Vietnam on high alert ahead of Typhoon Wipha

Japan's Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is clinging to power after a brutal election loss that's sparked chaos within his ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). The surprise rise of the opposition Sanseito party has left Ishiba's leadership wobbling just as Japan faces economic headaches and security worries—with even his own party members starting to question if he's the right leader for the moment.

Editor’s Note: This isn't just about one politician's bad week—it could mean real instability for Japan at a time when the country can't afford it. With inflation biting and regional tensions rising, a weak or distracted government might struggle to respond effectively. Plus, the LDP's internal squabbles could lead to messy infighting, making things even harder to fix.

Karl Palmqvist, a former Hong Kong athlete turned Swedish national, just swam an incredible 360 kilometers around Gotland—Sweden’s largest island—over 21 days. This wasn’t just a physical feat; he did it to confront his mental health struggles and shine a light on the importance of mental well-being and nature conservation. The swim ties back to his roots in Hong Kong, where he first fell in love with open-water swimming.

Editor’s Note: Stories like Karl’s remind us that mental health battles don’t have to be fought quietly—they can inspire extraordinary acts of resilience. His swim isn’t just a personal triumph; it’s a powerful statement that physical challenges can be a way to process inner struggles, while also drawing attention to bigger causes like environmental conservation. It’s the kind of grit and openness that helps chip away at the stigma around mental health.

Australia's Prime Minister kicked off the new parliamentary session with a speech in the Great Hall, emphasizing the significance of the "Welcome to Country" ceremony as a meaningful tradition. Meanwhile, Environment Minister Tony Burke clarified that a recent algal bloom, while serious, doesn’t meet the criteria for a formal "national disaster" declaration.

Editor’s Note: The PM’s focus on the "Welcome to Country" highlights ongoing efforts to acknowledge Indigenous culture in formal settings—a small but symbolic step in reconciliation. On the flip side, Burke’s comments about the algal bloom downplay immediate environmental alarm but keep the conversation about ecological threats alive. Together, these snippets show how Australia’s leadership is balancing symbolic gestures with practical governance.

Harvard University is heading back to court to challenge the Trump administration's freeze on $2 billion in funding, which has stalled critical research projects. Meanwhile, in a separate but equally troubling story, an elderly Pennsylvania man was reportedly deported to Guatemala after visiting an immigration office to replace his lost green card—his family was initially told he had died and still hasn’t heard from him.

The Trump administration has made public roughly 200,000 pages of FBI surveillance records on Martin Luther King Jr., ignoring objections from his family and the civil rights organization he once led. These documents, which detail the FBI’s monitoring of King before his 1968 assassination, were released despite concerns about privacy and the potential misuse of historical records.

Editor’s Note: This isn’t just about dusty old files—it’s a fresh wound for King’s family and a flashpoint in the debate over how governments handle sensitive historical surveillance. Releasing these records against the family’s wishes raises questions about who gets to control the narrative around civil rights history and whether transparency should outweigh personal dignity. It also reignites discussions about the FBI’s controversial past targeting activists, a shadow that still lingers today.