LA leaders back investigation into police killing of two-year-old dog

• Diplomats and analysts are questioning the continued relevance of the G7 ahead of its annual summit in Évian-les-Bains, suggesting the forum has lost influence in the era of Donald Trump. • Critics, including Bloomberg’s Europe editor Flavia Krause-Jackson, note that the G7 was excluded from U.S.-Israeli war planning regarding Iran.

• Leaders from Brazil, India, and Kenya met with G7 representatives in Evian to discuss international cooperation and development. • The G7 is utilizing these meetings to present a new narrative on development aid as a strategic move to counter China's expanding economic influence.

• President Zelenskyy has expressed concerns that peace negotiations between the United States and Russia could exclude Ukraine, potentially leading to a resolution that ignores Kyiv's interests. • The Ukrainian government is specifically seeking firm security guarantees to prevent future aggression and ensure long-term stability.

• The Pentagon has renamed the Indo-Pacific Command shortly before the G7 Summit, sparking concerns regarding the stability of India-US relations and future trade ties. • Pentagon officials claim the renaming is a primarily administrative move designed to restore historical military traditions rather than a strategic shift.

• The United States is increasingly utilizing economic power and tariffs as geopolitical weapons to achieve strategic goals that traditional diplomacy cannot. • This shift reflects a broader global trend where powerful economies frame strategic power moves as adherence to universal principles or humanitarian missions.

• UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric reported on Tuesday that violence and exchanges of fire in Lebanon have significantly decreased compared to the previous weekend. • In the Gaza Strip, OCHA warned that critical shortages of fuel, engine oil, and spare parts are severely hindering water production, wastewater treatment, and waste management.

Senator Bill Cassidy attacks ‘worst foreign policy blunder in decades’ while others in his party skeptical over peace dealA handful of Senate Republicans have sharply criticized the agreement Donald Trump reached with Iran, accusing the administration of committing “the worst foreign policy blunder in decades”.On Wednesday, the Trump administration released the text of an interim deal between Washington and Tehran to end the 110-day conflict, framing it as a “major win” for the US – even as the 14-point accord made significant political and financial concessions to Iran to reopen the strait of Hormuz and prevent a “worldwide depression”. Continue reading...

Review reveals rise in users and rates of psychosis in countries where cannabis is sold commercially Decriminalising the possession of cannabis or strictly regulating access to the drug do not appear to drive up usage, but when the drug is sold commercially the number of users increases and more mental health problems are seen, a review has found.An international team analysed the dramatic shift in policies on cannabis between 2000 and 2025, including how the numbers of people taking the drug, its potency, and rates of psychosis changed after new rules came in. Continue reading...

US entered war with maximalist goals and exits it with pragmatic decision to end conflict despite political costMiddle East crisis – live updatesAs the adage goes: no plan of battle survives first contact with the enemy.Donald Trump entered the war with Iran with maximalist goals: eliminating the country’s nuclear programme, destroying its ballistic missile programme and ending its support for regional military groups including Hezbollah and Hamas. Continue reading...

Four states file alongside FTC, claiming WPath made deceptive claims about gender-affirming care for minorsThe Federal Trade Commission and four states sued the World Professional Association for Transgender Health on Wednesday, in the latest push by Donald Trump’s administration and others to limit gender-affirming care for transgender minors.The suit alleges the group, known widely as WPath, made deceptive claims about gender-affirming care for minors and that its members profited off the claims. Alaska, Iowa, Nebraska and Texas filed along with the FTC. Continue reading...

Groups cite detainee maltreatment and degradation of surrounding land as reasons to close facility permanentlySign up for the Breaking News US newsletter emailAn alliance of environmental groups has welcomed reports that detainees have been moved from Florida’s notorious “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration jail, but have promised to press ahead with legal action to ensure its permanent closure and the restoration of the fragile Everglades wetlands where it is located.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement late on Tuesday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and authorities in Florida “have moved illegal aliens from the soft sided facility [and] transferred them to other facilities” for their safety, citing this month’s beginning of the Atlantic hurricane season. Continue reading...