Trump threatens to fire Fed chair Jerome Powell amid pressure campaign

• Former Indonesian Ambassador Dr. Wajid Fauzi delivered a presentation at Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) analyzing the historical and geopolitical drivers of Middle East conflicts. • He specifically highlighted the conflict in Yemen, explaining how domestic strife evolved into a regional proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

• A devastating 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Colombia, resulting in more than 160 deaths, while Typhoon Dolphin forced the evacuation of over one million people in China. • NOAA reported that July 2026 was the hottest month ever documented in the U.S., highlighting escalating climate trends.

• Israel has recognized Somaliland, a self-declared statelet, signaling a strategic move to expand its influence within the Horn of Africa. • This development aligns with a June 1 report from the Global Conflict Index, which warns that separate conflicts in the Middle East and the Horn of Africa are merging into a singular system.

US president announced departure on social media, saying Leavitt was leaving to ‘spend more time’ with familyKaroline Leavitt will step down as White House press secretary at the end of August, Donald Trump announced.The US president announced her departure on social media, saying Leavitt was leaving “so she can spend more time” with her family. She gave birth to a daughter, Viviana, in May, and returned from maternity leave last month. Continue reading...

Prosecutors charge Heidi Beirich with financial crimes as part of case against the Southern Poverty Law CenterThe justice department on Wednesday arrested a leading expert on far-right extremism, charging her with financial crimes as part of the government’s ongoing case against the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).Federal prosecutors charged Heidi Beirich, who formerly served as the group’s chief financial officer, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to submit false statements to a federally insured bank, and conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering. Continue reading...

Ángel Aguirre indicted in case that rocked Mexico and became symbol of its brutal cartel violenceThe former governor of Guerrero state in Mexico has been formally charged over his alleged involvement in the disappearance of 43 students in 2014, a case that has become a symbol of the country’s brutal cartel violence and government impunity.Ángel Aguirre, who was arrested last week, is accused of forced disappearance and obstruction of justice for ordering the destruction of surveillance tapes that may have shed light on what happened to the students from the Ayotzinapa teacher training college on the night of 26 September 2014. Continue reading...

Organisers says new rule will ensure contest provides ‘safe and welcoming environment’ for participantsBroadcasters will no longer be eligible to host the Eurovision song contest if their state is involved in an “armed conflict” or “sensitive geopolitical situation”.Eurovision is traditionally hosted by the previous year’s winning broadcaster, with the next show due to take place in Bulgaria in 2027 after singer Dara’s victory for the country in May. Continue reading...

Move by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is latest government rollback of climate science activityThe Trump administration has pulled its support for an annual report on the environmental changes across the Arctic, a region that is already heating up four times faster than the global average due to the climate crisis.On Tuesday, Kim Doster, the communications director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), said the federal agency was withdrawing its support for the Arctic Report Card, which has provided environmental updates on the region to scientists and the public since 2006. Continue reading...

Kennedy Center had sued Chuck Redd for canceling Christmas Eve concert after Trump renamed institutionA superior court judge in Washington DC has ordered the Kennedy Center to pay more than $250,000 to a musician who canceled a performance at the arts center after the White House announced that Donald Trump’s name would be added to the venue.Judge Tanya Jones Bosier ordered the Kennedy Center on Monday to pay $252,479.70 in legal fees and costs to attorneys for musician Chuck Redd within 45 days. Continue reading...

Kyaw Zwar Minn was ousted for declaring loyalty to Aung San Suu Kyi after 2021 coup but refused to leave his homeMyanmar’s ousted ambassador to the UK has gone on trial on trespassing charges for refusing to leave a diplomatic residence after being unceremoniously locked out of the embassy in 2021.Shortly after Myanmar’s military seized power in 2021, triggering mass protests that spiralled into a civil war, Kyaw Zwar Minn was locked out of the embassy for declaring his loyalty to the deposed civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Continue reading...

Move defies US envoy’s claim that Americans could be extracting crude by as early as next yearThe Greenland authorities have forced a US oil company connected to Donald Trump to postpone drilling wells in the Arctic territory, defying claims by the US president’s envoy that Americans could be extracting crude by next year.Amid Trump’s imperialist threats, tensions have been rising on Greenland’s eastern coast after the oil company brought drilling equipment ashore in July without permission, drawing a “strong warning” from the government. Continue reading...

Celebrity blogger was hospitalized for a mental health crisis after he harmed himself during live streamThe mother of celebrity blogger Perez Hilton is seeking temporary custody of his three children after he was hospitalized during a mental health crisis at his south Florida home last week.Court documents filed in Miami-Dade county and seen by multiple news outlets, including Miami’s NBC 6, show the request for custody was made by 48-year-old Hilton’s mother. Continue reading...