UK - Branding victims of abuse “witches’ should be an aggravating factor in criminal prosecutions, a Bar chief argues amid fears that children are especially vulnerable. The plea from the KC who will lead the barristers’ professional body next year coincides with the publication this week of an academic report on the global situation around legislation used to combat “harmful practices related to witchcraft accusations and ritual attacks”. It also comes nearly four years after Scotland Yard launched a training regimen so that officers could spot the signs of child abuse linked to a belief in witchcraft. “Terrible suffering and killings are inflicted on vulnerable people, particularly children, by people who believe that they are witches or possessed by an evil spirit,” says Kirsty Brimelow KC, the vice-chair of the Bar Council.

USA - The dam is breaking. In a terrifying admission that signals a seismic change in corporate America, the CEO of one of the biggest carmakers in the US has broken cover to admit the devastating effects AI will have on the workforce. While some execs have attempted vague assurances for American workers, Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley has predicted the rise of AI will take a sledgehammer to jobs. 'Artificial intelligence is going to replace literally half of all white-collar workers in the US,' Farley told author Walter Isaacson at the Aspen Ideas Festival last week. 'AI will leave a lot of white-collar people behind.' Bosses have been cautious about publicly admitting the reality of how many jobs could be cut from their companies as a result of AI.

USA - Home sales across the US have plummeted to the lowest level in 16 years - and the threat of a complete collapse is imminent. May 2025 was recorded as the slowest May for existing sales since 2009, the National Association of Realtors said in a report. They fell 0.7 percent compared to the same month last year and are likely headed for a freefall across the country. Potential buyers are scared off by a rocky economy, rising HOA fees and high mortgage and insurance rates, forcing sellers to slash prices.

GERMANY - An artificial intelligence system can now predict your next move before you make it. We’re not just talking about whether you’ll click “buy now” on that Amazon cart, but rather how you’ll navigate complex decisions, learn new skills, or explore uncharted territory. Researchers have developed an AI called Centaur that accurately predicts human behavior across virtually any psychological experiment. It even outperforms the specialized computer models scientists have been using for decades. Trained on data from more than 60,000 people making over 10 million decisions, Centaur captures the underlying patterns of how we think, learn, and make choices.

GERMANY - Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf, a lawyer described as far-left, is poised to become a new judge at the Federal Constitutional Court, Germany’s top court, and it is very bad news for Germany’s conservatives. This new development could significantly increase the chances that a ban on the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party actually passes through the court. Brosius-Gersdorf is on record that she wants a ban on the AfD, saying: “We are a resilient democracy. We have safeguards against anti-constitutional parties.” A year ago, on the ZDF talk show “Markus Lanz” on July 25, 2024, Brosius-Gersdorf controversially expressed regret that an AfD ban “would not eliminate its supporters.”

RUSSIA - Russia is facing a looming "food catastrophe" after grain harvests were reported to have fallen by 12.7 million tonnes in the period up to July. Data from Russia's Ministry of Agriculture showed grain and leguminous harvests amounted to just 3.8 million tonnes in the first six months of the year. Nekrasov admitted the Kremlin was concerned about the decline, and blamed bad weather for the crisis.

USA - Bank of New York Mellon said it now employs dozens of artificial intelligence-powered ‘digital employees’ that have company logins and work alongside its human staff. Similar to human employees, these digital workers have direct managers they report to and work autonomously in areas like coding and payment instruction validation, said Chief Information Officer Leigh-Ann Russell. Soon they’ll have access to their own email accounts and may even be able to communicate with colleagues in other ways like through Microsoft Teams, she said. “This is the next level,” Russell said. "While it’s still early for the technology," Russell said, “I’m sure in six months’ time it will become very, very prevalent.” What the bank, also known as BNY, calls “digital workers,” other banks may refer to as “AI agents.” And while the industry lacks a clear consensus on exact terminology, it’s clear that the technology has a growing presence in financial services.

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 the volcano which wiped out the ancient Roman city of Pompeii. 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.