“Russia has freed 24 Filipinos who were detained for months without charges in a Siberian city, after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. raised concern for them in a meeting with President Vladimir Putin, Philippine officials said Saturday. The 24 arrived in Manila aboard two flights early Sunday, and the first batch was welcomed by Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro, who accompanied Marcos in his talks with Putin on Wednesday in the Russian city of Kazan, the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said. Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Cacdac welcomed the final batch of freed workers before dawn. His agency provided unspecified aid to the workers, who were detained in a Russian region known for its extreme winter temperatures..” (06/20/26)
“A Missouri judge this week struck down a series of restrictions on abortion, finding they violated a constitutional amendment that voters approved in 2024. Many of the provisions were already on hold because of an earlier, preliminary court ruling. But it is resulting in one major change: The state’s Planned Parenthood affiliates say the new ruling means they’re going to start prescribing abortion pills to patients there for the first time since 2018. The ruling is a clear legal victory for abortion rights advocates, but it’s not the final word. An appeal and another ballot measure are on tap.” (06/19/26)
“A former US Olympian was arrested for allegedly vandalizing the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool in Washington DC. David Hearn, a three-time Olympic canoeist, was cycling past the monument on Friday when he said he stopped and noticed a piece of the pool’s liner floating in the water. President Trump announced that ‘many additional people’ have also been arrested in connection to the ‘disgraceful Vandalism [sic].’ … Trump claimed that the vandals poured destructive chemicals into the pool and that it would have to be drained so that repairs could be made. … Hearn, 67, claimed to the Washington Post he reached out and touched the detached piece and was quickly taken into custody by Park Police at the beleaguered monument.” [editor’s note: This story seems to imply that Hearn had no ill intent; so what is the real story? – SAT] (06/20/26)
“The British bar association temporarily suspended the embattled chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on Friday, pending the outcome of disciplinary proceedings. British barrister Karim Khan was formally removed from his duties at the ICC last week after the court’s oversight body found he had engaged in ‘serious misconduct’ over accusations he had an inappropriate relationship with a female staff member. The 56-year old has strongly denied the allegations against him. The move by the Bar Standards Board, which regulates lawyers practicing in England and Wales, is the latest challenge Khan is facing. Last week the Bureau of the Assembly of States Parties — the executive committee of the ICC’s oversight body — concluded he had engaged in ‘serious misconduct’ and ‘serious breach of duty’ and recommended his removal from office.” (06/19/26)
“Supporters of India’s viral Cockroach Janta Party banged steel plates with spoons in a protest Saturday to demand the resignation of the education minister over allegations of examination irregularities and repeated paper leaks. The protest near Parliament in New Delhi by hundreds of students and young supporters of the nascent movement added to the pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government while also seeking wider support among Indians. Authorities deployed heavy security and police used cameras and drones to monitor the protest. Some carried placards and others banged plates, their noise cutting through the crowd protesting and demanding the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The banging of plates appeared to satirize Modi’s call for Indians to step onto balconies and rooftops and bang utensils in solidarity with front-line health workers during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.” (06/20/26)
“The Trump administration plans to stop funding HIV programs in South Africa under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief over policy differences. The U.S. State Department is winding down the funds South Africa receives from PEPFAR to care for the roughly 8 million people there who are living with HIV, Semafor, Politico and The BBC reported. PEPFAR was launched in 2003 by former President George W. Bush and, over the last two decades, has partnered with health authorities in more than 50 nations to save 25 million lives and prevent millions of new HIV infections, State Department figures show. President Donald Trump in a February 2025 executive order accused South Africa of permitting discrimination against white Afrikaners and has slowly pulled back U.S. funding for its HIV programs over the last year.” (06/19/26)
“France has banned alcohol at some events at massive national music festival as a heatwave pushes temperatures towards record levels. The annual Fête de la Musique celebrations draw millions to the streets but with the most serious heatwave warnings being issued for 35 of France’s departments, the government has banned alcohol consumption in public places under the red alerts. ‘For all events organised by the state and its agencies, instructions have been given not to offer alcohol,’ the office of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said. On Sunday, temperatures of 39C-40C are expected from the southwest through the Paris region into Burgundy, with some areas possibly reaching 41C.” (06/20/26)
“The wife of Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has been barred from travelling abroad as she prepares to face trial on corruption charges. Investigating judge Juan Carlos Peinado issued the ruling on Saturday, ordering Sanchez’s wife, Begona Gomez, to hand in her passport and appear in front of court twice per month until a verdict is issued. She is charged with embezzlement, influence peddling, corruption in business dealings and misappropriation of funds. Gomez has consistently denied any wrongdoing in the case, which stems from a complaint filed by an anticorruption group with far-right ties. It focuses on the creation and management of a chair at Madrid’s Complutense University that was co-directed by Gomez, as well as the alleged use of public resources and personal connections to advance private interests.” (06/20/26)
“President Rodrigo Paz on Saturday declared a state of emergency that gives the military broad power to remove road blockades that have put a stranglehold on fuel and food supplies in Bolivia’s seat of government and other major cities. A wave of protests over the last five weeks has called for Paz to step down over austerity measures imposed by the government, including the cancellation of fuel subsidies, and other issues. The demonstrations have unleashed violent confrontations between dynamite-wielding demonstrators and riot police, leading to at least 365 arrests and 37 injuries, according to authorities. At least 17 people have died, most of them linked to a lack of medical care caused by transportation disruptions, according to Bolivia’s ombudsman’s office and human rights organizations..” (06/20/26)
“Police in Blue Springs say a homeowner shot and killed an intruder early Friday morning near Lake Lotawana. … According to a social media post, officers received a 911 call from the homeowner reporting a burglary in progress and that a person had ‘unlawfully entered the residence.’ Before officers arrived at the scene, police say the homeowner shot and killed the person.” (06/20/26)
