Anti-ICE organizers shift focus to defend democracy from Trump assault

• Gulf nations and Western leaders are expressing concern over Iran's continued ability to project power and influence through proxy militia groups. • Despite existing deals between the US and Iran, analysts believe Tehran will likely increase its support for these armed groups to maintain regional leverage.

• The U.S. and Israel have concluded a targeted military attack against Iran, marking the end of a specific escalation cycle. • The operation reflects the ongoing volatility of the Middle East, where strategic strikes are used to deter Iranian aggression and protect regional allies.

• A ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran is facing a critical test following new attacks in the Strait of Hormuz on Friday. • The instability occurs shortly after Secretary of State Marco Rubio and ambassadors from Israel and Lebanon announced a "framework deal" between those nations.

• The potential resolution of the conflict between the US and Iran through negotiation and economic compromise suggests a global shift toward pragmatism over ideological absolutism. • Current state behavior indicates that national security and economic prosperity are now prioritized over shared ideological alignment.

• Israel launched strikes in southern Lebanon, resulting in at least one death according to state media. • The attacks occurred just one day after Lebanon and Israel signed a framework agreement intended to stabilize the region.

• Iranian forces launched two attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz this week, including a June 25 strike on the Singapore-flagged container ship M/V Ever Lovely. • The M/V Ever Lovely is operated by Taiwan’s Evergreen Marine, highlighting the risk to international shipping lanes in one of the world's most critical energy chokepoints.

• The chairman of the Doha International Center for Interdialogue (DICID) emphasized that dialogue is a strategic necessity for enhancing social cohesion and reducing divisions rooted in religion, identity, and culture. • Speaking in Nicosia, the chairman highlighted how these initiatives promote shared citizenship and peaceful coexistence by framing diversity as a source of human development and cultural enrichment.

• India is engaging in strategic missile diplomacy amidst a volatile 2026 war in the Persian Gulf that has seen the UAE targeted by over 2,800 Iranian missiles and drones. • The conflict has caused severe global instability by shuttering the Strait of Hormuz and triggering a widespread energy crisis.

• Reports indicate that Vladimir Putin is losing control over Crimea, as residents are either desperately searching for fuel or fleeing the peninsula. • The instability is highlighted by images showing critical resource shortages and a growing exodus of the local population.

• A devastating earthquake in Venezuela has resulted in at least 1,430 deaths, sparking widespread public outcry. • Frustration is mounting among survivors and families as they criticize the government's slow and inadequate emergency response.

Urn with loving message to a person named as Gary Bonsor to be buried in local churchyard after efforts to find family draw a blankIt is a puzzling story with a still unsolved mystery at its heart: just who is the individual whose cremated remains were left on the counter of a burger van at Newbury racecourse?And why – despite the cremation urn being labelled with a name and a message that hints at a loving family – has no one come forward to claim it? Continue reading...

Any new tax on the rich won’t raise much money unless many of the exceptions and loopholes are dealt withIn this new era of rampaging oligarchs, nothing may seem as satisfying as slapping a tax on Elon Musk’s new trillion-dollar fortune. What most bothers Americans about federal taxes is that billionaires don’t pay their fair share. As the race to develop artificial intelligence mints more billionaires, policymakers’ temptation to directly tax their brobdingnagian wealth is becoming unbearable.The first state out of the blocks is California, where voters in November will decide whether to impose a one-time tax of 5% on fortunes worth more than $1bn. Given the ease with which plutocrats avoid paying income taxes, the case for this sort of direct tax on their stash appears unassailable. Continue reading...