Iran’s Leadership Shuffle, ICC Warrants, And A Soaking Wet Prime Minister
A detailed recount mixed with meme comedy to mark our times at Week 20 of 2024 featuring source material from No. 7 West Mars Street, Star Trek Lower Decks, and Hailey’s On It!
The Most Cathartic Democratic Election Ever - Announcing In The Rain
After taunting a fellow MP at Prime Minister Questions by Wednesday morning that the election will happen sometime in the second half of 2024, Rishi Sunak announced in the afternoon that a general election would be held on July 4 in the soaking rain while the Labour Party’s 1997 election victory anthem bellowed in the background by protestors. Despite a string of defeats in recent local elections and trailing badly behind Labour in the polls consistently, it was still a surprise that Sunak made election day much earlier than everyone expected. Sunak declared later in an indoor campaign launch that “We will fight every day for our values and our vision,” while Labour leader Keir Starmer proclaimed “This is the time for change” and the “moment country has been waiting for.” If Sunak’s campaign did not get enough of a PR crisis, a Sky News reporter was forcefully removed from the first Conservative Party rally while they were broadcasting the entire ordeal live on TV. Behind the scenes, Tory MPs were completely surprised at the sudden announcement. Given they know an election spells a wipeout for the party, several Conservative Party members tried to work on a plot to call off the general election by replacing Sunak before parliament dissolves next Thursday. Several letters of no confidence were sent to the infamous 1922 committee but it leaves at a dead end.
The next day, the election campaign was in full swing with far-right politician Nigel Farage announcing he was not standing in the election to help Trump, while Sunak declared no new Rwanda flights would depart before the next election and shelved his previous policies on the Rwanda scheme and banning e-cigarettes to appeal to more voters. The gaffe machine continued both online with the soaking jokes, and in real life after the PM scored his own goal by awkwardly asking a bar of Welsh workers whether they were looking forward to the Euros, forgetting the fact that Wales did not qualify in the first place. Meanwhile, Downing Street refuses to honor Sunak’s bet to Piers Morgan to pay £1000 to a refugee charity, justifying it by claiming one person volunteered to go to Rwanda.
After Rishi Sunak proposed six debates against his main opponent, Keir Starmer agreed to at least two televised debates and called Sunak desperate to do so. In potentially better news for Starmer, his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn announced he is running as an independent against his own party. In the latest stop of Sunak’s irony-free tour, he visited the Titanic shipyard on Friday and was brutally asked by a local reporter whether he was steering the ship of the Tory party into the water. Sunak’s later tour of a Morrisons supermarket holding a loaf of bread, and the unfortunate photo of him huddling with reporters while standing right under an exit sign also gained wide online mockery. On the Labour side, Starmer promised that there would be a tax for private school tuition immediately once he came to office, which led to some parents pulling their children out of their private schools. As Theresa May and other MPs bid farewell to parliament, some former cabinet officials like Michael Gove and Andrea Leadsom announced they are not seeking reelection in the largest Tory exodus since the 1997 election that also ended with a Labour landslide. In the more far-right parts of the British political system, we learned from the Guardian that Reform UK is forced to remove more than 100 general election candidates this year, which comes after the party leader Richard Tice had to defend his party’s wildly inaccurate 1066 graph claiming a spike of immigration in recent years.
The PM later announced he was taking a day off on Saturday, but took the opportunity to announce his first major new campaign policy of reintroducing UK national service for 18-year-olds if he is re-elected. Just hours later, Home Secretary James Cleverly had to come on Sky News and clarify that refusing to join the mandatory National Service won't lead to prison. On the other side, Keir Starmer’s announcement to lower the voting age to 16 when he is elected gained controversy from the right, as some see it as a cynical ploy to gain more young voters who are more likely to vote for the Labour Party.
This week also marked accountability for decades-old scandals that have been an emblem of failure from the British government and society to those who deserve justice a long time ago. On Monday, an inquiry into the UK’s infected blood scandal found out and blasted the NHS (Britain’s National Health Service) and authorities for knowingly exposing tens of thousands of patients to deadly infections by contaminated blood products and hiding the truth from the public since the 1970s. Sunak’s government later announced that the victims could receive up to 2 million pounds in compensation. Then from Wednesday to Friday, ex-Post Office boss Paula Vennells was in tears and confessed to the inquiry looking into the Post Office Horizon scandal (I have written about that in length in a previous Memeing The World segment, which has more context there) that her evidence to MPs in the past was untrue.
For a deeper analysis of the start of the UK general election, check out this article by yours truly with the slightly embarrassing update that I miswrote the election day as July 3 instead of a day later. Some of you might not have received the article in your inbox, so go on and take a read! https://nerdwrites.substack.com/p/soaking-in-the-rain-b55
Voterama 2024 - Throwing A Wrench To The Partyworks
Just one week before the highly anticipated May 29 election, the country’s top court ruled former president Jacob Zuma was not eligible to run for parliament due to his criminal history making him the first former president to serve jail time in post-colonial South Africa. A former leader of the African National Congress (ANC) party, he has reentered the political spotlight by founding the MK Party, which some observers fear might sow unrest before and after the contentious elections. Days later, Zuma lashed out at the judges during a BBC interview, who also argued a change in the country’s constitution.
In other election news out there, the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Germany continued its schadenfreude descent into chaos after it suspended its top candidate Maximilian Krah for the EU election, given investigations into his ties with Russia and China, and also the fact he claimed not all members of the Nazi SS forces were "criminals." For those who want a sense of how bad the AfD is right now, three weeks before the EU election that is poised to see the far-right gaining ground, Marine Le Pen’s France’s National Rally said they would not sit alongside the AfD in the next EU parliament, essentially cutting off all ties with the far-right party while being a prominent far-right party in its own right. In a sense how extreme the AfD is, they were expelled from the pan-European parliamentary group of populist far-right parties on Thursday.
Geopolitical Shakeup - The President That Crashed From The Sky
The biggest drama this week happened in Azerbaijan after last Sunday’s news of a helicopter carrying the Iranian president and foreign minister crashed in a hard landing due to bad weather. The most prominent passenger on the aircraft, Ebrahim Raisi, became Iran’s president in 2021 and was notorious beforehand for playing a key role in overseeing the mass execution of prisoners in the 1980s, which got him the nickname “the Butcher of Tehran”. A hardliner cleric whose rule was temporarily overshadowed by the Mahsa Amini protests of 2022, he was widely seen to be the pick by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei as his successor. Many suspects that after Raisi dies, Ali might pick his son Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed him, which brings a whole new set of legitimacy problems to the theocracy. However, there will be no changes to how Iran interacts with regional conflicts or its proxies like Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, or the Houthis in Yemen as they are under the oversight of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which Ayatollah Khamenei controls.
Search and rescue efforts lasted for hours since the crash with minimal news being revealed on Iranian state media, except for the odd fact that contact was made with a passenger and crew member with no further detail provided. Iranian authorities have urged their citizens to pray, but many Iranians reacted with firework celebrations on the street and dancing in their homes. 12 hours after the helicopter went down, rescuers found no sign of life at the crash site, and state media promptly declared that both Raisi and foreign minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian were dead. After Raisi’s death, then-first vice president Mohammad Mokhber temporarily took over before an election would be held to select the new president. World leaders including Putin and Xi have sent their condolences, while there have been no signs of Israeli involvement regarding the deaths. Inside Iran, a five-day mourning period had begun to commemorate the president, and Raisi was laid to rest in his hometown on Thursday.
Israel/Hamas War Watch - The Finding Out Process Is Knocking
Deepening tensions inside the Israeli coalition war government continued to evolve since last week’s protests in Tel Aviv calling for Netanyahu’s resignation, as well as the sudden announcement by cabinet member Benny Gantz that he would resign on June 8 if the government does not have a post-war plan. Meanwhile, during last Sunday’s commencement address at Morehouse College, Biden said he is working “around the clock” for a ceasefire. This week’s Monday started with a metaphorical bang from the ICC, as the court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan announced exclusively to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that he is seeking arrest warrants against Yahya Sinwar (The leader of Hamas) and Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes over the October 7 attack and the subsequent Gaza war. Khan added arrest warrants are also issued to Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as the leader of the Al Qassem Brigades Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, and Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh. Israel reacted to the news by forming a special committee to fight the ICC decision and politicians from all sides inside the country denounced the move, while Hamas claimed the decision “equates victim with executioner” in a statement of total divorce from context and reality. Biden joined Israel in condemning the ICC warrants, calling the requests “outrageous” and highlighting there is “no equivalence” between Israel and Hamas (A similar argument by other Western countries that are critical of the move). It should be put into context when Putin was issued with an arrest warrant by the ICC, Biden welcomed the move saying it was “justified.” Hours later during a speech honoring Jewish Heritage Month, the US president said what is happening in Gaza “is not genocide,” adding his backing of Israel as well as his administration’s role in assisting the innocent Palestinians through aid. On an interesting side note, we learned human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, wife of the famous actor George Clooney, played a role in advising Khan on the investigation regarding alleged war crimes in Israel and Palestine.
On Tuesday, the news on Gaza began with a BBC investigation that revealed Palestinian detainees were “shackled and blindfolded” among other inhumane treatment based on whistleblower testimony by several Israeli medical workers. The Guardian also released an investigative piece that revealed Israeli soldiers and police have tipped off far-right activists and settlers, who then block and attack aid trucks that are supposed to enter Gaza. In a further incursion into journalistic rights, Israeli officials took down the AP live feed of northern Gaza and seized its equipment citing the new media law concerning banning Al Jazeera, a decision condemned by the US before the Israeli communications minister ordered the return of seized AP equipment hours later. Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister of Israel who wants to be a part of the war cabinet, has again espoused inflammatory remarks by claiming he “would very much want to live in Gaza.” In Rafah, more dire news as the UN announced suspending food distribution in the region, noting a lack of supplies and insecurity in the region. For Netanyahu and his far-right government, the ICC warrants have become a surprising (if not depressing) lifeline to their political futures as they argued an unfair equivocation with Hamas is illegitimate. Netanyahu called on “civilized nations” to boycott the ICC warrants, but France broke with most Western countries by supporting the Court’s move. From the US point of view, a US official claimed Israel has addressed many of Biden’s concerns over the widescale Rafah operation, Trump’s foreign policy advisor Robert O'Brien urged sanctions on the ICC after meeting Netanyahu, and Antony Blinken told senators during a hearing that a Gaza truce is still possible despite setbacks by the ICC decision when he was not interrupted by pro-Palestine protestors sitting behind him.
In a bombshell move, Norway, Ireland, and Spain jointly announced that they are recognizing Palestinian statehood next week, which was welcomed by the PLO. Most countries around the world already recognize Palestine as a state, but it is a rare move considering the symbolism behind three European and Western countries conducting such a political maneuver. Despite the three countries declaring this is not in support of Hamas but in support of peace, Israel reacted furiously and summoned the ambassadors of the three respective countries to watch a video of the October 7 attacks, while national security advisor Jake Sullivan was concerned by Israel’s isolation in a subtle critique to the three allies’ position. Meanwhile, the US was growing more optimistic about Saudi Arabia and Israel agreeing to a normalization deal but still admits Israel could balk and leave negotiators empty-handed given one of the requirements is granting Palestine statehood. The US responded by noting that they prefer two-state talks to unilateral declarations of a Palestinian state, returning back to a favorite talking point that also guarantees Israeli security. Amidst all of the condemnations by US politicians about the ICC warrants, House Speaker Mike Johnson suggested the ICC should be punished over the action which Blinken signaled bipartisan support just the day before.
Abruptly on Thursday, Israel announced it would restart ceasefire talks with Hamas after a hostage video showing five bloodied female Israeli military soldiers sparked outrage among the public. As Israel continues its assault in Rafah, aid groups say “hell” is now fully inside the city, while new reports continue to show inhumane treatment of Palestinian prisoners inside Israeli detention camps. Inside the US, the presidents of UCLA, Rutger, and Northwestern universities were grilled by GOP lawmakers over their handling of antisemitism during the student Gaza protests. As the hearing went on, some students at UCLA quickly built encampments and occupied a school building before police took it down. In Harvard, hundreds of pro-Palestine graduates walked out and protested during the university commencement ceremony. Politico also reported how the US is preparing to play a prominent role in post-war reconstruction, right after the Gaza war ends.
Then on Friday, the ICJ ruled on the request by South Africa to order Israel to halt its Rafah offensive and withdraw from Gaza, as part of its larger case accusing Israel of genocide which happened after both sides deliberated their case in court last week. The court ruled in favor of South Africa’s decision, ordering Israel to halt the offensive citing the “immediate risk” to the Palestinian people. Even though Israel is highly unlikely to comply with the order, it is another sign of the country’s international isolation as more pressure piles on Netanyahu to stop the war. Out of everyone who got the memo that Israel isn’t going to follow international law, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres claimed he “trusts” that Israel would comply with the ruling. Before the ruling, Israel announced three more bodies that Hamas killed were retrieved from Gaza, while Egypt’s President El Sisi agreed to reopen the Kerem Shalom crossing for aid to enter the region. In the Western world, more than 200 EU staffers have signed a letter expressing concerns over the organization’s response to the Gaza war and the “continued apathy” to the plight of the Palestinians, Speaker Mike Johnson announced Netanyahu will address Congress sometime next month, police made the first arrests on a mob attack on a pro-Palestinian protest in UCLA three weeks late, and Dave Chapelle joined proponents who proclaim the Gaza war is a genocide during a comedy show in Abu Dhabi.
In the ceasefire negotiation department, CIA director Bill Burns visited Israel and talked to officials about hashing out a deal over the weekend. Meanwhile, Israel’s war is also fought in the streets heading towards Gaza, from opposing activists fighting each other over aid convoys being shipped into the Strip, to scuffles between Israeli police forces and protestors calling for the release of the hostages. After preliminary discussions in Paris, negotiators claim talks between Israel and Hamas can resume in a week’s time. Then on Sunday, Tel Aviv woke up to air raid sirens, warning of the first rocket attack by Hamas in months, while Palestinian medics say an Israeli airstrike killed 35 people and hit tents for displaced people.
Ukraine/Russia War Watch - Time’s Up For Zelensky?
Volodymyr Zelensky’s term supposedly expired on Monday, but after two years of war, nobody knows what’s next for Ukraine despite his popularity and the Russian invasion’s influence keeping the former actor turned president in charge. In an interview with Reuters, Zelensky chastised the West for not delivering enough aid fast enough and urged leaders in Beijing to participate in a peace summit coming this June.
On Tuesday, Putin fired the deputy defense minister Colonel General Yury Sadovenko, and replaced him with former deputy economic minister Oleg Savelyev in a shift in war strategy since the firing of the then-defence minister Shoigu weeks ago. In an exclusive interview with the New York Times, Zelensky continued his criticism of the West over the hesitation of aid shipment and urged the US to allow firing their weapons into Russian territory. For Russia, as it moved towards another strategic town in northeastern Ukraine, tactical nuclear drills began inside Russian territory in a warning to NATO and the West. Interestingly enough, the state-run channel Rossiya 24 began airing Tucker Carlson’s web show to the Russian audience, but Tucker’s team claimed they did not consent and get legal permission to do so. It was also an awkward moment for Newsweek, which had to walk back earlier reporting that claimed Carlson had launched a new show for Russian television.
Inside the White House, we learned of debates between cabinet officials on whether they should allow Ukraine to shoot US-made weapons into Russia, which some have feared might cause an escalation. Meanwhile, Russia seeks more crime suspects, not just convicted criminals, to be sent to the Ukranian frontline as the war runs out of existing forces. On Thursday, another senior military official was detained as Lt. Gen. Vadim Shamarin was accused of “large-scale bribery” in a further sign of changing Russian military leadership. Meanwhile, the US announced more than two hundred million more in aid funding to the war effort.
Suddenly on Friday, Reuters reported Putin wants a Ukraine ceasefire within the current frontlines. Russian sources told the news agency that the current land grab is an attempt to pressure Kyiv to talk, while Putin does not want another national mobilization at home and is concerned about nuclear escalation abroad. We also learned through the Washington Post that Russian jammings have disrupted guidance systems, rendering high-tech US-provided weapons ineffective. Between meetings of top G7 financial officials, they are now closer to a deal to use frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine’s war effort. Meanwhile on the ground, Russia’s offensive has grown more deadly to civilians as 12 were killed by a bombing in a Kharkiv hardware superstore.
The Greatest Political Drama On Earth - Resting Their Cases
This week saw the conclusion of the prosecution’s case against Donald Trump in the New York hush money election interference case, amidst taunts by the former president’s political rivals for him to take the stand and give his testimony. Michael Cohen returned to the witness stand on Day 19 of the trial, in which he admitted he was stealing from the Trump Organization when cross-examined by the former president’s lawyers. After that, the prosecution rested its case, and the defense called on two witnesses starting with Robert Costello. Costello was expected to undermine Cohen’s credibility given his history with the ex-Trump lawyer, but the situation was so chaotic Judge Merchan had to clear the courtroom after improper decorum by Costello. Meanwhile, outside the courtroom, hecklers used cowbells and whistles to drown out the latest round of Congressional Trump supporters airing out the former president’s grievances in front of TV cameras. For even better comic relief, his social media site Truth Social lost $327.6 million on top of $770,500 in revenue for the first quarter of 2024.
In case Trump is not in hot water for repeatedly breaking the gag order again, he posted a video on Truth Social that suggests there will be a "Unified Reich" if he wins the 2024 election, before suggesting on Tuesday that he is open to states restricting access to birth control. By Day 20 of the trial, the defense rested its case without Trump testifying, which was understandable given it was Donald Trump we were talking about, and a bit surprising given he boasted multiple times that he was willing to take the stand. Judge Merchan called the jurors to return next Tuesday for closing arguments, while Trump attacked the judge outside the courtroom by referencing his name and “where he comes from.” Meanwhile, in Georgia, Fani Willis won the Democratic primary for Fulton County District Attorney despite Trump’s attempts to smear him, after gaining national prominence by prosecuting the former president. If that’s not enough Trump trial news, newly revealed court documents on the classified documents case showed months after the August 2022 Mar-A-Lago raid by the FBI, more classified documents were found in the former president’s bedroom!
Even without the courtroom drama, Donald Trump is capable of creating some of his own. The former president claimed on Truth Social that Joe Biden was going to assassinate him with no credible evidence, which is ironic given weeks ago his lawyers argued to the Supreme Court that the Constitution allows presidents to assassinate their political rivals. Regarding the detained journalist Evan Gershkovich, Trump did a Ronald Reagan during the Iran hostage crisis by promising that Russia would immediately release the wrongfully detained reporter after his election victory. On Thursday night, Trump held a rally in the Bronx to a smaller-than-expected crowd of a few thousand people and proudly accepted the endorsement of two rappers accused of being involved in a gang murder plot as a ploy to court black voters. Biden’s campaign responded to recent Trump threats by releasing a new campaign ad voiced over by famous actor Robert De Niro as the voice actor, warning Americans that he has “snapped” and is threatening to “be a dictator.” Speaking of being snapped, Trump’s lawyers sent a cease and desist letter to block the sale of tickets to the movie “The Apprentice” for its unflattering portrayal of the businessman.
Over the weekend, things were even wilder for the former president over the Memorial Day weekend. Jack Smith and federal prosecutors on the classified documents case asked Judge Aileen Cannon to impose a gag order on Trump after his recent online comments have endangered law enforcement officials. We also learned that Biden will give a speech calling for the public to respect the justice system after Trump’s first trial ended, regardless of whether he is convicted. Meanwhile, Trump spoke at the Libertarian National Convention on Saturday, which did not go well. On day one of the convention, groups of people physically fought with each other over removing independent candidate RFK Jr. from giving a speech, the crowd booed former GOP candidate Vivek Ramaswamy for mentioning Trump’s name, while a Libertarian named Kaelan Dreyer from New Mexico yelled at a microphone saying “I would like to propose that we go tell Donald Trump to go fuck himself!” Before Trump gave his speech on Saturday, Fox News reported participants were given rubber chickens to protest Trump for not being brave enough to debate RFK Jr. while libertarians drowned out the pro-Trump supporters before the speech with incessant booing. When the former president took to the stage and delivered his address, Trump was booed and heckled relentlessly, to which he responded in kind by mocking them. One of the rare moments Trump got all cheers was when he promised to pardon the convicted drug trafficker Ross Ulbricht, who was sentenced to life for creating the dark web network Silk Road. Trying to grift more votes from the libertarians, he promised that there would be one member from their party to serve on Trump’s next cabinet.
This week was also a bad one for Trump’s former lawyer Rudy Giuliani. After he was severed with a subpoena during his 80th birthday party the past weekend, Giuliani and other defendants pled not guilty to felony charges in relation to the Arizona election interference case. Even more embarrassing for America’s Mayor, his financial status is in ruins after he declared bankruptcy, so much so that he is now selling $30 coffee products on social media. Speaking of Trump sycophants, we learned on Wednesday through the New York Times that Supreme Court Justice Sam Alito flew another provocative flag in another home of his in relation to the January 6 Capitol Riot. Out of the many prominent Trump’s potential VP picks, New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik visited Israel and gave a speech in the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) bashing Biden’s record and advocating for unlimited aid to Israel to “wipe Hamas from the face of the Earth.” In a disappointing bit of news for the never-Trumpers, despite being the reliable outlet during GOP primaries to protest against the frontrunner’s candidacy, Nikki Haley endorsed Trump and said she is voting for him in the 2024 election. For Trump’s international fans, US officials are worried that Russia and North Korea are planning an October surprise in the wannabe dictator’s favor to get him reelected.
Leadership Change - Just For Show
On Monday, William Lai was sworn in as the new leader of Taiwan, leading a historic third term for the ruling DPP party. During the inauguration address, Lai pledged to maintain the status quo in the Taiwan Strait with mainland China, calling on the mainland to “stop threatening” the island and jointly maintain peace. China has always seen the self-governing island as its territory and has warned it might take it by force if a peaceful resolution could not solve the issue, and they see Lai as a “dangerous separatist” that would bring “war and decline” to the territory. In reaction to the speech, the Taiwan Affairs Office said the address sends “dangerous signals” with a pro-independence message. Lai’s first day was not smooth sailing to put it kindly, thousands protested against controversial legislation that critics have lambasted as unconstitutional and a threat to democracy. Given the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) and the Taiwan People's Party hold a majority in the Legislative Yuan, they have been proposing and running through controversial bills that would give them broad investigative powers and control over billions of dollars in budget funds in a potential move to disarm the influence of Lai before he even starts his job.
Three days after Lai’s inauguration, China executed a surprise two-day military drill including navy warships near the Taiwan Strait as “punishment” for “separatist acts.” In response, Taiwan claimed these were traditional provocations and condemned the exercises. Day two of drills featured 3D virtual “bombings” and mock live missile strikes from fighter jets, while the Chinese government says the military drills encircling the island are testing the country’s ability to “seize power” from the island’s government. On Sunday, Lai again extended goodwill to his mainland counterparts, claiming he was looking forward to enhancing mutual understanding and reconciliation. Hours later, a US congressional delegation led by the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Michael McCaul touched down in Taiwan, which was met with condemnation and warnings by Beijing. We also learned through reporting by Bloomberg that two of the world’s most influential chip firms, ASML and TSMC, can disable chip machines if a Chinese invasion happens.
Around the world, Vietnam’s rubber-stamp parliament approved its top security chief To Lam as the country’s new president after a major anti-corruption campaign led to the resignation of his predecessors, making To Lam the third president in just two years. In the Dominican Republic, President Luis Abinader cruised into victory as everyone suspected, presiding over a campaign of anti-corruption, a strong economy, and nativist migration policies stemming from the influx of migrants from Haiti.
All The News That’s Unfit To Meme
Standard: Hong Kong’s waste charging scheme ‘disturbing’, trial finds | The Standard
SCMP: Hong Kong authorities ‘set to shelve controversial waste-charging scheme’ after trial run findings
Economist: Why Hong Kong is sending its old people to Guangdong
BBC: Hong Kong spy suspect death not suspicious - police
Bloomberg: US-China Tariffs: Biden Extends Exemptions on Some Imports From China - Bloomberg
FT: China’s latest answer to OpenAI is ‘Chat Xi PT’
Reuters: Exclusive: Nvidia cuts China prices in Huawei chip fight, sources say
CNBC: Apple looks to boost sales in China with hefty discounts as e-commerce festival gets underway
CNN: China is trying to end its ‘epic’ property crisis. The hard work is just beginning | CNN Business
SCMP: Lower risks, harder to respond: why Beijing may prefer a blockade to armed conflict on Taiwan
Nikkei: Mahathir says Beijing 'can claim' South China Sea, no need for war - Nikkei Asia
HKFP: Philippines boosts maritime security following China's 'military build-up' near Taiwan
Nikkei: Taylor Swift buoys Singapore GDP to 2.7% Q1 growth - Nikkei Asia
FT: Japan blocks view of Mount Fuji after backlash over throngs of tourists
Nikkei: Japan picks Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Sapporo as special finance zones - Nikkei Asia
Reuters: South Korea bans viral North Korea propaganda video praising Kim | Reuters
ABC: Kim's portrait is publicly displayed in North Korea. Here's a look at what it means - ABC News
Nikkei: Thai PM Srettha avoids suspension as court takes up ethics case - Nikkei Asia
FT: Adani suspected of fraud by selling low-grade coal as high-value fuel
CNN: Myanmar: Fires rage as Rohingya caught up on the front lines of country’s civil war | CNN
Nikkei: Foreign fighters training anti-regime forces in Myanmar - Nikkei Asia
CNN: Passengers on SQ321 Singapore Airlines flight describe nightmare at 37,000 feet | CNN
Nikkei: Malaysia's Anwar to push ASEAN as 'cohesive force' against regional tensions - Nikkei Asia
Guardian: Pakistani poet was abducted because of human rights activism, says wife | Pakistan | The Guardian
NYT: America’s Monster - The New York Times
Reuters: Four years after George Floyd killing, police reform slow to follow | Reuters
AP: Hunter Biden seeks a delay in his federal tax trial set to begin in Los Angeles next month | AP News
Axios: Scoop: Inside the DNC strategy for Trump VPs
NYT: Schumer Plans Vote on Contraception Access, Teeing Up a Campaign Issue - The New York Times
CNBC: Biden administration to forgive $7.7 billion in student debt
WaPo: Uvalde parents are suing gunmaker, Meta and 'Call of Duty' manufacturer
NBC: Louisiana passes bill to make abortion pills a controlled dangerous substance
NYT: House Passes Measure to Repeal D.C. Noncitizen Voting Law - The New York Times
WaPo: Senate rejects border security deal for a second time
Axios: Scoop: Trump ally urges Senate GOP to punt funding fight to 2025
AP: GOP candidate for NC governor blasts public spending as his family nonprofit rakes in taxpayer funds
Hill: Vince Fong wins California special election to fill Kevin McCarthy’s seat
Guardian: Revealed: the extremist Maga lobbying group driving far-right Republican policies
BBC: The Mexican state where candidates are gunned down as they push for votes
NYT: Stage Collapses at Campaign Rally in Mexico, Killing at Least 9 - The New York Times
Reuters: In riot-scarred New Caledonia, France's Macron delays voting reform | Reuters
Guardian: ‘Not our president’: after Macron’s visit, New Caledonia’s Kanak demand their own future
Reuters: Macron heads to Germany in first French presidential state visit in 24 years | Reuters
Al Jazeera: Biden pledges to designate Kenya as ‘non-NATO ally’ during Ruto visit | Politics News | Al Jazeera
WSJ: How Soda, Chocolate and Chewing Gum Are Funding War in Sudan
France 24: DR Congo army says it has thwarted attempted coup in Kinshasa
NYT: Countries Fail to Agree on Treaty to Prepare the World for the Next Pandemic - The New York Times
Wired: Scarlett Johansson Says OpenAI Ripped Off Her Voice for ChatGPT | WIRED
WaPo: The real story behind OpenAI and Scarlett Johansson's voice
Reuters: Europe sets benchmark for rest of the world with landmark AI laws | Reuters
FT: Google’s AI search tool tells users to ‘eat rocks’ for your health
WSJ: Nvidia’s Sales Triple, Signaling AI Boom’s Staying Power
Vox: Leaked OpenAI documents reveal aggressive tactics toward former employees
Wired: The Low-Paid Humans Behind AI’s Smarts Ask Biden to Free Them From ‘Modern Day Slavery’ | WIRED
WSJ: The Student Who Was Suspended for a Prizewinning AI Tool Fights Back - WSJ
Semafor: World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab will leave executive post | Semafor
QZ: Donald Trump is now accepting cryptocurrencies for campaign donations
WSJ: It’s Taylor Swift’s World. The Government Is Just Suing Ticketmaster in It. - WSJ
WaPo: In major change, college athletes set to be paid directly by schools
New Scientist: Earth-like exoplanet found just 40 light years away – the closest yet | New Scientist
NYT: Comet Fragment Explodes in Dark Skies Over Spain and Portugal - The New York Times
Standard: At least one payload expert from Hong Kong enters China’s final astronaut selection | The Standard
SCMP: Hong Kong policewoman picked as astronaut for China’s space programme
Space.com: Boeing Starliner's 1st astronaut launch delayed again, this time with no new flight date | Space
FT: European Space Agency aims for own version of SpaceX
Al Jazeera: Russia launches ‘space weapon’ in path of US satellite: Pentagon | Space News | Al Jazeera
Space.com: Russian space weapon ban shot down by UN Security Council
Bloomberg: Elon Musk's SpaceX Considers Tender Offer to Boost Value to $200 Billion - Bloomberg
WaPo: Mexico City’s water ‘Day Zero’ may come even for the wealthiest residents - The Washington Post
AP: It's so hot in Mexico that howler monkeys are falling dead from the trees | AP News
WaPo: Alaskan rivers are turning orange. Climate change could be to blame. - The Washington Post
NYT: Extreme Heat Scorches Miami in May, Worrying Experts About Summer - The New York Times
ABC Australia: More than 670 people now feared dead following landslide in Papua New Guinea's highlands - ABC News
WaPo: This hurricane season could be among the worst in decades, NOAA warns
Reuters: Rich nations are earning billions from a pledge to help fix climate
Sky: Judge rejects Alec Baldwin's request to dismiss charge over Rust shooting | US News
BBC: Nicki Minaj freed after arrest at Amsterdam airport
Your Weekly Dose Of Outstanding Journalism
New Yorker: The Guy on Trial for the Same Thing as Trump | The New Yorker
Bulwark: ‘October 7 was a turning point’: Trump’s pro-Israel fundraising accelerates.
FT: The battlegrounds that could decide a US-China war over Taiwan
BBC: What next for Iran after President Raisi's death?
Vox: Biden promised to defeat authoritarianism. Reality got in the way.
Foreign Affairs: The Dangers of an Ungovernable Gaza | Foreign Affairs
Economist: The ICC’s threat to arrest Binyamin Netanyahu has shocked Israel
WaPo: Opinion Trump is making a strategic pitch to Arab Americans who feel betrayed by Biden
FT: ICC’s move against Benjamin Netanyahu puts Joe Biden in diplomatic and political bind
WSJ: WSJ's Election Dial: Find Out How Battleground States Could Flip to Trump or Biden in 2024 - WSJ
New Yorker: How 3M Discovered, Then Concealed, the Dangers of Forever Chemicals | The New Yorker
Bulwark: Bashing Biden on Bombs, Congressional GOP Wants a Blank Check for Israel
Mother Jones: What Do War Crimes Warrants for Hamas and Israeli Leaders Actually Mean?
Vox: Why ICC arrest warrants matter, even if Israel and Hamas leaders evade them
Economist: Why baby-boosting policies won’t work
Wired: AI Is a Black Box. Anthropic Figured Out a Way to Look Inside | WIRED
NYT: Supernova or Coronavirus: Can You Tell the Difference? - The New York Times
BBC: What ICC arrest warrants mean for Israel and Hamas - BBC
Economist: The war-crimes case against the leaders of Israel and Hamas is flawed
FP: Is the War in Gaza Turning Israel Into a Pariah State?
New Yorker: The Secrets of Suspense | The New Yorker
BBC: Chris Mason: Why did Sunak decide to call summer election?
GZERO: The ICC and its unintended consequences for Israel and beyond - GZERO Media
Atlantic: The British Prime Minister Bowed to the Inevitable - The Atlantic
Bloomberg: The Weak Yen and Japan’s Fragile Turning Point, Explained - Bloomberg
Economist: How to save South Africa
Guardian: Decades of spying and repression: the anti-Palestinian origins of American Islamophobia
WaPo: Opinion Take it from conservative national security experts: Trump is unfit
NYT: Bibi Is Choosing Stefanik and Trump. President Biden, Don’t Be Fooled. - The New York Times
Bulwark: Haley Shivs the ‘Haley Republicans’ - by Andrew Egger
Economist: Hacking phones is too easy. Time to make it harder
Atlantic: The Trumpian vertigo of American politics - The Atlantic
FP: Democracy Needs an Economic NATO – Foreign Policy
Bloomberg: How to Stay Fit While Traveling to Mars
WSJ: Behind the Scenes of Scarlett Johansson’s Battle With OpenAI - WSJ
Time: President Javier Milei’s Radical Plan to Transform Argentina | TIME
FT: What went wrong with capitalism
New Yorker: The Bronx Cheers—Mostly—for Trump | The New Yorker
MSNBC: Trump's Evan Gershkovich claim is extraordinary — on several levels
Bulwark: What If Trump Is Right About America? - by Jonathan V. Last
NYT: Opinion | In Gaza, Biden Gets the Chance to Do the Right Thing - The New York Times
WaPo: Pearl Jam asked Bill Clinton to take on Ticketmaster 30 years ago
New Yorker: Why Liberals Struggle to Defend Liberalism | The New Yorker
WaPo: Progressive Democrats aren't turning activism into election wins
Video Highlights From All Sides
Journalism Monitor: The Profession’s Progress This Week
Yahoo/U-Beat Magazine (CUHK): 跨「閱」不過的牆 入境帶書遭審查 - The Books That Cannot Cross The Wall (Chinese)
AP: Australian judge rules that social media platform X must answer to hate speech complaint
CNN: India’s free press is not so free after a decade of Modi | CNN
Vox: “Everyone is absolutely terrified”: Inside a US ally's secret war on its American critics
NYT: How Media Outlets Are Covering Justice Merchan in Trump's Criminal Trial
AP: Trump TV: Internet broadcaster beams the ex-president's message directly to his MAGA faithful
Daily Beast: Media Matters Lays Off a Dozen Staffers Amid Elon Musk Lawsuit
WaPo: A final column from someone who has seen the power of local journalism - The Washington Post
RSF: Two of Mexico’s presidential candidates sign RSF’s pledge to protect journalism | RSF
AP: Israel's block of AP transmission shows how ambiguity in law could restrict war coverage
Ground: Newsweek walks back report of Tucker Carlson launching Russian TV show
CNN: Julian Assange US extradition hearing: Court to rule on Wikileaks founder’s final appeal | CNN
Deadline: Ofcom Begins Procedure To Sanction GB News Over Rishi Sunak 'People's Forum'
DW: Tunisia: Two journalists jailed for publishing 'false news'