services Task Force has been stymied under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

In 1776, Cherokee leaders looked for ways to navigate a foreboding future. Nanyehi, a.k.a. Nancy Ward, is venerated and reviled for her choice.

In New York City, emergency rooms last week logged the highest number of patients treated for heat-related illnesses in years.

The birds are particularly vulnerable to high temperatures, and France’s torrid June took a heavy toll.

It is continent’s third spell of scorching weather since May. Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent.

On “Confessions II,” a successor to her hit 2005 album “Confessions on a Dance Floor,” the pop superstar gives new energy to her origin story and shines light on the troubles she’s danced away.

Many Democrats want representatives as furious as they are. That makes it easier for unfit candidates to escape proper vetting.

Over the years, I have moved toward the way of being Jewish that my father rejected.

The country is stepping up measures to keep swimmers and surfers safe after a teacher was mauled by a great white shark at Coogee Beach.