Brazil Trump response, Pentagon AI contracts and iconic marathoner passing

Israel strikes Damascus as Syria Druze violence escalates, Istanbul’s mayor is sentenced to a 20 month prison term, President Trump vows a quick resolution to the Egypt-Ethiopia dam dispute, U.S. third-nation deportations resume, the U.S. Senate advances President Trump's $9 billion spending cuts, the Pentagon withdraws half of National Guard troops from LA, the U.S. imposes a 17% tariff on fresh Mexican tomatoes, U.K. inflation reportedly rose to 3.6% in June, OpenAI is reportedly building ChatGPT support for Excel and PowerPoint, and Apple and MP Materials ink a $500M rare earth magnet supply deal. Sources: www.verity.news

Brazil's Chief Justice responds to Donald Trump and denies persecution of Jair Bolsonaro, a new Prime Minister of Ukraine is nominated, a Lesotho lawmaker is charged over accusing the King of ceding sovereignty, the U.K. reveals a secret £850M Afghan relocation following a data breach, the Pentagon awards $200M AI contracts to four tech giants, the U.S. Supreme Court allows Trump Education Department layoffs, the Grand Canyon lodge is destroyed in an Arizona wildfire, Meta will invest 'hundreds of billions' to build superintelligence, Nvidia resumes China AI chip sales amid a CEO Beijing visit, and world's oldest marathon runner dies at 114. Sources: www.verity.news

Trump announces a NATO-funded arms deal for Ukraine, Macron announces a €6.5 billion defense boost, The EU delays retaliatory tariffs against the U.S., Iran’s president was reportedly injured in Israeli strikes last month, Bitcoin hits a record $120k, A Senate report criticizes the Secret Service for failures during the Trump shooting, 37 are killed in Druze-Bedouin clashes in southern Syria, Over 70 UK protesters are arrested over a Palestine Action ban, A fire at a Massachusetts assisted living facility leaves nine dead, and scientists detect the largest black hole merger ever recorded. Sources: www.verity.news

The International Criminal Court finds war crimes evidence in Sudan's Darfur region, Donald Trump threatens a 35% tariff on Canadian goods, The U.N. warns that Rohingya refugee services face collapse amid funding crisis, Slovakia blocks EU sanctions on Russia over a gas phase-out, Argentina’s senate passes a pension increase despite opposition from Javier Millei, Detained activist Mahmoud Khalil is seeking $20M from the Trump administration, The Pentagon launches a major drone overhaul, A poll suggests that 79% of Americans see immigration as beneficial for the country, The U.N. alleges that US AIDS funding cuts could cause 4 million deaths by 2029, and a robot performs autonomous surgery with a 100% success rate. Sources: www.verity.news

The EU’s Von der Leyen survives a no-confidence vote, the U.K. and France sign a nuclear coordination agreement, the EU reaches a deal with Israel to increase Gaza aid, Trump threatens Brazil with 50% tariffs, former South Korean President Yoon is rearrested, a judge blocks Trump’s order restricting birthright citizenship, a Pakistan court orders YouTube to block 27 journalist channels, solar power becomes the EU’s top electricity source for the first time, Trump names Sean Duffy as the Interim head of NASA, and OpenAI moves to launch an AI-powered web browser. Sources: www.verity.news

Russia launches a record drone on Ukraine attack after Trump criticizes Putin, Taiwan undertakes large-scale military drills, Iran's Foreign Minister visits Saudi Arabia, the BBC reports that an ex-Bangladesh leader ordered the killing of protesters, Donald Trump threatens a federal takeover of Washington, D.C. and New York City, a report suggests that Pentagon contractors received $2.4T over five years, the U.S. Supreme Court lifts a lower court block on federal layoffs, Rishi Sunak returns to Goldman Sachs as a senior adviser, a study suggests that climate change has tripled European heat wave deaths, and X CEO Linda Yaccarino steps down. Sources: www.verity.news

An imposter uses AI to impersonate Marco Rubio, the International Criminal Court issues warrants for two Taliban leaders, France’s Macron begins a three-day state visit to the U.K., several Canadian Armed Forces members are charged in an alleged “anti-government militia” plot, Yemen’s Houthis attack cargo ships in the Red Sea, the EU eases budgets rules to allow 15 countries to boost their defense spending, the IRS allows church endorsements of political candidates, U.S. measles cases hit a 33-year high, U.S. airports begin phasing out shoe removal requirements, and Chinese doctors perform remote liver surgeries via satellite networks. Sources: www.verity.news

Erin Patterson is found guilty in the mushroom murder trial, Texas floods kill 82, with dozens still missing, Trump sets an Aug. 1 tariffs deadline, Elon Musk launches a new political party, King Charles marks the 20th anniversary of the 7/7 London bombings, Iran deports nearly 450K Afghans, The US revokes its terrorist designation for the Syrian rebel group HTS, The FBI and DOJ conclude that Epstein had no 'client list' and committed suicide, Record college graduate unemployment is linked to AI, and a 3,500-year-old trading city is unearthed in Peru. Sources: www.verity.news

Trump and Putin discuss Iran and Ukraine on a phone call, the U.S. House passes Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill,” the CIA releases a new report on the 2016 Trump-Russia probe, Germany announces plans to deploy naval ships to the Arctic, the EU proposes cutting emissions by 90% by 2040, a study predicts that South Korea's population could drop 85% by 2125, Mali adopts a new law to protect stateless people, Microsoft moves to cut 9,000 jobs worldwide, Liverpool star Diogo Jota dies in a car crash in Spain, and the Velvet Sundown band is revealed to be an AI “art hoax.” Sources: www.verity.news

Emmanuel Macron and Vladamir Putin discuss Iran and Ukraine in their first call since 2022, Donald Trump says Israel agrees to 60-day Gaza ceasefire terms, An Australian inquiry finds that the British committed genocide against the Indigenous population, Paramount settles Trump's $20 billion lawsuit for $16 million over a CBS edit, A judge blocks Trump's early end to Haitian immigration status, Sean 'Diddy' Combs is found not guilty of sex trafficking, The Wisconsin Supreme Court strikes down its 1849 abortion ban, A new study suggests that the waters around Antarctica are getting saltier, Apple is reportedly considering third-party AI models to power its Siri upgrade, and the Dalai Lama makes a major announcement regarding his reincarnation. Sources: www.verity.news