“A local mayor in central Mexico was shot dead in a town hall, authorities reported Wednesday, after the politician had survived a previous assassination attempt. The town of Temoac is located in the state of Morelos, a region close to Mexico City where several drug cartels are active. Mayor Valentin Lavin, who was allied to President Claudia Sheinbaum’s leftist party, had already survived an armed attack in January, according to local media reports. … Almost 100 mayors have been murdered in Mexico since 2006, when drug-related violence surged, official figures show. Since the current government took office in October 2024, 14 mayors have been murdered in Mexico, three in 2026, Uno TV reported this week. ” (07/22/26)
“Former special counsel Jack Smith was hit with a criminal referral Wednesday for allegedly misleading House lawmakers about the Biden-era investigation into President Trump. In his complaint to the Justice Department, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) contended that newly released records appear to contradict Smith’s testimony to the panel that he did not obtain or review text messages from lawmakers as his team looked into Trump’s alleged efforts to interfere in the 2020 election. ‘The Committee on the Judiciary writes to refer strong evidence that appears to show Jack Smith, former Special Counsel, knowingly made false statements during his December 17, 2025, deposition,’ Jordan wrote in a letter to acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, obtained by The Post.” (07/23/26)
“A Chinese coast guard vessel fired a water cannon at a Philippine government fisheries vessel in Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea, scoring an indirect hit, a Philippine Coast Guard official said on Thursday. … The incident happened as Southeast Asian foreign ministers gathered in Manila for ASEAN meetings that were also attended by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Earlier on Thursday, China said it tracked and drove away two Philippine vessels it accused of having ‘intruded into’ waters near the disputed Scarborough Shoal despite warnings. It was the second incident this week involving both nations in the South China Sea.” (07/23/26)
“Nicaragua’s lawmakers announced plans to abolish elections in the Central American country, following through on President Daniel Ortega’s declaration over the weekend that there would be no more elections, which enraged the international community. The move was revealed on Tuesday by Nicaragua’s congress, which is firmly in the hands of Ortega and his wife, Rosario Murillo. Lawmakers said planned constitutional overhaul will ensure Nicaragua’s ‘peace, security and stability.’ With the announcement, lawmakers are making good on Ortega’s promise of no more elections, further closing off any potential path for the opposition to challenge the government he leads with Murillo, whom constitutional reforms elevated from vice president to ‘co-president.'” (07/23/26)
“Thai authorities said on Thursday they are searching for the people responsible for an attack in the country’s troubled deep south region that killed five soldiers and injured several civilians. About 10 attackers opened fire and threw pipe bombs at soldiers at a security checkpoint near a residential area in Narathiwat province on Wednesday evening before fleeing, according to the regional Internal Security Operations Command. Six civilians were injured during the attack, including a 10-year-old boy who remains hospitalised in stable condition.” (07/23/26)
“A protest by warehouse workers at the C&H Sugar refinery in Crockett turned violent after two people were reportedly struck by vehicles and nine people were arrested on Tuesday. The union employees at the 120-year-old factory have been on strike for over a month after contract negotiations broke down over cut benefits. Contra Costa County sheriff’s deputies responded to the refinery on Loring Avenue around 11 a.m. after receiving multiple reports of protesters throwing rocks at trucks and blocking workers and vehicles from entering or leaving the facility, sheriff’s office spokesperson Jimmy Lee told SFGATE in an emailed statement.” (07/22/26)
“A bipartisan House bill slated to be introduced on Thursday would give the Department of Homeland Security the authority to order top artificial intelligence firms to shut down or slow AI models that the government deems too dangerous, according to legislative text viewed first by POLITICO. The proposal, dubbed the ‘AI Kill Switch Act’ and sponsored by Reps. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) and Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas), would also require those companies to report incidents and create the technical capacity to shut down, throttle or suspend their powerful AI systems. The legislation comes days after OpenAI disclosed what it called an ‘unprecedented’ cyber incident in which two of its most advanced AI models escaped a sandboxed research environment and autonomously hacked into AI platform Hugging Face.”
(07/22/26)
“Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia said it attacked two Saudi Arabian oil tankers in the Red Sea, with a Saudi news agency later confirming one of the vessels was ablaze on Thursday. The strikes came after the Houthis declared a maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia – a move that current and former US officials said could significantly widen the US-Iran war and strain the American military. The US launched its 12th successive night of strikes against Iran, saying military targets were hit to degrade Tehran’s ability to attack commercial vessels. … Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it attacked US forces in Kuwait’s Al-Adiri camp and Ali Al Salem airbase, while the army said its attacks there included on the Arifjan and Doha camps.” (07/23/26)
“Republicans in the United States House of Representatives have narrowly passed a massive $1.15bn military spending package, despite concerns from Democratic lawmakers over the price tag and enhanced military technology collaboration with Israel. The bill passed in the House on Wednesday by a margin of 216 to 212, largely adhering to party lines, with the exception of six Democrats who voted in favour and seven Republicans who opposed it. … The bill now faces an uncertain future in the Senate, where Democrats are likely to object to the high cost at a time when the White House is moving to slash access to social programmes. Senate Democrats blocked debate on the NDAA in a vote last week, with Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer calling it a ‘permission slip’ for the government’s war on Iran.” (07/23/26)
“Prediction market platform Kalshi on Wednesday launched a new hub that allows political junkies to see how traders in many event contracts think the midterm elections will play out. Kalshi’s ‘Midterms Hub’ lets observers see what outcomes speculators expect in individual U.S. Senate and House of Representatives races, based on the latest odds for each market and across a map of the entire country. The hub also features polling averages, so viewers can see how the prediction market odds compare with what statistical surveys of voters are showing; the latest Federal Election Commission fundraising reports for individual candidates; and curated news and analysis from various outlets, a Kalshi press release said. The platform is aimed at those looking to Kalshi’s data for insights but not necessarily trade.” (07/22/26)
