“India blocked access to Telegram messenger on Tuesday ahead of a retest of a nationwide medical college entrance examination, after a scandal last month over a question paper leak. The failure of the hugely competitive exam, along with a separate marking fiasco in high school tests, sparked outrage and fuelled youth protests demanding the education minister’s resignation. The Ministry of Electronics issued the order restricting access to Telegram until June 22, the day of the retest. Message-editing features, which allow users to alter existing posts, will remain restricted until June 30.” (06/16/26)
“Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said Tuesday that Ohio should abolish the death penalty, saying it is no longer a deterrent to violent crime, confirming his change of heart on the policy he helped write as a state legislator 45 years ago. ‘I do not believe that argument today can be successfully made, nor do I believe that there’s any chance in the future the facts that I’ve cited to support that belief will change,’ the 79-year-old governor said during a news conference. ‘Therefore, I believe Ohio should abolish the death penalty.’ DeWine has repeatedly postponed scheduled executions in the state over his seven years as governor. During a news conference, he said data indicates the death penalty is not working as intended to deter crime, even as it brings years of pain to victims’ loved ones and takes a toll on the mental health of state employees who serve on execution teams.” (06/16/26)
“A Flagler County mother shot a man who deputies said forced his way into her home and threatened her and her two children. … Deputies said the homeowner called 911 around 1:50 p.m. and reported that she had shot a man who entered her home. When deputies arrived, they found blood at the scene, but the man and his vehicle were gone, according to the sheriff’s office. Detectives later identified the man as Michael McDonald, 33, of Palm Coast. According to deputies, McDonald knew the homeowner but showed up at the house uninvited and unexpected. The sheriff’s office said McDonald lifted open the garage door, left the garage, banged on a back window and then entered the home through the front door. … The woman repeatedly ordered McDonald to leave and warned him she would shoot, according to the sheriff’s office. Deputies said McDonald kept advancing toward her. That’s when the woman fired one shot, hitting McDonald in the arm, investigators said.” (06/15/26)
“The United States and Iran have signed a framework agreement ending their monthslong war, but neither side had published the deal’s full text, and on Monday American and Iranian officials continued to make conflicting statements about its terms. The agreement’s immediate scope was focused primarily on ending military attacks and allowing traffic to resume through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s vital shipping lanes. American and Iranian officials acknowledged that they had put off discussions of their most serious disagreements until a later round of talks. The agreement did not appear to fulfill the objectives President Trump promised at the start of the conflict in February: destroying Iran’s military capabilities, abolishing its nuclear ambitions and toppling its theocratic leadership.” (06/15/26)
“Eight people have been killed after a United States Air Force bomber crashed shortly after taking off from an American base, officials have said. The B-52 Stratofortress came down shortly after taking off from the Edwards Air Force Base in California just after 11.20am local time on Monday (7.20pm UK time). The base said in a statement that the bomber had been carrying eight people during a ‘routine test mission’ when it crashed. … The B-52 Stratofortress, which entered service in 1955, is a long-range bomber designed to carry both conventional and nuclear weapons.” (06/16/26)
“Bitcoin briefly traded above $67,000 late Monday before slipping back under $66,000 in a move that is indicative of how cautiously crypto is treating the Iran peace deal that has rallied other markets. The token changed hands at $65,845 on Tuesday, up 0.3% over 24 hours and 4.8% on the week, per CoinDesk data. It touched a 24-hour high of $67,217 before fading. Ether held up better, rising 2.8% on the day to $1,764 and 5.8% on the week. Solana gained 3.2% to $73, XRP added 3.2% to $1.22 and Hyperliquid’s HYPE led the majors again, up 6.3% to $69.” (06/16/26)
“An international court found that Russia flouted some sea laws during the construction of the Kerch Strait bridge between mainland Russia and annexed Crimea, but dismissed Ukraine’s claims that Moscow was unlawfully trying to keep the strait under its sole control, a ruling published on Monday showed. The case at the Hague-based intergovernmental Permanent Court of Arbitration was filed in 2016 after Moscow began building the 19-km (12-mile) Crimea Bridge link to the peninsula. In a ruling dated April 22 but only announced on Monday, as per the arbitration court’s procedures, the court dismissed the majority of Kyiv’s claims about Russia’s control over the strait on procedural grounds.” (06/15/26)
“The British government acted lawfully when it banned the protest group Palestine Action as a terrorist organization, the Court of Appeal in London ruled on Monday. Chief Justice Sue Carr said the group went far beyond staging non-violent demonstrations to launch destructive attacks on defense companies, banks, and a military base. ‘It is not, as claimed, a direct action civil disobedience protest group like the suffragettes, operating transparently in the open,’ Carr said. ‘It is a covert organization which operates with secret cells to avoid the detection and prosecution of those using violence to destroy property and cause injury.’ The ruling overturned a February decision by three senior High Court judges who found that, despite the group promoting its political cause through some crimes, the scale of its activities did not warrant a ban.” (06/15/26)
“Ecuador’s Attorney General’s Office said a new attack targeting justice officials left a prosecutor dead in the port city of Manta. Veteran criminal prosecutor Alexandra Bravo and her sister, Olinda Bravo, were shot and killed in broad daylight Sunday, raising renewed concerns about the security risks faced by judges and prosecutors in a country operating under a state-declared ‘internal armed conflict’ against powerful drug trafficking organizations. Authorities said the attack occurred as the sisters were leaving a restaurant and walking toward their parked vehicle. A gunman approached them and fired multiple shots at close range. Both women died at the scene, while the attacker escaped.” (06/15/26)
“The Supreme Court on Monday turned away ex-Trump campaign aide Carter Page’s attempt to revive a lawsuit against former FBI Director James Comey and other senior FBI officials over surveillance warrants obtained by the bureau during its investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election. The Supreme Court’s denial of the case came after the Trump administration said in April it had reached a $1.25 million settlement with Page. He had appealed a lower court decision dismissing his lawsuit against the Justice Department, FBI and eight named individuals, including Comey. The Justice Department’s settlement involved only Page’s claims against the U.S. government, not the individual FBI officials.” (06/15/26)
