US President Donald Trump’s administration has blocked its plan to make essential climate change assessments easily available, drawing sharp backlash from scientists and environmental advocates, according to a report published by The Associated Press early Tuesday.
Earlier this month, official government websites that hosted national climate assessments — scientific reports mandated by law — were taken offline. These assessments, crucial for helping communities adapt to climate impacts, were slated for relocation to NASA’s website, according to plans announced by the White House.
But on Monday, NASA press secretary Bethany Stevens confirmed via email that won’t happen. “The USGCRP met its statutory requirements by presenting its reports to Congress. NASA has no legal obligations to host globalchange.gov’s data,” she said, effectively suggesting the climate reports won’t appear on the NASA platform.
In a separate development, Trump has announced plans to send “top-of-the-line weapons” to Ukraine through NATO countries. Trump also warned Russia of severe economic consequences if a deal to end the war is not reached within 50 days.
“We want to make sure Ukraine can do what it wants to do,” Trump said during a meeting with NATO chief Mark Rutte in Washington.
Following the meeting, Rutte confirmed that the US has agreed to “massively supply Ukraine with what is necessary through NATO.” He added that the cost of these supplies will be covered by European countries.
Trump specified that European nations will send their existing Patriot air defence systems to Kyiv. The United States, in turn, will provide replacements for these systems to the European countries. Ukraine heavily depends on Patriot systems to defend against Russia’s air strikes.
Neither Trump nor Rutte provided a detailed list of the weaponry being sent to Ukraine. However, Rutte did clarify that the agreement involves “missiles and ammunition.”
Trump stated that the “top-of-the-line weapons” being sent are worth billions of dollars and will be “quickly distributed to the battlefield” to support Ukrainian forces.
“If I was Vladimir Putin today… I would reconsider whether I should not take negotiations about Ukraine more seriously,” Rutte said, with Trump nodding in agreement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy shared on X that he had a phone conversation with Trump following the meeting with Rutte. Zelensky thanked Trump for his “willingness to support Ukraine and to continue working together to stop the killings and establish a lasting and just peace.”
“We discussed the necessary means and solutions with the President to provide better protection for people from Russian attacks and to strengthen our positions,” Zelensky said. “We are ready to work as productively as possible to achieve peace.”
In addition to the military support, Trump announced a plan to impose 100% secondary tariffs on countries that continue to trade with Russia if a peace deal is not reached within 50 days.
Under this policy, any nation doing business with Russia would face a 100% tax if they attempt to sell goods to the United States.
In a separate development, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Monday that he will run as an independent candidate in New York City’s mayoral race. This decision comes after Cuomo lost the Democratic primary to Zohran Mamdani.
Cuomo was considered a frontrunner in the primary but ultimately lost to Mamdani by more than 12 points. Mamdani is currently a member of the New York State Assembly.
Israeli attacks in Gaza resulted in the deaths of 61 Palestinians which include two people seeking aid.
Meanwhile, the UNRWA warned that the number of children with malnutrition are increasing rapidly in the city.
The UN has stated that at least 875 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza whilt trying to get the humanitarian aid since May this year.
US President Donald Trump has said Ukraine must not use offensive weapons against Russia and should only defend itself against Russian assaults.
A reporter asked Trump about his views on Ukraine’s response to Russian drone attacks and if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should order an attack on Moscow.
In response, Trump said, “No, he shouldn’t target Moscow.”
This comes after the American president threatened Russia with severe sanctions if it fails to stop war against Ukraine.
The US has asked the Israeli authorities to set up an inquiry into the killing of Sayfollah Musallet, an American citizen.
Reportedly, the Israeli settlers beat Musallet to death in the West Bank, and the US has called the killing of the 20-year-old a “terrorist act.”
The US ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, said that the Netanyahu government must “aggressively investigate” the incident.
Two people were killed in heavy rains that brought flash floods in New York and New Jersey on Monday night.
Phil Murphy, the governor of New Jersey, declared an emergency in the area.
Reports said that the two were killed in New Jersey as floodwaters carried away their vehicle during rains that hit the area.
US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he has reached a trade agreement with Indonesia but gave no details on what the deal includes, when it takes effect, or how extensive it is.
“Great deal, for everybody, just made with Indonesia. I dealt directly with with their highly respected President,” Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social. “DETAILS TO FOLLOW!!!”
As finance ministers and central bank governors from the G20 gather in Durban, South Africa, German officials have stressed the need to deepen global ties during what they describe as “turbulent times,” according to a report published by Reuters on Tuesday.
“This meeting, like the previous two, is taking place in quite turbulent times,” a German government source told Reuters, adding, “I don’t need to elaborate: it’s clear to everyone.”
Syria’s defense minister announced a ceasefire Tuesday, shortly after government forces moved into a strategic city in Sweida province, The Associated Press reports.
The move comes a day after deadly sectarian clashes that left dozens dead and following Israeli airstrikes in the region.
Defense Minister Murhaf Abu Qasra said in a statement, “After an agreement with the city’s notables and dignitaries, we will respond only to the sources of fire and deal with any targeting by outlaw groups.’
The Trump administration has blocked its plan to make essential climate change assessments easily available, drawing sharp backlash from scientists and environmental advocates, The Associated Press reports.
Just days after supporting a major bill that ramps up planet-warming pollution, a group of Republican lawmakers is now blaming Canada for ruining Americans’ summer with wildfire smoke, The Guardian reports.
In a letter dated July 7 and addressed to Canada’s ambassador to the US, six Republican members of Congress from Wisconsin and Minnesota expressed frustration over smoke drifting south from Canadian wildfires.
“For several years now, our constituents have had to deal with suffocating Canadian wildfire smoke filling the air to begin the summer,” they wrote, per The Guardian. “Our constituents have been limited in their ability to go outside and safely breathe due to the dangerous air quality the wildfire smoke has created.”
The complaint comes just days after the lawmakers supported legislation that will significantly increase fossil fuel emissions.
An Israeli ultra-Orthodox party, which has been a crucial governing ally of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, announced early Tuesday that it is leaving the coalition government. The move threatens to destabilize Netanyahu’s leadership at a critical moment in the ongoing war in Gaza.
US President Donald Trump stated in a BBC interview published Tuesday that he was “not done” with Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite expressing disappointment in him earlier the same day and threatening Moscow with sanctions. Trump also mentioned that he believed a deal involving Ukraine and Russia was likely, suggesting it could happen up to four different times.
External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar met Chinese President Xi Jinping earlier today as part of the SCO Foreign Ministers’ call. During the meeting, the Indian side stated that EAM Jaishankar “updated President Xi on the recent developments in bilateral relations.”
China on Tuesday successfully launched the Tianzhou-9 cargo craft, tasked with delivering supplies to its orbiting Tiangong space station. The spacecraft was carried into orbit by the Long March-7 Y10 rocket, which lifted off at 05:34 local time from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern island province of Hainan, according to the China Manned Space Agency.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, is due in court on Wednesday as Turkey’s main opposition party, CHP, denounces what it calls an escalating campaign against its members.
Since his detention on March 19, Imamoglu’s portrait has been taken down from public buildings where it once hung, and his Turkish X account has been blocked. But on Wednesday, he is expected to reappear publicly—this time in court.
Imamoglu is facing charges of threatening Istanbul’s chief public prosecutor. If convicted, he could face up to seven years in prison and a ban from politics.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday, highlighting progress in bilateral ties and reaffirming Australia’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with China.
During the talks, Albanese said Australia “welcomes progress on cooperation on free trade” and stressed that his government “values its relationship with China.” He also added, “We will continue to approach our relationship with China in a stable and constructive way.”
A 4.6-magnitude earthquake shook the area near Vigan, Ilocos Sur, in the Ilocos region of the Philippines on Tuesday morning, July 15th, 2025. The tremor occurred at 7:22 a.m. local time and originated at a shallow depth of 17 kilometers beneath the surface.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) was the first agency to report the seismic event.
The US Department of Justice on Monday requested the Supreme Court to dismiss an appeal filed by Ghislaine Maxwell. Maxwell, a former associate of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for conspiring with and aiding Epstein in the sexual abuse of underage girls.
Residents of New York have been issued a flash flood warning, while New Jersey’s governor declared a state of emergency after heavy rains lashed through both states.
The National Weather Service office for the New York City region said that both New York and New Jersey are experiencing life-threatening flash flooding triggered by widespread storms.
“Please stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel. Stay safe, New Jersey,” said Governor Phil Murphy as he announced the emergency.
Israel carried out strikes in southern Syria on Monday following deadly clashes involving the Druze community, a minority group that Israel has vowed to protect. According to the Israel Defense Forces, several tanks moving toward Syria’s Suwayda province were targeted after confrontations erupted on Sunday and continued into Monday. “The IDF struck the tanks to prevent their arrival in the area,” the military said in a Telegram statement.
