“Annual inflation rose to a three-year-high of 4.2% in May, underscoring how elevated energy prices are rippling through the US economy, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Prices rose 0.5% on a monthly basis, driven higher by the US-Israeli war with Iran, the latest Consumer Price Index shows. The higher cost of energy accounted for 60% of the monthly increase. Overall food prices and grocery prices didn’t rise as fast as they did in April, increasing 0.2% and 0.1%, respectively, versus 0.5% and 0.7%. Economists were expecting prices to rise 0.5% from the month before and for the annual rate to accelerate to 4.2% from the 3.8% reported in April, according to FactSet estimates.” (06/10/26)
“Malian authorities arrested two prominent journalists in the past two days, the latest crackdown on freedom of expression by the West African country’s military leadership during a security crisis. … In Mali, public statements suggesting that the military is losing ground to jihadist groups often leads to charges. … In January 2025, Malian authorities banned the sale of the Pan-African magazine Jeune Afrique. Several French media outlets, including France24, TV5 Monde, and Radio France International, are also banned from broadcasting in Mali. Several opposition leaders have been imprisoned for criticizing the military regime.” (06/10/26)
“Belgium on Wednesday rejected Washington’s demand to impose an entry ban on travelers from the Democratic Republic of Congo, setting up a transatlantic clash over measures to prevent Ebola from spreading during the World Cup. Speaking on Radio 1, Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke said Belgium would continue following scientific advice rather than bowing to political pressure from Washington. … The remarks come after reports surfaced that U.S. Ambassador Bill White urged Belgium to adopt strict American-style travel restrictions on Congolese travelers ahead of the World Cup, which kicks off Thursday in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Daily flights connect Brussels to Kinshasa. According to U.S. media,Washington has warned European countries that if they do not adopt America’s tougher travel restrictions, they could be subject to U.S. entry bans.” (06/10/26)
“Imprisoned rap mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has been accused of sexually assaulting a child actor in an explosive lawsuit filed in California that accuses him of acting ‘beyond the bound of decency.’ Combs, 56, is serving a 50-month prison sentence for prostitution-related offenses after a bombshell eight-week trial in New York City that laid bare his infamous ‘freak-offs’: twisted, multi-day parties rife with drugs, degrading sex acts and children’s swimming pools full of baby oil. In the new lawsuit, a child actor going by the pseudonym John Doe accuses the disgraced Bad Boy Entertainment founder of sexually assaulting him during a networking event in the Hollywood Hills in May 2007, according to ABC News. ‘Defendant Combs’[s] conduct … was outrageous, intended to terrorize and cause him emotional distress, and did in fact cause him emotional distress,’ the lawsuit viewed by the outlet reads in part.” (06/10/26)
“Pakistan has renewed deadly air strikes on neighbouring Afghanistan, officials in both countries said Wednesday, in the worst violence in weeks following a period of relative calm. Pakistan’s government said on Wednesday that 26 ‘militants’ linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group were killed in the attacks. … Islamabad accuses the Taliban government of sheltering militants behind a surge in attacks, particularly the TTP, which has waged a violent campaign against Pakistan for years.” (06/10/26)
“A backlash is growing in Japan over US President Donald Trump’s use of popular anime and manga characters in his posts on social media. Upset has been brewing since March, when fans started noticing the president using images of – and in some cases depicting himself as – iconic Japanese animation characters like Pikachu, Naruto and Yu-Gi-Oh!. Almost 20,000 people have now signed an online petition, arguing he does not share the values of the characters, and that using them for political reasons could infringe the creators’ rights. Pokémon Company International has condemned Trump’s use of its imagery. The BBC has contacted other rights holders and the White House for comment. The petition calling for Trump and the White House to respect Japanese manga was first launched in March, when a couple of posts caught the attention of some fans.” (06/10/26)
“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday added bemotrizinol to the list of permitted active ingredients in over-the-counter sunscreens, the first addition to that list since the 1990s. … The FDA said the ingredient has low levels of absorption through the skin and into the body and is generally recognized as safe and effective for adults and children 6 months old and older. The American Chemical Society said that BEMT blocks ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B light rays and was first used in sunscreens in the European Union in 2000, with Canada, Australia and some countries in Asia following suit soon after.” (06/09/26)
“Federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment Wednesday against eight pro-Palestinian activists who are accused of conspiring to run a criminal intimidation campaign against University of Michigan officials while trying to force the school to cut financial ties to Israel. The indictment also describes vandalism against some companies that operate in Michigan and against the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. … The document highlights several incidents that made headlines in the past few years, including fake bloody corpses that were placed on an elected university board member’s lawn and the spray-painting of anti-Israel messages at the home of the school’s president at the time, Santa Ono.” (06/10/26)
“House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) said Wednesday that he would like to bring in acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and high-profile attorney Alan Dershowitz as part of his panel’s probe into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The desire to bring in Blanche comes after former Attorney General Pam Bondi, in a transcribed interview with the panel last month, repeatedly noted that Blanche had been tapped to lead many of the decisions surrounding the release of the Epstein files. Dershowitz, meanwhile, previously represented Epstein and helped secure a highly scrutinized plea deal for Epstein in 2008. Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre had accused Epstein of trafficking her to Dershowitz, which Dershowitz had denied; she later recanted the accusation as part of a settlement.” (06/10/26)
“A Sudanese asylum seeker accused of blinding a Belfast man in one eye during a stabbing attack appeared in court Wednesday as anti-immigrant unrest spread across Northern Ireland. Hadi Alodid, 30, was ordered to be held in jail after appearing by video in Belfast Magistrates’ Court, where prosecutors accused him of blinding Stephen Ogilvie in his left eye during Monday’s attack. Alodid was charged with attempted murder, threatening to kill a radiographer and possessing a knife. He declined legal representation through an Arabic interpreter and did not enter a plea. The attack, which occurred shortly after 10:30 p.m. Monday in north Belfast and was captured in graphic video footage that quickly spread online, sparked outrage and fueled demonstrations that turned violent overnight. Police said Ogilvie, a man in his 40s, suffered serious injuries to his face, neck, back and eyes, and officers recovered what they believe was a kitchen knife from the scene.” (06/10/26)
