The Attack On July 16, 2025, Russia launched a massive drone and missile strike on Ukraine, deploying 400 Shahed‑style drones and one ballistic missile, according to Ukraine’s Air Force. Cities across the country—including Kharkiv, Kryvyi Rih, and Vinnytsia—were targeted, with the primary aim of damaging energy infrastructure and disrupting civilian utilities Ukraine’s air defences successfully … Read more
ICC Decision & Context On July 16, 2025, the International Criminal Court (ICC) formally rejected Israel’s request to withdraw the arrest warrants issued in November 2024 against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The warrants accuse them of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, including starvation as a … Read more
Tax Hike and Political Gridlock The IOF decree, issued in late May, targeted corporate credit, foreign exchange, and private pension transactions as part of Lula’s strategy to raise critical revenue—approximately 12 billion reais ($2.16 billion) in 2025 and over twice that in 2026—to avoid constitutionally mandated budget freezes Congress swiftly rebuffed the decree, passing a motion in … Read more
Strategic Security Alignment The treaty includes a mutual assistance clause, primarily intended to reinforce collective defence in light of Russia’s war in Ukraine. It builds on previous defence deals—including Franco-British cooperation—and extends them through joint development of long-range strike capabilities and other military technologies (e.g., Typhoon jets, armored vehicles, and next-gen long-range missiles). Notably, German … Read more
Background: A Wrongful Deportation Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national in the U.S. since 2012, was illegally deported in March 2025 despite a 2019 federal order shielding him from removal to El Salvador due to credible threats of gang violence . U.S. courts—including the Supreme Court—later ruled his removal was wrongful, prompting his return in … Read more
Background and Political Context On July 16, 2025, a youth-led rally organized by the National Citizen Party (NCP)—formed by students who led the uprising that forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina into exile—was scheduled in Gopalganj, a politically symbolic district that was once Hasina’s stronghold. The rally, commemorating the one-year anniversary of that youth-led revolution, … Read more
Meeting Overview & Context On July 17–18, 2025, finance ministers and central bank governors from the G20 convened in Durban, South Africa, under the theme “Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability”. This marks South Africa’s first-ever G20 presidency, with deep ambitions to elevate Africa’s core priorities, from climate finance and debt relief to inclusive development However, the summit’s … Read more
Context: The Itaewon Crowd Crush Tragedy On October 29, 2022, during Halloween celebrations in Seoul’s Itaewon district, more than 150,000 people flooded narrow alleys. Around 10:20 pm, a crowd surge in a cramped, sloped passage near Hamilton Hotel created a deadly bottleneck—resulting in the loss of approximately 159 lives and injuring nearly 200 people. Most were … Read more
Trump’s Policy Shift In a marked reversal from earlier hesitancy, former President Donald Trump announced on July 14, 2025 that the United States will enable Patriot air-defense systems for Ukraine—but only if European allies donate their own systems, with the U.S. stepping in to sell replacement batteries to participating countries While Trump initially suggested a direct U.S. … Read more
The Core of the Dispute Epstein, a wealthy financier and convicted sex offender, died by suicide in federal custody in August 2019, while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges Though the Justice Department and FBI conducted a review and concluded that no “client list” of powerful associates existed, some conservatives remain unconvinced. Originally, Attorney General Pam … Read more