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Boat Capsizes in Nigeria's Sokoto State, Over 40 Missing
A boat carrying more than 50 passengers capsized on Sunday while traveling to Goronyo Market in Nigeria’s Sokoto State. The incident occurred in the Goronyo River near Kojiyo village in Goronyo Local Government Area.
The National Emergency Management Agency confirmed that 25 to 26 passengers have been rescued alive from the water, while approximately 25 to 40 people remain missing as search and rescue operations continue.
Over 200 divers joined the rescue operation coordinated by the Sokoto State Emergency Management Agency, with local divers and community volunteers participating in the search efforts that began immediately after the incident.
Pro-government narrative
The government's response demonstrates a genuine commitment to saving lives and supporting affected families. Officials immediately deployed over 200 divers and emergency teams while the Deputy Governor personally took stock of the situation. The N20 million donation and 100 bags of rice demonstrate real support for victims' families during this crisis.
Government-critical narrative
This tragedy highlights the government's failure to prevent predictable disasters on poorly regulated waterways. Chronic negligence, overloading, and inadequate safety enforcement continue to cause deaths. Basic safety measures, such as life jackets, are often absent on most passenger and cargo boats.
Nerd narrative
There's a 35% chance that Nigeria's population will exceed 400 million before 2050, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Israel Revokes Visas for Some Australian Diplomats
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar revoked the visas of a number of Australian diplomats to the Palestinian Authority on Monday.
The move came after it was confirmed earlier in the day that Australia canceled the visa application of Knesset member Simcha Rothman, a member of the right-wing Religious Zionism party, part of the ruling coalition in Israel, ahead of the politician's speaking tour in Australia.
Rothman had previously advocated for the expulsion of all Palestinians in Gaza, denied that its population is starving and branded its children as Israel's "enemies."
Pro-Israel narrative
As opposed to tackling the problem of antisemitism, which is raging in Australia, the country's government has instead decided to give it more fuel by making false accusations against Israeli politicians, as well as rewarding Hamas by recognizing a so-called "Palestinian state." This is unacceptable and shameful, and that's why the retaliatory move was taken.
Anti-Israel narrative
Australia has always been a partner to Israel and was the first country to vote in favor of the U.N. resolution creating the state of Israel. It has also always acted decisively against antisemitism and promoted acceptance of different races, religions and political views. For that same reason, it is why the country is in favor of forming a Palestinian state and Israel's unwarranted reaction decreases diplomacy when more of it is needed.
Nerd narrative
There's a 10% chance that the Gaza war will end and significant progress be made towards a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict before Jan. 1, 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Iranian President Visits Armenia for TRIPP Talks
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian traveled to Armenia on Monday to discuss concerns about the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), after describing the prospect of American companies in the region as "worrying."
TRIPP is part of a U.S.-brokered peace agreement signed in Washington, D.C., between Armenia and Azerbaijan, which established several bilateral agreements between the two countries and the U.S. encompassing energy, infrastructure, technology, trade, and transit.
The corridor will connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave while developing greater transport links between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Under the terms of the agreement, the U.S. gains an exclusive 99-year lease to develop the TRIPP, with the possibility of further extensions thereafter.
Pro-establishment narrative
The TRIPP corridor represents a historic opportunity to end decades of conflict and bring economic prosperity to the South Caucasus region. The route will simultaneously connect Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave while also respecting Armenia's sovereignty and territorial integrity. By doing both, TRIPP promises to bring a permanent end to the violence in the region.
Pro-Iran narrative
The TRIPP corridor is nothing but an American ruse to undermine the national interests of Iran. The U.S. and NATO have been clear in their desire to establish a presence in the Caucasus region to deploy forces between Iran and Russia. Iran's leadership, however, will not tolerate this threat and will move to block the proposal, regardless of whether it has Russian support or not.
Nerd narrative
There's a 16% chance that Azerbaijan will invade Armenia before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Norway: Crown Princess' Son Indicted on 32 Charges
State Attorney Sturla Henriksbø announced Monday that Marius Borg Høiby, the 28-year-old son of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit, has been indicted on 32 criminal charges, including four counts of rape.
The charges include one count of rape with intercourse and three counts of rape without intercourse. Prosecutors alleged all incidents occurred while victims were sleeping, between 2018 and November 2024.
Høiby faces additional charges of abuse in close relationships against former partner Nora Haukland, violence against another former partner, illegal filming of women's genitals without consent, death threats, as well as traffic violations.
Narrative A
Høiby's troubled past has continually posed challenges to the Royal Family. Yet Crown Prince Haakon's measured response has shown true respect for the judicial system, acknowledging the seriousness of the alleged crimes. Like any other Norwegian citizen, the consequences of Høiby's alleged actions must be decided by the full force of the law.
Narrative B
The Høiby scandal exposes serious failures in judgment and accountability. While Norway supposedly champions equality and justice, they've largely shielded the Crown Princess's son despite consistent allegations of wrongdoing. With a flurry of scandals and declining popularity ratings in the polls, Norway's royal family faces an existential crisis.
Russia and Ukraine Trade Fresh Attacks After Trump-Zelenskyy Meeting
While separate meetings between U.S. President Donald Trump and the leaders of Russia and Ukraine on Friday and Monday appeared to signal progress towards a peace agreement, the countries traded fresh aerial attacks into opposing territory in the early hours of Tuesday.
Ukraine's Air Force said the latest Russian attack consisted of 10 missiles and 270 drones, adding that six missiles and 230 drones were either shot down or electronically jammed. Successful strikes were recorded in 16 locations while damage from falling debris was reported in three places, the air force further said.
Local officials said one civilian was killed in the Chernihiv region while attacks targeted energy infrastructure in the region, leaving a number of people without electricity. Energy infrastructure was also struck in the Poltava region, while other targets of the Russian attack currently remain unclear.
Pro-Ukraine narrative
Russia's latest large-scale attacks, coming in the direct aftermath of Trump's meetings with both Putin and Zelenskyy, demonstrate that the country has no real interest in pursuing peace.
Pro-Russia narrative
Russia's Defense Ministry continues to protect its civilians from Ukrainian drone attacks, shooting down a total of 23 drones in the regions of Volgograd, Rostov and Crimea on Tuesday.
Nerd narrative
There's a 50% chance that there will be a bilateral ceasefire or peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine by August 2026, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
DOJ to Hand Over Epstein Files to Congress Starting Friday
The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) will begin providing Jeffrey Epstein-related records to the House Oversight Committee on Friday, according to committee Chairman James Comer(R-Ky.), who extended the original Tuesday deadline to accommodate the agency's cooperation efforts.
The Oversight Committee subpoenaed the DOJ for all documents and communications relating to Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, including materials about human trafficking, exploitation of minors and sexual abuse cases.
The committee has scheduled depositions for 10 high-profile former federal officials, including former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former attorneys general and former FBI directors, dating back to Epstein's first prosecution in 2008.
Republican narrative
The GOP is producing what the American people want, but since there's no evidence of a criminal link to Trump, as proven by Bill Barr's testimony, the Democrats are crying foul. It will be interesting to see how they react once their fellow party members, namely Bill and Hillary Clinton, are required to tell the whole truth under oath.
Democratic narrative
Republican lawmakers are scheming with the Trump White House to release these files in batches so they can control the narrative. They've also refused to subpoena Alex Acosta, the former U.S. attorney who gave Epstein a sweetheart deal in 2008. This is clearly a game for them, but the American people can see right through this charade.
Cynical narrative
While Trump deserves all the heat he's received for this recent cover-up, the larger cover-up began decades ago, when Epstein was committing his crimes freely while the FBI, DOJ and CIA sat on their hands. The reason Epstein never faced justice is the same reason these files won't be released in full — the most powerful people in the world have been and continue to be implicated.
Gabbard Claims UK to Drop Apple Encryption Backdoor Demand
U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard claimed on Monday that the U.K. has agreed to drop its requirement for Apple to provide a backdoor enabling access to the protected encrypted data of American citizens.
Gabbard stated she worked over the "past few months" with U.K. partners alongside President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance to "ensure Americans' private data remains private" and constitutional rights were protected.
The Investigatory Powers Act (IPA) allows relevant U.K. law enforcement and intelligence agencies to request "entities," third-party "bulk personal datasets" and information deemed to have "low or no reasonable expectation of privacy" from international companies if deemed necessary for national security.
Pro-establishment narrative
The Investigatory Powers Act remains a crucial security tool that helps Britain counter serious threats and protect national interests. However, requesting encrypted data from Apple led to concerns over the rights of American citizens. The agreement to drop the mandate is the result of months of diplomacy between two allies and is of mutual long-term benefit to all.
Establishment-critical narrative
This agreement is welcome but insufficient. The Investigatory Powers Act remains fully operational, authorizing mass surveillance of U.K. citizens without the public even knowing it. Meanwhile, U.S. agencies continue their own extensive domestic surveillance programs. Both governments spy on their own people — dropping one U.K. demand of Apple is but a drop in the ocean.
Texas Democrat Stays Overnight in House Chamber Amid Redistricting Dispute
Texas State Rep. Nicole Collier of Fort Worth on Monday remained on the House floor overnight after refusing to sign a waiver agreeing to a mandatory law enforcement escort to leave the floor.
This comes after Texas House Democrats returned to the state Capitol on Monday after leaving to other states for two weeks to prevent a vote on a Republican redistricting plan that would create five more GOP-leaning congressional seats for the 2026 midterm elections.
Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows on Monday required returning Democrats to sign written permission and accept Department of Public Safety escorts to leave the House chamber, with officers tasked with ensuring their return when the House reconvenes Wednesday morning.
Republican narrative
This situation shows how far Democrats will go to avoid doing their actual jobs. They ran away from the state like children throwing a tantrum, and now they're camping out on the House floor rather than following basic security protocols. And they're doing all this while showing their hypocrisy by rejecting Texas' gerrymandering and cheering on California's plans.
Democratic narrative
Republicans have stooped to literally holding elected officials prisoner and treating them like schoolchildren. This is straight-up authoritarianism — locking lawmakers in chambers and demanding police escorts just because they oppose gerrymandered maps designed to silence minority voices. If this happened in any other country, nobody would hesitate to call it what it is dictatorship.
Nerd narrative
There's a 25% chance that Republicans will hold a plurality in the U.S. House of Representatives after the 2026 midterm elections, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Poilievre Wins Alberta By-Election, Returns to Commons
Canada's Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre won the federal by-election in Alberta's Battle River-Crowfoot riding on Monday, securing 80.4% of the vote against 213 other candidates in the Conservative stronghold.
The by-election was called after Conservative lawmaker Damien Kurek, who was re-elected in April with 82.8% of the vote, stepped down in June to provide Poilievre an opportunity to regain a seat in the House of Commons.
Poilievre had lost his Ottawa-area Carleton riding, which he had held since 2004, to Liberal candidate Bruce Fanjoy in April's federal election, forcing him to seek a new seat to remain as Conservative leader.
Right narrative
Poilievre's decisive victory proves his political resilience and sets the stage for effective opposition leadership. His 80% win in Battle River-Crowfoot demonstrates strong Conservative support and positions him to challenge Carney's policies on affordability, crime and fiscal responsibility when Parliament resumes.
Left narrative
This was a predictable outcome in Canada's safest Conservative riding, which doesn't reflect the broader electoral appeal. Poilievre remains a polarizing figure who lost his longtime seat and faces significant challenges, including poor polling among women and questions about his ability to defeat the Liberals nationally.
Nerd narrative
There's a 0.1% chance that Pierre Poilievre will become Prime Minister of Canada before 2026, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
Oklahoma to Require NY, CA Teachers Pass PragerU Test
Oklahoma Superintendent Ryan Walters announced that teachers from California and New York must pass a 50-question assessment developed by conservative nonprofit PragerU before receiving state teaching certification.
The test includes questions about biological differences between males and females, the first three words of the Constitution, why freedom of religion is important to America's identity and the structure of Congress.
PragerU, which produces short videos with conservative perspectives on politics and economics, partnered with Oklahoma's education department to develop the assessment that Walters calls an "America First" certification.
Republican narrative
This test protects Oklahoma students from radical ideologies being pushed in California and New York schools. These states require teachers to promote gender theory and LGBTQ+ content that goes against basic biology and science. The assessment ensures educators teach factual American history and constitutional principles rather than indoctrinating kids with leftist propaganda.
Democratic narrative
This loyalty test will worsen Oklahoma's teacher shortage by deterring quality educators from applying to work in the state. The requirement represents political grandstanding that distracts from real educational needs like reading, writing and arithmetic instruction. Teachers are already patriotic Americans who don't need ideological screening to prove their commitment to students.