Deeply

• Analysis suggests that current American partisan and regional divisions are among the most intense the nation has faced since the Civil War. • Author Levin argues that Donald Trump has intentionally fueled these divisions, though the core issue is the inability of either party to secure a lasting political advantage. • This political stalemate has effectively resulted in two "minority parties" dominating the landscape since the 2000 election.

• The CDC's malaria testing branch faced severe budget or operational cuts in spring 2026, surpassing the reductions seen in the rabies lab. • These cuts threaten the ability to identify specific malaria species, which is critical for determining the correct medical treatment for patients. • Separately, a June 2026 trial indicated that daily probiotics may enhance antidepressant efficacy in seniors, while two other trials showed Paxlovid does not significantly reduce hospitalizations for vaccinated high-risk adults.

Scotland’s first minister expresses solidarity with communities affected by apparently anti-Muslim violenceJohn Swinney has said victims of the allegedly anti-Muslim knife attacks in Edinburgh last week have been deeply traumatised by their experiences.Scotland’s first minister spoke to some of the five men injured in the series of attacks that appeared to target Muslims and people of colour around the city on Friday evening, with four taken to hospital. Continue reading...

State government project among range of works celebrated for community-centred design that goes beyond utilityThe reimagined St Kilda pier has added more accolades to its burgeoning trophy cabinet, taking out some of the top gongs at the 2026 Australian Institute of Architects’ Victorian awards.The $53m Victorian government project redesigned by Jackson Clements Burrows Architects, alongside Site Office Landscape Architecture and AW Maritime, took home the Victorian architecture medal on Friday, the award given to the most outstanding project of the year.Sign up for a weekly email featuring our best reads Continue reading...

PM says firing of warning shots at yacht was reckless and UK is dealing with proxy attacks from Russia ‘every day’Warning shots fired by a Russian warship sailing across the Channel on Tuesday morning were “deeply concerning and reckless”, Keir Starmer said from the G7 summit on Wednesday as he warned that the UK was dealing with proxy attacks from Russia “every single day”.The prime minister said the Ministry of Defence had assessed that the Russian vessel was drifting and fired the shots within a few hundred metres of a British pleasure yacht. Continue reading...

• The UN Peacebuilding Fund has approved $4.8 million for a new program targeting central Mali. • The initiative aims to strengthen local institutions and communities in regions severely impacted by violent extremism. • Implementation will be carried out through a partnership between the UN Development Programme, UN-Women, and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and terrorism.

• Actor Richard Gere stated he is "deeply ashamed" of the current political state of the United States during a speech on Thursday. • The remarks were made at a Berlin event jointly hosted by the Hertie School Centre for Fundamental Rights and The Gere Foundation. • Gere specifically criticized the leadership of Donald Trump, who was elected president in November 2024.