USA - The US dollar is enduring its worst half-year performance since 1973, when the collapse of the Bretton Woods system, an OPEC oil embargo, and the Watergate scandal triggered significant devaluation. This six-month slide also marks the currency’s weakest showing since the 2009 post-financial crisis recovery. The dollar index, which measures the dollar’s value against a basket of six major currencies, including the Euro, Japanese Yen, and Swiss Franc, has plummeted over 10%. This sharp decline reflects growing unease among investors about the US economy’s trajectory. Several factors are driving this downturn, including President Trump’s tariff policies, concerns over escalating US debt, and the Federal Reserve’s independence in setting interest rates and managing monetary policy. These issues have eroded confidence in the dollar’s stability.

UK - Four people charged by terror police after £7 million worth of damage done to two aircraft at RAF Brize Norton 'by Palestine Action'. Amy Gardiner-Gibson, 29, Jony Cink, 24, Daniel Jeronymides-Norie, 35, and Lewie Chiaramello, 22, have been remanded in custody after £7 million in damage was caused to two Voyager aircraft at the Oxfordshire base on June 20. Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE) said they had been charged with conspiracy to enter a prohibited place knowingly for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the United Kingdom, and conspiracy to commit criminal damage. The charges came as MPs backed the Government's move to ban the direct action group Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. The move on Wednesday was passed in the Commons as MPs voted 385 to 26, majority 359 in favour of proscribing the group under the Terrorism Act 2000. 'This Government is taking the strong step of proscribing Palestine Action due to its activities, which are a threat to our national security.'

UK - Rachel Reeves admitted she was 'under so much pressure' minutes before being reduced to tears in the Commons, triggering a new political and economic crisis. In an extraordinary moment that spooked markets, tears appeared to roll down Ms Reeves' cheek as Kemi Badenoch demanded a guarantee she would stay in No11 - something the premier did not give. Interest rates on 10-year and 30-year gilts - effectively the cost of government borrowing - spiked and the pound slipped sharply against the US dollar as the Commons scenes unfolded earlier. Just a year on from his election landslide, Sir Keir's authority has been left in tatters after his extraordinary surrender to avert defeat at the hands of Labour rebels. The move heaped misery on Ms Reeves, who was already struggling to fill a black hole in the public finances that could amount to tens of billions of pounds.

USA - Walmart has opened “dark stores” that are not open to the public and serve solely as fulfillment centers to speed up online order deliveries. CEO Douglas McMillon announced that Walmart is close to reaching 95% of the US population with three-hour or less delivery. The company has expanded drone grocery delivery to 100 more locations, becoming the first retailer to provide such a service across five states. Walmart is once again testing the waters with a new opportunity for customers, aiming to boost the quality and efficiency of its online delivery services. While its efforts to provide better service for shoppers aren’t surprising, its latest project might be: Walmart is opening stores that customers can’t actually go into.

ITALY - The Campei Flagrei volcano complex includes An earthquake of magnitude 4,6 occurred today at 12:47 in the Campi Flegrei area at a depth of almost five kilometers. The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) reported, showing the epicenter as the Gulf of Bacoli. And it was in Bacoli that the partial collapse of a ridge at Punta Pennata occurred. There were many reports on social media about the shock that lasted several seconds. It would be the second strongest recorded in the last 40 years. At 12:51 a second earthquake of magnitude 2,2 was recorded. Unlike Yellowstone, Campi Flegrei is in the middle of a heavily populated region of Europe. If Campi Flegrei were to really let go, much of Europe and possibly Northern Africa would receive a dump of volcanic ash.

USA - A video of a mock “de-baptism” ritual at a Michigan LGBT “pride” festival has emerged on Instagram. The video shows a man in an orange shirt reading “God Hates FAQs” pointing an unplugged hairdryer labelled “reason” at a woman’s head. “I completely dry water from your head you never consented to,” he intones. “Let guilt evaporate and shame fall away. You are one. You are whole. You belong.” The Instagram user said she underwent the ceremony at Lansing Pride 2025. She reflected on being baptized in the Mormon Church at age 8, saying she had been baptized without “informed spiritual consent.” She described the “de-baptism” as a moment of release and healing, writing, “Dry, whole, and finally, by my own choice.” The booth offering the ritual was hosted by “Michigan Atheists,” which described the ceremony as “a powerful act of self-affirmation.” The group also pledged support for gender ideology under the banner of “freedom of expression.”

UK - Four in 10 new babies had at least one foreign-born parent last year, official figures show. A total of 40.4 per cent of live births in Britain were to families with at least one parent not from the UK in 2024, up from 35.1 per cent in 2021, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). It follows a surge in net migration after the Tories loosened the rules following Brexit. The number of people moving to Britain hit a record high of 906,000 in the year ending June 2023. “The fact that more than one in three babies in England and Wales are now born to one or both parents who were born outside the UK should ring very loud alarm bells in Westminster. It raises profound questions about our identity, culture, way of life, and how we are going to hold our nation-state together over the longer term”.

UK - Low and middle-income households are being forced to divert more of their earnings into essentials. Millions of hard-pressed families are suffering a ‘comfort crunch’ as rising energy bills and everyday costs eat up nearly half their disposable income. A study by the Resolution Foundation reveals that low and middle-income households are being forced to divert more of their earnings into essentials like food, clothing, transport, and utilities, leaving less for holidays, meals out and other life pleasures. The biggest culprit is energy costs – which are now 150% higher in real terms than in 2000 – with annual bills more than £2,000 despite households cutting back. Among better-off families, the rise has been more modest – from 37-41% – exposing how Britain’s poorest are being hit hardest by the ongoing squeeze.

GREECE - Greece is suffering from an olive oil crisis as weather conditions across the Mediterranean have destroyed production. The climate impacts have become so severe that people are resulting to stealing olives. Olives have been a staple for thousands of years in Greece as the trees thrive in dry climates. Greece is one of the world's top olive producers, using it to produce high-quality extra virgin oil. The country exports over $1 billion (approx £729 million) worth of oil every year. However, climate impacts have left farmers struggling to prevent the trees from becoming too dry, as well as concerned about the growing risk of wildfires, which burned over 11,000 acres of olive orchards in 2024. Modern Greeks largely rely on olive oil for cooking, more so than residents of any other country, with each Greek using around 5 gallons of olive oil a year for it. It also makes up a huge 25% of the country's agriculture and 7% of its GDP.

MIDDLE EAST - Activists in this country are conveniently ignoring a huge piece of the problem Gazans face. Heroic Ahmed al-Masri recently led Palestinian protests against the ruinous rule of Hamas in Gaza. But pictures, last week, revealed he had his legs and feet broken by Hamas thugs in order to frighten others into not objecting to their tyrannical rule that has led to the utter destruction of Gaza. And yet, still simple-minded Westerners continue to march in support of the terrorist group that targets its own people in a murderous campaign of intimidation. The idiot children of the liberal elite waving Palestinian flags at Glastonbury should take note of the following. The last election in Gaza was held in 2006 and since then Hamas has become increasingly unpopular, crushing any dissent with extreme brutality. Why is this truth not more widely broadcast? It might actually dent the idiocy of those thousands of young people who think it’s cool and virtuous to march in support of this murderous death-cult.

MIDDLE EAST - US president urges Hamas to also accept deal ‘for the good of the Middle East’. Israel has agreed to the terms of a ceasefire agreement intended to end the war in Gaza, Donald Trump has claimed. The president announced on social media that Benjamin Netanyahu had agreed in principle to a 60-day break in the fighting, following long meetings between top US and Israeli officials on Monday. Although the full details of the proposed deal are unclear, it is thought to involve the release of some of the approximately 20 remaining living hostages and an increase in humanitarian aid to be delivered straight into population centres. During this time, discussions would also be held about ending the war for good. Mr Trump urged Hamas to accept the proposal on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday evening. “I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better – IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

USA - The Pentagon has halted some shipments of air defense missiles and other precision munitions to Ukraine over concerns that US stockpiles are too low, two people familiar with the decision said on Tuesday. The slowing of some weapons shipments promised to Kyiv by former President Joe Biden's administration came in recent days, they said, adding that air defense interceptors to help knock down Russian drones and projectiles are among the items delayed. In an email, the Pentagon said it was providing President Donald Trump with options to continue military aid to Ukraine in line with the goal of ending Russia's war there. "At the same time, the department is rigorously examining and adapting its approach to achieving this objective while also preserving US forces' readiness for administration defense priorities," said Elbridge Colby, the undersecretary for policy.

UK - Civil servants have published a 150-page dossier on how to use the dot in the Government’s new £500,000 website logo. The Whitehall communications diktat explains the significance of the dot in the logo for GOV.UK, the Government’s main website, with detailed instructions on its “brand guidelines”. As part of a rebrand of the site, the full stop between the words “GOV” and “UK” has been moved upwards from its position at the bottom of the letters to halfway between them. The idea is explained in the guidance as a “concept” that can act as “the bridge between government 
and the UK, by the side of users to help make information and services easier and more useful”. The guidance – which at 150 pages is longer than the most recent Strategic Defence Review (144 pages) and three times as long as the recent National Security Strategy (55 pages) – gives examples of how the dot could be used. The reinvention of the dot is one part of a £500,000 upgrade to the Government’s digital identity.

USA - Renowned radio host, filmmaker, book author and archeological dig expert Steve Quayle is saying the recent wins in the Supreme Court on nationwide injunctions, Biden autopen scandal and Iran nuke program bombings are all setting America up for very hard times. The Deep State globalists are increasingly desperate and will now have to turn to more violent warfare to destroy America. Quayle says, “Everyone should learn the term ‘asymmetrical warfare.’ This is what you see when you are talking terrorism, refineries blowing up and wildfires being started at a much higher pace than ever before.

VATICAN - Pope Leo XIV once again echoed his call for unity within the Catholic Church on Friday after years of political and liturgical division. The pope made the comments at St Peter’s Basilica as part of this year’s Holy Year week celebrations dedicated to the clergy. Pope Leo XIV urged priests not only to act in conciliation and obedience with their superiors, but also to model such obedience. “Today, I share this desire once more with all of you,” the pope said, recalling the message of unity he shared with the faithful after his ascent to the papacy on May 8. The pontiff then quoted St Augustine to stress the point of unity among priests and bishops: “For you I am a bishop, with you I am a Christian.” Finding a pope who would heal the divisions within the church was a prominent theme of the conclave that ultimately led to Cardinal Prevost becoming Pope Leo XIV.