Iran rejects US claim to Hormuz as ship attacks mount600 drones head for Moscow as Russia strikes Kyiv and Kryvyi RihDeath toll passes 50 after magnitude 7.7 quake off FloresIsraeli strikes kill 11 in south Lebanon, deadliest since June truceColombia asks Trump to suspend tariffs as quake toll climbsRhine hits record low at Kaub as Hungary sinks barges to cool reactorUS readies unprecedented economic measures against IranUS boat strikes pass 200 dead as Ecuadorean fishermen describe attacksBond traders struggle to price $70bn of credit backstops behind AI buildoutAlibaba says its open AI models passed three billion downloadsDeath toll rises to 68 after Lake Kariba ferry sinkingTaliban mark five years in power as UN warns of rights crisisEU aircraft join fight against Belgium's record wildfireUS presses Netanyahu over settlers as Qusra homes are occupiedMokha port halts operations as Houthi missiles hit MaribSeoul proposes talks to end the Korean war as North rejects drillsChina-led perovskite solar plant outperforms silicon in three-month field testOpenAI revenue run rate passes $40bn as revenue chief departsHamas leader in Cairo as Kushner trip nearsWHO says Congo's Ebola outbreak is outpacing the responseTurkish parliament passes amnesty law for PKK membersMorocco detains scores near Ceuta as feared mass crossing fails to materialiseChina publishes ecology reports to bolster South China Sea claimsMyanmar says more than 300,000 Rohingya verified for repatriationPetrobras detects signs of oil off the mouth of the AmazonChina condemns Japanese politicians' moves at Yasukuni ShrineUS inflation cools as wages again lag behind pricesModi offers free exam coaching after youth protests in IndiaOil from grounded Russian tanker reaches Oman's coastPanama Canal cuts draught again as Mexico pitches rival corridorUkraine's idle ports cost $1.75bn as farm exports fallFormer Chinese premier Zhu Rongji diesAt least 20 killed in communal clashes in central NigeriaIran accuses Qatar of holding three of its pilotsXi calls for shift to prevention as floods batter ChinaVenezuela frees 131 more political prisonersMore Syrians in Germany lose refugee protectionAudit finds gaps in Taiwan's counter-drone defencesIndia drafts rules to open nuclear power to private firmsHichilema takes early lead as Zambian count resumesParis prosecutors open investigation into tax portal hackReport details leverage behind Situational Awareness lossesArgentina has lost 30,633 companies under MileiAt least five dead in Indiana floodingIran detains two French diplomats over alleged infiltrationCanadian petition to expel US ambassador passes 170,000 signaturesIndia raises $50bn from its diaspora and ends swap facility earlyOpaque start-ups build erotic AI industry from Cyprus and MaltaBritain's biggest EV battery plant shelves expansion as Jaguar Land Rover talks stallThird drone debris find in a day on Turkish coastsForecasters put 95 percent odds on a very strong El NiñoSecondhand booksellers suspect AI firms behind bulk ordersEtna alert lowered as Catania airport reopensFuneral held for Indigenous girl whose death sparked outback riotsIran rejects US claim to Hormuz as ship attacks mount600 drones head for Moscow as Russia strikes Kyiv and Kryvyi RihDeath toll passes 50 after magnitude 7.7 quake off FloresIsraeli strikes kill 11 in south Lebanon, deadliest since June truceColombia asks Trump to suspend tariffs as quake toll climbsRhine hits record low at Kaub as Hungary sinks barges to cool reactorUS readies unprecedented economic measures against IranUS boat strikes pass 200 dead as Ecuadorean fishermen describe attacksBond traders struggle to price $70bn of credit backstops behind AI buildoutAlibaba says its open AI models passed three billion downloadsDeath toll rises to 68 after Lake Kariba ferry sinkingTaliban mark five years in power as UN warns of rights crisisEU aircraft join fight against Belgium's record wildfireUS presses Netanyahu over settlers as Qusra homes are occupiedMokha port halts operations as Houthi missiles hit MaribSeoul proposes talks to end the Korean war as North rejects drillsChina-led perovskite solar plant outperforms silicon in three-month field testOpenAI revenue run rate passes $40bn as revenue chief departsHamas leader in Cairo as Kushner trip nearsWHO says Congo's Ebola outbreak is outpacing the responseTurkish parliament passes amnesty law for PKK membersMorocco detains scores near Ceuta as feared mass crossing fails to materialiseChina publishes ecology reports to bolster South China Sea claimsMyanmar says more than 300,000 Rohingya verified for repatriationPetrobras detects signs of oil off the mouth of the AmazonChina condemns Japanese politicians' moves at Yasukuni ShrineUS inflation cools as wages again lag behind pricesModi offers free exam coaching after youth protests in IndiaOil from grounded Russian tanker reaches Oman's coastPanama Canal cuts draught again as Mexico pitches rival corridorUkraine's idle ports cost $1.75bn as farm exports fallFormer Chinese premier Zhu Rongji diesAt least 20 killed in communal clashes in central NigeriaIran accuses Qatar of holding three of its pilotsXi calls for shift to prevention as floods batter ChinaVenezuela frees 131 more political prisonersMore Syrians in Germany lose refugee protectionAudit finds gaps in Taiwan's counter-drone defencesIndia drafts rules to open nuclear power to private firmsHichilema takes early lead as Zambian count resumesParis prosecutors open investigation into tax portal hackReport details leverage behind Situational Awareness lossesArgentina has lost 30,633 companies under MileiAt least five dead in Indiana floodingIran detains two French diplomats over alleged infiltrationCanadian petition to expel US ambassador passes 170,000 signaturesIndia raises $50bn from its diaspora and ends swap facility earlyOpaque start-ups build erotic AI industry from Cyprus and MaltaBritain's biggest EV battery plant shelves expansion as Jaguar Land Rover talks stallThird drone debris find in a day on Turkish coastsForecasters put 95 percent odds on a very strong El NiñoSecondhand booksellers suspect AI firms behind bulk ordersEtna alert lowered as Catania airport reopensFuneral held for Indigenous girl whose death sparked outback riots
Bota

Region · 150 events

North America

Sunday, 16 August 2026

US inflation cools as wages again lag behind prices

The Wall Street Journal reports that cooling US consumer prices and gains among oil refiners pushed stocks up, while European indices extended their record highs. New research cited by the New York Times shows worker pay is once more failing to keep pace with inflation, repeating the pattern of 2021-22.

United States

Economy

Panama Canal cuts draught again as Mexico pitches rival corridor

Since Saturday the Panama Canal has been operating with a draught of 48.5 feet (14.78 metres) in its Neopanamax locks as a preventive measure against the drought, according to Telesur. Bloomberg reports that Mexico is using the squeeze on global waterways to promote its own interoceanic corridor.

Mexico

Economy

Report details leverage behind Situational Awareness losses

The Wall Street Journal on Saturday described the risk-amplifying strategy that led to heavy losses at the fund Situational Awareness. According to the report, the geared-up bets cost Jane Street about 15 billion dollars.

United States

Economy

At least five dead in Indiana flooding

A week of heavy rain has left at least five people dead in the US state of Indiana, Al Jazeera reports. The state's governor said the US government has promised assistance, and rescue and clean-up work continues.

United States

Geopolitics

Canadian petition to expel US ambassador passes 170,000 signatures

More than 170,000 people have signed a Canadian petition calling for the expulsion of US ambassador Pete Hoekstra, which is set to be debated in the House of Commons. The New York Times and Al Jazeera describe the campaign as a measure of discontent with President Trump's policies, with relations at a historic low.

Canada United States

Geopolitics

Saturday, 15 August 2026

PayPal in talks to sell itself to Stripe and Advent

PayPal is negotiating a sale to its rival Stripe and the private equity firm Advent, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. A deal would reshape global online payments; no terms have been reported.

United States

Economy

Anthropic quarterly revenue passes $11.5 billion

Anthropic took in more than $11.5 billion in revenue in the second quarter, Bloomberg reported on Friday. The jump puts the company among the fastest-growing in the AI industry and narrows the commercial gap with its larger rivals.

United States

Technology

White House enlists private firms to hack foreign cybercriminals

The White House is recruiting private companies for offensive operations against foreign cybercriminals, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, a break with decades of state monopoly on such action. Global Times cited a Chinese expert who warned that the approach risks fuelling privateer-style cyber piracy and disrupting order in cyberspace.

United States

Technology

US shifts to sanctions rather than force against Cuba

Washington is pursuing maximum economic pressure instead of military action against Cuba, with the aim of cutting off the island's revenue sources, Bloomberg and TASS reported on Friday. The Dominican Republic expelled nine officials of the Cuban embassy in Santo Domingo on Thursday, while Havana marks Fidel Castro's centenary and, according to the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, loosens some strict rules.

United States

Geopolitics

Mangione pleads guilty to shooting UnitedHealthcare chief

Luigi Mangione admitted in federal court on Friday that he fatally shot UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson and pleaded guilty to two federal charges of stalking him with intent to kill. The Wall Street Journal reports that the case also involves double jeopardy claims by Mangione.

United States

Geopolitics

Trump family crypto venture wins preliminary approval for bank charter

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on Friday granted preliminary approval for World Liberty Financial to establish a national bank, according to Breitbart. The venture was co-founded by President Trump and his sons, and the Wall Street Journal reported the decision as an exclusive.

United States

Economy

Son of Mexico's former president says US revoked his visa

Andrés Manuel López Beltrán, son of former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, said the US government had cancelled his visa and attacked Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a letter, according to reports by the New York Times, Bloomberg and Breitbart. President Sheinbaum criticised the revocation of visas held by Mexican political figures.

Mexico United States

Geopolitics

US tells Canada to end retaliation or face new tariffs

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Canada must end its retaliatory measures to avoid further US tariffs, Bloomberg reported on Friday. A Canadian union said Stellantis is considering selling its plant in the Toronto area, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Canada United States

Economy

US immigration agency issues electrified gloves to its officers

Le Monde reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is equipping its agents with electrified gloves, raising concerns about possible abuse. According to the paper, the federal force tasked by Donald Trump's government with carrying out mass deportations of undocumented migrants has become the symbol of that policy's excesses.

United States

Geopolitics

Friday, 14 August 2026

US imposes 100% tariff on larger drones and components

Trump signed a proclamation on Thursday imposing duties of up to 100 percent on imported drones and parts. The White House cites national security and reliance on foreign suppliers.

China United Kingdom Japan Taiwan

Economy

AI data-centre build-out draws new financing and local resistance in the US

Bloomberg reports that a Jane Street lease is backing $2.25 billion of green data-centre bonds, that Microsoft has cut its purchases of carbon removals by 80 percent amid its AI push, and that parts of Texas are cooling on new sites. The Wall Street Journal reports that Rick Perry's Fermi has found a customer for its Texas power project, while Meta said on Wednesday it had entered a national partnership with North America's Building Trades Unions tying its data-centre construction to unionised labour.

United States

Technology

Records show US spying on leftwing and anti-ICE groups

Newly disclosed records show the Department of Homeland Security sent undercover agents into meetings and infiltrated chats of groups opposing the immigration crackdown, The Guardian reported on Friday. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said the department has revoked more than 175,000 visas, and Breitbart reports a new task force against birth tourism.

United States

Geopolitics

US enlists private companies in cyber operations

The Wall Street Journal reports that Washington is drawing the private sector into its cyber battle. The National asks whether the Trump administration's cyber security plan would let companies 'hack back' against attackers.

United States

Technology

Kalshi ordered to halt most operations in Washington state

A state judge's preliminary injunction bars the prediction market Kalshi from letting Washington residents place bets on the bulk of its offerings, the New York Times reported on Friday. El País writes that prediction platforms are courting female audiences on social media with empowerment messaging.

United States

Economy

Flock adds privacy limits to its US car-tracking camera network

The surveillance company Flock Safety announced new privacy guardrails on Thursday after reports that police used its licence plate camera network to target immigrants and people seeking abortions in other states. Critics cited by The New York Times call the measures public relations that leave room for continued misuse.

United States

Technology

Databricks raises $5bn at a $190bn valuation

The data and AI company closed a $5 billion strategic funding round on Thursday that values it at $190 billion, according to Bloomberg. MGX of the United Arab Emirates co-led the round, The National reported.

United Arab Emirates United States

Technology

US pressure in Panama widens from ports to AI infrastructure

CK Hutchison said what it called the forced termination of its operations at two Panama Canal ports cut 1 per cent from overall throughput in the first half of the year, the South China Morning Post reported on Thursday. Washington is also rolling out an AI assistance project and a digital passport scheme on the isthmus, steps the Chinese state outlet Global Times describes as overreach.

China United States

Geopolitics

Mexico presses Washington to cut car tariffs as Canadian anger grows

The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Mexico is pressing the United States to lower its tariffs on cars. In Canada, more than 110,000 people had signed a petition by Thursday calling for the removal of US Ambassador Pete Hoekstra, according to Daily Sabah.

Canada Mexico United States

Economy

Trump orders US carriers back to steam catapults

President Donald Trump has ordered the US Navy to drop electromagnetic launch systems on new aircraft carriers and return to steam catapults, acting on a long-standing complaint and against the opposition of many naval officers. Bloomberg also reports that Hegseth was pressed in Congress over a purge at the Pentagon's weapons test office and over blocked test data.

United States

Geopolitics

Three men executed on the same day in the US for the first time in 15 years

Oklahoma, Tennessee and Alabama carried out lethal injections within hours of each other, the first time in 15 years that three men have been put to death on a single day in the United States. Le Monde reports that the timing was a coincidence but reflects the pace of executions: 22 people have been executed in the country since the start of the year.

United States

Geopolitics

Thursday, 13 August 2026

US inflation eases to 3.4% as the Fed stays split

US consumer prices rose 0.1 percent in July and the annual rate slipped to 3.4 percent, figures released on Wednesday showed. Subdued core inflation buys the Federal Reserve time.

Iran United States

Economy

Canada weighs accepting US auto tariffs as Mexico seeks relief

Canadian officials are considering accepting US tariffs on car exports in return for lower levies on vehicles that comply with the USMCA trade pact, while Mexico is pushing separately for reduced auto duties, according to the Wall Street Journal. The New York Times reports that some Canadian companies may only survive by moving to the United States if Donald Trump goes ahead with 50 percent tariffs on a wide range of Canadian goods later this month.

Canada Mexico United States

Economy

US-China investment board stalls before Trump-Xi meeting

The Board of Investment agreed at the May summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping is unlikely to be among the deliverables for their expected meeting next month, the South China Morning Post reports. A proposed US rule barring scientific collaboration with China has drawn protest from American researchers, according to Global Times, while Singapore and South Korea are positioning to take up the work.

China United States

Geopolitics

WHO warns against Trump's childhood vaccination overhaul

The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that Donald Trump's plan to overhaul childhood vaccination in the United States goes against "decades of evidence". Trump signed an order on Monday recommending that childhood vaccinations be spaced out, after having withdrawn the country from the organisation.

United States

Geopolitics

New York opens sweeping investigation into Polymarket and Kalshi

New York City has launched a broad inquiry into the two largest prediction markets, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday. The New York Times reports that the platforms themselves flag suspected insider traders, but many face no charges because the supervising agency lacks the staff, the legal tools and the will to act, with bets on manipulable events such as flight delays drawing particular scrutiny.

United States

Economy

US Treasury drops enforcement of shell-company ownership rules

The Trump administration will not enforce the reporting requirements of the 2021 Corporate Transparency Act, which was intended to expose the owners behind anonymous US companies. Campaigners against money laundering say the rollback reopens one of the world's largest secrecy loopholes.

United States

Economy

ICE to buy electric-shock gloves worth up to $20m

The US Department of Homeland Security is expected to spend up to $20 million on gloves that deliver a painful electric jolt to people who resist immigration officers. The planned purchase comes amid criticism of ICE's use of force during street operations.

United States

Geopolitics

Greenland forces Trump-linked oil firm to delay Arctic drilling

Greenlandic authorities have made Greenland Energy, a US company connected to Donald Trump, postpone its planned wells, so drilling could now begin only in the winter of 2027. A US envoy had claimed Americans could be extracting crude as early as next year.

United States

Geopolitics

Apple in talks to pay publishers for Siri training data

The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that Apple is negotiating payments to news publishers for content to improve its overhauled AI assistant. Such licensing deals remain rare, while rivals face lawsuits and regulatory complaints over their use of publishers' material.

United States

Technology

Anthropic in talks to buy Decart for $6bn

Bloomberg reported on Thursday that Anthropic is negotiating the purchase of Decart, a startup working on AI video and world models, for about $6 billion. It would be by far the company's largest acquisition.

United States

Technology

Former Guerrero governor charged over 43 missing Ayotzinapa students

Mexican prosecutors have formally charged Ángel Aguirre, who was governor of Guerrero when 43 students disappeared in 2014, over his alleged involvement in the case, the Guardian reported on Wednesday. The disappearance became a symbol of cartel violence in Mexico.

Mexico

Geopolitics

Media groups sue Trump over paid access to presidential posts

News organisations and an NGO filed suits on Wednesday over a subscription service charging up to $100,000 a month for early access to Donald Trump's posts on Truth Social. The plaintiffs argue that the US president is selling information he generates in his official capacity; according to them, between 9,000 and 11,000 posts and reposts appeared on his account last year alone.

United States

Geopolitics

Google says Gemini has passed one billion monthly users

Chief executive Sundar Pichai said on Tuesday that Google's artificial intelligence assistant Gemini had reached one billion monthly users. The announcement came a week after a leadership shake-up in the company's AI unit.

United States

Technology

Wednesday, 12 August 2026

Trump flown out of Turkey on second jet after Iranian threat

US officials deemed an Iranian threat against President Donald Trump credible during his visit to Turkey last month and flew him out aboard a military jet after he had boarded another aircraft, Daily Sabah reported on Tuesday. Trump said he slipped away from Air Force One because of the threat, and the plane swap has triggered questions and confusion, according to The Hindu.

Iran Türkiye United States

Geopolitics

Rights groups sue Trump administration over ICC sanctions

Human Rights Watch and three other US advocacy groups sued the Trump administration on Tuesday over an executive order that sanctions judges and prosecutors of the International Criminal Court. The sanctions were imposed over the court's investigations into Israeli conduct in Palestine and bar Americans from providing services to those targeted.

Israel United States

Geopolitics

US immigration agents could get electric-shock gloves

US authorities are considering gloves that deliver painful electric shocks to people who resist immigration officers, Daily Sabah reported on Tuesday. El País writes that ICE disregarded its own de-escalation guidelines in the street operations in which Lorenzo Salgado and Johan Durán died.

United States

Geopolitics

Hanwha offers to buy builder of US Navy ships

The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that South Korea's Hanwha has offered to acquire an American builder of US Navy ships. The report did not set out the terms of the offer.

South Korea United States

Economy

Judge widens block on Trump's mail-in voting rules

A federal judge has extended the injunction against President Donald Trump's tightened mail-in ballot rules for the midterm elections, Bloomberg and the FAZ report. Trump said 'stranger things have happened' when it was suggested on Tuesday that he could declare a national security emergency for the elections, while former CIA director John Brennan said Americans 'should be very worried' about interference.

United States

Geopolitics

Castro grandson emerges as broker in talks with Washington

The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Raúl G. Rodríguez Castro, the Castro family's envoy in talks with the Trump administration, was once named in a case targeting a Cuban smuggling ring in Quintana Roo, Mexico. TASS reported on Wednesday that Rubio, the head of US foreign policy, expects Cuba to embark on major change before the end of Trump's term, without disclosing details.

Mexico United States

Geopolitics

Golden Dome contractors complete first tests

Pentagon contractors for the Golden Dome missile shield have completed their first tests, which included data transmission from sensors to the interceptor and a demonstration of propulsion systems, TASS reported on Wednesday citing Bloomberg. The Wall Street Journal reported a day earlier that Lockheed Martin is investing millions to develop a hypersonic weapons system.

United States

Geopolitics

US and Canada work to finalise trade deal

Senior US and Canadian trade officials are working to finalise a possible trade agreement, Canadian broadcaster CBC reported. Daily Sabah wrote on Tuesday that the deal could be presented to US President Donald Trump as early as Monday.

Canada United States

Economy

Tuesday, 11 August 2026

US appeals court lets social media addiction suits proceed

A US appeals court ruled on Monday that Meta, Google, TikTok and Snapchat must face thousands of lawsuits alleging they designed their platforms to addict children. It also refused to delay a separate Meta trial due to open on Wednesday.

China United States

Technology

Intel to raise $15 billion in stock sale as AI strains chip supply

Intel said on Monday it would offer $15 billion of common stock, a move Bloomberg links to demand driven by artificial intelligence. Bloomberg also reported that Microsoft plans to increase production of its AI chips, while Global Times said Apple is testing memory chips from the Chinese maker CXMT.

China United States

Economy

US ammunition shortage weighs on allies

Bloomberg described the shortfall in American ammunition stocks as a global problem that affects allies as well as US forces. In an editorial cited by TASS, the Financial Times argued that an agreement for Ukraine to produce Patriot interceptors is no quick solution, because technology transfer and a certified supply chain would take years.

Ukraine United States

Geopolitics

US visa revocations pass 175,000

The State Department said on Monday that more than 175,000 visas have been revoked since President Donald Trump took office, putting the administration on pace for a record year. Most of the revocations stemmed from law-enforcement encounters involving criminal activity, the department said.

United States

Geopolitics

Sanders urges Meta, OpenAI and Anthropic to pause AI development

Senator Bernie Sanders called on executives at Meta, OpenAI and Anthropic to halt their AI development and to stop building machines that humans cannot control, the Guardian reported on Monday. The National reported that he also warned technology entrepreneurs about the dangers of unregulated AI.

United States

Technology

Backlash grows against Flock's licence-plate camera network

Flock Safety's automated licence plate-reading cameras, used by thousands of US law enforcement agencies, have drawn criticism from civil liberties groups, the New York Times reported on Monday. In Texas, liberals and conservatives alike object to cameras trained on their cars, while Bloomberg argues that surveillance in the country reaches far beyond Flock.

United States

Technology

Hanwha makes $1bn push into US naval shipbuilding

South Korea's Hanwha is making a $1 billion push into naval shipbuilding in the United States, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. Further details of the investment are not given in the report available.

South Korea United States

Economy

FDA orders ingredient disclosure but delays ultraprocessed food curbs

The Food and Drug Administration will require companies to disclose food ingredients while postponing the planned crackdown on ultraprocessed foods, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the changes on Monday, and Bloomberg reported that chief executives had pressed the White House for the delay.

United States

Economy

US records hottest month in 132 years

Americans have just lived through the hottest month in 132 years, Bloomberg reported on Monday. The available report does not give the temperature figures behind that finding.

United States

Geopolitics

Monday, 10 August 2026

Lake Mead falls to its lowest recorded level

Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the United States, has fallen below its previous record low set in 2022, the Guardian reported on Sunday. The reservoir on the Arizona-Nevada border is fed by the Colorado River, which is under strain in the water crisis across the American west.

United States

Geopolitics

UN expert says no one should be deported to Haiti

A UN expert described conditions in Haiti as catastrophic, with gangs controlling much of the country and 1.5 million people internally displaced. El País reports the warning that the situation will worsen when temporary protected status ends in the United States.

United States

Geopolitics

Dollar near two-month low as US inflation data looms

The dollar held near a two-month trough on Monday and gold drifted lower from a seven-week peak as markets awaited US inflation figures due on Tuesday. Soft jobs data had eased expectations of a September rate rise, while Wall Street reads Treasury Secretary Bessent's recent moves as a sign of anxiety in the bond market.

United States

Economy

Biden's cancer is spreading and very painful, his son says

Hunter Biden said in a radio interview on Saturday that his father's prostate cancer has metastasised further and is spreading to other parts of his body. He described the illness of the former US president as very painful.

United States

Geopolitics

Sunday, 9 August 2026

Trump's birth-tourism orders face new legal challenge as New Jersey probes detention deaths

Trump's executive orders limiting birthright citizenship and birth tourism face a fresh legal challenge, months after the Supreme Court ruled in June in favour of broad birthright citizenship protections. New Jersey's attorney general opened an investigation on Friday into possible civil rights violations at the GEO Group-run Delaney Hall detention centre in Newark after three detainees died.

United States

Geopolitics

Scientists warn 'Super El Niño' could flood western US

Climate scientists told The Guardian that the El Niño now building is expected to intensify in autumn and winter and to persist until early spring 2027. They warn of a wet winter and flooding in the western United States.

United States

Geopolitics

Senate confirms Trump's former lawyer Blanche as attorney general

The US Senate confirmed Todd Blanche, Donald Trump's former personal defence lawyer, as attorney general by 50 votes to 49 early on Saturday. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer said the vote allows Trump to continue what he called pervasive corruption, while FAZ reports criticism over possible conflicts of interest.

United States

Geopolitics

Berkshire buys back $4.5bn in shares as Abel deploys cash pile

Berkshire Hathaway reported higher operating profit and bought back $4.5 billion of its own shares, Bloomberg reported on Saturday. According to the Financial Times, chief executive Greg Abel is putting to work the cash pile built up under Warren Buffett.

United States

Economy

US stocks close week at records with Dow at 54,000

The Wall Street Journal reported that the Dow Jones reached 54,000 as US stocks ended the week at record highs, supported by strong corporate earnings. The paper also wrote that the labour market may not need as many new jobs as before to count as healthy.

United States

Economy

Crypto market bill stalls in Senate despite $225m lobbying push

The Financial Times reported that the crypto sector's flagship market-structure bill stalled in the US Senate despite $225 million in industry spending, while Reuters said senators advanced it before the August recess. According to the Wall Street Journal, reporting on Donald Trump's financial windfall from crypto stiffened opposition to the legislation.

United States

Economy

SpaceX valuation falls sharply after June listing

Le Monde reported that SpaceX's valuation has dropped sharply since its stock market listing in mid-June, putting the company's ambitions to the test of its figures. The Wall Street Journal wrote that selling the dream was the easy part and that Elon Musk now has to hang on.

United States

Technology

New York funds water security after cyberattacks on US utilities

The Wall Street Journal reports that a cyberattack linked to a distant war hit the utilities of a small town in Minnesota, part of a wave of intrusions into US water systems. New York has awarded nine million dollars to strengthen water infrastructure after the nationwide attacks.

United States

Technology

US judge halts Pentagon's Chinese military company label for WuXi AppTec

Bloomberg reports that a US judge has temporarily blocked the Defense Department's designation of the contract drug developer WuXi AppTec as a Chinese military company. The Global Times quotes Chinese experts as saying the ruling shows that such blacklists are not beyond challenge.

China United States

Economy

US Senate passes stopgap funding bill to avert shutdown

The US Senate has approved short-term financing that keeps the federal government open past the coming election, Reuters reports. According to Bloomberg, the bill leaves out Trump's spending priorities.

United States

Economy

Cuba turns to solar power with Chinese systems amid fuel shortage

Telesur reports that China delivered a second donation of 5,000 photovoltaic systems to Cuba on Friday at a ceremony in Havana. The Cuban government also approved two resolutions to ease the tax burden on state and private investment in renewable energy, as the island runs low on oil, according to the Wall Street Journal.

China

Economy

Biden's prostate cancer has spread, son says

Hunter Biden told the BBC that his father's prostate cancer has spread beyond the bones and is causing intense pain, describing the illness as very debilitating. The former US president continues to speak out on public issues.

United States

Geopolitics

Saturday, 8 August 2026

Trump signs orders restricting birthright citizenship

President Donald Trump signed executive orders on Friday restricting nationality rights for babies born in the United States to foreign parents, despite an adverse Supreme Court decision. El País reports the measure is likely to be challenged in court.

United States

Geopolitics

Trump unveils minerals and battery deals to counter China

Trump announced about $3 billion in mining projects and critical-minerals agreements with several mining companies at a roundtable on American mining, part of a push to curb China's dominance over strategic materials. He also ordered a new 15% tariff on imported products made of polysilicon, used in solar panels and microchips, and his administration is to award $2 billion to battery and materials companies.

China United States

Economy

US long-range missile stocks run low as Trump denies shortage

Key US stockpiles of long-range offensive missiles, including ATACMS and PrSM, have run extremely low during the war against Iran, TASS reported citing television coverage, while Trump rejected the reports and vowed to jail those suspected of leaking them. The Pentagon removed the general who coordinated military aid to Ukraine without giving reasons, and Trump answered Volodymyr Zelensky's appeals for more Patriot interceptors by saying, "We want missiles, too."

Iran Ukraine United States

Geopolitics

Trump renews bid to fire Fed governor Lisa Cook after court setback

US President Donald Trump has renewed his effort to remove Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, despite a Supreme Court ruling in June that blocked his first attempt, Bloomberg and the South China Morning Post reported on Friday. Al Jazeera notes that Trump has clashed with Federal Reserve members over his push for rapid interest rate cuts despite inflation.

United States

Economy

Cuba paralysed by total blackouts as Washington tightens sanctions

The latest island-wide blackouts have deepened Cubans' despair and increased pressure on the government to carry out reforms, El País reported on Friday. The New York Times reports that the Trump administration is squeezing Cuba while searching for a new leadership, with some officials warning that a more hard-line leader could emerge.

United States

Geopolitics

Haitians face arrest and deportation as US ends TPS protections

The US Department of Homeland Security has stripped Temporary Protected Status from Haitians, leaving hundreds of thousands at risk of arrest and removal, the Guardian reported on Friday. DHS secretary Markwayne Mullin said 'We're going after them right now', despite the threat of violence in Haiti.

United States

Geopolitics

Canada offers concessions to avert 50 percent US tariffs

Prime Minister Mark Carney is offering the United States concessions in trade talks to prevent 50 percent tariffs on many Canadian goods scheduled for this month, the New York Times reported. Ottawa is at the same time demanding a comprehensive agreement.

Canada United States

Economy

Meta ordered to pay $567 million over harm to young users

A New Mexico court has ordered Meta to pay $567 million to address harms to young people on Instagram and Facebook, in the second phase of a lawsuit, Daily Sabah reported on Friday. The National reports that the penalty could have consequences for the future regulation of social media.

United States

Technology

Friday, 7 August 2026

Trump rejects munitions shortage reports while seeking $87.6bn more

Trump dismissed reports of depleted US munitions stocks as treasonous, writing on Truth Social on Wednesday that the country has massive amounts of munitions, and said he is happy with Defense Secretary Hegseth after reports of a dispute over stockpiles. He also said the army needs to replenish its weapons stockpiles, explaining the administration's request to Congress for $87.6 billion in additional funding, of which $21 billion is for munitions.

United States

Geopolitics

Trump calls Warsh as pressure on the Fed grows

Trump made calls to Kevin Warsh, Bloomberg reported on Thursday, describing it as the latest sign of his bid to influence the Federal Reserve. The Financial Times reported that Warsh will stick with lean Fed messaging despite a market backlash, while Bloomberg wrote that his faith in markets sidelines more nuanced policy tools.

United States

Economy

Trump signs orders narrowing birthright citizenship after court loss

Trump signed two executive orders on Thursday to limit birthright citizenship, following a defeat at the Supreme Court on the issue, the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Global Times and The Hindu reported. The Guardian wrote that the orders are the latest step in a campaign Trump has pursued for more than a decade against the constitutional right.

United States

Geopolitics

New Mexico judge orders Meta to pay $567m over child safety

A New Mexico judge on Thursday ordered Meta to pay $567 million over the state's claim that the company created a public nuisance and harmed children on Facebook and Instagram. The sum comes on top of $375 million in civil penalties imposed in March after a jury found Meta had misled users about platform safety, bringing the total to about $942 million according to the Wall Street Journal.

United States

Technology

UK clears Paramount's takeover of Warner Bros Discovery

Britain's antitrust watchdog cleared Paramount Skydance's takeover of Warner Bros Discovery on Thursday, and culture secretary Lisa Nandy said she would not intervene after securing guarantees on Channel 5. The deal is put at $110 billion by the Financial Times and the South China Morning Post and at $81 billion by the Wall Street Journal, and it still faces a key hurdle in the United States.

United Kingdom United States

Economy

Thursday, 6 August 2026

Cyberattacks hit water systems in 12 US states

Water supply systems in twelve US states have been hit by cyberattacks, TASS reported on Wednesday, citing a television report. Sources quoted in that report consider Iran the main suspect; the claim is unconfirmed.

Iran United States

Technology

Trump AI safety guidelines reported to exempt Chinese models

The Trump administration's new AI safety review guidelines appear to exempt Chinese artificial intelligence models while covering those of OpenAI and Anthropic, the New York Times reported on Wednesday. The report describes which developers stand to gain from the rules.

China United States

Technology

CIA sets up secret task force targeting Cuba

The CIA has created a task force to direct more financial, human and technical resources at Cuba, the New York Times reported on Thursday. Its stated goal is to open fissures among the Cuban political elite as the Trump administration increases pressure on Havana.

United States

Geopolitics

Saudi-led group completes $55bn Electronic Arts takeover

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund and its partners, among them Affinity Partners, the firm run by Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, completed the $55 billion purchase of Electronic Arts, the maker of The Sims, Madden NFL and Battlefield. The closing, reported on Wednesday, is the largest step so far in Riyadh's push into video games.

Saudi Arabia United States

Economy

US deportation orders hit record as judicial removals triple

Officials appointed under President Donald Trump have tripled the monthly number of judicial deportation orders, pushing removals to record levels, Bloomberg and Breitbart reported on Wednesday. Breitbart writes that the increase will let officials exceed their recent deportation records over the next few months.

United States

Geopolitics

Cuba hit by seventh nationwide blackout of the year

Cuba's national grid collapsed completely for the seventh time this year, El País reported on Wednesday. On an already unstable supply, residents in some areas go a full 24 hours without electricity.

Geopolitics

El-Sayed wins Michigan Democratic Senate primary on strong night for the left

Abdul El-Sayed defeated Representative Haley Stevens in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary on Tuesday after an all-night count, despite more than $60 million spent against him by AIPAC and establishment-aligned groups. He faces Republican Mike Rogers in November, and Representative Shri Thanedar also lost to a democratic socialist, results Zohran Mamdani celebrated.

United States

Geopolitics

FDA approves Moderna's mRNA flu vaccine

The US Food and Drug Administration approved Moderna's mRNA influenza vaccine, the New York Times reported on Thursday. The agency had initially refused to review the application and reversed course after a public outcry.

United States

Technology

Wednesday, 5 August 2026

Hegseth denies munitions shortage after reports of depleted US missile stocks

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth on Wednesday rejected reporting that key US munitions stocks have fallen to dangerously low levels. Reuters had reported a day earlier that the army used "virtually all" its long-range precision missiles in the five-month war with Iran.

Israel Iran Ukraine United States

Geopolitics

US drafts ban on Chinese datacentre components

The Guardian reported on Tuesday that the Trump administration's Federal Communications Commission is drafting a measure to bar US imports of new models of Chinese datacentre devices, including optical transceivers. An expert cited by Global Times said such a ban would raise costs for US service providers and slow AI infrastructure expansion.

China United States

Technology

Officials suspect Iran behind attacks on US water utilities

Federal authorities warned late last week that malicious cyber actors had targeted US municipal water facilities, the Guardian reported on Tuesday. Officials suspect Iran is behind the attacks, while President Trump has sought to put the blame on Minnesota and its governor Tim Walz.

Iran United States

Technology

Man arrested over largest Spokane wildfire

Authorities arrested a 37-year-old man on suspicion of deliberately starting the largest of three fires burning around Spokane in Washington state, and Le Monde reported on Wednesday that he has been placed in pre-trial detention. Officials said about 64,000 people had been evacuated by Monday and around 700 buildings destroyed.

United States

Geopolitics

SpaceX revenue jumps 92% in first results since listing

SpaceX reported revenue up more than 90% year on year in its first earnings since its stock market listing, with a loss smaller than analysts had expected. The Financial Times reported that its AI spending plans unnerved investors, while Bloomberg said the company signalled ambitions to take on AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile.

United States

Economy

25 states sue Trump administration over new tariffs

New York, California and 23 other states sued the Trump administration over its new tariffs, El País reported on Tuesday. They accuse the president of using a legal loophole to replace import taxes that the Supreme Court had struck down or that had expired.

United States

Economy

Fed chair Warsh pressed over mixed inflation signals

Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin M. Warsh is under pressure to clear up mixed signals about his commitment to bringing inflation down, the New York Times reported on Tuesday. His latest public appearance set off a bout of market volatility.

United States

Economy

House panel says data centres exposed US carriers to China hack

A US House of Representatives panel found that data centres left American telecom carriers exposed to a Chinese hacking operation, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday. The report is available only as a headline summary, and the panel's findings were not detailed further.

China United States

Technology

Judge sets March trial for Paramount-Warner deal

A judge scheduled a March trial in the antitrust lawsuit brought by state attorneys general against Paramount's $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros., after the company had requested a November date. Chief executive David Ellison defended the deal, saying it would preserve editorial independence and would not create market dominance, and argued that opposition stems from the prospect of his controlling CNN.

United States

Economy

Tuesday, 4 August 2026

Spokane fires still uncontained after 60,000 people evacuated

Fires spread at high speed through Spokane in Washington state on Sunday, and the mayor said hundreds of homes and structures had been lost, Le Monde reported. None of the three fires in the city of 230,000 people was contained; a state of emergency was declared on Saturday and about 60,000 people were evacuated.

United States

Geopolitics

Pentagon signs $3bn missile deals as Iran war drains stockpiles

The United States signed contracts worth more than $3bn with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to expand production of Patriot and THAAD interceptor parts, as the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine strain supplies, the South China Morning Post and the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. FAZ reported that the war in Iran has significantly reduced American missile stocks and that start-ups from Silicon Valley are meant to help.

Iran Ukraine United States

Economy

FBI warns of cyberattacks on US municipal water systems

The FBI issued an urgent warning after hackers targeted municipal water systems in at least seven states over the past week, Breitbart reported on Monday. FAZ reported that the attacks have raised the question of whether the war in Iran has reached the United States, which President Donald Trump denies.

Iran United States

Technology

White House gathers AI firms on voluntary security testing

OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta and other technology companies were invited to the White House on Tuesday to discuss a voluntary framework for security testing of AI systems, according to Bloomberg and the South China Morning Post. Participation in the framework would be voluntary for America's leading AI developers.

United States

Technology

US escalates Cuba restrictions, citing security threat

US President Donald Trump has escalated restrictions on Havana, warning that Cuba remains a 'threat to national security', Al Jazeera reported. The scope of the new measures is not detailed in the report.

United States

Geopolitics

Cartel members burn Michoacán town after leader's arrest

Members of the United Cartels set fire to a town in the Mexican state of Michoacán after a military raid in which authorities arrested one of the group's top leaders, Breitbart reported on Monday. The report does not name the town or give casualty figures.

Mexico

Geopolitics

Amazon crosses $3 trillion in market value

Amazon's market value passed $3 trillion for the first time on Monday, after its shares rose for a second straight session, Daily Sabah reported, citing growth in cloud services and AI. Bloomberg said the milestone puts the company on a short list of stocks to reach that valuation.

United States

Economy

Two die in US cyclospora outbreak linked to imported lettuce

Authorities in Michigan announced the first two deaths in a US cyclospora outbreak and said both people had underlying conditions, Al Jazeera reported on Monday. Thousands have fallen ill, and investigators suspect iceberg lettuce imported from Mexico as the cause, according to the FAZ.

Mexico United States

Geopolitics

US manufacturing expands at fastest pace since 2022

A key measure of factory health released on Monday showed the US manufacturing sector expanding at its strongest pace in four years, Breitbart reported. Output surged, firms added workers and demand continued to grow, according to the report.

United States

Economy

Man dies at New Jersey ICE centre in 22nd custody death

Edwin Lopez-Cornejo, 41, who was arrested in New Jersey in June, died on Saturday at the Delaney Hall detention centre after what ICE called a 'medical emergency', the 22nd death in the agency's custody, the Guardian reported. In a separate case, an officer fired into a stopped vehicle during a raid and killed Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, then said 'Mexicans!' after checking the ID of his brother Víctor, the surviving brother's lawyer told El País.

Mexico United States

Geopolitics

Monday, 3 August 2026

Hackers hit US water systems in at least seven states

Cyberattacks on water supply systems in the United States have reached at least seven states and may be wider still, authorities and experts told Folha de S.Paulo. The paper reported on Monday that Iran is the prime suspect.

Iran United States

Technology

Wildfires around Spokane force 60,000 to evacuate

Wildfires in and around Spokane in eastern Washington state have destroyed some 600 structures and forced about 60,000 people from their homes, the Guardian reported on Monday. The blazes have stretched the capacity of federal and local agencies to fight them.

United States

Geopolitics

AI policy groups demand federal probe into OpenAI breach

A coalition of AI policy organisations is urging President Donald Trump to launch a formal government investigation into OpenAI, Breitbart reported on Sunday. The groups point to a security breach involving the company's AI agents.

United States

Technology

Paul Weiss's capitulation reshaped US legal resistance to Trump

A New York Times investigation published on Sunday described how the law firm Paul Weiss, which had led the legal resistance to President Donald Trump, surrendered to White House pressure and set off a sudden retreat across the legal industry. Separately, Trump criticised US Attorney Jeanine Pirro on Saturday for dismissing a vandalism case linked to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington, while Senator John Kennedy said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that she "was right to pull back" the charge.

United States

Geopolitics

US health secretary tells families to vaccinate against measles

Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US health secretary and a longtime vaccination skeptic, told American parents on Sunday to vaccinate their children against measles during the outbreak. The Guardian noted that he spent years boosting misinformation about vaccines, including the MMR shot.

United States

Geopolitics

Sunday, 2 August 2026

Michigan reports cyberattacks on water systems after FBI warning

Michigan disclosed cyberattacks on state infrastructure including water utilities following an FBI warning, Bloomberg reported, joining Minnesota. Al Jazeera reported on Sunday that no culprit has been identified in any of the attacks and that the FBI is investigating, after authorities warned of a possible Iranian plot; FAZ reported that the intrusion appears larger than previously assumed.

United States

Technology

US agents detain migrants at airports under new federal rule

More than 25 undocumented migrants were recently arrested at airports across the United States under a new federal rule, El País reported on Saturday, citing The New York Times. It described the arrests as a new front in the Trump administration's immigration offensive.

United States

Geopolitics