Thursday, 31 July 2025

Trump announces new tariffs across the globe, delays deadline by seven days to 7 August (LINK) 31 July 2025

— Brazil, with 50% tariffs on its imported goods, and Canada, with 35% are among the hardest hit, followed by 39% for Switzerland, 25% for India, and 20% for Taiwan. Trump issued a separate order for Canada, stating a levy hike from 25% to 35%, citing the cross-border flow of fentanyl. The announcement from the White House late Thursday said Canada had failed to "do more to arrest, seize, detain or otherwise intercept ... traffickers, criminals at large and illicit drugs".

President Trump said that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza will end if Hamas releases the hostages and surrenders. sOthers comments he made in recent days put the onus on Israel to improve the humanitarian crisis in Gaza (LINK) 31 July 2025

El Salvador Congress approves unlimited presidential terms and electoral reform (LINK) — ground.news: 361 media reports (LINK) 31 July 2025

Wednesday, 30 July 2025

Heather Cox Richardson: "the second American Revolution" (LINK) 30 July 2025

Tuesday, 29 July 2025

Qatar, Saudi, Egypt join call for Hamas to disarm, give up Gaza rule (LINK) — ground.news: 76 media reports (LINK) 29 July 2025

Worst-case scenario of famine is now unfolding in Gaza, UN-backed monitor announces (LINK) — ground.news: 250 media reports (LINK) 29 July 2025

— "Conflict and displacement have intensified, and access to food and other essential items and services has plummeted to unprecedented levels," the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said in an alert, adding that "mounting evidence shows that widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease are driving a rise in hunger-related deaths." More than 20,000 children were admitted for treatment for acute malnutrition between April and mid-July, the IPC said, with more than 3,000 severely malnourished.

UN chief says Gaza 'on brink of famine' as crisis reaches 'epic proportions' (LINK) 29 July 2025

Prime Minister Starmer says UK to recognize Palestinian state unless Israel ends 'appalling situation in Gaza' (LINK) 29 July 2025

Thailand accuses Cambodia of ceasefire violations but truce still holding (LINK) 29 July 2025

EU and US spin conflicting versions of trade deal (LINK) 29 July 2025

— The White House published a fact sheet about the agreement with multiple claims that mismatched or downright contradicted the version of events presented by the Commission just hours earlier. Brussels replied with its own statement, sowing further confusion.

— See pharmaceuticals, energy, investment, weaponry, steel and aluminium, digital and agricultural sectors.

Trump-backed World Liberty Financial ETH portfolio nears $300M with latest purchase (LINK) 29 July 2025

A Democrat report found that in just six months, Elon Musk's cost-cutting agency DOGE wasted more than $21 billion. Other estimates have found that the cuts will cost more than they save in the long run. (LINK) 29 July 2025

— By far the largest source of waste it identifies comes from Musk's mass layoffs of nearly 200,000 federal employees. In January, he announced the "Deferred Resignation Program" (DRP), which he described as the "fork in the road". Musk offered federal employees the opportunity to retire early with their benefits and pay through September 30 — a deal that around 200,000 took. The Senate report calculates that the government has spent $14.8 billion to pay these employees not to work for eight months. Roughly another 100,000 employees were also involuntarily fired from their jobs, and had to receive severance pay that amounts to an additional $6.1 billion. DOGE's funding freezes also resulted in massive waste: freezes on loans for energy utility projects meant that the government lost out on $263 million worth of interest payments and fees. Meanwhile, $110 million worth of food and medicine was left to spoil in warehouses due to the shuttering of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

— According to Yale's Budget Lab, DOGE's firing of thousands of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees could cost $395 billion in lost revenues over the next decade, and potentially as much as $2.4 trillion if the decrease in enforcement leads to more tax-dodging.

NYC gunman alluded to having suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and appeared to have grievance against NFL(National Football League), but went to wrong elevator bank in deadly rampage, mayor says (LINK) 29 July 2025

Trump used tax dollars to open his new Scottish golf course (LINK) 29 July 2025

CBS News investigation of Jeffrey Epstein jail video reveals new discrepancies (LINK) 29 July 2025

— The government's investigation appears to have drawn conclusions from the video that are not readily observable. Two staff members, Tova Noel and Michael Thomas, were ultimately charged with falsifying records, but the charges were later dropped. "There were no supervisors or Bureau of Prisons officials punished for these alleged oversights that preceded the death of the highest-profile prisoner in the facility — perhaps in the entire federal prison system."

Microsoft reveals 40 jobs about to be destroyed by AI as well as 40 professions that should be safe (at least for now...) (LINK) 29 July 2025

Monday, 28 July 2025

Trump acknowledges 'real starvation' in Gaza and tells Israel to let in 'every ounce of food': US president contradicted Benjamin Netanyahu after the Israeli prime minister claimed it was a "bold-faced lie" to say Israel was causing hunger in Gaza (LINK) 28 July 2025

Trump gives Russia '10 or 12' days to move on Ukraine as 'no progress made' (LINK) 28 July 2025

— 'He's got to make a deal', Trump tells Putin as he threatens to use secondary tariffs on Russia.

Trump caving on Nvidia H20 export curbs may disrupt his bigger trade war: China's frontier AI will be fuelled by Nvidia H20 chips, experts warn Trump (LINK) 28 July 2025

Cambodian and Thai leaders hold ceasefire talks in Malaysia as border violence enters fifth day (LINK) 28 July 2025

— The fighting, which began last Thursday after a land mine explosion injured Thai soldiers, has killed at least 35 people and displaced over 260,000 people.

NYPD officer killed, among 5 shot in NYC shooting; gunman dead at Blackstone building (LINK) 28 July 2025

Attack on military base in northern Burkina Faso kills about 50 soldiers, residents say (LINK) — ground.news: 28 media reports (LINK) 28 July 2025

How can I be sure my clothes aren't made in a sweatshop? (LINK preview) 28 July 2025

— Brands like Dior, Armani, Valentino, Montblanc and Loro Piana have all gotten in trouble because of factories in Italy said to be operating with abusive conditions.

Sunday, 27 July 2025

US and EU agree 15% trade deal, says Donald Trump: oil prices climb (LINK) — ground.news: 131 media reports, most out of U.S. (LINK) 27 July 2025

— On July 12, Trump threatened 30% tariffs from August 1 on EU imports. The pact locks in $750 billion of U.S. energy purchases, with the EU committing to buy U.S. energy, as part of the deal.

Stock futures rise — (LINK)

At least 21 killed in attack on east Congo church by Islamic State-backed rebels, civil leader says (LINK) — ground.news: 28 media reports (LINK) 27 July 2025

Jordan and the UAE dropped more aid into Gaza on Sunday following Israel's airdrops the day prior: aid drops have been sharply criticized by some humanitarian groups as expensive, inefficient and dangerous (LINK) 27 July 2025

"No point" in continuing ceasefire talks amid Gaza's starvation crisis, says Hamas

Sudanese coalition led by paramilitary RSF announces parallel government (LINK) — ground.news: 43 media reports (LINK) 27 July 2025

Iran executes two members of banned opposition group for attacking infrastructure (LINK) — ground.news: 25 media reports (LINK) 27 July 2025

— One arrested following 2022 blast at Communications Ministry; pair found guilty of manufacturing improvised launchers and mortars and using them in support of MEK (Mujahideen-e-Khalq).

China's industrial profits fall further in June (LINK) — ground.news: 4 media reports (LINK) 27 July 2025

Urgent need for 'global approach' on AI regulation: ITU chief Doreen Bogdan-Martin (LINK) — ground.news: 81 media reports (LINK) 27 July 2025

— Concerns mount over the risks posed by the fast-moving technology — including fears of mass job losses, the spread of deepfakes and disinformation, and society's fabric fraying. "There's an urgency to try to get... the right framework in place," she said, stressing the need for "a global approach". "85% of countries don't yet have AI policies or strategies". Her comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump this week unveiled an aggressive, low-regulation strategy aimed at ensuring the United States stays ahead of China on AI.

NY Post: Good riddance to UNESCO — a hate-America shouting gallery (LINK) 27 July 2025

Ghislaine Maxwell, serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking, received limited immunity to testify about 100 in Epstein's network (LINK) — ground.news: 88 media reports, 83 original (LINK) 27 July 2025

Paranoid Pete Hegseth ordered to quit routine polygraphing of Pentagon staffers (LINK) 27 July 2025

Tom Lehrer, influential song satirist with a cult following, dead at 97: inspired fans like "Weird Al" Yankovic, Steely Dan, Randy Newman, and Daniel Radcliffe (LINK) 27 July 2025

When you should actually book flights, according to Google (LINK) 27 July 2025

Saturday, 26 July 2025

World Health and COVID-19 special envoy David Nabarro dies at 75 (LINK) 26 July 2025

IDF says it will conduct aid airdrops in Gaza as hunger crisis deepens: Gaza health officials say 127 Palestinians have died from malnutrition (LINK) 26 July 2025

— The IDF said in a statement that it was taking several actions, including dropping "seven pallets of aid containing flour, sugar, and canned food" at the behest of the Israeli government to "refute the false claim of deliberate starvation in the Gaza Strip." In addition to the airdrops, the IDF said it would create a "humanitarian pause in civilian centers and in humanitarian corridors" Sunday morning to allow for the passage of aid. The hours and locations of this short "pause" have not yet been announced publicly.

President Trump tells Europe to 'stop the windmills' ahead of EU and UK trade talks: also criticises European leaders on immigration ahead of crunch meeting with Ursula von der Leyen (LINK) 26 July 2025

World Health and COVID-19 special envoy David Nabarro dies at 75 (LINK) 26 July 2025

Ground News: Sir David Nabarro, a British physician and WHO special envoy for COVID-19, died suddenly at age 75 on Friday at his home in Ferney-Voltaire, France: he received a knighthood from King Charles III in March 2023 for his leadership in global health, including coordinating responses to crises like Ebola and the 2004 Indian tsunami. 21 media reports (LINK) 25 July 2025

Glacial floods alert issued for northwest Pakistan with more heavy rain forecast (LINK) — ground.news: 23 media reports (LINK) 26 July 2025

— AP: Over 500 holidaymakers were evacuated from Naran after a cloudburst overnight Friday caused a road closure. In neighbouring Gilgit-Baltistan, aid was distributed to flood-affected communities and rescue operations were underway to find missing people. Pakistan has received above-average rainfall this monsoon season, raising concerns of a repeat of the devastating 2022 floods that submerged a third of the country and killed 1,737 people. Some 260 have died across Pakistan so far this season, which runs through to mid-September.

Friday, 25 July 2025

Thailand-Cambodia border dispute: 130,000 Thai civilians evacuated amid second day of clashes: fighting spreads to 12 locations (LINK) 25 July 2025

Gaza running out of specialized food to save malnourished children, UN agencies say: supplies of ready-to-use-therapeutic food will be depleted by mid-August if nothing changes, says Unicef (LINK) 25 July 2025

UK: Palestine Action ban 'disturbing' misuse of UK counter-terrorism legislation, Türk warns (LINK) 25 July 2025

Ecuador deports more than 600 Colombian inmates as Bogota cries foul (LINK) — ground.news: 55 media reports (LINK) 25 July 2025

NASA workforce to shrink by over 20% under deferred resignation programme (LINK) — ground.news: 150 media reports (LINK) 25 July 2025

Proton freezes Swiss investment over surveillance fears: draft measures would compel encrypted messaging providers, including WhatsApp and Proton, to identify users and store their data, handing it over to authorities upon request (LINK) 25 July 2025

Retired CIA official rebuts Gabbard's claims about US intelligence on Russian election interference in 2016: vowing to fight any potential criminal charges brought by the Trump administration (LINK) 25 July 2025

— In a statement, the White House praised Gabbard and described the 2017 intelligence report and its findings as a "total hoax and political witch hunt to snub President Trump's historic first term in office".

TikTok influencer based in Arizona sentenced in D.C. to 8.5 years for aiding North Korean IT sanctions evasion scheme: North Korean plot to infiltrate the U.S. tech workforce and fund the regime's weapons programme (LINK) 25 July 2025

— She ran a "laptop farm" , allowing North Korean IT workers to remotely access U.S.-based networks while appearing to be physically located inside the country, and laundered wages, aiding over 300 job placements. Between 2020 and her arrest, she helped operatives obtain remote roles at more than 300 American companies, including Fortune 500 firms, a major television network, and a leading aerospace manufacturer. North Korea has been linked to several other major crypto heists, including those targeting Bybit, the Ronin Bridge, Harmony, and various DeFi platforms.

Bitcoin's 4-year cycle theory — the idea that its price predictably rises after each halving, before crashing and recovering — is dead as whale strategy has shifted, analysts say (LINK) 25 July 2025

Thursday, 24 July 2025

French plan to recognise Palestine: US 'strongly rejects' plan, Saudis hail 'historic decision' (LINK) 24 July 2025

— France intends to recognise a Palestinian state in September at the UN General Assembly, President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday in hopes of bringing peace to the region, but the plan drew angry rebukes from Israel and the United States.

One in five children in Gaza City is malnourished, UNRWA says, and it has thousands of truckloads of supplies near Gaza which it wants to deliver (LINK) 24 July 2025

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has submitted a new bill restoring the independence of the country’s anti-corruption agencies after protests, EU criticism (LINK) 24 July 2025

Tether freezes $1.6m in USDT linked to Gaza-based terror financing as Bitcoin holds near $118,700 support (LINK) 24 July 2025

Ripple alerts community to possible rise in deepfake scams impersonating XRP executives on YouTube (LINK) 24 July 2025

Venus Williams says she returned to tennis "for the health insurance" (LINK) 24 July 2025

Wednesday, 23 July 2025

Protests in Ukraine as Zelensky signs bill targeting anti-corruption bodies (LINK) 23 July 2025

— The new law grants the prosecutor general control of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau (Nabu) and Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office (Sap), and critics say it undermines their authority. In an address, Zelensky said both agencies would still "work" but needed to be cleared of "Russian influence".

World Economic Forum probe of Klaus Schwab finds unauthorized spending, inappropriate behaviour (LINK) — ground.news: 20 media reports (LINK) 23 July 2025

— The probe labeled more than $1.1 million in purchases by Schwab and his wife using WEF funds as suspicious, The Wall Street Journal reported. The expenses included first-class flights for trips in which his wife had no business role, 14 hotel massages and trips to places like Venice, Italy, that appeared to have no business purpose. Schwab and his wife also allegedly received luxury gifts such as custom Tiffany cufflinks and Russian tea sets in violation of WEF policies. Schwab’s spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal that he donated most of the gifts in question to charity or displayed them at the WEF’s headquarters. The 87-year-old professor's alleged behavior included a late night June 2020 email to a female executive that said, "Do you feel that I am thinking of you," the WEF reportedly found. Schwab's spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal that such conduct does not reflect his character and that he merely meant to be a father figure to employees.

Gold gains with weaker dollar as traders weigh the Fed's future (LINK) 23 July 2025

U.S. federal appeals court in San Francisco finds Trump's effort to end birthright citizenship unconstitutional, upholds block (LINK) 23 July 2025

Top UN court says countries can sue each other over climate change (LINK) 23 July 2025

Unprecedented sargassum surge threatens tourism in the Caribbean (LINK) 23 July 2025

Swiss-based Proton to debut Lumo, a new privacy-focused AI chatbot (LINK) 23 July 2025

— Unlike ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini — all of which gather user data and continue to hold onto it for training and archival purposes — all of your chats with Lumo are completely end-to-end encrypted. Additionally, the company claims that it won't keep logs of your chats, and that any chat history or usage of the AI can only be accessed on the user's device. Access it for free at lumo.proton.me or by downloading the Lumo app on Android or iPhone devices.

Tuesday, 22 July 2025

At least 72 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in previous 24 hours as Unwra chief brands Gaza 'hell on earth': Head of UN Palestinian Refugee Agency says aid distribution points are a 'sadistic death trap' (LINK) 22 July 2025

— Unrwa commissioner general Philippe Lazzarini said snipers opened fire randomly on crowds at aid sites as if they are given a "licence to kill". The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation responded by claiming the UN was "refusing" to deliver aid in Gaza that could help end the desperation in the region.

Over a dozen children in Gaza dead of malnutrition over the past 3 days, Hamas-run ministry says (LINK) — ground.news: 42 media reports (LINK) 22 July 2025

— Gaza's health ministry said 33 people in total have died from malnutrition in last 48 hours. It brings the total number of these deaths to 101, including 80 children, according to the Hamas-run ministry.

Switzerland announced CHF 8 million (approximately $10 million) in funding to the International Trade Centre (ITC) from 2025 to 2029, in a signing ceremony on the sidelines of the first-ever Global SME Ministerial Meeting in Johannesburg (LINK) 22 July 2025

New 2500m2 artwork in Alps by French-Swiss artist Saype on the summit above Villars-sur-Ollon in Canton Vaud (LINK) 22 July 2025

— Titled "Towards the Horizon", it depicts a kneeling boy with a backpack, next to books and a pile of rocks. Made with chalk and charcoal it will hopefully be visible for several weeks, until it is washed away.

Trump pulls US out of Unesco in blow for UN culture and education agency: White House cites Unesco's focus on 'divisive social and cultural causes' in latest withdrawal from global bodies (LINK) 22 July 2025

— US withdrawal is to take effect in December 2026. The US provides about 8% of the body's total budget, making the financial impact of Washington's departure less severe than for other organisations, such as the WHO, for which the US is by far the biggest financial backer.

Trump Media & Technology Group is now the fifth-largest publicly traded corporate holder of Bitcoin (LINK) 22 July 2025

French culture minister Rachida Dati and former Renault CEO Nissan Carlos Ghosn will be tried for corruption (LINK) 22 July 2025

— Ghosn is under several international arrest warrants and is legally barred from leaving Lebanon, where he sought refuge in December 2019 after fleeing Japan, where he was incarcerated.

Lötschental: funicular and restaurants below Blatten gain daily visitors after disaster: minibuses run almsot full on sunny days to Kummenalp and Faldumalp west of Lauchernalp, saving a 5-hour walk (LINK in French) 22 July 2025

Monday, 21 July 2025

UN mission in Afghanistan concerned by Taliban's arrest of Afghan women and girls for dress code violations (LINK) 21 July 2025

— In May 2022, the Taliban government issued a decree calling for women to show only their eyes and recommending they wear a head-to-toe burqa. The U.N. mission in Afghanistan said it was concerned by the arrest of "numerous" women and girls in Kabul between July 16 and 19, who authorities claimed had not followed instructions on wearing the hijab, or the Islamic headscarf. "These incidents serve to further isolate women and girls, contribute to a climate of fear, and erode public trust," the mission added, without details including the number of arrests or the ages and where they have been held.

White House removes Wall Street Journal from Scotland press pool over Epstein bombshell (LINK) 21 July 2025

IOM makes a high-level hire as thousands in the agency lose jobs (LINK) 21 July 2025

— Appointment of Michele Sison, a close ally of Director-General Amy Pope, another American,as director of the Washington-based IOM Global Office may violate the organization’s internal rules on staff age. PassBlue found that appointments cannot be offered to candidates who are 63 and older. Sison, born in 1959, turned 66 in May. At the time of her hire, she was technically over the age limit, which would have made her ineligible under the stated guidelines. In February employees were told about 3,000 were about to get laid off in agencywide job cuts. An additional 20 percent staff cut, affecting 250 positions at IOM headquarters, followed shortly thereafter. In total, IOM has laid off more than 6,000 of its personnel worldwide so far this year.

— "Although Pope assured staff in an email that executive posts would not be spared from the 'structural adjustments', this has not been the case. Sources told PassBlue that jobs close to Pope have largely been protected from the major shakeup." In 2024, the US was the IOM's largest donor, contributing $1.6 billion in voluntary funding to its operations. That support has dropped significantly with President Donald Trump’s UN-wide and other funding cuts, but neither IOM nor the State Department provided precise information on the amounts.

Bondi takes revenge on family of man who created anti-ICE app: fires wife (LINK) 21 July 2025

— Joshua Aaron created ICEBlock to show where raids are taking place. Pam Bondi's Justice Department has fired the wife of the man who developed a controversial "anti-ICE" warning system after far-right influencer Laura Loomer attacked her on X. Carolyn Feinstein, who is married to ICEBlock developer Joshua Aaron, had served as a forensic accountant at the DOJ's Office of the U.S. Trustee for almost a decade. On Friday she received an email from the department informing her that her position would be terminated.

Rising food prices driven by climate crisis threaten world’s poorest, report finds (LINK) 21 July 2025

Microsoft warns of active SharePoint cyber attack: 54 victims confirmed (LINK) 21 July 2025

Revolut kicks off recruitment drive for 400+ as new Western Europe HQ takes shape in Paris following the recent appointment of Béatrice Cossa-Dumurgier as CEO Western Europe (LINK) 21 July 2025

— The company now employs over 13,000 people globally. Serving over 60 million customers across Europe and beyond, Revolut champions a hybrid working model.

Bangladesh: at least 19 dead after air force jet crashes into school: Air Force says the F-7 jet experienced a mechanical fault after taking off for a training exercise in Dhaka (LINK) 21 July 2025

White House removes Wall Street Journal from Scotland press pool over Epstein bombshell (LINK) 21 July 2025