Bloomberg reports that U.S. President Donald J. Trump has blocked Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te from making a planned stop in New York City next month. Lai was scheduled to transit through the U.S. in August while en route to visits in Central America, including Paraguay, Guatemala, and Belize. The move reportedly followed a direct request from Chinese officials to their U.S. counterparts and comes as Washington and Beijing continue delicate trade talks. The decision is seen as a diplomatic snub to Taiwan, as the Trump administration seeks to secure an in-person summit between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted sex trafficker and longtime associate of Jeffrey Epstein, has proposed testifying before the House Oversight Committee—if several key conditions are met. According to a letter sent to the committee, Maxwell is demanding: • Full legal immunity. • That the interview not take place at the prison where she is currently serving her sentence. • Advance access to all questions, arguing that surprise questioning would be “inappropriate and unproductive.” • That any appearance be scheduled only after the outcome of her Supreme Court petition and an upcoming habeas corpus filing. Her legal team stated that if these terms are not agreed to, Maxwell will invoke her Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

A major explosion rocked the Horizon Biofuels Inc. plant in Fremont, Nebraska shortly before noon Central Time. Authorities have not yet released information on any potential casualties.

In the coming days, the French Air Force is expected to carry out its first humanitarian aid airdrops over the Gaza Strip since the start of the crisis. Meanwhile, discussions are underway between France, Germany, and the U.K. to establish a coordinated “air bridge” for delivering aid from airbases in Jordan directly into Gaza.

Statement from the Two-State Solution Conference: • Hamas must release all hostages and relinquish control over Gaza. • A firm commitment has been made to implement concrete, time-bound steps toward a two-state solution within 15 months. • A transitional administrative committee will be established to govern Gaza under the Palestinian Authority’s framework, immediately following a ceasefire. • The role of UNRWA remains critical at this stage. • We support the deployment of a temporary United Nations mission in the Gaza Strip, as requested by the Palestinian Authority.

U.S. President Trump has seemingly confirmed for the first time the specific reason he cut ties with Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender and trafficker. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One after returning from Scotland, Trump said Epstein repeatedly ignored direct warnings and “poached” women working as spa attendants at his Mar-a-Lago Resort in Florida. Among them, he claimed, was Virginia Giuffre—who had previously alleged she was groomed and later trafficked by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell at the age of 16, after meeting them while employed at Mar-a-Lago. Trump had long denied any knowledge of this. Giuffre, 41, died by suicide in April.

With this morning’s repeated ceasefire violations by Cambodia prompting retaliatory action from Thailand, signs of the truce unraveling are already emerging. As a result, traders on Polymarket now estimate a 99% probability that the Royal Thai Air Force will launch further strikes against Cambodia by Friday.

Jamaican National Hired as Maine Police Officer Arrested After Attempted Gun Purchase ICE has confirmed the arrest of Jon Luke Evans, a Jamaican national who was working as a police officer in Maine despite overstaying his visa. His attempt to purchase a firearm for duty use triggered an alert from the ATF, leading to his arrest. — Fox News

For the first time, fiber-optic drones have reportedly been used by the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA) in Mali, as they continue their fight against both the Malian Armed Forces and Russia’s Africa Corps (formerly Wagner Group). The drones and accompanying training are believed to have come from Ukraine, amid earlier reports that Ukrainian Special Forces have been operating alongside several anti-government groups in West Africa, supporting efforts against Russian forces and Russia-backed regimes in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger.

🚨Ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia has officially taken effect