US Imposes New Iran Sanctions Targeting Oil Trade, Hezbollah
The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Thursday targeting multiple entities involved in Iranian oil smuggling, including a network led by Iraqi-British businessman Salim Ahmed Said that has allegedly disguised Iranian oil as Iraqi since at least 2020.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the sanctions aim to "intensify economic pressure" and cut off funding for Iran's "destabilizing activities," marking the eighth round of U.S. oil-trade sanctions on Iran since 2021.
The sanctions target Said's UAE-based company VS Tankers, formerly Al-Iraqia Shipping Services & Oil Trading, which allegedly uses ship-to-ship transfers and forged documentation to blend Iranian oil with Iraqi oil before selling to Western buyers through Iraq or the UAE.
Pro-establishment narrative
These sanctions represent the necessary enforcement of maximum pressure against Iran's destabilizing activities. The Iranian regime continues choosing extremism over peace, using oil revenues to fund nuclear weapons development and terrorist proxies like Hezbollah across the Middle East. Vigorous sanctions enforcement will prevent Tehran from rebuilding its nuclear capabilities after recent military strikes ordered by President Donald Trump.
Establishment-critical narrative
U.S. sanctions harm ordinary Iranians while failing to change regime behavior effectively. The sweeping economic measures create unnecessary suffering, limiting access to essential medicines and humanitarian goods despite exemptions. Besides, Iran is entitled under international law to pursue a peaceful nuclear program. These punitive policies amount to collective punishment that violates Iranians' basic human dignity.
Anti-Trump narrative
The sanctions expose contradictory U.S. policy toward Iran and China's oil trade. Trump previously indicated China could continue purchasing Iranian oil, then reversed course, creating confusion about enforcement priorities. Meanwhile, Chinese ports continue to receive Iranian crude worth billions of dollars annually, highlighting significant gaps in the effectiveness of sanctions.
Anti-Iran narrative
Trump's Treasury is exposing how Iran's illicit "Shadow Fleet" and smuggling networks are holding the country back. If Iran abandoned these corrupt schemes and adhered to the rules, it could unlock its true economic potential and prosperity. Instead, Tehran wastes resources on shady operations managed by the Quds Force, keeping the country trapped in chaos and loss.
Nerd narrative
There's a 40% chance that the U.S. and Iran will sign a new agreement restricting Iran's nuclear program before 2029, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
South Korea Revises Martial Law Rules
South Korea's National Assembly approved revisions to martial law regulations on Thursday with 255 votes in favor, zero against, and four abstentions, explicitly prohibiting any attempt to obstruct lawmakers from entering the National Assembly building during martial law declarations.
The new rules ban military personnel and police from entering the National Assembly premises without prior approval from the Speaker, with violations punishable by up to five years imprisonment or fines up to 10 million won ($7,350).
The amendments require presidents to submit detailed State Council meeting minutes to the National Assembly when declaring martial law, including date, time, location, attendee numbers, and speech content for transparency purposes.
Pro-government narrative
South Korea’s new martial law reforms are a powerful rebuke to Yoon Suk Yeol’s authoritarian power grab — and a vindication of democratic resilience. By banning military intrusion, demanding transparency, and punishing violators, lawmakers have fortified constitutional safeguards after citizens and legislators united to overturn Yoon’s December decree. These changes honor the legacy of Gwangju and close the door on future coups disguised as national defense.
Government-critical narrative
President Lee Jae-myung’s day “victory lap” press conference shows exactly what’s wrong with this administration self-praise over substance. While prices soar and security falters, Lee dodges hard questions and offers no serious plan. His talk of “restoring democracy” masks a government more concerned with optics than outcomes — the public deserves leadership, not theatrics.
Nerd narrative
There's a 10% chance that South Korea will get a nuclear weapon before 2035, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Trump Administration Threatens to Prosecute ICE Tracking App
The Trump administration has threatened legal action against CNN for reporting on ICEBlock, an app that allows users to track and report Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent locations in real-time within a five-mile radius.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that her department and the Justice Department are exploring prosecuting CNN, claiming the network is "actively encouraging people to avoid law enforcement activities and operations".
ICEBlock was created by software developer Joshua Aaron in April 2025, who described the app as an "early warning system" and compared current deportation efforts to Nazi Germany tactics.
Pro-Trump narrative
The ICEBlock app represents a reckless endangerment of federal agents already facing a 500% surge in assaults. By broadcasting law enforcement locations to aid illegal immigration evasion, this developer and his media enablers brazenly undermine public safety and lawful deportation efforts. Their sanctimonious disclaimers cannot disguise this dangerous sabotage of legitimate government operations.
Anti-Trump narrative
ICEBlock represents courageous digital resistance against authoritarian overreach. Its developer, Joshua Aaron, exemplifies moral fortitude by creating a community protection tool despite inevitable government persecution. It continues America's proud tradition of mutual aid and resistance to unjust authority. Aaron's commitment to defending the vulnerable deserves admiration, not prosecution.
Nerd narrative
There is a 17% chance that at least twice as many deportations by U.S. ICE will occur in Fiscal Year 2025 compared with Fiscal Year 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
UN: Haiti's Gangs Have 'Near-Total Control' of Port-au-Prince
Senior United Nations officials told the Security Council on Wednesday that gangs have further expanded their control over Port-au-Prince metro area, risking a total collapse of state authority in the capital of Haiti.
Ghada Fathi Waly, executive director of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), warned ambassadors that criminal groups are now estimated to control 90% of Port-au-Prince, establishing parallel governance structures and providing rudimentary public services, with cascading effects.
U.N. Assistant Secretary-General Miroslav Jenča reported a "sharp erosion of State authority and rule of law" since his visit in January despite some progress in efforts to advance political transition, as the city has been isolated due to the suspension of international commercial flights into the Toussaint-Louverture airport.
Pro-establishment narrative
The international community must act decisively to prevent Haiti's complete collapse into chaos. Gang violence has reached unprecedented levels with criminal groups now with near-total control over Port-au-Prince and expanding their reign of terror nationwide. Without immediate international intervention and proper resources, Haiti will collapse and become a failed state that threatens regional stability and forces desperate Haitians to flee their homeland.
Establishment-critical narrative
Foreign powers have repeatedly failed Haiti, never breaking the country's cycle of violence and instability. The U.S. has overthrown three Haitian governments since the Cold War, installing puppet regimes while dismantling state institutions and flooding the country with NGOs that benefit foreign interests rather than Haitians. Real solutions must come from the Haitian people themselves, not from another invasion disguised as humanitarian intervention.
Nerd narrative
There's a 61% chance that Haiti will experience a civil war before 2036, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Mali: President's Rule Extended to 2030 Without Elections
Mali's National Transitional Council unanimously approved legislation granting interim president General Assimi Goïta a renewable five-year presidential term without elections, clearing the way for him to lead until at least 2030 despite initial pledges to restore civilian rule by March 2024.
The bill, passed by 131 members of the 147-member transitional parliament on Thursday, allows the transition to last "as many times as necessary" until the country is "pacified" and permits transitional officials to run in future elections. The Council already approved the bill last month.
Goïta seized power through successive coups in August 2020 and May 2021, initially promising to combat jihadist violence and restore democratic governance, but the military government ultimately abandoned its commitment to transfer power to elected civilians.
Narrative A
Mali's military leadership represents a necessary response to decades of failed civilian governance that left the country vulnerable to jihadist attacks and foreign exploitation. The extension reflects the will of the people and ensures stability during ongoing security operations while the Alliance of Sahel States builds genuine sovereignty free from neo-colonial interference.
Narrative B
The military junta's consolidation of power marks a dangerous retreat from democracy towards autocracy, with political parties banned, opposition leaders disappearing, and civic freedoms systematically dismantled under the guise of security concerns. This authoritarian drift threatens Mali's democratic future while failing to address the worsening insurgency.
Nerd narrative
There is a 61% chance that Mali will experience a successful coup d'etat before 2040, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Trump Announces UFC Fight at White House for America's 250th
U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans to host a UFC championship fight on the White House grounds next year as part of America’s 250th birthday celebration, with an expected audience of 20,000 to 25,000 spectators.
During a speech at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on Thursday, the president said the White House has “a lot of land” to host the fight, which Trump promised is “going to be a big deal.”
Trump added that the fight would be organized by UFC CEO Dana White, a longtime friend of Trump who has repeatedly endorsed the president and introduced him at the 2024 Republican National Convention last summer.
Pro-Trump narrative
A UFC fight at the White House would be a great addition to the exciting catalog of events the Trump administration has in store for America’s 250th birthday. With the White House as a venue and Dana White’s event management experience, the administration is ideally placed to showcase a great American sport to commemorate such a significant occasion.
Anti-Trump narrative
Trump’s plan would transform the hallowed ground of the White House into a rowdy arena for blood sports. If it goes ahead, the event will be like a scene out of Idiocracy and serve as definitive proof that nothing is sacred for this administration, which will sacrifice any dignity or decorum to please the president’s wishes.
Publishers File Antitrust Complaints Against Google AI Overviews
Tech justice nonprofit Foxglove, the Independent Publishers Alliance, and Movement for an Open Web have filed legal complaints with the U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and European Commission (EC), alleging Google is abusing its search dominance through AI Overviews that steal journalists' work without compensation.
Publishers allege they face an impossible choice between opting out of AI training and losing search visibility entirely, as Google controls approximately 90% of global search traffic, making exclusion from search results potentially devastating for news organizations.
This comes as Mail Online reported drops in click-through rates when Google AI Overviews appear, with desktop rates falling 56.1% and mobile rates dropping 48.2% compared to traditional search results, according to director Carly Steven's analysis of 5,000 targeted keywords.
Narrative A
Google AI Overviews help users tackle complex questions while driving quality traffic to websites. Users report higher satisfaction, and despite viral edge cases policy violations occur in less than 1 in 7 million searches. Unlike chatbots, Overviews integrate with Google's ranking systems and links to top results, while Google continues to support journalism through billions in revenue sharing.
Narrative B
Google AI Overviews are stealing journalists' work by scraping their reporting and serving it as AI-generated summaries — pushing original sources down the page where they get fewer clicks. This kills compensation for quality journalism while delivering error-prone content that the system regularly hallucinates and erodes trust in information integrity.
Nerd narrative
There is a 10% chance that Google's search market share will drop below 85% in 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Russia Launches Record Drone Attack on Kyiv After Trump Call
Russia launched a record-breaking 539 drones and 11 missiles at Ukraine's capital overnight into Friday, with Ukraine intercepting 476 drones, according to the country's air force. This is the largest single aerial assault on Ukraine since the war began in February 2022.
The massive attack injured at least 23 people in Kyiv and damaged multiple districts across the capital, destroying railway infrastructure, setting buildings ablaze, and damaging five ambulances responding to emergency calls.
The strikes occurred after U.S. President Donald Trump held a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, with Trump expressing disappointment afterward, stating he made "no progress" toward a ceasefire deal.
Pro-Ukraine narrative
Putin's massive drone attack right after talking to Trump proves Russia only understands strength, not diplomacy. The timing wasn't coincidental — it was a deliberate message that Moscow has zero interest in peace talks while feeling emboldened by America's weapons pause. This terror campaign against civilians demands immediate restoration of military aid and tougher sanctions.
Pro-Russia narrative
Russia will continue to defend itself against Western aggression while remaining open to diplomatic solutions on its own terms. The special military operation will proceed until Ukraine's NATO ambitions and security threats are eliminated, as Putin clearly explained to Trump. Military pressure remains necessary since political and diplomatic means haven't achieved Russia's legitimate security goals.
Nerd narrative
There's a 0.1% chance that Russia will detonate a nuclear weapon in Ukraine or Ukrainian-held territory before 2026, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Severe Storms Strike Texas, Northeast US
Severe weather ripped through the northeast and southern U.S. Thursday and Friday, with millions of residents having been placed under storm alerts in the northeast, and parts of Texas enduring catastrophic flash flooding.
The National Weather Service described a "large and deadly flood wave" moving down the Guadalupe River in central Texas, with a river gauge recording its second-highest-ever inundation level before being submerged. Rescue and recovery operations were taking place throughout the flood zone and multiple fatalities have been reported.
Meanwhile, severe thunderstorms with wind gusting over 60 mph killed three people in central New Jersey on Thursday night, including two men, ages 25 and 79, who died when a tree fell on their car in Plainfield, and a woman from Middlesex County.
Climate-concerned narrative
These tragic deaths underscore the urgent need for enhanced storm preparedness and improved investment in infrastructure. Climate change is making severe weather events more frequent and deadly, yet communities lack adequate resources for emergency response and power grid resilience. The cancellation of the Fourth of July celebrations highlights how extreme weather is increasingly disrupting American traditions and economic activity.
Climate-skeptic narrative
Climate alarmism — including incorrectly attributing severe weather events to "catastrophic" climate change — can have negative psychological impacts. Moreover, Americans just aren't buying climate domerism as much anymore. Americans tend to support responsible environmental policies that aren't tied to a radical sweeping agenda, and it's important to address storm readiness in a responsible manner.
Nerd narrative
There's a 62.9% chance that New York City will experience a hurricane before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.