President Trump approved a $6.9 million no‑bid contract for a firm that built his private swimming pools, while also ordering the firing of FDA commissioner Dr. Marty Makary. The move comes amid a broader push to reshape federal agencies and signals a sharp shift in regulatory oversight.

In Washington, the administration moved to revoke the citizenship of 12 immigrants and plans to increase denaturalizations, a rarity in recent history. Meanwhile, a Virginia court struck down the state’s new congressional map, eliminating four Democratic‑leaning districts that voters had approved in a referendum.

The Pentagon released blurry, “never‑before‑seen” UFO footage, while U.S. forces fired at two oil tankers attempting to reach an Iranian port, a move that Iran says stokes diplomatic tensions. On the domestic front, job creation hit 115,000 jobs in April and unemployment held at 4.3 %.

Across the globe, Britain’s Reform U.K. party captured hundreds of seats in municipal elections, while the Labour Party suffered deep losses. In the arts, the Venice Biennale welcomed Russia back for the first time since 2022, and the BBC’s new drama “The Other Bennet Sister” topped viewership charts.