Saturday, 30 August 2025

Yemen's Houthi rebel movement confirm self-proclaimed prime minister killed in Israeli strike against Yemen's capital, Sanaa, on 28 August (LINK) 30 August 2025

Prominent Ukrainian politician Andriy Parubiy shot dead in Lviv (LINK) 30 August 2025

Scientists say they may have just figured out the origin of life: it comes down to some "very simple chemistry" (LINK) 30 August 2025

Friday, 29 August 2025

Volodymyr Zelensky rejects proposals for buffer zone to end fighting (LINK) 29 August 2025

— "Only those who do not understand the technological state of today's war propose a buffer zone," he told reporters on Friday.

Ukraine war latest: Europe 'considering post-war buffer zone'; US approves potential missile sale (LINK) 29 August 2025

Federal appellate court upholds ruling striking down Trump's tariffs (LINK) 29 August 2025

— In late May, the Court of International Trade ruled Trump did not have the authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs, as he has done this year. The court said it did not reach a conclusion on whether a president could authorize any tariffs under the emergency powers, only that Trump's reasoning for the tariffs did not constitute an emergency and went beyond the president's authority. The tariffs "are unbounded in scope, amount and duration," the ruling says. They "assert an expansive authority that is ... beyond the authority delegated to the President by IEEPA."

Thai court dismisses prime minister over compromising phone call with Cambodian leader (LINK) 29 August 2025

Israel recovers body of hostage and remains of another, declares Gaza City a 'dangerous combat zone' (LINK) 29 August 2025

Trump administration faces rare bipartisan pushback for firing CDC director (LINK) 29 August 2025

FIFA loses multi-million lawsuit against Sepp Blatter and Markus Kattner after 10-year case (LINK) 29 August 2025

— The former FIFA officials do not have to pay back their own bonuses or the bonus totalling CHF23 million ($28.7 million) paid to another FIFA official to FIFA. According to the court, the defendants were entitled to assume "in good faith" that FIFA would authorise the bonus payments that had already been made. The decision is not yet final.

Thursday, 28 August 2025

Russian strikes hit British Council and EU offices in deadly attack on Kyiv: UK and EU summon top Russian diplomats: European leaders condemn 'deliberate' targeting of civilians and institutions: overnight raid kills more than a dozen people (LINK) 28 August 2025

White House chooses Robert F Kennedy Jr deputy to run CDC: Backlash (LINK) 28 August 2025

Massive CDC walkout erupts amid internal chaos (LINK) 28 August 2025

Trump ends Secret Service protection for Harris (LINK) 28 August 2025

Gulf Stream 'could collapse in our lifetime', warns EU climate chief after Dutch scientists found key ocean currents are weakening faster than thought (LINK) 28 August 2025

Microplastics found in highest amounts in these popular drinks: hot tea: 49 to 81 MPs per litre, soft drinks only 13 to 21 MPs per litre (LINK) 28 August 2025

United Nations says children make up 50 percent of gang members in Haiti: US and Panama have proposed a security force meant to counter gangs, despite setbacks with an existing Kenya-led policing operation (LINK) 28 August 2025

Wednesday, 27 August 2025

Return of UN nuclear inspectors to Iran met with protests by MPs: some Iranian officials say readmission breaches law passed after Israel and the US attacked the country in June (LINK) 27 August 2025

CDC erupts in chaos after ousted chief Susan Monarez refuses to resign: Lawyers for Monarez say she was ‘targeted’ for 'protecting the public' by not endorsing 'unscientific' orders (LINK) 27 August 2025

CDC vaccine chief Demetre Daskalakis slams Kennedy in scathing resignation post: said there had been an "intentional eroding of trust in low-risk vaccines" (LINK) 27 August 2025

Denmark summons top US diplomat over alleged influence operation (LINK) 27 August 2025

UN nuclear watchdog chief said to receive 24/7 security detail due to Iranian threat (LINK) 27 August 2025

Donald Trump's 50% tariff on India kicks in as PM Modi urges self-reliance (LINK) 27 August 2025

Trump Media launches Nasdaq-listed CRO strategy, token skyrockets (LINK) 27 August 2025

Scientist warns that new synthetic "mirror" lifeforms could spell doom for humankind: most scientists agree that the technology is at least a decade away, perhaps three (LINK) 27 August 2025

Deforestation has killed half a million people in past 20 years, study finds: localized rises in temperature caused by land clearance cause 28,330 heat-related deaths a year, researchers find (LINK) 27 August 2025

Van Gogh museum warns of closure risk without state support for renovations: attracts some 1.8 million visitors a year (LINK) 27 August 2025

Medvedev fined $42,500 after US Open meltdown after a meltdown sparked by a photographer walking on to the court during his defeat by France's Benjamin Bonzi (LINK) 27 August 2025

— He was docked $30,000 for unsportsmanlike behaviour and another $12,500 for obliterating a racket against a chair. It means the Russian will have to forfeit about 40% of the first-round prize money he received. Medvedev, who won the New York title in 2021, was incensed when umpire Greg Allensworth awarded another first serve to Bonzi following the bizarre moment. Staring defeat in the face, Medvedev marched over to the official and incited a frenzied New York crowd before shouting at Allensworth. The match was delayed for more than six minutes before the crowd calmed down sufficiently for Bonzi to resume.

Ostapenko and Townsend confront each other after US Open match with American's upset win: Ostapenko 'said I had no education'. Ostapenko denies comments had racial undertones (LINK) 27 August 2025

Tuesday, 26 August 2025

One in four still lacks access to safe drinking water and sanitation (LINK) 26 August 2025

UPU, the United Nations agency that coordinates international mail deliveries, says it's working to get small parcels dispatched to the United States again by resolving confusion over the pending elimination of U.S. tariff exemption from Friday (LINK) 26 August 2025

— The postal service operators of more than 30 countries, including almost all of the ones in Europe, have limited or stopped shipping all or most U.S.-bound parcels valued at $800 or less, which has been the cutoff for imported goods to escape customs charges.

Some FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) staff are put on leave after signing dissent letter with ex-staff (35 signed their names while 141 signed anonymously): at least 2 received suspension notices (LINK) 26 August 2025

Australia expels Iranian ambassador over antisemitic attacks (LINK) 26 August 2025

Quantum myths, e.g. Einstein hated entanglement (LINK) 26 August 2025

Monday, 25 August 2025

More than a dozen people killed in Israeli strikes on hospital in southern Gaza, including journalists (LINK) 25 August 2025

Al Jazeera: Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,279 (LINK) 25 August 2025

Trump orders removal of Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook (LINK) 25 August 2025

— In response, Cook has said Trump has no authority to fire her and she will not resign. It is an unprecedented move for the president to dismiss a member of the central bank's leadership. The president had called for her resignation last week over the allegation of mortgage fraud, which was first made in a public letter from housing finance regulator, Bill Pulte, a Trump ally, to Attorney General Pam Bondi. Cook told the BBC in a statement last week that she learned of the allegations from the media, and the matter stemmed from a mortgage loan application she made four years ago before she joined the central bank.

Judge halts Trump administration from deporting Kilmar Ábrego García for now (LINK) 25 August 2025

Ranked: countries with the highest wealth per person in 2025: Switzerland 1 at $678K per adult on average but 7th with $182K for median wealth (middle value of weath distribution) (LINK) 25 August 2025