France Panics, The EU Frets, UK Parties Makes Promises, And America Gives Hope To A Ceasefire Deal
A detailed recount mixed with meme comedy to mark our times at Week 23 of 2024 featuring source material from Star Trek Lower Decks, No. 7 West Mars Street, and Hailey’s On It!
Voterama 2024 - Europe’s Week After
Since Sunday’s end to the European Parliament elections, the continent’s politics has been in panic mode, to say the least. Far-right parties have set major gains in Germany and France, as both countries’ leaders have seen stunning rebukes from voters and led to French President Emmanuel Macron's decision to dissolve the country’s National Assembly and hold snap legislative elections. However, there wasn’t a total wipeout as feared, with the far-right ID party projected to win only 58 seats according to Politico. The jolt in far-right support in France and Germany that led Europe to lurch to the right is juxtaposed with the Greens suffering a major setback in both countries, while the European People’s Party’s lead candidate Ursula von der Leyen is set for a majority but no deal was made by Monday morning. But one place the Greens and left-wing parties have seen gains is across the Nordics, as Sweden, Finland, and Denmark all have seen far-right parties declining in support. In Malta, the European Parliament President Roberta Metsola finished comfortably in first place and was reelected to office. The ruling Brothers of Italy party led by Giorgia Meloni has seen an increase of votes in support from her own country, but the leftist Democratic Party from the opposition has also done better than expected. Meanwhile, Slovenia’s Democratic Party (SDS) only won 4 seats in parliament, the party’s leader Janez Janša called the governing coalition to make “the same consideration as Macron” in calling for a new election. If you want to see some mess-up comedy, Viktor Orbán saw his party performing the worst-ever election result in a European Parliamentary election, while a Parliament spokesperson embarrassed the institution by reading out different projected results to those being shown on the screen behind him.
When Europeans woke up on Monday morning, the German government ruled out a snap election after conservative and far-right parties made gains in eastern Germany amid a record turnout of 68.4%. In comparison, Croatia scored the lowest turnout rate with just 21.3% of eligible voters going to the polling booths, while voters in Belgium and Luxemburg have the highest turnout rates of 89.2% and 82.3% respectively. In France, the country, including Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, was stunned to learn the country is heading to an election in a month. However, analysts argue Macron is copying a similar move from Spain a few months ago. Although the far-right parties have won big in the European Parliamentary elections, the electoral system of France would force voters from the left to the center-right to coarse when the voting heads to the runoff stage and fight off against le Pen’s National Rally just like in 2022. However, initial forecasts suggest the National Rally will win the election but not obtain an absolute majority.
Tuesday’s news continued to be outrage and chaos in France over the upcoming election, lawmakers from Macron’s party have openly questioned his decision which might lead to the complicated yet likely scenario of a far-right government in charge, while the leader of France's right-wing Republicans party Eric Ciotti has sparked controversy and an outcry from his side after he backed a proposal to ally themselves with Le Pen’s far-right National Front party. Meanwhile, Danish PM Mette Frederiksen gave her first interview since being attacked last weekend, admitting she is still “not doing great” but will continue to work.
When asked about whether he would resign as the leader of the Renaissance party if it suffers a poor result in the upcoming election, France’s President Macron said he wouldn’t do that as he assembled a hastily up campaign. On the other side, Eric Ciotti vowed to stay on as leader of the Republicans after he was stripped of his membership over his plans to propose a potential Le Pen alliance. In further bad news to the person who launches the election, projections show the president’s alliance could be squeezed out in run-offs between the far-left and far-right, as the left formed a unity pact that would wipe out Macron’s party. Not to mention, this all happened while French stocks suffered their worst week since 2022 over fears of an out-right far-right win, and mass protests against Le Pen’s far-right party.
The Most Cathartic Democratic Election Ever - Manifesto Week
This week saw the different parties releasing their manifestos to the general public, with the media, in particular, outlining what they will do if they become the next government. On Monday, the Liberal Democrats released their manifesto with the NHS and healthcare at the heart of the pledge. Lib Dem leader Ed Davey made a touching tribute to her mother as he unveiled a key boost of £9 billion to the NHS funded by “big banks and billionaires,” as well as pledging to return the UK to the EU and remove the country’s political system. In typical Ed Davey fashion, he conducted his first interview since the manifesto announcement in an amusement park. The Tories were still reeling from Sunak’s D-Day gaffe after he left an international event celebrating the veterans early to tape an ITV interview, the PM vowed he would stay on as leader to the election and “fight on” as he hoped veterans could “forgive” him for the mistake. Meanwhile, Douglas Ross announced his resignation as the leader of Scottish Conservatives after the general election in another blow to the Tories. Reform UK also announced their party’s tax policy, which the party chairman Richard Tice claimed will be paid for by overhauling the Bank of England, and denied it being “Trussonomics on steroids.” Reform’s spotlight candidate Nigel Farage told infamous rightwinger and former Home Secretary Suella Braverman to join his party, this comes after Braverman called for the Tories to join Reform in an election pact. However, Reform UK might be in trouble finding new candidates after news came out that Ian Gribbin, one of its candidates standing for election, claimed the country would be "far better" if it had "taken Hitler up on his offer of neutrality" instead of fighting the Nazis in the Second World War.
After a brutal Panorama interview with Nick Robinson, in which Sunak admitted owning a home is harder under a Conservative government, the Tories launched their election manifesto. Rightwing Tories like Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick are waiting to receive a public opinion on the official manifesto, and if things go south for Sunak, they would then present a “rebel manifesto” demanding tougher controls on immigration and human rights laws. During Sunak’s announcement, he vowed a Tory government would further cut National Insurance, banning phones from schools and set up a legal cap for migration. In a moment of blunt honesty, Rishi told supporters “I am not blind to the fact people are frustrated with me,” and admitted he hasn’t gotten everything right. Labour Party leader Keir Starmer criticized the manifesto by saying it is a “Jeremy Corbyn-style manifesto, where anything you want can go in it.” However, it came as ironic given Starmer supported Corbyn’s 2017 election manifesto. At the same time, ITV News reported a growth of 50% in Reform UK membership in the week since Nigel Farage announced he was running for parliament, which must have been good news for the former UKIP leader given he was attacked by a man throwing objects at him while on a double-decker bus campaigning.
Following the release of the ITV interview recorded last Friday after Sunak skipped part of the D-Day celebrations, there was further criticism of the PM’s tone deafness as Sunak claimed he went without “Sky TV” as a child when telling an interviewer he had sacrificed a lot in his childhood. At the same time, the Office for National Statistics provided a blow to Sunak’s economic message after data showed the British economy stagnated in April just months after the country dipped into and escaped a recession. We also learned a Sunak aide placed a bet on a July election date, just days before the PM formally made the announcement. The Green Party released its manifesto on Wednesday, pledging to tax the super-wealthy and scrap tuition fees for universities. Before Sky News held a leaders’ event featuring both Sunak and Starmer taking questions from voters in Grimsby, Defense Secretary Grant Shapps admitted there is a chance of a Labour majority after the next election. During the Sky event, y event, Sunak was grilled about his “catalog of broken promises” from the Rwanda policy to the NHS, while Starmer was likened to a “political robot” while admitting that he worries how being in 10 Downing Street might affect his children.
The Labour Party had its turn revealing its manifesto on Thursday, which mainly focused on economic growth as Starmer told a heckler that Labour has given up being the “party of protest.” Among its policies include improving the NHS, strengthening the country’s position on foreign policy, and taking an alternative stance to immigration compared to the Tories. Naturally, the manifesto was attacked by Sunak on tax issues, while Jeremy Corbyn accused Starmer of "rewriting history" during his distancing with the former Labour leader and now independent candidate. The small Welsh party Plaid Cymru also launched its manifesto, which vowed to "fight for economic fairness" and secure "fair funding" for Wales. Labour MP Dawn Butler released a music video parodying the song 21 Seconds in a new music video, which her critics have called “beyond embarrassing.” By the evening, the ITV Election Debate 2024 was held featuring the same 7 party figureheads from last week’s BBC 7-way debate, covering topics such as immigration and the cost of living.
On Friday, the Tories woke up to see Reform passing their party in the polls for the first time. Reform leader Nigel Farage claimed he is now the “leader of the opposition,” while Sunak responded by warning a vote for Farage is a vote for Labour. Speaking of the party likely to enter Downing Street after July, some in the super-rich have threatened to quit over Labour’s plans on putting an inheritance tax on trusts, while parents have been pulling kids out of private schools over a VAT tax on private education. Inside the Conservative Party, we learned Tory leadership hopefuls are once again jostling behind the scenes, persuading other party members to get rid of the PM before the general election.
The Greatest Political Drama On Earth - Hunter Bothsideism?
After Donald Trump was convicted of 34 counts, he had a virtual meeting with a probation official as the city’s Probation Department prepared a pre-sentencing report. Meanwhile, the Hunter Biden trial went into jury deliberations after the defense did not call the defendant to the stand. It was also a big day for the Supreme Court but not in the way you expect, independent journalist Lauren Windsor posing as a Catholic conservative released audio recordings featuring an unrepentant Martha-Ann Alito who was defiant over the upside-down flag controversy claiming she wanted to raise an anti-pride flag, Justice Samuel Alito endorsing the country “to a place of godliness,” and Chief Justice John Roberts who talked about pluralism.
On Tuesday, Hunter Biden was found guilty on all three charges in a federal gun case relating to the president’s son buying a handgun while being a user of crack cocaine in a Delaware court after a second day of deliberations by the jury. Joe Biden responded to the news by continuing his unwavering support for his son, while also respecting the legal process by noting “I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal.” It comes after the president’s remark last week that he would not pardon his son if convicted of any crimes, and many expect Republicans to jump on Hunter’s conviction to attack Hunter’s father. Representative Nancy Mace won her primary in South Carolina, despite GOP backlash ever since Mace joined the Democrats in ousting Kevin McCarthy, and voters from North Dakota approved a ballot measure setting an age limit for members of Congress. Meanwhile, a judge in Florida struck down the state’s ban on transgender care for minors in a win for the LGBT community in the state. Internationally, a Pew Research poll conducted in 34 nations revealed Biden receives much higher ratings than Trump in nearly all of the countries polled, but still many disapprove of the current president’s handling of the Gaza war.
Nothing happened on Wednesday in American politics, if you don’t include the GOP-controlled House voting to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt for withholding the Biden audio recordings in his classified documents case, or the president facing his first lawsuit over the new asylum crackdowns at the border. But the bad news continues to pile on Joe Biden as the Economist magazine’s forecast predicts a two-in-three chance of winning in November, citing statistical data by polls and surveys.
Three years after the January 6 Capitol Riot, Donald Trump returned to the scene of the crime as he met with GOP members in the Capitol Hill Club to plan what would happen if Trump returned to office. During the meeting, the former president ranted on multiple issues, most prominently referring to the city of Milwaukee in Wisconsin as “horrible” weeks before the Republican Convention will be held there. In the Supreme Court, the justices have made several major decisions, including a unanimous decision rejecting a bid to restrict access to the abortion pill, making it harder for the federal government to win court orders on union busting by siding with Starbucks, and said to a marketer he is not entitled to a trademark for “Trump too small” T-shirts. On the topic of reproductive rights, Senate Republicans blocked legislation to establish a national right to in vitro fertilization just a day after the US Southern Baptist Church opposed IVF during its conference. Hours after the Supreme Court released its batch of decisions, Clarence Thomas came back to the headlines after new revelations by a Senate committee and ProPublica that found the justice took more undisclosed trips funded by rich GOP donors.
The Supreme Court ruled the gun “bump stock” federal ban imposed by the Trump administration after the Las Vegas mass shooting in 2017 is illegal, permitting the sale of devices that allow semiautomatic guns to fire at speeds rivaling those of machine guns. Donald Trump had a grumpy 78th birthday a day after House Republicans sang a birthday song at him the day before, which later included celebrating with a fan club in Florida. Merrick Garland’s feud with the House Republicans continues to evolve, starting with the Justice Department declining to pursue contempt charges against Garland, then Speaker Mike Johnson told the media that they would go to court to obtain the Biden audio recordings. In schadenfreude news, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones was ordered by a judge to liquidate his assets in order to pay $1.4 billion in defamation damages to the Sandy Hook families, but he would still be able to keep his broadcasting site InfoWars.
One fun note over the weekend, Trump challenged Biden (Who was at a Hollywood fundraiser on Sunday) to a cognitive test, but the former president’s request was then quickly undermined by confusing the name of the doctor who gave him the test in the past.
Israel/Hamas War Watch - Dangling Ceasefire?
Israeli politics has been thrown into chaos again after the resignations of Bibi Netanyahu’s top political rival Benny Gantz and former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot, both calling for the Israeli PM to set a date for an election just a day after 4 hostages were rescued by the IDF but more than 200 Palestinians were allegedly killed in the process. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met again with Netanyahu on Monday as part of a push to persuade Middle East leaders to accept the ceasefire deal by the US, but it might be difficult to persuade Israeli leaders to agree with the terms given the far-right minister Bezalel Smotrich has called a deal with Hamas “collective suicide.” Meanwhile, the UN Security Council adopted its first resolution endorsing a ceasefire plan aimed at ending the Israel-Hamas war, with all countries except Russia who abstained from the vote voting in favor of the resolution.
By Tuesday morning, the Wall Street Journal obtained correspondence between Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and his fellow compatriots, revealing a brutal calculation of increasing civilian deaths to give the terrorist group an advantage in public discourse. A day after the Security Council gave its rubber-stamp approval, Blinken referenced Sinwar saying the plan’s fate “is down to one person.” Hamas then responded with a senior leadership member claiming the group accepted the UN resolution, and the Secretary of State called it "a hopeful sign" as the US claimed Netanyahu backs the plan now as well. Hours later, Hamas claimed it gave mediators in Qatar and Egypt some “remarks” concerning the new ceasefire deal which they argue needs Israeli commitment to a permanent ceasefire. Over the day, it seemed like both sides of the war had stopped short of an outright acceptance of the deal. Meanwhile, the UN human rights office cited potential war crimes for both Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups in connection with the deadly Nuseirat refugee camp raid that rescued 4 hostages and killed hundreds of Palestinians, while a UN report released this week detailed an “unprecedented scale” of violations against children in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza.
On Wednesday, further tensions happened between Israel and Lebanon as a Hezbollah leader was killed by an Israeli air strike in Southern Lebanon, which resulted in the extremist group firing a barrage of missiles into northern Israel. Inside the Israeli war cabinet, the Netanyahu government has discussed punitive measures against UN agencies operating in Israel and the Palestinian territories after the organization blacklisted the country for failing to protect children in conflict, and that was even before the UN’s inquiry into the first few months of the Gaza war found both Israel and Palestinian militant groups have committed war crimes. Regarding reignited hopes of a potential ceasefire, Blinken said parts of the proposed changes by Hamas to the ceasefire plan are workable and others were “unreasonable,” setting the stage for the US and negotiators to “close this deal.” Based on reporting from Reuters, Hamas was seeking written US guarantees for a permanent ceasefire and withdrawal of Israeli forces.
This Thursday started with Israeli forces denying accounts by the official Palestinian news agency WAFA that a region designated as a “safe zone” by the IDF filled with refugees was hit by “land, sea and air strikes.” It comes as the family of one of the hostages released during last week’s operation has shared experiences of psychological abuse faced by the detainees during his eight months in captivity. Meanwhile, the WHO warned Gazans are suffering “catastrophic hunger,” Israel’s far-right finance minister Bezalel Smotrich diverting Palestinian funds to the families of Israeli victims of terrorism, and the Biden administration admitted there is not a clear timetable to come to a ceasefire deal. As the IDF continued to advance with heavy bombardments in Rafah, Israel retaliated again against Hezbollah in the northern part of the country.
As much as everyone was glued to the ceasefire talks, we should take into consideration the understandable anger and frustration from Gazans who had their lives turned upside down due to the war, especially mad at both Israel and Hamas for the impasse in negotiations. In an interview with CNN, Hamas spokesperson and political bureau member Osama Hamdan claimed “no one has any idea” how many hostages are still alive. Meanwhile, Israeli polls have shown Netanyahu’s Lukid party narrowing its gap behind the centrist party of Benny Gantz, who recently quit the war cabinet. At the same time, the US sanctioned a right-wing Israeli activist group that has been deliberately engaged in blocking humanitarian aid into Gaza. Tensions have continued to escalate between the Israel-Lebanon border, with Israeli forces going medieval with the use of trebuchets to hurl flaming projectiles over a large concrete wall and hit Hezbollah targets which were recently leaked to intelligence services.
Over the weekend, there are a few headlines to go through. The IDF announced 8 Israeli soldiers were killed in a blast in Rafah on Saturday, the US military had to temporarily remove its newly built aid pier for the third time due to bad weather, a joint statement was issued with signatures from 93 member states calling for the ICC must be allowed to conduct its work “without intimidation,” Italy’s PM Giorgia Meloni said at a press conference that Israel has fallen into a trap laid by Hamas amid the Gaza war, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari admitted Israel won’t be able to bring all the hostages home in rescue operations, and hundreds of thousands have marched on the streets calling for Netanyahu's government to accept the ceasefire plan in the largest demonstration since last October. Then on Sunday, the Israeli military announced a “tactical pause” in its Rafah offensive to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid for 11 hours daily until further notice. As usual, Netanyahu claimed he didn’t know about the plans and denounced the tactical pauses, while aid groups welcomed the move but urged Israel to do more.
Geopolitical Shakeup + Ukraine/Russia War Watch - A G7 Gathering
In Italy, leaders of the G7 group headed to the luxury resort of Borgo Egnazia in Puglia, Italy between Thursday to Saturday, with Ukraine dominating the agenda amid so many international problems. Before the conference, we learned the G7 was set to form a new Ukraine aid fund using income from frozen Russian assets, and the agreement was intended to be reached during the summit. Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that the draft communique included a call by G7 countries to China, urging the superpower to stop helping Russia’s war effort. The US also discouraged countries like China from doing business with Moscow by imposing wider sanctions on the country, and Biden was ready to sign a 10-year US-Ukraine security deal at the summit with Zelensky.
During the opening address, Giorgia Meloni believed the two-day summit would bring “concrete and measurable results” to subjects ranging from Ukraine, the Middle East, AI, and migration. By the end of day one, negotiators struck a “provisional” deal on giving Ukraine a $50 billion loan backed by expected profits from frozen Russian assets, while the bilateral pact between the US and Ukraine, and a separate group of security agreements with Japan, were officially signed. In a bad look for Meloni, Italian media reported her government deliberately left out a clause on abortion rights from the final draft of the G7 declaration.
On the second day of the event, the Pope joined the G7 conference for the first time, discussing the ethical implications of AI. Meanwhile, LGBTQ and abortion rights became the hot topic on the table as they were watered down in the draft communique. Italy’s far-right government refuted rumors that they were behind the move. Concerning interpersonal politics, Meloni was annoyed over Macron’s “electioneering” at the summit, while global south leaders like Javier Milei of Argentina and Brazil’s Lula showed up to hawk some attention away from the West. Despite all the discord over different policies, the shared unequivocal criticism goes to China, especially over Russian ties and flooding the market with cheap tech.
Concerning other Ukraine news, on the same Tuesday Zelensky lobbied in Berlin alongside Chancellor Olaf Scholz for support and investment to support Ukraine after the war ends concerning energy infrastructure, the US will send another Patriot missile system after Kyiv has desperately called for strengthening air defenses. The Financial Times reported on Wednesday that four abducted children from Ukraine were listed on Russian adoption websites, including one being given a false identity. Meanwhile, Kyiv suffered another round of Russian missile attacks as Ukrainian authorities claim air defense systems have taken out most of the missiles. Switzerland kicked off a Ukraine peace summit on Friday which included many world leaders as participants, however, Russia won’t be taking part in the event. Instead, Putin made his latest ominous warning to the West, saying “We are close to the point of no return.” Ukraine then dismissed Putin’s promise of a ceasefire if Kyiv withdrew troops from occupied regions, and Meloni described the Russian President’s plan as “propaganda.” By Sunday, 80 countries at the Swiss conference have agreed that Ukraine’s territorial integrity must be the basis of any peace agreement to end Russia’s war.
Local News - Mediation In Desperate Need
As the feud between HKU head Zhang Xiang and the university council escalates, Chief Executive and University of Hong Kong Chancellor John Lee was revealed on Monday to be stepping in and resolving the conflict between both parties by holding separate meetings with Zhang and the HKU Council Chairwoman Priscilla Wong. Infighting also spilled out to internal university email feeds as the Council claimed the president was not kept in the dark about several interim appointments as Zhang claimed last week. Then the university head released a late Monday night statement to “set the record straight.”
Then on Tuesday, the government announced a study group was set up to get to the facts and coordinate communications from the inside. Before the announcement, Lee told reporters he had met with Zhang and Wong more than once regarding the internal conflict. Wednesday caught wind of a potential meeting next week among the Council discussing misconduct allegations against the university head, this was after the SCMP revealed many HKU Council members still have worries over the president’s alleged mismanagement, with misgivings persisting despite Zhang being exonerated of misconduct allegations earlier by the Council. We then learned from a pro-Beijing heavyweight poltiican that Beijing is “concerned” and is “keeping an eye” on the conflict brewing inside the university.
All The News That’s Unfit To Meme
HKFP: HK 'slowly becoming a totalitarian state,' says ex-top court judge
Nikkei: Hong Kong fires back after U.K. judge warns of 'totalitarian' turn - Nikkei Asia
Standard: Another foreign judge leaves top Hong Kong court | The Standard
Guardian: Remaining British judges urged to resign from Hong Kong’s top court
Standard: Over 20,000 affected as CUSCS falls victim to cyber attack
Bloomberg: Hong Kong Property Downturn Erases $270 Billion as Rout Drags on 5 Years - Bloomberg
SCMP: 1.3 million Hong Kong cross-border trips over festival weekend, but only 424,840 come in
HKFP: Hong Kong novelists find freedom to reflect, connect – both overseas and through their writing
FT: China’s consumer prices edge up as factory deflation eases
NYT: China Is Testing More Driverless Cars Than Any Other Country - The New York Times
SCMP: China’s ethnic policy chief slams ‘ignorance of history’ in Xinjiang assimilation claims
NYT: Chinese Swimmers Twice Tested Positive for Drugs. They Kept on Swimming.
BBC: Four US college instructors stabbed in public park in China
FT: Xi Jinping claimed US wants China to attack Taiwan
Politico: EU slaps Chinese EVs with duties of up to 38.1 percent
Reuters: Pentagon ran secret anti-vax campaign to incite fear of China vaccines
SCMP: Premier Li Qiang pledges more trade as China extends visa-free travel to New Zealanders
Nikkei: Taiwan's Lai sends legislative power bill back to defiant opposition - Nikkei Asia
BBC: Afghanistan: What happened to the women who protested against the Taliban?
AP: South Korean troops fired warning shots after North Korean soldiers briefly crossed land border
Al Jazeera: Denmark says Korean instant noodles too spicy to eat safely
DW: ECJ fines Hungary €200 million for breaking asylum rules
AP: Russian forces storm a detention facility to rescue staff taken hostage, killing hostage takers
Sky: Post Office campaigner Alan Bates given knighthood - but insists there's still 'work to do'
FT: Man arrested in relation to Covid-era contracts for PPE Medpro
France 24: Iran and Sweden exchange prisoners in Oman-mediated swap
Guardian: Canadian drug advocacy group founders charged with trafficking | Canada | The Guardian
BBC: Russian warships arrive in Cuba in show of force
BBC: Buenos Aires rocked by clashes over President Milei reforms
CBS: Malawi Vice President Dr. Saulos Chilima killed in plane crash with wife, 8 others - CBS News
Guardian: ANC strikes coalition deal with free-market DA, South Africa media reports
NYT: South Africa Re-elects Ramaphosa, but Coalition Is Fragile - The New York Times
BBC: Sudan's El Fasher could fall to rebels imminently - US
AP: Yemen's Houthi claim to break up US-Israel spy network, days after arresting UN staffers | AP News
BBC: Forty-nine die after boat capsizes off Yemen - IOM
FT: World faces ‘staggering’ oil glut by end of the decade, energy watchdog warns
NYT: World Bank Sees Rosier Growth Outlook - The New York Times
ABC: US inflation cooled in May in sign that price pressures may be easing
Reuters: Fed likely to hold rates steady, project fewer cuts in 2024 | Reuters
FT: Apple set to be first Big Tech group to face charges under EU digital law
Bloomberg: Apple Debuts Long-Awaited AI Tools, Including ChatGPT Tie-Up
WaPo: Tesla shareholders re-approve Elon Musk’s 2018 pay package, Musk says - The Washington Post
NYT: U.A.W.’s Monitor Investigates Accusations Against Its Leader, Shawn Fain
Guardian: Elon Musk sued by SpaceX engineers claiming they were illegally fired
FT: Tesla shareholders approve Elon Musk’s record pay deal and move to Texas
CNBC: FDA advisors recommend Eli Lilly's Alzheimer's drug donanemab, paving way for approval
CNN: ‘Once-in-a-lifetime’ explosion will bring a new star to the night sky
HKFP: Police inspector is first Hong Kong resident selected for China’s space programme – reports
SCMP: China’s next moon mission to include Egypt and Bahrain, member of US Artemis Accords
NYT: 3 Days in Space Were Enough to Change 4 Astronauts' Bodies and Minds
Space.com: NASA calls off spacewalk at International Space Station due to 'spacesuit discomfort'
AP: NASA’s Voyager 1, the most distant spacecraft from Earth, is doing science again after problem
Sky: Taylor Swift's Scotland fans danced so hard they set off earthquake monitors | Science & Tech News
NYT: Fauci Speaks His Mind on Trump’s Rages and Their ‘Complicated’ Relationship - The New York Times
CNN: Northern China braces for record high temperatures in major heat wave | CNN
WaPo: DeSantis rejects climate change rationale for record-breaking rain
Guardian: Acropolis closed during hottest hours in Greece’s earliest heatwave on record
NYT: 14 Jordanians Die in Intense Heat During Hajj Pilgrimage - The New York Times
Sky: King Charles' first official portrait targeted by animal rights activists | UK News
Your Weekly Dose Of Outstanding Journalism
NYT: In China’s Backyard, America Has Become a Humbler Superpower - The New York Times
FP: The Taiwan Aid Bill Won't Fix the Arms Backlog
Economist: Hamas and Israel are still far apart over a ceasefire deal
New Statesman: What a historic Labour win will mean for Britain - New Statesman
Time: Taiwan's New President Lai Ching-te Is Standing His Ground | TIME
FT: In charts: the legacy of 14 years of Conservative rule
Atlantic: Trump Is Not America's Le Pen
New Yorker: How a Palestinian/Jewish Village in Israel Changed After October 7th | The New Yorker
Bulwark: The People Who Bought Stock in Trump’s Truth Social Are Very Angry
FT: Undemocratic, anachronistic, fantastic. How the City survives
NYT: How Apple and Google Are Overhauling Our Phones With AI - The New York Times
Foreign Affairs: Sleepwalking Toward War: Will America and China Heed the Warnings of Twentieth-Century Catastrophe?
Reuters: Pro-Trump influencers fire up fears of migrant 'invasion' ahead of U.S. election | Reuters
Economist: What separates Tony Blair’s Labour from the party today?
FT: Can the party that liberated South Africa still hold it together?
New Statesman: How Europe’s hard right went mainstream
Atlantic: Phoenix Is a Vision of America’s Future - The Atlantic
New Yorker: A Striking Setback for India’s Narendra Modi | The New Yorker
Bulwark: America Should Appreciate How Joe Biden Handled His Son's Trial
NYT: A Palestinian Professor Spoke Out Against the Gaza War. Israel Detained Her. - The New York Times
Sky: World migration crisis: Record numbers forced from their homes
Atlantic: Let’s Talk About Trump’s Gibberish - The Atlantic
Foreign Affairs: China’s Do-Nothing Strategy in the Middle East | Foreign Affairs
Vox: The fracturing of South African politics, explained
New Statesman: Why the West should stop talking about the “rules-based order” - New Statesman
FP: Macron Is Destroying His Democracy to Save It
FT: The secrets of Japan’s Ama freedivers
New Yorker: After the European Elections, President Macron Makes a Gamble | The New Yorker
Video Highlights From All Sides
Journalism Monitor: The Profession’s Progress This Week
NYT: The British Aren’t Coming. They’re Here.
New Republic: U.S. Journalism Is Turning to an Unlikely Savior. Will It Work? | The New Republic
FT: Lack of Trump bump adds to pressures on US media
Bulwark: Death By Both Sides-ism - by Jonathan V. Last - The Bulwark
NYT: How Jeff Bezos Is Trying to Fix The Washington Post - The New York Times
WaPo: The Post at a crossroads: Existential questions in a dire season for news
NYT: Will Lewis Is Said to Have Used Stolen Records as Editor in U.K. - The New York Times
NBC: Right-wing media reckoning: Some outlets pay a price after spreading 2020 election misinformation
Axios: House Republicans launch investigation into news-rating group Newsguard
WaPo: ‘Cheapfake’ Biden videos enrapture right-wing media, but deeply mislead - The Washington Post
NPR: This prison newspaper has been publishing for more than a century
NYT: Games Are Proving Their Pull on News and Tech Sites - The New York Times
WSJ: WSJ Reporter Evan Gershkovich, Falsely Accused of Espionage, Is Indicted in Russia
RSF: The journalist who sparked the #MeToo movement in China sentenced to 5 years for subversion | RSF
Semafor: Biden’s UN ambassador defends Gaza casualty numbers, criticizes the media | Semafor
NYT: A Reporter’s Work Helped Topple Presidents. Now He Is Being Investigated. - The New York Times
FP: India Deserves a Better Media – Foreign Policy
WaPo: Stanford’s top disinformation research group collapses under pressure - The Washington Post
NBC: Howard Fineman, veteran political journalist and former MSNBC analyst, dies at 75
NYT: Christophe Deloire, Who Strove to Protect Journalists, Dies at 53 - The New York Times