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Corruption in Ukraine
Elected officials involved in major corruption operation in Ukraine

Ukraine's anti-corruption agency Nabu is currently conducting an operation against a criminal organization with contacts all the way up to the top echelons of power, several news agencies report. According to Nabu, the organization has operated under the leadership of both a current and a former member of parliament.

High-ranking officials in President Volodymyr Zelensky's office are also said to be involved. Among other things, a deputy chief of staff at the presidential office is said to be a suspect, a source told Kyiv Independent.

This is not the first time a major anti-corruption operation has been underway in Ukraine. As recently as this spring, Zelensky's former chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, was arrested on suspicion of money laundering linked to a major corruption scandal. 

US-Russia relations
Sources: Trump's ballroom stop in talks with Kremlin

In June, Rodney Mims Cook Jr, who is responsible for Donald Trump's ballroom construction at the White House, was sent to Vladimir Putin's economic forum in St. Petersburg, the Financial Times reports.

According to the newspaper's sources, the trip was intended as a diplomatic charm offensive to break the deadlock in the peace talks. Cook is said to have been provided with a diplomatic passport and his own security guards, and had meetings with Kremlin representatives.

On the surface, Cook, who is described as a Russia enthusiast, called the trip a "cultural visit." He participated in a panel discussion entitled "Russian-American Cultural Dialogue," gave a long speech about his love of Russian culture and architecture, and showed pictures of his "datcha" - Russian for summer residence - in Atlanta.

On his way to the Winter Palace, Cook saw a plume of smoke from a nearby oil refinery that Ukraine had attacked.

– It feels uncomfortably close, he told the FT. 

The President's Team
The Assistant's Crisis Move: Riding in Trump's Trunk

Donald Trump's relationship with his assistant Natalie Harp has come under scrutiny this week after the president's outburst when asked about her. She is said to be one of the few women in the president's inner circle and CNN is now reporting on a scene from 2023 that gives an idea of ​​her loyalty.

When Donald Trump's motorcade was about to leave Trump Tower for a trip to a court in New York, Harp was refused a seat in the cars. According to information to CNN, it made her so upset that she threw herself into the trunk of one of the cars, in order to be able to attend the court hearing.

Some say that loyalty is characteristic of Donald Trump and the kind of employees he wants to surround himself with.

– He likes the attention and the fact that she is 100% devoted and loyal. She does not question his decision and does not ask any questions, a White House adviser tells CNN. 

Climate threat  Extreme weather in Europe
Mediterranean record heat: “Over 27 degrees in July”

Parts of the Mediterranean have been warmer than ever this summer, according to Politico.

– In July, the average temperature in the entire Mediterranean was just over 27 degrees, the highest July temperature ever measured, says climate scientist Catherine Gregory from the University of Bern.

She is one of the co-authors of a rapid study published on Wednesday by the climate network World Weather Attribution. One of the results of their simulations is that the sea would have been 2 degrees cooler without global warming.

Gregory further explains that the summer heat has been amplified by high-pressure systems with few clouds parking over Europe.

– In principle, a heat dome has been created, she says.