BLM is a decentralized movement advocating against racism and police brutality, catalyzing policy reform and public debate since its 2013 origins.
Since January, a U.S. oil blockade has cut most foreign fuel shipments to Cuba and has pushed the island into its worst energy and economic crisis in decades. Repeated nationwide blackouts have occurred, hospitals and transport are strained, tourism has collapsed and Havana has approved limited economic reforms while secret U.S. intelligence and diplomatic contacts continue.
BTS has decided not to submit its ARIRANG album for the 2027 Grammys. The seven-member group has posted identical statements on Instagram emphasizing music should be heard for what it is, not defined by region or language. The Recording Academy says the new Best Asian Pop Music Performance category aims to celebrate Asian pop artistry, while critics worry it could isolate Asian acts.
Professor Jason Arday has resigned from the University of Cambridge after the university has opened an investigation into his academic qualifications and honorary appointments following media allegations of plagiarism and other disputed claims. Cambridge has said it will continue its probe and will use the findings to review senior appointment procedures and research-misconduct policy.
An independent arbitrator has ruled that The Washington Post did not have sufficient cause to fire columnist Karen Attiah over her social media posts after Charlie Kirk’s killing and has ordered the paper to reinstate her with full back pay and benefits. The decision has been issued this week and is binding under the paper’s labor agreement.
Dolly Parton has died at age 80 in Nashville, her publicity team has said. Her nephew Bryan Seaver announced the news on Instagram. Parton has written thousands of songs, sold more than 100 million records, won multiple Grammys and founded the Imagination Library, which has distributed hundreds of millions of free books.
Milo Yiannopoulos has been detained by ICE at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and returned to the United Kingdom after an immigration judge issued a final order of removal on July 22 for failing to attend a hearing. DHS says he legally entered in May 2019 and then overstayed his authorised stay; ICE held him pending removal on August 28–29, 2026.
The New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has overturned a lower‑court ruling, saying the NLRB misbalanced Starbucks’ interests in its public image with workers’ rights to unionize. The case involves brown aprons and pre‑approved shirts, and the court sends the matter back for a more even balancing test while noting the board’s current composition.