Minimalist News

Where Going To The Gym Is Most (Un)Popular Exercising more is again one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions in the United States. Yet where data shows that January tends to see a higher number of gym sign ups than other months, it also reveals that the goal falls by the wayside for many not long after. As Statista's Anna Fleck reports, according to Statista data, only 15 percent of U.S. adults had paid for a gym membership in the 12 months prior to the survey. You will find more infographics at Statista How many actually used the service regularly though is another question. French and Italian respondents were even

Ukraine Blocks Polymarket, Classifies Prediction Markets As Gambling Authored by Amin Haqshanas via CoinTelegraph.com, Ukraine has blocked access to the prediction market platform Polymarket, classifying its activities as unlicensed gambling under national law. The decision was issued by the National Commission for the Regulation of Electronic Communications (NCEC) on Dec. 10, 2025, under Resolution No. 695. The ruling requires internet service providers to restrict access to online resources that organize, conduct or facilitate gambling without a valid license. As part of the enforcement, the domain polymarket.com has been added to Ukraine’s public register of blocked websites, effectively cutting off local access to the platform, local news

"Spy Center": China Plans Secret Room Near Sensitive Cables In London Mega Embassy Chinese officials plan to construct a concealed underground chamber adjacent to some of Britain's most sensitive communications infrastructure as part of their proposed new "super embassy" in London, according to planning documents reviewed by The Telegraph. Illustration via The Telegraph The chamber forms part of an extensive subterranean complex comprising 208 rooms beneath the embassy site at the former Royal Mint. The Telegraph reports: > The drawings show that a single concealed chamber will sit directly alongside fibre-optic cables transmitting financial data to the City of London, as well as email and

West Africa Under Jihadist Threat: Sahel States Surrendering Sovereignty To Islamic Terrorist Groups Authored by Lawrence Franklin vi The Gatestone Institute, Al-Qaeda's branch in Africa's Sahel region has been laying siege to Mali's capital city, as well as other areas of the country. The Algerian-based Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) and its affiliated Jama'a Nusrat ul-Islam wa al-Muslimin (Support Group for Islam and Muslims, JNIM) are cutting a wide swath of terrorist operations across West Africa's Sahel region. This coalition of Jihadist groups now threatens the sovereignty of Mali and several other Sahelian states. Islamist operatives now control all the main routes in and out of Bamako,

Venezuela Begins Gradual Release Of Imprisoned Americans Post-Maduro After US forces on January 3rd helicoptered into Caracas as Navy warships and aircraft bombed Venezuelan territory, and seemingly effortlessly nabbed President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, one wonders what took so long? "The Venezuela government has started releasing prisoners with US citizenship, people with knowledge of the situation said," Bloomberg reports Tuesday evening. "The authorities on Tuesday released at least one US citizen who already left the country, the people said, declining to identify the individual for security reasons." via AP There is a planned for gradual release of American prisoners, of which there are

In 2025, Germany Saw Bankruptcies Hit 20-Year High Via Remix News, The latest economic figures for Berlin are dramatic, revealing that 2025 saw more companies file for bankruptcy than at any point in the last two decades, all despite a promised economic turnaround from the Christian Democrat (CDU) government. The wave of insolvencies grew significantly toward the end of the year, affecting the lives of thousands of employees. According to the Leibniz Institute for Economic Research Halle, the annual total reached a historically high 17,604 bankruptcies. This translates to an average of 48 partnerships and corporations going out of business every day in

The Forgotten Man Authored by Be Water, THE 2008 CRISIS NEVER ENDED > Do you wish to know [when] that day is coming? Watch money. Money is the barometer of a society’s virtue. When you see that [commerce is conducted], not by consent, but by compulsion—when you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing—when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors—when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don’t protect you against them, but protect

Surrounding Cities Move In As Seattle Pulls Back On Drug Enforcement A policy shift inside the Seattle Police Department is already generating unintended consequences — and they’re not the ones city leaders were hoping for, Jason Rantz of Seattle 770AM said in a new op-ed this week. After Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes told officers that most drug possession and use cases will once again be diverted away from prosecution and into the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEED) program, surrounding law-enforcement agencies moved quickly to capitalize on growing frustration inside SPD’s ranks. Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank and the Marysville Police Department publicly

Genes Are Not Your Destiny. How To Modify Your Epigenetics For Longevity Authored by Makai Allbert via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), We’ve been told that our genetic destiny is written in our DNA. However, research is gradually dismantling this fatalistic view. Artur Plawgo/Getty Images Genetics may influence approximately 25 percent to 30 percent of how we age. The remaining portion is influenced by factors entirely within our control: what we eat, how we move, how we handle stress, others, and ourselves. Lucia Aronica, a Stanford researcher specializing in epigenetics and nutrition, embodies this balance of nature and nurture. After 17 years of epigenetic research, she

Did Anyone Even Notice PBS News Weekend Signed Off Permanently... "PBS News Weekend" signed off permanently on Sunday after 12 years on air. Did anyone actually notice? The answer, quite frankly, is no, and this comes after Congress cut $1.1 billion in federal funding for public broadcasting over the Trump administration's view that the public broadcasting outlet was spewing left-wing propaganda. "Due to federal budget cuts, PBS News had to make the difficult decision to rework our staffing and programming. This Sunday, our PBS News Weekend team will sign off the air," PBS News Weekend wrote on X. > Due to federal budget cuts,

Waste Of The Day: Questions Arise Over $5.8 Billion In Rental Assistance Authored by Jeremy Portnoy via RealClearInvestigations, Topline: The federal government is unable to verify that $5.8 billion in rental assistance paid to more than 204,000 recipients in 2024 was not fraudulent, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s latest annual report. Key facts: HUD spent $15.2 billion on project-based rental assistance in 2024, which pays local housing authorities or private businesses and nonprofits to build affordable housing. That included $4.3 billion in “questionable payments” to nearly 113,000 groups that may have been ineligible for funding, according to the financial

Reaching 120 & Beyond: Musk Makes Stunning Longevity Claim Elon Musk says “semi-immortality is an extremely solvable problem,” and that in hindsight, the solution will seem obvious. As The Vigilant Fox reports, reaching 120 and beyond, Musk believes, is simply a matter of “changing the program.” > “When you consider the fact that your body is extremely synchronized in its age, the clock must be incredibly obvious. Nobody has an old left arm and a young right arm. Why is that?” Musk said. He added: > “What’s keeping them all in sync? You’re pre-programmed to die. And so if you change the program, you will live

Egyptian Army Holds Billions In Secret Cash As Country Misses Debt Deadline Via Middle East Eye Egypt's armed forces in December rejected government pleas to help ease the debt crisis despite holding more than Egypt's total foreign debt in secret reserves, senior banking and government officials told Middle East Eye. The claims underscore mounting concerns over the opaque role of Egypt’s military in the economy at a moment of acute fiscal stress, as the government struggles to meet debt obligations amid shrinking foreign currency reserves and tightening domestic liquidity.  Egypt was expected to pay about $750m in loan repayments to the International Monetary

Newsom Scrambles To Keep Billionaires In California, Vows To Kill Wealth Tax After a swath of billionaires publicly announced they are leaving the state of California over a proposed wealth tax, Governor Gavin Newsom went into a full blown panic - vowing to stop the proposed tax and "do what I have to do to protect the state."  In an interview with the NY Times, Newsom said that he has been working 'relentlessly' behind the scenes to kill the proposal. "This will be defeated — there’s no question in my mind," he said of the measure he has long opposed over concerns that it would stifle innovation in the

Tether's Role In Venezuela, Iran Highlights The Duality Of Stablecoins Authored by Brian Quarmby via CoinTelegraph.com, Recent turmoil in Venezuela and Iran has again put the spotlight on the duality of stablecoins, with the US dollar-backed assets such as Tether acting as both a savior for embattled citizens and a tool for blacklisted entities to evade sanctions.  Both Venezuela and Iran have been catching headlines at the beginning of 2026 amid political uncertainty and civil unrest. With both facing a host of sanctions, inflation, political instability, and a cost-of-living crisis, crypto and stablecoins have become an important part of the ecosystem.  IRAN’S STABLECOIN ENTANGLEMENT Iran

South Korea Seeks Death Penalty For Ex-President Yoon's Botched Martial Law Attempt South Korea's special prosecutor has called for the death sentence for former President Yoon Suk-yeol in his rebellion trial, according to Yonhap. Closing arguments have been made in his trial in a Seoul court as he stands accused of being the "ringleader of an insurrection". Yoon's botched attempt in December 2024 to impose martial law in South Korea lasted a mere hours but plunged the country into political turmoil and chaos. He was soon after impeached from office by parliament and was arrested pending trial. Getty Images Seeking the death penalty seems ultra-harsh, but

Michigan County Clerk Discovers 239 Non-Citizens Selected For Jury Duty Over 4-Month Period, With 14 Registered To Vote Authored by Debra Heine via American Greatness, Macomb County Clerk Anthony G. Forlini announced Monday that noncitizens have been appearing in the Michigan county’s jury pool “at an alarming rate” and many of them are registered to vote. The data indicates that many noncitizens have potentially sat on juries and/or illegally voted in elections. During a press conference in the courthouse jury room in Mount Clemens, MI, Forlini stated that an internal review of the county identified 239 noncitizens selected for jury duty over a four-month period from September

Google's Vietnam Bet Highlights New Era In Electronics Manufacturing Google is preparing to start building its most advanced Pixel phones in Vietnam this year, according to Nikkei Asia, a move that reflects the broader effort by U.S. tech firms to reduce their reliance on China. Apple is pursuing a similar strategy in India as both companies work toward more geographically balanced supply chains. Sources say Google will handle the earliest and most sensitive stages of production for its Pixel, Pixel Pro and Pixel Fold models in Vietnam, while the more affordable Pixel A line will continue to be developed in China. These

Schools Increasingly Consider Rewarding Teachers For Results, Not Seniority Authored by Aaron Gifford via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), In several states and hundreds of local school districts, traditional teacher salary structures based on years of service are being replaced by merit and pay-for-performance models. An instructor teaches a Spanish lesson at Franklin High School in Los Angeles on May 25, 2017. Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images The success of the Dallas Independent School District’s ACE (Accelerating Campus Excellence) program, implemented in 2016 and credited with improvements in math and reading scores, prompted many districts and state education departments to revise teacher pay due

Fentanyl Deaths Fall As Evidence Points To China Crackdown Trump Long Advocated A sharp decline in U.S. overdose deaths appears increasingly tied to a disruption in the global fentanyl supply chain - an outcome that new research suggests may stem in part from intensified pressure on Chinese chemical suppliers. The findings, published Thursday in Science, enter a long-running debate over what finally reversed a drug crisis that pushed annual overdose deaths above 100,000 during the Biden administration. Fatalities began falling in mid-2023 and dropped more sharply thereafter, a trend that has continued under Donald Trump, who has long-framed fentanyl trafficking as a national-security

Exclusive: ClimatePartner analysis shows how move would risk plunging Earth further into climate catastrophe US plans to exploit Venezuela’s oil reserves could by 2050 consume more than a tenth of the world’s remaining carbon budget to limit global heating to 1.5C, according to an exclusive analysis. The calculation highlights how any moves to further exploit the South American nation’s oil reserves – the largest in the world, at least on paper – would put increasing pressure on climate goals, and risk plunging the Earth further into climate catastrophe. Continue reading...

Leftwing leader rallies his supporters as US president accuses him of drug trafficking and threatens military action A leftwing South American firebrand calls for his followers to rally in public squares nationwide to defend his country’s sovereignty and decry verbal attacks from Donald Trump. The US president accuses the leader of personally flooding American streets with illegal drugs and imposes sanctions against him and his wife. Threats of military action are followed by a phone conversation between the two leaders. One might imagine that this is a description of the buildup of tensions that led to the 3 January special forces raid

Picture is as murky as a barrel of oil, with US companies in 2026 expecting their first production drop in four years US shale-oil producers were already contending with oil prices at four-year lows. News that they may soon face a significant competitor in their back yard probably wasn’t how frackers wanted to greet 2026. The US capture of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, hit the share prices of independent shale-oil producers, such as Diamondback Energy and Devon Energy, last week. Continue reading...

Canada’s PM seeks to smooth over past ructions in relationship with China as trade war takes its toll During the final stretch of Canada’s spring election campaign, Mark Carney told a debate audience that China was the country’s “biggest geopolitical risk”. He pointed to its attempts to meddle in elections and its recent efforts to disrupt Canada’s Arctic claims. When Carney’s government plane touches down in Beijing this week, it will be the first time a Canadian prime minister has been welcomed in nearly a decade. The trip, undertaken amid the rupturing of global economic and political alliances, reflects a desire by

US president says company is ‘playing too cute’ after CEO responds sceptically to his push for oil investment after deposing Nicolás Maduro Donald Trump has said he might block ExxonMobil from investing in Venezuela after the oil company’s chief executive called the country “uninvestable” during a White House meeting last week. Darren Woods told the US president that Venezuela would need to change its laws before it could be an attractive investment opportunity, during the high-profile meeting on Friday with at least 17 other oil executives. Continue reading...

Crane was working on a high-speed rail project when it collapsed and hit the passing train, causing it to derail and briefly catch fire At least 22 people in Thailand have been killed and scores injured after a crane collapsed onto a passenger train, derailing it on Wednesday, officials said. Footage from the scene verified by Agence France-Presse showed the crane’s broken structure resting on giant concrete pillars, with smoke rising from the wreckage of the train below. Continue reading...

Yoon is on trial for insurrection charges, after trying to declare martial law in late 2024 South Korean prosecutors have demanded the death penalty for former president Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed martial law declaration in December 2024, in the first insurrection trial of a Korean head of state in three decades. Prosecutors characterised the case as the “serious destruction of constitutional order by anti-state forces”, telling Seoul central district court that Yoon had “directly and fundamentally infringed upon the safety of the state and the survival and freedom of the people”. Continue reading...

K-pop band to start tour in April after nearly four-year hiatus due to all seven members needing to complete South Korea’s mandatory military service The BTS comeback is upon us: the K-pop septet has announced a 2026-2027 world tour, kicking off in South Korea in April and running through to March 2027 with more than 70 dates across Asia, North America, South America, Australia and Europe. The tour marks the group’s first headline performances since their 2021–22 Permission to Dance on Stage tour. 9 April and 11-12 April – Goyang, South Korea 17-18 April – Tokyo 25-26 April – Tampa, Florida 2-3 May – El Paso,

Exclusive: China Labor Watch says people aged 16-18 employed without required special protections A labour rights NGO says it has found evidence of worker exploitation in the supply chain of Labubus, the furry toys that took the world by storm last year and which are expected to continue to grow in popularity in 2026. Labubus, toothy gremlins made by the Chinese toy company Pop Mart, have become one of China’s hottest cultural exports. In the first half of 2025 alone, “the Monsters” line of toys, which includes Labubus, generated 4.8bn yuan (£511m) in sales for the Hong Kong-listed company. In August, Pop

Exclusive: Chinese officials are using a ‘highly specific’ interpretation of EU rules to suggest Taiwanese figures should not be granted visas, officials say Chinese officials have been pushing “legal advice” on European countries, saying their own border laws require them to ban entry to Taiwanese politicians, according to more than half a dozen diplomats and officials familiar with the matter. The officials made demarches to European embassies in Beijing, or through local embassies directly to European governments in their capital cities, warning the European countries not to “trample on China’s red lines”, according to the European diplomats and ministries who spoke to

Prominent Palestinian author’s removal from Adelaide writers’ week lineup led to unprecedented turmoil culminating in cancellation of festival * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The South Australian premier, Peter Malinauskas, has received a legal notice from the Palestinian writer and academic at the heart of the Adelaide writers’ week maelstrom. On Wednesday, lawyers acting for Randa Abdel-Fattah served a formal concerns notice for defamation on the premier, suggesting the fallout from her cancellation from the 2026 event – which is itself is now cancelled – is

It comes after opposition leader Sussan Ley has spent weeks calling for better legislative protections to tackle antisemitism * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The Coalition is set to vote against Labor’s fast-tracked legislation introduced in the wake of the Bondi terror attack, despite the opposition leader, Sussan Ley, calling for urgent legislative action for weeks. Labor would be forced to rely on support from the Greens if the opposition does not support the bill next Tuesday, as Ley flagged reservations about the bill’s drafting and

United Nations says man experienced ‘serious violence’ in detention but Australia argues it did not control PNG facilities * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Australia exposed an Iranian asylum seeker to torture and ill-treatment during his years in detention, a UN committee has found, amounting to a breach of international obligations. On Wednesday evening, the UN committee against torture released its decision on the case of an asylum seeker who arrived on Christmas Island by boat in 2013 after fleeing Iran in fear of persecution. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Health secretary issues invitation in push for UK to consider copying landmark restrictions in Australia Wes Streeting has asked Jonathan Haidt, a bestselling author and high-profile advocate of banning social media for under-16s, to speak to his officials in his push for the UK to consider following a landmark ban in Australia. The health secretary has invited Haidt to address an event with staff, charities and MPs after the prime minister, Keir Starmer, said he was open to stricter limits for young people. Continue reading...

Sydney stage adaptation and new book put on hold after Runt and Jasper Jones author arrested * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Australian novelist Craig Silvey’s books have been withdrawn from school curriculums in Victoria and his home state, and a major stage adaptation of one of his works has been halted after the author was charged with possessing and distributing child exploitation material this week. Silvey, 43, was arrested on Monday 12 January after detectives executed a search warrant at his Fremantle home. He appeared

Spanish singer, 82, had already been accused of sexually assaulting two female former employees The Spanish singer Julio Iglesias, who has been accused of sexually assaulting two female former employees, is also alleged to have ordered some women who worked for him to undergo tests for sexually transmitted diseases, local media have reported. The sexual assault allegations against the 82-year-old singer, whose career spans six decades, were published on Tuesday after a three-year joint investigation by the Spanish news site elDiario.es and the Spanish-language TV network Univision Noticias. Continue reading...

Trump claims ‘Nato should be leading the way for us to get it’ and ‘if we don’t, Russia or China will, and that is not going to happen’ * People in Greenland: share your views on Trump’s recent comments US president Donald Trump has doubled down on his rhetoric on getting control of Greenland, insisting that the US “needs Greenland for the purpose of national security.” In a social media post, Trump claimed that “Nato should be leading the way for us to get it,” and “if we don’t, Russia or China will, and that is not going to happen!” “Militarily, without the

Toby Ovens of Broughton Transport called Brexit a nightmare, and said he hoped a reset with the EU would mean ‘light at the end of the tunnel’ British vets have been forced to chase lorries down the motorway on their way to Dover due to the “pure hell” of Brexit paperwork needed by inspectors in Calais, MPs have been told. Toby Ovens of Broughton Transport told the business and trade committee that Brexit has been a costly and logistic nightmare, and hopes of a reset with the EU represented “light at the end of the tunnel”. Continue reading...

Merger between Paris-based Banijay Group and RedBird IMI-owned All3Media would create a European TV production giant The world’s largest independent television production group, which is behind shows ranging from Peaky Blinders to Big Brother, is in talks to merge with the UK-based maker of hit TV shows including The Traitors. The Paris-headquartered Banijay Group, which last year considered making a takeover offer for ITV’s studio operation, is in advanced talks with All3Media, which is owned by RedBird IMI, the Abu Dhabi-backed company that is trying to off-load the Telegraph titles to the owner of the Daily Mail. Continue reading...

Danish PM adds that Greenland is ‘not for sale’ in joint briefing ahead of tomorrow’s talks with the US Nordic correspondent in Nuuk, Greenland And here’s the latest from Nuuk, Greenland this morning, ahead of what looks like a few very busy days of political talks on Greenland. Continue reading...

US president says ‘help is on its way’, as reported death toll rises into the thousands For the first time in days, Iranians were able to make calls abroad from their mobiles on Tuesday, according to reporting by Associated Press. Texting services have not been restored, however, and nor has the internet. Although Iranians were able to call abroad, they could not receive calls from outside the country, several people in the capital told Associated Press. The internet remained blocked, they said, though it is possible to access some government-approved websites. Cloudfare - an internet infrastructure provider, and one of several companies and

Protests began over the fall in value of the currency have grown into wider demonstrations and calls for the fall of Iran’s clerical establishment * Iran protests live updates * Trump promises ‘help is on its way’ and tells Iranians to ‘keep protesting’ Continue reading...

At least four displaced Palestinians killed when strong winds caused walls to collapse onto their tents and a one-year-old boy died of hypothermia Strong winter winds collapsed walls onto flimsy tents for Palestinians displaced by war in Gaza, killing at least four people, as dangerous living conditions persist after more than two years of devastating Israeli bombardment and aid shortfalls. A ceasefire has been in effect since October, but aid groups say that Palestinians broadly lack the shelter necessary to withstand frequent winter storms. Continue reading...

This liveblog is closed. Our new liveblog is here. Non-essential French embassy staff have left Iran, two sources with knowledge of the matter told Agence France-Presse. The personnel left on Sunday and Monday, the sources added, without saying how many people had departed. “The protection of our personnel and our citizens is a priority,” a French foreign ministry official told AFP. Commenting on the protests, the UN high commissioner for human rights Volker Türk said: This cycle of horrific violence cannot continue. The Iranian people and their demands for fairness, equality and justice must be heard. Continue reading...

Prime minister is yet to receive a formal invitation, but the Guardian has been told that Starmer is expected to accept Keir Starmer has been offered a place on the Gaza “peace board” set up by Donald Trump as part of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The prime minister was asked to sit on the board by a senior member of the Trump administration. The Guardian has been told that Starmer is expected to accept but has not yet received a formal invitation, while conversations about the exact makeup of the board are continuing. Continue reading...

Eastern region on high alert as authorities try to track animal tearing through villages in Jharkhand after apparently becoming separated from herd Forest officials in India are on the hunt for an elephant that has killed more than 20 people in a days-long rampage through the eastern state of Jharkhand. Since the beginning of January, 22 people have been killed by a single-tusked elephant that has been tearing through forests and villages in West Singhbhum district of Jharkhand. Continue reading...

Delhi is world’s second largest purchaser of Russian crude, which is now cheaper than oil from Middle East Russia is already working to circumvent the latest US sanctions to ensure India can continue to import high levels of cheap Russian crude oil, according to industry analysts. Since the outbreak of the Ukraine war, India has become the world’s second largest purchaser of Russian crude oil, which has been heavily discounted due to the impact of western sanctions. Continue reading...

Police ask Paramjeet Singh Pamma to install security cameras and reinforce door locks at his home Police have advised a high-profile Sikh activist in the UK to install security cameras at his home and reinforce door locks because of threats from Hindu nationalist elements. Paramjeet Singh Pamma, 52, said he had been visited by police and received verbal advice to increase his security due to intelligence suggesting threats to his safety. Continue reading...

UN and many western countries as well as human rights groups say that in the absence of a meaningful opposition the election is neither free, fair nor credible Voters in war-torn Myanmar queued up on Sunday to cast their ballots in the second stage of a military-run election, following low turnout in the initial round of polls that have been widely criticised as a tool to formalise junta rule. Myanmar has been ravaged by conflict since the military ousted a civilian government in a 2021 coup and detained its leader, Nobel peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, sparking a civil war

Satat Sampada founders Harjeet Singh and Jyoti Awasthi say allegations are ‘baseless, biased and misleading’ Police have raided the home of one of India’s leading environmental activists over claims his campaigning for a treaty to cut the use of fossil fuels was undermining the national interest. Investigators from India’s Enforcement Directorate (ED) claim Harjeet Singh and his wife, Jyoti Awasthi, co-founders of Satat Sampada (Nature Forever), were paid almost £500,000 to advocate for a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty (FFNPT). Continue reading...

Ministers have rolled back central element of digital ID plans, possibly allowing people to use other forms of identification to prove their right to work Here are extracts from three interesting comment articles about the digital ID U-turn. Ailbhe Rea in the New Statesman in the New Statesmans says there were high hopes for the policy when it was first announced. I remember a leisurely lunch over the summer when a supporter of digital IDs told me how they thought Keir Starmer would reset his premiership. Alongside a reorganisation of his team in Number 10, and maybe a junior ministerial reshuffle, they predicted

Blue-chip consultancy’s boss says firm has an AI ‘workforce’ of 20,000 agents operating alongside its 40,000 staff * Business live – latest updates McKinsey is asking graduate applicants to “collaborate” with an artificial intelligence tool as part of its recruitment process, as competence with the technology becomes a requirement in competing for top-level jobs. The blue-chip consultancy is incorporating an “AI interview” into some final-round interviews, according to CaseBasix, a US company that helps candidates apply for posts at leading strategic consulting companies. Continue reading...

Policing inspectorate to say force made series of errors in how it gathered and handled intelligence * UK politics live – latest updates West Midlands police will be criticised in a report about their handling of intelligence used to justify banning Israeli fans from a football game in Birmingham, the Guardian understands. The inquiry was ordered by the home secretary, Shabana Mahmood, and carried out by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, the policing inspectorate. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Claire Waxman says justice system risks collapse and no other viable way to drastically reduce courts backlog A potential government U-turn on changes to jury trials risks breaking a justice system on the brink of collapse, the new victims’ commissioner for England and Wales has warned. The justice secretary, David Lammy, must face down MPs and the legal profession over proposals to reduce the number of jury trials or “we will not have victims coming into the system”, said Claire Waxman. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Discovery comes amid growing concern over lax regulation and children being put at risk by rogue operators Circumcision kits have been found on sale on Amazon UK, highlighting lax regulation as concerns grow about deaths and serious harm to baby boys. In December, a UK coroner issued warnings about insufficient circumcision regulation after the death in 2023 of a six-month-old boy, Mohamed Abdisamad, from a streptococcus infection. Continue reading...

A supreme court ruling is expected later today, though it is unclear what it will be With the China economy numbers prominent on many US news sites, Trump this morning has re-tweeted- or “re-Truthed” as his platform calls it -one of his posts last week broadcasting US trade numbers and GDP predictions. He claimed the trade deficit being at its lowest in years was “are the direct result of TARIFFS, which have rescued our economy and national security”. Continue reading...

Doctors in Tehran tell of overwhelmed medical staff as Donald Trump promises ‘help is on its way’. Plus, how wildfires are destroying the world’s forests • Don’t already get First Thing in your inbox? Sign up here Good morning. An ophthalmologist in Tehran has documented more than 400 eye injuries from gunshots in a single hospital, as overwhelmed medical staff struggle to cope with the toll of a brutal crackdown on nationwide protests by Iranian authorities. What did Trump say? “Iranian Patriots, keep protesting – take over your institutions!!! … help is on its way,” he posted on Truth Social. Trump later told CBS

US president says Jamie Dimon was wrong to suggest he was undermining independence of central bank * Business live – latest updates Donald Trump has hit out at the JP Morgan boss Jamie Dimon, saying the Wall Street executive was wrong to suggest he was undermining the independence of the Federal Reserve. The US president and his administration have come under fire for their attacks against the Fed’s chair, Jerome Powell, who is facing a criminal investigation by the US Department of Justice over alleged “abuse of taxpayer dollars” linked to renovations to the central bank’s headquarters in Washington. Continue reading...

Jonathan Gerlach remains in custody after officials say they found skulls, bones and other remains in his car and home The Pennsylvania man suspected of stealing more than 100 pieces of human remains from a historic cemetery has allegedly admitted to selling some of them online – while the graveyard solicits donations to upgrade its security. Jonathan Gerlach’s purported admission, along with the most complete account yet of how he caught the attention of law enforcement, are contained in search warrants obtained by authorities investigating a case one government official called “a horror movie come to life”. Continue reading...

Aim is to speed up acquisition of WBD studio and streaming businesses and hold off rival Paramount bid Netflix is reportedly preparing to switch to an all-cash offer to seal its takeover of the studios and streaming businesses of Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), as it tries to speed up the deal and fend off a rival hostile bid from Paramount Skydance. The changes to Netflix’s $83bn (£62bn) offer, first reported by Bloomberg, are designed to accelerate the acquisition, which is expected to take months to conclude, and make it more palatable for WBD shareholders. Continue reading...

The head of Iran’s judiciary signalled on Wednesday there would be fast trials and executions ahead for those detained in nationwide protests despite a warning from US President Donald Trump. The comments from Iran’s judiciary chief Gholamhossein Mohseni-Ejei come as activists had warned hangings of those detained could come soon. Already, a bloody security force crackdown on the demonstrations has killed at least 2,571, the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency reported. That figure...

Four migrants died while in custody of US immigration authorities over the first 10 days of ‍2026, according to government press releases, a loss of life that followed record detention deaths last year under US President Donald Trump. The deaths included two migrants from Honduras, one from Cuba and another from Cambodia, and occurred from January 3-9, according to US Immigration and ⁠Customs Enforcement (ICE). The Trump administration was aiming to ramp up deportations and has increased the...

Washington’s Middle East allies are bracing for what they fear could be “catastrophic” consequences if the United States moves militarily against Iran – a possibility US President Donald Trump again dangled this week by promising Iranian protesters that “help is on its way”. Despite Trump’s vow of support, analysts warn that even a sustained US air campaign would be unlikely to unseat Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s regime. The US president’s rhetoric has followed a now-familiar arc, echoing his...

Ugandan authorities shut down internet access nationwide on Tuesday, two days ahead of elections in which President Yoweri Museveni has overseen a crackdown on the opposition as he seeks to extend his 40-year rule. The 81-year-old leader, who once said African rulers should not overstay their time in office, was widely expected to win a seventh term on Thursday due to his total control over state and security bodies. But he was taking no chances against a popular opponent, Bobi Wine, a...

US President Donald Trump raised his ‌middle finger and appeared to direct profanity towards a factory worker who expressed ‍criticism of his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein controversy at a Michigan auto plant on Tuesday, video circulating online showed. The entertainment site TMZ first published video capturing the exchange, and the White House did not dispute its authenticity. “A lunatic was ⁠wildly screaming expletives in a complete fit of rage, and the President gave an appropriate and...

Some people wonder whether China could carry out a sophisticated state-sponsored kidnapping like the US capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro and his wife. And it’s not just that; there is state terrorism like remote assassinations by drones, which also end up killing a lot of civilian bystanders, not to mention breaching the sovereignty of their countries. The United States can apparently do that anywhere around the world. Such Hollywood-style cowboy militarism no doubt makes its...

Roughly half a dozen federal prosecutors in Minnesota have resigned and several supervisors in the criminal section of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division have given notice of their departures amid turmoil over the federal investigation into the killing of a woman by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis, according to people familiar with the matter. The resignations follow growing tensions over a decision by the Trump administration to block the state out of...

Near the end of last year, thousands of European travellers saw their holiday plans unravel after a prolonged power outage in the Eurotunnel – the underwater train passage linking Britain and France – caused by a fault in the overhead supply. For many, this brought back memories of chaotic scenes the previous April, when rolling blackouts struck much of Portugal and Spain. The United States also suffered from multiple power outages last year, including major disruptions in California – most...

In 2025, India approved a number of major defence packages, together worth US$30 billion. Such rapid procurement approvals are relatively rare by Indian standards. However, what they signal to the region will depend less on such announcements and more on actual outcomes. To some observers, especially after India’s four-day clash with Pakistan during what the former called “Operation Sindoor” last May, the surge appears to mark the start of a regional arms race. That interpretation is...

Greenland would choose to remain Danish over a US takeover, its leader said on Tuesday, ahead of crunch White House talks on the future of the Arctic island which President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened. Trump has been talking up the idea of buying or annexing the autonomous territory for years, and further stoked tensions this week by saying the United States would take it “one way or the other”. “We are now facing a geopolitical crisis, and if we have to choose between the United...

Former US president Bill Clinton and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that they will refuse to comply with a congressional subpoena to testify in a House committee’s investigation of Jeffrey Epstein. The Clintons, in a letter released on social media, slammed the House Oversight probe as “legally invalid” even as Republican lawmakers prepared contempt of Congress proceedings against them. The Clintons wrote that the chair of the House Oversight Committee, Republican...

Dilbert comic strip creator Scott Adams, ‍a vocal Trump supporter whose career flagged after a racist rant, died on Tuesday, his former wife said. He was 68. Shelly Miles announced Adams’ passing in an online live stream in which she read a final message ⁠from the artist, whose strip lampooned life in the cubicle farms of corporate America, framed around its titular character, an engineer known for his glasses and perennially bent tie. Adams first announced he had metastatic prostate cancer in...

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged Iranians to keep protesting and remember the names of those abusing them, saying help is on the way, as Iran’s clerical establishment pressed its crackdown against ‍the biggest demonstrations in years. Iran in turn accused Trump of encouraging political destabilisation and inciting violence. “Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING - TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!! … HELP IS ON ITS WAY,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social, without saying what that help might...

Canada and China appear ready to kick-start trade talks after years of strained relations, with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to Beijing this week coinciding with both countries questioning their once stronger ties with the United States, analysts said. Carney travelled to Beijing on Tuesday for his first official visit to the country, where he will discuss trade, agriculture and energy with officials from Canada’s second-largest single-country trading partner. Liang Yan, a...

A Republican congressman from Florida introduced a bill on Monday to annex Greenland and make it the 51st US state as President Donald Trump threatens to seize the autonomous Danish territory. Trump has said the United States will take Greenland “one way or the other”, floating the idea of buying the territory or taking it by force, despite strong pushback from Denmark, a Nato ally. Representative Randy Fine said his new legislation would authorise Trump “to take whatever steps necessary to...

The BBC intends to ask a US federal court in Florida to dismiss a US$10 billion lawsuit brought by US President Donald Trump against the British broadcaster, according to newly filed court documents. Trump launched the lawsuit last year over a BBC documentary that edited his 2021 speech ahead of the US Capitol riot, when lawmakers were certifying Joe Biden’s 2020 election win. The programme spliced together two separate sections of Trump’s speech on January 6, 2021, in a way that made it appear...

Honduras electoral authorities rejected on Monday an order by the outgoing president to recount November’s election won by Trump-backed candidate Nasry Asfura. Asfura, a conservative businessman, was declared the winner of Honduras’s presidential election on December 24, weeks after a tight race marred by delays and allegations of fraud. Outgoing Honduras President Xiomara Castro, who finishes her term January 27, called for a meeting with Trump last week saying his public backing of Asfura...

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi blasted Germany on Tuesday, after Chancellor Friedrich Merz suggested that the leadership in Tehran might be days away from being toppled by the mass protests gripping the country. “Germany should end its unlawful interference in our region,” Araghchi wrote on X. “Of all governments, the one in Germany is perhaps the worst placed to address ‘human rights.’ The reason is simple: its blatant double-standards over the past years have obliterated any shred of...

China and the European Union began 2026 with another trade clash. As the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism entered its definitive phase, Brussels tightened compliance and Beijing warned of countermeasures. However, this week, the two sides signalled progress on defusing the electric vehicle dispute; the EU issued guidance to Chinese EV exporters on submitting minimum price plans. The juxtaposition underlines the point: even when one high-profile area shifts from escalation to technical...

Some Iranians were still using Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet service despite a nationwide communications blackout, three people inside the ‍country have said, the latest example of Starlink being used to counter internet shutdowns in geopolitical flashpoints. Iranian authorities have in recent days launched a deadly crackdown on nationwide protests, including the near-complete shutdown of internet service, which is provided through fibre-optic cables and mobile phone towers. The...

A former US Navy sailor convicted of selling technical and operating manuals for ships and operating systems to an intelligence officer working for China was sentenced Monday to more than 16 years in prison, prosecutors said. A federal judge in San Diego sentenced Jinchao Wei, 25, to 200 months. A federal jury convicted Wei in August of six crimes, including espionage. He was paid more than US$12,000 for the information he sold, the US Department of Justice said in a statement. Wei, an engineer...

Reza Pahlavi, who as a boy was groomed to be the next shah of imperial Iran but has spent nearly five decades in exile, has emerged as a rallying figure in the protests shaking the Islamic Republic. The chant of “Pahlavi will come back!” has become a mantra for many of the protesters, while the US-based 65-year-old has urged nightly actions in video messages. Pahlavi’s prominence in the protest movement has surprised some observers. Pahlavi has during the latest protest wave shown an “ability to...

Last month, the United States announced its decision to sell advanced weapons amounting to US$11.1 billion to China’s Taiwan region. The authorisation of the largest ever arms package to Taiwan since China and the US established diplomatic relations has seriously violated the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, severely undermined Chinese sovereignty and security interests, gravely interfered in China’s internal affairs and sent the wrong signals to “Taiwan...

Foreign and mainland Chinese drug makers are fighting for a multibillion-dollar slice of the domestic weight-loss market by slashing prices by as much as 80 per cent, as China faces a worsening obesity crisis. Competition in the sector, dominated by global pharmaceutical giants Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, intensified after both secured obesity-drug approvals in China in 2024. The landscape is set to shift further when the patent on Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide expires in March in China, opening...

Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum said she had “a very good conversation” with US President Donald Trump on Monday and that their two governments will continue working together on security issues without the need for US intervention against drug cartels. The roughly 15-minute call came after Sheinbaum said on Friday she had requested dialogue with the Trump administration at the end of a week in which he had said he was ready to confront drug cartels on the ground and repeated the accusation...

With domestic profits narrowing and production capacity expanding, China’s firms are continuing to widen their overseas footprints in search of new, more lucrative markets. In this series, we examine China Inc.’s next phase of “going global” and the complex, challenging international environment its companies have chosen to enter. In the days since Washington’s ousting and abduction of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro – an event that sent shock waves through global markets – some...

US Senator Mark Kelly sued Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Monday, saying Pentagon ‌proceedings to demote the Arizona Democrat from his retired US Navy captain ‍rank violated Kelly’s free speech rights because he urged troops to reject unlawful orders. Kelly, also a former astronaut, said in his lawsuit in federal court in ⁠Washington that the Defence Department’s actions were retaliatory and violated the US Constitution’s First Amendment protection of free speech. The lawsuit asked the court...

The Ukraine war and Donald Trump’s return to the White House have significantly altered northeast Asia’s geopolitical landscape. North Korea’s defence treaty with Russia and leader Kim Jong-un’s decision to deploy troops to support Moscow have shattered any remaining illusions of strategic restraint. While Russia is believed to be supplying North Korea with finance and technology, Japan and South Korea are accelerating military spending and preparing for long-term confrontation, potentially –...

Mattel is introducing an autistic Barbie on Monday as the newest member of its line intended to celebrate diversity, joining a collection that already includes Barbies with Down syndrome, a blind Barbie, a Barbie and a Ken with vitiligo, and other models the toymaker added to make its fashion dolls more inclusive. Mattel said it developed the autistic doll over more than 18 months in partnership with the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, a charity that advocates for the rights and better media...

Washington announced on Monday that Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado will meet US President Donald Trump this week as pressure grew on the interim leadership in Caracas to speed up the release of political prisoners. Machado has been sidelined by Washington since US forces seized long-term authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro on January 3 and the Trump administration announced it would be “running” Venezuela. Disregarding Machado and her understudy Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, Trump...

Two China-flagged supertankers that were sailing to Venezuela to pick up debt-paying crude cargoes made U-turns and were headed back to Asia, LSEG shipping data showed on Monday, a sign that the US-blocked South American country might not be directly exporting oil ⁠to its main buyer any time soon. Following the US announcement last week of a deal to export up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil stuck in storage, US President Donald Trump said China would not be deprived of Venezuela’s crude....

Argentine President Javier Milei said he intends to travel to China in 2026, confirming the plan at a moment when the United States is stepping up pressure on Buenos Aires to scale back its relations with Beijing. Milei made the remarks in an interview with the local newspaper Clarin that was published on Sunday. Asked whether the trip was still on his schedule, he said it was and framed the visit as part of Argentina’s wider commercial agenda rather than a political signal. “We have a very good...

Thousands of nurses at three major hospitals in New York City began to strike on Monday, amid a severe flu season and broader pressures on the US healthcare system. The walkout impacts roughly 15,000 nurses at hospitals including Mount Sinai Medical Centre and New York-Presbyterian in Manhattan as well as Montefiore Medical Centre in the Bronx. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined striking nurses on the picket line in Washington Heights. “All parties must return immediately to the...

Former British finance minister Nadhim Zahawi defected to ‌Nigel Farage’s right-wing Reform UK Party from the Conservative Party on ‍Monday, saying the country was broken and needed Farage as prime minister to fix it. Zahawi, who had a short spell in charge of the nation’s finances under former prime minister Boris Johnson ⁠in 2022, becomes the latest in a long line of former Conservatives to switch to Farage’s populist Reform UK. Reform is currently leading the polls in Britain, far ahead of...

Greenland’s government said on Monday it will ‌increase efforts to ensure the defence of the Arctic territory ‍takes place under the auspices of Nato, and again rejected US President Donald Trump’s ambition to take over the island. Trump has said the United States must ⁠own Greenland, an autonomous part of the Kingdom of Denmark, to prevent China or Russia occupying the strategically located and minerals-rich territory in the future. “All Nato member states, including the United States, have a...

Muhammad Ali once joked that he should be a postage stamp because “that’s the only way I’ll ever get licked”. Now, the three-time heavyweight champion’s quip is becoming a reality. Widely regarded as the most famous and influential boxer of all time, and a cultural force who fused athletic brilliance with political conviction and showmanship, Ali is being honoured for the first time with a commemorative US postage stamp. “As sort of the guardian of his legacy, I’m thrilled. I’m excited. I’m...

Cuba’s leader on Monday reacted defiantly to US President Donald Trump’s threats to “make a deal” or pay the price in the aftermath of key ally Nicolas Maduro’s ouster in a US military raid. Trump has been ramping up pressure on Cuba, one of the few Latin American countries still run by an authoritarian leftist administration after Venezuelan leader Maduro’s capture on January 3. “We’re talking with Cuba,” Trump said aboard Air Force One on Sunday, hours after urging Havana to do a deal to head...

America’s capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro in a special operation sent shock waves across the world. With characteristically bombastic rhetoric, US President Donald Trump hailed Operation Absolute Resolve as “an assault like people have not seen since World War II” and “one of the most stunning, effective and powerful displays of American military might” in history. His deputies were quick to add that the operation also showed the long arm of the US justice system by accusing...

Britain’s media regulator launched an investigation into Elon Musk’s ‌X on Monday to determine whether sexually intimate deepfakes produced by its Grok AI ‍chatbot violated its duty to protect people in the UK from content that could be illegal. “There have been deeply concerning reports of the Grok AI chatbot account on X being used to create and share undressed images ⁠of people – which may amount to intimate image abuse or pornography – and sexualised images of children that may amount to...

Hundreds more federal agents were heading to Minneapolis, the US homeland security chief said on Sunday, brushing aside demands by the Midwestern city’s Democratic leaders to leave after an immigration officer fatally shot a woman protester. In multiple TV interviews, Kristi Noem defended the actions of the officer who shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, whose death has sparked renewed protests nationwide against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Homeland Security...

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he might block ‍ExxonMobil from investing in Venezuela after the oil major’s CEO called the country “uninvestable” during a White House meeting last week. Exxon CEO Darren Woods told Trump that Venezuela would need to change its laws before it could be an attractive investment opportunity, during the high-profile meeting on Friday with at least 17 ⁠other oil executives. Trump had urged the group to spend US$100 billion to revitalise Venezuela’s oil...

We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China turns mega-project failure into defining moment in modern engineering China has pulled off a daring underground feat, using a multimillion-dollar tunnel boring machine (TBM) to recover its stranded twin beneath the country’s largest river. 2. System failure at Malaysia-Singapore border...

With domestic profits narrowing and production capacity expanding, China’s firms are continuing to widen their overseas footprints in search of new, more lucrative markets. In this series, we examine China Inc.’s next phase of “going global” and the complex, challenging international environment its companies have chosen to enter. Chinese national Steve Xie has been doing business overseas for years. His latest venture, a new warehouse in Egypt, will supply electric vehicles and auto parts to...

The Trump administration has threatened to indict Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell over Congressional testimony he gave last summer about a Fed building project, ‌an action Powell called a “pretext” to gain more influence over the central bank and monetary policy. The development in the long-simmering effort by President Donald Trump for greater control over the Fed had immediate fallout, ‍with Republican Senator Thom Tillis, a member of the Senate Banking Committee that vets Presidential...

Three separate avalanches killed three off-piste skiers in the French Alps on Sunday, resort officials said, a day after three skiers died in similar incidents, bringing the weekend death toll to six. The deaths came despite alerts from the weather service of a high risk of avalanches and warnings against off-piste skiing. In one incident on Sunday, a British man in his 50s was buried while skiing off-piste, according to a statement released by La Plagne ski resort in southeastern France. More...

Arrests and aggressive tactics by ICE and the Border Patrol, many seen on viral videos, have intensified the frustration and fear among residents.

Mayor Jacob Frey, a Democrat, has clashed with his party’s activist wing. His response to ICE has won him new respect at home and new foes in Washington.

The refugees, many of them from Somalia, had passed security screenings before coming to the United States. The Trump administration has vowed to “re-examine thousands of refugee cases.”

A visit to Greenland reveals a swirl of feelings as people nervously await talks with the Trump administration about the island’s future.

The treaty that created NATO did not contemplate an attack by one ally on another. A seizure of Greenland by President Trump would test the endurance of the mutual-defense pact.

The companies that turn oil into gasoline and diesel are likely to benefit more, right away, than the businesses that pump oil out of the ground.

Hundreds of families are hoping their loved ones will be freed by the Venezuelan government, which has said little about who would be released or when.

In “A Private Life,” the actress takes on her first solo lead role in which she speaks fluent French, but her French connection goes all the way back to childhood.

Republican election officials welcome the review, which relies on a federal verification tool, but they say they have not discovered a major problem when it comes to noncitizen voters.

A White House spokesman said the president “gave an appropriate and unambiguous response.”

It is unclear what possible crime might involve Senator Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat, who has warned in dire terms about the dissolution of American democracy.

The parent company of Saks, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman struggled with debt, designers and customers in recent years.

Answers to this and other questions about the financial crisis in America’s biggest luxury department store.

The real story of how immigrant labor came to define the construction industry.

Its security forces have brutally defended the Islamic Republic, but the protests show that many Iranians consider it stagnant and ideologically hollow.

Amid a near-total communications blackout, witness footage trickling out of Iran paints a picture of how the country’s largest uprising in decades spread — and turned deadly.

After securing strong recruits on a tough Senate map, the Democratic leader is not only predicting an upset 2026 victory, but also naming the states he thinks his party can flip.

The prime minister is seeking new markets for Canadian goods and to mend relations with China after years of deep acrimony between the two nations.

China banned the burning of coal for heat around Beijing, but natural gas subsidies have run out, leaving many villagers vulnerable in dangerously cold weather.

Erik Duran, who fatally struck the man, Eric Duprey, as he fled on a motorbike in 2023, faces charges of manslaughter, assault and criminally negligent homicide.

Last year was Earth’s third hottest globally, but temperature is just one measure of climate change’s influence.

The president’s assertion of unlimited authority is a total rejection of popular sovereignty and the logic of the Constitution.

We look at how the actions of federal agents in Minneapolis are impacting life in the city.

“Has anyone told him that they don’t have oil?” Colbert said of the president’s plan to send 1,000 more immigration officers to Minnesota.

The authorities said there were almost 200 people aboard when the accident happened northeast of Bangkok. Dozens were injured.

Some renters are constantly left without heat or hot water during the winter, leading them to bundle up in layers of clothing or risk fires by using space heaters.

Amy Carter, the daughter of former president Jimmy Carter, selected paintings and memorabilia for two Christie’s sales. The prices might surprise you.

A little-known and rarely enforced law prohibits ball games on some Los Angeles streets and sidewalks. The local council has begun the process of repealing it.