Overnight

• A severe heatwave is impacting the eastern United States, creating dangerous conditions for residents ahead of the July 4th holiday weekend. • In religious news, a group of traditionalist Catholics is reportedly defying the authority of Pope Leo XIV, leading to a breakaway movement within the church. • These simultaneous events highlight critical environmental risks and growing ideological fractures within global religious institutions.

Firefighters are battling the blaze in Fishlake national park that was stoked by strong winds and low humidityHundreds of firefighters in Utah have struggled to suppress a wildfire that scorched an additional 20,000 acres (8,000 hectares) as of Saturday, as low humidity and strong winds accelerated the fire spread, according to state officials.The Cottonwood fire erupted on Monday in the Fishlake national forest, located in central Utah. The blaze intensified overnight, growing from about 70,000 acres (28,000 hectares) to more than 92,000 acres (37,000 hectares) on Saturday morning, according to the US Forest Service. The fire is at a 0% containment level and is the largest blaze currently burning in the US, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Continue reading...

No immediate reports of damage after Bahrain hit by ‘number of drones’ as ship in strait of Hormuz also targetedBahrain said it was attacked by Iran with a wave of drones on Saturday, apparently in response to overnight US strikes on Iran. A ship in the strait of Hormuz was also attacked.Bahrain’s foreign ministry said a “number of drones” were launched at the country, though there were no immediate reports of damage. It condemned the attack and described it as a “flagrant threat to the security of citizens and residents”. Continue reading...

• The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the Trump administration, granting the government authority to strip protected status from individuals from Haiti and Syria. • This decision removes legal barriers that previously prevented the administration from terminating Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for these specific populations. • The ruling is significant as it exposes thousands of migrants to potential deportation and sparks accusations of ideological bias among the court's conservative majority.

• Asian stock markets rallied on Thursday, June 25, 2026, driven by a surge in technology shares across the region. • The rally was triggered by "blockbuster" earnings reports from US chipmakers Micron and Qualcomm, which renewed investor confidence in artificial intelligence. • This movement highlights the continued global influence of US tech performance on regional indices such as the Nikkei 225 and markets in Seoul and Taipei.

US launches strikes in retaliation for downing of US army helicopter, while White House source says deal could still be closeThe future of peace talks in the Middle East have been thrown into question after Iran’s foreign ministry said it needed to “reassess” its participation, while Donald Trump said Iran would have to “pay the price” after the two countries traded fire overnight, drawing neighbouring states back into an on-and-off war that has consumed the region since late February.The US launched strikes against Iran in the early hours of Wednesday morning in retaliation for what it said was Iran’s downing of a US army helicopter near the strait of Hormuz. Iran then launched a wave of retaliatory airstrikes claiming hits on US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan. Continue reading...

• Wall Street is seeing a partial recovery on Monday as AI stocks bounce back from the previous week's significant sell-off. • Oil prices remain elevated due to ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran, though they have retreated from their overnight peaks. • Global markets faced declines, with Japan's Nikkei 225 dropping 3.8% after the government revised Q1 annualized economic growth down to 1.8% from 2.1%.

• Wall Street stocks are recovering on Monday, with shares tied to the artificial intelligence boom bouncing back after steep losses on Friday. • Oil prices have retreated from overnight highs following a surge triggered by direct military strikes between Israel and Iran. • The volatility in the energy market reflects growing fears that the conflict between Israel and Iran could escalate into a full-scale regional war.