07.07.2025 – WEEKLY BRIEFING

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  • Palestine Action banned after judge denies temporary block – 04.07.2025

A UK High Court judge on Friday rejected Palestine Action’s request to temporarily block the government’s decision to proscribe the group as a terrorist organization, a ruling later upheld by the Court of Appeal the same evening. The ban, which took effect Saturday, makes supporting or affiliating with the group a criminal offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison. The government’s move follows actions by the group, including damage estimated at £7 million to aircraft at RAF Brize Norton. While Palestine Action argues it engages in non-violent civil disobedience and labels the decision an authoritarian overreach, the court ruled that the matter falls under the authority of the Home Secretary and Parliament, not the judiciary. The judges emphasized the strong public interest in upholding the proscription, while rejecting further delays or appeals. The Home Secretary cited the group’s history of property damage as justification for the ban, which adds Palestine Action to a list of 81 proscribed organizations under the Terrorism Act 2000.

  • Sanjeev Arora joins Bhagwant Mann Cabinet, gets NRI Affairs, Industry; Kuldeep Dhaliwal dropped – 04.07.2025

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann today inducted Ludhiana West MLA Sanjeev Arora into his Cabinet while removing NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, keeping the strength of the Council of Ministers unchanged at 16, with two positions still vacant. Dhaliwal stated that he resigned after the Chief Minister expressed his wish to give other MLAs a chance to serve in the Cabinet. Arora, who had resigned from the Rajya Sabha and was elected in a bypoll from Ludhiana West, has now been assigned the portfolios of NRI Affairs and Industry and Investment Promotion. These portfolios were previously held by Tarunpreet Singh Sond. Arora was sworn in during a brief and modest ceremony by Punjab Governor, marking the seventh Cabinet reshuffle under the Aam Aadmi Party government.

  • Trump signs his tax and spending cut bill at the White House July 4 picnic – 04.07.2025

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a multitrillion-dollar package of tax cuts and spending reductions into law, securing strong Republican support in Congress for a measure seen as a major part of his second-term legacy. The legislation, signed during Fourth of July celebrations at the White House, extends Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, cuts $1.2 trillion from Medicaid and food assistance programs, and significantly increases immigration enforcement. Democrats criticized the package for harming low-income Americans and reducing access to healthcare, with the Congressional Budget Office projecting that 11.8 million more people will lose coverage and the bill will add $3.3 trillion to the deficit over the next decade. The legislation narrowly passed the Senate with Vice President JD Vance casting the tie-breaking vote and represents a rollback of key policies from the Obama and Biden administrations. As Republicans view the bill as a consolidation of their legislative priorities, it is expected to become a major point of contention in the upcoming elections.

  • Trump says ceasefire deal is near as Israeli strikes kill 138 Palestinians in Gaza – 04.07.2025

As the Israeli military intensified airstrikes across Gaza on Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that negotiations between Israel and Hamas for a potential 60-day ceasefire were nearing conclusion. Trump stated that Israel had already agreed to the framework and that the next step was up to Hamas, which responded to mediators with a statement described as “positive” and expressed readiness to negotiate. Hamas is reportedly seeking guarantees for a permanent end to the war, a partial Israeli withdrawal, and the return of the United Nations as the primary distributor of aid in Gaza. Currently, Israel has assigned this role to the U.S.-funded Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu are expected to meet in Washington on Monday to discuss the possible ceasefire. Meanwhile, Israeli strikes continued, including one on a school sheltering displaced civilians, resulting in at least 138 Palestinian deaths and over 400 injuries on Thursday and Friday, according to Gaza health officials. Hospitals in Gaza remain overwhelmed, and while some Palestinians express cautious optimism over ceasefire talks, many also voice despair over the continued violence.

  • Texas families plead for information on at least 23 girls missing from summer camp after floods – 05.07.2025

Severe rainfall and flash flooding in south-central Texas have left at least 24 people dead and many missing, including 23 to 25 girls from Camp Mystic, a Christian summer camp in Hunt. The Guadalupe River overflowed rapidly, submerging campsites and sweeping away cabins, prompting a large-scale search and rescue operation in which 237 people have been saved so far. Some campers were evacuated by helicopter after taking shelter on higher ground, while others remain unaccounted for, prompting families to post pleas on social media. Camp Mystic informed parents that if they had not been contacted directly, their children were safe. The flood caused extensive damage to the historic camp, founded in 1926, and turned a place of joy and growth for young girls into a scene of devastation. Officials had warned of dangerous weather, but rainfall exceeded forecasts, with up to 10 inches falling and the Guadalupe River rising 26 feet within 45 minutes. The disaster recalls a similar 1987 flood in the same region that killed 10 campers.

  • Alleged arsonist charged over fire at Australian synagogue – 06.07.2025

A 34-year-old man was charged in Melbourne following an arson attempt at the East Melbourne Synagogue, one of three incidents across the city between Friday night and early Saturday that authorities are investigating as potential acts of antisemitic violence. Around 20 worshippers safely evacuated the synagogue after flammable liquid was ignited at its entrance, while masked protesters also disrupted an Israeli-owned restaurant and vehicles at a separate business were set on fire and graffitied with antisemitic references. Police have not confirmed links between the incidents but noted shared themes of bigotry and hate. Australian officials condemned the attacks, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged strong legal action to prevent future incidents.

  • BRICS group condemns increase of tariffs in summit overshadowed by Middle East tensions – 07.07.2025

At the BRICS summit held in Brazil, member countries criticized the rise in tariffs that threaten global trade and the attacks on Iran, without directly naming the U.S. or Israel; similarly, no criticism was directed at Russia, and Ukraine was mentioned only once. The summit expressed serious concern over the humanitarian situation in Gaza and emphasized support for a two-state solution, while also criticizing NATO’s decision to increase defense spending. The absence of key leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin, highlighted concerns about the bloc’s growing lack of cohesion following its expansion last year, raising questions about its ability to become a major force in global politics.

  • Russia and Ukraine trade drone strikes as Kyiv signs deals to boost drone production – 07.07.2025

Ukraine and Russia launched hundreds of drones at each other on Sunday, causing civilian casualties and major disruptions to Russian air travel, with hundreds of flights delayed or canceled at airports in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Russia’s Defense Ministry stated that 120 Ukrainian drones were shot down overnight, and 39 more by Sunday afternoon. The attacks followed Russia’s recent large-scale assault on Kyiv, which Ukrainian officials described as the biggest wave since the start of the invasion. In retaliation, Russia also struck Ukrainian cities including Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Mykolaiv, resulting in more civilian deaths. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced new agreements with U.S. and European partners to boost domestic drone production, aiming to secure hundreds of thousands of drones this year. He emphasized Ukraine’s goal to expand its defense industry, though scaling up will take time. On Friday, Zelenskyy held a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump, where they reportedly discussed joint drone production and international efforts to end the war.

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