“Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky says Ukrainian forces have struck energy and military infrastructure either side of a key bridge linking occupied [sic] Crimea and Russia. The Russia-appointed Crimean governor Sergei Aksyonov said fuel stations across the peninsula suspended sales to the public and businesses, with supplies restricted to government agencies responsible for essential services and security. Russian authorities said at least five people were killed and 28 injured in the attacks, adding that air defences had downed 239 Ukrainian drones overnight.” (06/22/26)
“U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Monday that he will stand down as Labour leader and prime minster, ending months of political turmoil and opening a contest to replace him. The announcement follows mounting pressure on the prime minister after Labour suffered heavy losses in local elections in May and faced an increasingly vocal rebellion from his own lawmakers over his leadership and policy agenda. The move comes less than two years after Starmer led Labour to one of its largest parliamentary majorities in the 2024 general election. In a statement outside 10 Downing Street shortly after 9:30 a.m. in London, Starmer said he would remain in post until any leadership contest is completed, which he said would help ensure an orderly handover of power.” (06/22/26)
“Political outsider Abelardo de la Espriella held a razor-thin lead in Colombia’s presidential election with nearly all the votes counted Sunday, in a runoff vote marked by people’s fears of a renewed internal conflict. A victory by de la Espriella would effectively be an indictment of the policies of outgoing President Gustavo Petro, whose protégé had promised to continue his agenda if he defeated his rival. De la Espriella, a business owner and lawyer who earned U.S. President Donald Trump’s endorsement despite never having run for office, led progressive lawmaker Iván Cepeda taking 49.7% of the votes, with 99.9% of the results released by electoral authorities. Cepeda, Petro’s ally, earned 48.7% support. Election officials have not formally announced a winner. … Cepeda told supporters that his campaign considers the count ‘unofficial and non-binding’ and that his team will challenge results from more than 30,000 voting stations.” (06/22/26)
“The U.S. military [murdered] two men in its latest strike targeting a suspected drug-trafficking boat in the Caribbean, U.S. Southern Command announced late Sunday, lifting the monthslong operation’s death toll to at least 213. The strike left six survivors, according to SOUTHCOM, which said in a statement that it immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate search-and-rescue operations. … Sunday’s strike was the third conducted since Tuesday and the fourth this month, [murdering] at least eight people. The status of two survivors from a strike last week was not known.” (06/22/26)
“President Trump on Sunday issued new threats against Iran and its negotiators as US and Iranian officials were in Geneva, Switzerland, for the first round of talks under the US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding. Speaking to Fox News reporter Trey Yingst, President Trump claimed that he spoke with Iranian officials overnight and told them: ‘You close [the Strait of Hormuz] and you won’t have a country.’ … Yingst said Trump also told the officials that if the strait is closed, ‘you won’t even make it back to your f–cking country,’ which appears to be a threat against the lives of Iran’s officials in Geneva, who include Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. … Trump’s threats violate the MoU, which states that the two sides must ‘refrain from the threat or use of force against each other,’ and Iran’s PressTV reported that Iran’s delegation in Geneva raised objections with the US side over his comments.” (06/21/26)
“A Senate committee is considering a vote in July to prevent the Trump administration from transferring core functions of federal special education programs to the Health and Human Services Department, which is overseen by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The move – one of the most dramatic changes in President Donald Trump’s yearlong crusade to dismantle the Education Department – immediately set off alarm among disability rights groups, who fear it could eventually disrupt services for students with disabilities. Critics pointed to RFK Jr.’s pattern of controversial past statements about autism in particular (he said during a press conference last year that the condition ‘destroys families’). Though federal officials have not yet provided a clear timeline for the bold shift – even in internal communications to employees – they’ve promised that students’ rights will continue to be protected.” (06/20/26)
“Members of the UN Security Council on Saturday warned of possible atrocities and a worsening humanitarian crisis in Sudan as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) advance towards the city of El-Obeid in Kordofan state. The council called on the RSF not to launch an attack on the city, which lies in a strategic area linking central and western Sudan. The warning came days after UN Secretary General António Guterres urged the international community to press Sudan’s warring parties to avoid further bloodshed. He warned against a repeat of atrocities reported during the RSF’s capture of Al-Fashir in the Darfur region late last year. According to the UN human rights office, more than 6,000 people were killed in the city over three days.” (06/21/26)
“US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs experienced a record outflow of $6.4 billion over the past 30 days, as Bitcoin’s price dropped by 17%. This significant withdrawal indicates a decline in institutional confidence during a period marked by heightened volatility and price pressure in the broader cryptocurrency market. With Bitcoin in the mid to low $60,000 range, the market reaction suggests that the outflow is consistent with a broader reduction in risk appetite among investors. The considerable sell-off in Bitcoin ETFs highlights the ongoing challenges within the crypto sector, as market participants adjust in response to market conditions.” (06/21/26)
“Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky says he has returned Poland’s highest honour after his Polish counterpart Karol Nawrocki said he was stripping him of the award. The Polish Order of the White Eagle was bestowed on Zelensky in 2023 by then-President Andrzej Duda. But Kyiv caused outrage last month after renaming a Ukrainian army unit after a group of controversial World War Two fighters called the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA). Three senior Ukrainian officials have also said they are returning awards bestowed by Poland, to show solidarity with their president. Many in Ukraine regard the UPA, which existed in the 1940s and 1950s, as heroes who fought for Ukrainian independence against the Soviet Red Army, Nazi Germany and Polish authorities. The group’s red and black flag is often used by Ukrainian troops on the front line today.” (06/20/26)
“M&M’s is embracing the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ movement with a new product set to launch this summer. The iconic brand will introduce a version of its candies made without artificial dyes beginning in August, as it marks its 85th anniversary. However, the change comes with a tradeoff: M&M’s plans to eliminate its blue and brown candies from the lineup. Mars told The Wall Street Journal the colors could not be recreated with natural ingredients at a reasonable cost.” (06/20/26)
