President

• Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is facing growing criticism and public dissatisfaction due to his "populist" communication style and controversial public comments. • During a recent political event in Jakarta, the President drew attention by joking about his prepared speech, signaling a preference for informal rhetoric over formal governance. • This leadership style coincides with rising tensions, as families of individuals arrested during recent protests express frustration with his administration.

• A new book examines the nearly 80-year history and growth of the pro-Israel lobby, describing it as the most powerful foreign policy lobby in U.S. history. • The authors argue that from Harry Truman to Donald Trump, most U.S. presidents have succumbed to the lobby's demands due to fears of domestic political defeat. • This influence is cited as a primary reason why presidents have abandoned foreign policies that their senior advisers believed were in the best interests of the United States.

• USSF president Cindy Parlow Cone announced Wednesday that contract extension talks with U.S. men's national team manager Mauricio Pochettino are "going well." • Pochettino's tenure included leading the USMNT through the 2026 World Cup, where the team topped Group D and reached the round of 16. • The team's tournament run ended with a 4-1 loss to Belgium after previous victories over Australia, Paraguay, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Fox News that Iran is facing a different leadership style under President Trump, describing him as someone who "actually takes action." • The comments follow ongoing regional instability, with Iran continuing to target Gulf countries and tensions remaining high in the Strait of Hormuz. • Simultaneously, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported the discovery of an underground tunnel network located in southern Lebanon.

Leftwing Democrats are having their moment in the sun, with Zohran Mamdani in New York, Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and endless calls for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to run for president in 2028. Has Democratic socialism shifted from the political fringe to the mainstream? And can this group lure back the all-important swing voters?Jonathan Freedland speaks to Bhaskar Sunkara, president of the Nation magazine, founding editor of Jacobin and author of The Socialist Manifesto: The Case for Radical Politics in an Era of Extreme InequalitiesArchive: AP, ReutersWatch Jonathan Freedland on our new Politics Weekly YouTube channelSend your questions and feedback to [email protected] support the Guardian. Go to theguardian.com/politicspodus Continue reading...

• Both Houses of Parliament have passed the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026, aimed at curbing exam-related malpractices. • The legislation introduces severe penalties for those involved in paper leaks or unfair means, including up to 10 years in prison and fines reaching Rs 50 lakh. • This move signifies a rigorous crackdown on systemic cheating and corruption within public examinations to ensure fairness and integrity for candidates.

Republican senators sought written limits on settlement, but president held firm despite risk to attorney general pickUS politics live – latest updatesDonald Trump’s refusal to officially end a hugely controversial agreement giving him broad tax immunity and creating a 1.8bn slush fund underscored how the US president’s own self interest takes precedence above all else in his government.For weeks, Todd Blanche, the acting attorney general, has said that the slush fund portion of the agreement was dead. And for a few brief hours on Wednesday, it seemed that the president might agree to a relatively modest request from two Republican senators to put in writing that there were certain limits on an extraordinary tax immunity deal. After all, it seemed like a small price to pay in exchange for getting Blanche, a staunch Trump loyalist who previously served as his personal lawyer, confirmed permanently as the US attorney general. Continue reading...

• National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik clarified on Wednesday that he is not proposing a constitutional revision to allow the incumbent president to serve a second term. • The statement follows speculation that changes to the Constitution could be used to extend the current presidency beyond the single five-year term limit. • This clarification aims to dismiss claims that the legislative leadership is seeking to manipulate term limits for political gain or personal extension.

• The Federal Reserve is projected to raise interest rates twice before the end of the year, signaling a shift toward tighter monetary policy. • Market analysts are using the CME Group's FedWatch tool, which tracks futures prices, to calculate the probability of these upcoming rate hikes. • This development is significant because historical data suggests that increased interest rates often trigger corrections in major indices like the S&P 500 and Nasdaq.

• The "Wall of Receipts" is being updated to track the voting patterns of Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. • The analysis focuses specifically on their decisions regarding the interim and certiorari dockets over the past year. • This tracking is significant as it monitors the judicial consistency and ideological leanings of the three appointees selected by former President Donald Trump.

• President Trump hosted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House for high-level diplomatic discussions. • President Zelenskyy used the meeting to urgently request additional U.S. assistance for Ukraine's air defense systems to counter ongoing threats. • Prime Minister Netanyahu held his first face-to-face meeting with Trump since the start of the Iran war, occurring amidst increasing strain between the two leaders.

• President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met at the White House to reaffirm their shared commitment to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. • The meeting occurred amid heightened tensions following drone attacks on Saudi Arabia, which were launched from Iraq and condemned by Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and Lebanon. • Despite international pressure, President Trump has signaled a reluctance to escalate the military conflict with Iran.

• The 2024 U.S. presidential election has seen a significant shift in focus, moving from traditional policy debates to legal battles and courtroom proceedings. • Central to this volatility are complex judicial questions regarding presidential immunity, executive accountability, and the timing of criminal trials during an active campaign. • This trend of "lawfare" is testing the resilience of U.S. institutions by placing the judiciary at the center of the political narrative.

• Nobuo Miwa, president of the Tokyo-based security firm S&J, warns that artificial intelligence is making cyberattacks significantly faster and more sophisticated. • Miwa highlighted that AI now enables the creation of malicious attack programs "in the blink of an eye," drastically reducing the time required for hackers to develop threats. • This shift matters because it lowers the barrier to entry for attackers and increases the speed at which vulnerabilities can be exploited across networks.

• HBO Max is updating its streaming library for the week of July 24, 2026, featuring new titles including a "Rick and Morty" spin-off and the series "President Curtis." • A highlight is the new CNN series "American on Purpose," hosted by Craig Ferguson, who travels across the U.S. to explore the country's societal dynamics. • The five-episode series examines core American cultural precepts such as capitalism, individualism, and free expression during the nation's 250th anniversary.

• President Droupadi Murmu has accepted the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, with Pralhad Joshi appointed to lead the Education Ministry. • The leadership change follows intense protests at Jantar Mantar and a government crackdown on exam malpractices, including the termination of up to 47 National Testing Agency (NTA) officials. • The Centre is further strengthening anti-paper leak laws to prevent future irregularities in national examinations.

• South Korean President Lee unveiled the "San Francisco AI Declaration," a strategic framework outlining the nation's AI ambitions and its vision for technological cooperation with the United States. • During his visit to San Francisco, President Lee held separate high-level meetings with key industry leaders, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, and Broadcom CEO Hock Tan. • This initiative signals South Korea's intent to strengthen global partnerships and secure a leading role in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence landscape.

• President Lee Jae Myung held a dinner meeting on the 24th in San Francisco with global AI leaders, including NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang and heads of Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor Group, and SK Group. • During the event, President Lee announced the ‘San Francisco AI Declaration’ at the San Francisco AI Summit to strengthen South Korea's role in the global AI supply chain. • The meeting brought together industry giants with a combined market capitalization of 1.7 gyeong (approximately 17 quadrillion won), highlighting the immense economic scale of the AI sector.

• South Korean and US technology giants have agreed to pursue $950 billion in semiconductor supply and manufacturing partnerships over the next five years. • The sweeping series of deals was unveiled at the San Francisco AI Summit during a visit by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung. • These collaborations aim to advance the Lee administration's flagship megaprojects focusing on semiconductors, AI data centers, and physical AI.

• President Mohammed Shahabuddin has resigned from his position amid significant political instability in Bangladesh. • The resignation follows the ousting of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who fled to India after losing power. • This leadership vacuum occurs as speculation grows regarding Hasina's potential return and the future of the country's governance.

• President Donald Trump returned to the White House Correspondents' Dinner following an attempted assassination attempt that occurred in April. • The event featured live coverage of Trump's speech, celebrity arrivals, and key highlights of the evening. • A suspect named Allen has pleaded not guilty to multiple federal charges, including attempting to assassinate the President and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.

DNC made move in bid to better represent views of party’s racially diverse voter base ahead of next presidential cycle Democrats moved to keep South Carolina as the first state to vote in their party’s 2028 presidential primary process, while moving up several other states, in a bid to better represent the views of the party’s racially diverse voter base.At a meeting in Washington DC of the Democratic National Committee’s (DNC) rules and bylaws committee on Friday, South Carolina received a slim majority of votes to take the first spot, scheduled for 22 January 2028, with Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Michigan and Virginia set to follow, in that order. The selections must still be confirmed by the full DNC at a meeting set for next month. Continue reading...

• The Supreme Court issued a pair of decisions that significantly expand presidential power and reshape the structure of the federal government. • These rulings echo the 2024 majority opinion in Trump v. United States, which granted former President Donald Trump substantial immunity from criminal prosecution. • This legal shift matters as it limits the judicial system's ability to hold a sitting or former president accountable for official acts.

• The European Commission has fined Alphabet, Google's parent company, €890 million ($1 billion) for violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA). • The penalty stems from Google unfairly promoting its own shopping and transport services over competitors in search results and restricting how app developers sell to users. • This enforcement action highlights the EU's commitment to curbing the dominance of Big Tech to foster a more competitive digital marketplace.

• Pulse Asia President Ronald Holmes stated that the narrative of "political persecution" is currently bolstering Vice President Sara Duterte's lead in presidential surveys for 2028. • The analysis was shared during an interview with Pinky Webb on the Bilyonaryo News Channel's program, "On Point." • This suggests that public perception of the Vice President as a victim of political targeting is driving voter support and maintaining her high rankings.

• President Daniel Ortega has announced that Nicaragua will no longer hold elections, effectively removing any legal mechanism for the opposition to challenge his authority. • This decision comes as Ortega's current term is set to end next year, ensuring his continued grip on power. • The move is significant as it eliminates democratic transitions and further consolidates Ortega's authoritarian control over the nation.

• President Daniel Ortega announced that Nicaragua is moving toward canceling the presidential elections scheduled for next year. • This move signals Ortega's intention to maintain shared control of the country alongside his wife and co-president, Rosario Murillo. • The decision underscores a continuing trend of democratic erosion and the consolidation of power within the current administration.

The former Rudd/Gillard government minister has a plan for fighting back against populists including Pauline HansonFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastThe incoming Labor president, Kate Ellis, says toxicity in politics is spilling into the broader community and public debate, warning that threats against MPs’ safety are limiting how elected politicians do their jobs.Due to succeed Wayne Swan as the leader of Labor’s organisational base at this week’s national conference, the former Rudd/Gillard government minister said fighting back against populists including Pauline Hanson was best achieved by demonstrating policies that improve voters’ lives. Continue reading...