At least 14 dead after Thailand-Cambodia border clash
Thai and Cambodian soldiers clashed along the border in a major escalation that left at least 14 people dead, mostly civilians. The two sides fired small arms, artillery and rockets; Thailand also launched airstrikes. Cambodia’s chief official in Oddar Meanchey province, Gen. Khov Ly, said on Friday that clashes resumed early in the morning near the ancient Ta Muen Thom temple.
Trump and Federal Reserve Chair Powell bicker over building renovations
US President Donald Trump took the fight to the Federal Reserve’s front door Thursday, publicly scorning the central bank chief over the rising costs of a long-planned building project. This comes after months of criticising Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
Trump claimed that the renovation would cost $3.1 billion, much higher than the Fed’s $2.5 billion figure. Powell, standing next to him, only shook his head in response.
Trump administration greenlights $8 billion Paramount-Skydance merger
Federal regulators approved Paramount’s $8 billion merger with Skydance, owned by an ally of Trump Thursday, clearing the way to close the deal. The green light comes after months of turmoil surrounding President Donald Trump’s legal battle with “60 Minutes,” which airs on the Paramount Global-owned broadcast network CBS. Critics of the settlement lambasted it as a veiled bribe to appease Trump, amid rising alarm over editorial independence overall, outrage further fueled by CBS’s cancellation of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
WWE icon & pop sensation, Hulk Hogan, dies at 71
Terry Gene Bollea, better known by his wrestling moniker Hulk Hogan, a professional wrestler who turned the sport into a massive business and stretched his influence into TV, pop culture and conservative politics, died Thursday in Florida aged 71. According to the police, emergency services responding to a cardiac arrest call arrived at his home at 10:00 EST. Hogan was taken to a hospital in Clearwater and pronounced dead less than 90 minutes later.
Zelenskyy to restore independence of anti-corruption agencies following public outcry
Following public outcry and criticism from the European Union, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy introduced a new bill restoring the independent status of the country’s anti-corruption agencies. The move was seen by many as an effort to diffuse tensions following his consent earlier this week & the first major public demonstration since the war with Russia.
Taiwan rallies for lawmakers recall ahead of polls
Taiwan is set to hold polls on Saturday on whether two dozen opposition Kuomintang lawmakers should be recalled. The political discourse in the country has lately been dominated by Chinese threats and anger over the legislature’s inability to decide. Residents & supporters of the pro-independence ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) flocked to the streets of Taipei to hear from activists, writers, and musicians.
Repair demand for Nvidia AI chips increases in China after US ban
Despite a US ban, Chinese markets are witnessing a demand for the repair of advanced Nvidia artificial intelligence chipsets. A dozen or so boutique firms now offer these repairs, predominantly focusing on fixing Nvidia’s H100 graphics processing units (GPUs) as well as the A100 GPUs.
France to recognise Palestinian state at UN Gen Assembly. Israel, US unhappy
France plans to recognise a Palestinian state in September at the United Nations General Assembly, said French President Emmanuel Macron Thursday. A move that drew criticism from Israel and the US. Macron, in a letter posted on X to the Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, said, “True to its historic commitment to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East, I have decided that France will recognise the state of Palestine.”
Ahead of FIFA Cup, Morocco to spend $4.2 billion to expand airports
Morocco will expand its main airports over the next five years ahead of the FIFA World Cup, costing the country 8 billion dirhams (4.2 billion USD). Morocco is set to co-host the event with Portugal and Spain.
Astronomer’s female exec caught cheating in viral Coldplay concert clip, resigns
Kristin Cabot, Astronomer’s chief people officer, has resigned from the US tech company after being seen embracing CEO Andy Byron at a Coldplay concert in a viral clip. Byron resigned as CEO last week after the company announced that the incident would be investigated.
Saksham Thakur is an intern with ThePrint