NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani broke with tradition by skipping the annual Israel Day parade, citing his vocal support for Palestinian rights and acknowledging the Nakba. His absence drew criticism from some Jewish leaders, while others, like Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, marched proudly.
Hundreds, including prominent figures, attended a memorial service for Maisy Ho Chiu-ha, daughter of Stanley Ho, remembering her as a low-profile philanthropist. Ho, executive director of Shun Tak Holdings, died at 58.
The presence of local political figures at such events also raises serious concerns, the embassy noted
Three US political figures—including a sitting state senator and two congressional candidates—have been fined and banned from prediction market Kalshi for betting on their own election races. Mark Moran received the largest penalty at $6,229 plus profit return, while Matt Klein was fined $539 and Ezekiel Enriquez $784. All three received five-year bans. The cases are part of a broader crackdown on insider trading in prediction markets, with platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket implementing stricter controls.
Former Foreign Office permanent secretary Olly Robbins has revealed that Downing Street asked him to find a senior diplomatic role for Matthew Doyle, Keir Starmer's then director of communications. Robbins testified to the foreign affairs select committee that he was instructed not to discuss the matter with Foreign Secretary David Lammy. The conversations occurred in March 2025, shortly before Doyle left Downing Street. Doyle was later suspended as a Labour peer after it emerged he campaigned in 2016 for Sean Morton, who was charged with possessing indecent images of children.
Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi sent a ritual offering to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, prompting South Korea to call for Japan to face its history and show sincere remorse for past war crimes.
With his veiled rebukes of the U.S. president, Leo XIV joins a rich tradition of pontiffs sparring with history's most iconic political figures.
