‘Anti-Hindu bigotry’: Tulsi Gabbard linked to ‘cult’ in report as she exits DNI role

Tulsi Gabbard Hit With Wild Secret Cult Allegations A controversy emerged around former US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard, with a major investigation claiming she maintained long-standing ties with a Hindu sect described by critics as a “cult”, as she stepped down from her senior national security role.A report by The Washington Post has detailed extensive communications between advisers linked to Gabbard and associates of Chris Butler, 78, the Hawaii-based founder of the 'Science of Identity Foundation' (SIF), a new religious movement formed in the 1970s after breaking away from the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. The group is based in US and teaches a blend of yoga and elements of Gaudiya Vaishnavism.The investigation claims that emails, internal documents and talking points show Butler’s close allies working with Gabbard’s advisers to shape her public messaging and political positioning over a number of years. According to the WP report, former SIF membe..

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Where is Hong Kong 29 years after handover?

AdvertisementAdvertisementNEWSCMP Hong Kong SeriesWhere is Hong Kong 29 years after handover?As Hong Kong marks the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on July 1, the South China Morning Post talks to the city’s senior officials about the Lee administration’s achievements so far and what may lie ahead.
Updated: 22 Jun, 2026Advertisement[1]Hong Kong to roll out measures boosting offshore yuan trading in JulyGovernment wants more listed firms trading stocks in renminbi and will use city’s hub status to help mainland Chinese firms expand overseas.
22 Jun, 2026AdvertisementAdvertisementSelect VoiceSelect Speed0.8×0.9×1.0x1.1×1.2×1.5×1.75×00:0000:001.00x

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Hong Kong to roll out measures boosting offshore yuan trading in July: finance chief

As Hong Kong marks the 29th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule on July 1, the South China Morning Post talks to the city’s senior officials about the administration’s achievements so far and what may lie ahead.
Authorities are expected to roll out measures to strengthen Hong Kong’s role as an offshore Chinese yuan hub next month, the finance chief has revealed, with the government pushing to increase the number of listed firms trading stocks in renminbi.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan…

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Iran-US war latest: Trump warns Tehran ‘we will take over your country’ if the Strait of Hormuz is closed

Iran's supreme leader says Trump made deal 'out of desperation' as US lifts naval blockadePresident Donald Trump has threatened to “take over” Iran after Tehran vowed to close the Strait of Hormuz following alleged US and Israeli ceasefire breaches.
Speaking to Fox News, Trump said he had told Iranian officials: “You close the strait and you won't have a country. You won’t even make it back to your f****** country, we’ll take over the rest of the country.”
Iran said it would close the crucial waterway to tankers, but the US military had said that traffic continued to flow through the Strait and the US is monitoring the situation to ensure that continues.
The US president also warned in a post on Truth Social that the US will strike “very hard again” if it does not prevent Lebanese militants Hezbollah from “causing trouble”.
The threats come as vice president JD Vance formally launches negotiations in Switzerland between the US and Iran over curbing Tehran’s nuclea..

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Two baby giraffes found safe after vanishing from a Virginia zoo a year ago

Two baby giraffes who went missing from a Virginia zoo last year have been found safe.
The giraffe calves vanished from the Natural Bridge Zoo in 2025 as state officials investigated allegations of animal abuse.
The Office of the Attorney General of Virginia located the giraffes, but did not share specifics about how or where they were found. The giraffes are now at a professional facility specializing in giraffe care, officials said.
Before the giraffes disappeared, state officials were looking to relocate four giraffes at the zoo after they seized about 100 animals during their investigation into the alleged abuse. At the time, two of the giraffes were pregnant and gave birth before investigators visited, but their calves were missing, WDBJ reported.
State officials said the zoo never reported the animals’ births, despite a court order requiring them to do so.
open image in galleryTwo giraffe calves that vanished from a Virginia zoo last year have been found safe, officials said ..

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Trump and Iran’s negotiator trade warnings as talks held in Switzerland

Trump and Iran's negotiator trade warnings as talks held in Switzerland3 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleMaia Davies,Mallory MoenchandBBC VerifyReutersMohammad Bagher Ghalibaf dismissed Donald Trump's threat to renew strikes on IranUS-Iran memorandum of understanding in fullWeapons, money and ships: How is this Iran deal different from others?ReutersJD Vance said Trump had asked negotiators to “turn over a new leaf”In Trump's shadow, Vance becomes face of Iran deal Tehran selling deal with US as victory – but for Iranians it was necessityIran deal presents political nightmare for NetanyahuThousands killed in US-Israeli war on Iran – but experts say true total may never be knownIranIran-US relationsMiddle East

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Fuel sales halted in occupied Crimea as Ukraine targets oil facilities

Fuel sales halted in occupied Crimea as Ukraine targets oil facilities12 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleNick Beake,Europe correspondent in UkraineandMaia DaviesReutersCars queue at a petrol station on the peninsula in early June amid already restricted fuel salesMoscow oil refinery attack brings Russia's war with Ukraine closer to homeUkrainian drones target St Petersburg in attack Russia calls 'unprecedented'Putin says there is 'no point' meeting Zelensky over ending Ukraine warUkraineRussiaCrimeaEurope

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Rs 28 LPA in Bengaluru or $60K per year in US: Indian student on F-1 visa asks which one is wiser to choose

A Redditor asks whether Rs 28LPA in Bengaluru is better than $60K per year in the US. $60K per year is obviously more than Rs 28 LPA but salary conversion can be misleading and the dollar option may not be lucrative at all when the expenses of the US are taken into account. An F-1 student explained a confusing situation he is in as he has two job options in front of him: A Rs 28LPA job in Bengaluru, India, and a $60K per year job in the US which he had been doing for the last four months. The Redditor explained that he came to the US for his master's and got a job only four months ago after struggling for a year. But he got picked for H-1B this year and it is under process. So on one hand, he is lucky enough to get his H-1B but his pay is not very high in the US.The Redditor said he always wanted to go back to India and come back to the US at a later stage. He explained his present status as a STEM OPT and added that he is afraid of getting stuck in the H-1B loop.The post went vir..

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‘Can I survive with Rs 6 crore in India without a job?’ Indian man on Green Card queue gets laid off

Indian man on Green Card EAD asks if he can go back to India with Rs 6 crore fund and no job. There is no unanimous opinion on the exact amount of money in your bank account that may allow you to take a career break. An Indian man in the US recently took to Reddit asking if he could survive with Rs 6 crore in India without a job. The man explained his situation that he is on a Green Card EAD, which means he applied for his Green Card and has employment authorization.”Got hit by the recent tech layoffs. I'm on a GC EAD with about a 5-month financial runway. Given the current job market, I'm trying to plan for the worst-case scenario: moving back to India,” the Redditor said.He pointed out two major problems in shifting to India: one is his house which he does not want to sell in a loss, two, his kids do not know any Indian language and so they would be facing a huge problem if they are shifted to India.”Has anyone transitioned kids into middle school in India without language ..

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Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky warns of ‘massive attack’ from Moscow as strikes kill at least six people

Russian forces hit energy facilities in Ukraine's Sumy regionThe Kremlin has said that Russia is open to dialogue with Europe but “won’t accept ultimatums” in a statement on Friday.
Russian strikes killed at least two people and wounded ⁠two others in the northeastern Ukrainian ⁠region ​of Sumy after Moscow threatened escalation for Ukraine’s biggest assault so far.
Another nine people, ‌including four children, suffered injuries in Kharkiv, which was attacked with Russian guided aerial bombs.
Ukraine on Friday morning claimed that a crew member of a Panama-flagged ship was killed in a Russian drone attack in the Black Sea waters. Oleksiy Kuleba said that another vessel under the Saint Kitts and Nevis flag was ‌also hit.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov previously warned of “massive coordinated strikes on a regular basis” in response to Ukraine's attack on a Moscow oil refinery for the second time this week.
Ukraine earlier launched a heavy drone strike on Russia in re..

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