Minimalist News

Exiled MAGA Dissidents Consult With Ron Paul On Iran War Authored by former Congressman Ron Paul Last weekend my Institute for Peace and Prosperity hosted another conference here on the Texas Gulf Coast. Not only did we have a full house attending the conference – which is in a way the most important thing – but in this era of profound disappointment and disillusionment, we struck a note of optimism thankfully due to our wonderful line-up of speakers. The main topic of the conference, titled "War is Back on the Menu," was of course the disastrous decision by the Trump Administration to launch

Unexploded Ordinance Accident Kills 14 IRGC Members: State Media Trump's operation Epic Fury saw a combined number of US-Israeli strikes in the many thousands unleashed on Iran. The common high estimates suggest over 13,000 strikes by the American side, and possibly 10,000 by the Israelis - which are staggering figures. While the severe damage to Iranian cities, bases, missile sites, and infrastructure has been abundantly clear - the hidden reality is the apparently persistent danger of unexploded ordinance still littering the country. On Friday state media reported a mass casualty event involving Iranian military members due to unexploded bombs. "An explosion of leftover

Trump Says Medicare Will Soon Cover Weight-Loss Drugs Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times, President Donald Trump announced on May 1 that Medicare patients will soon be able to obtain coverage for weight-loss drugs for $50 per month. Speaking at an event in Florida, Trump said the coverage for the weight-loss and diabetes medications will begin in July, referencing drugs that contain semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist. “Today, I’m thrilled to announce that starting on July 1, we will also provide Medicare patients with the coverage for weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, Zepbound, Wegovy. Will be available for $50 a month,” he said. In

US Coast Guard Offloads More Than $72 Million Worth Of Cocaine Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), More than $72 million worth of cocaine was offloaded by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) after it was seized in multiple operations. A crew member aboard USCGC Escanaba carries a bale of cocaine during a drug offload at Port Everglades, Fla., on April 27, 2026. U.S. Coast Guard/Petty Officer 2nd Class Eric Rodriguez On Monday, U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba’s crew offloaded roughly 7,050 pounds of cocaine valued at over $53 million at Port Everglades, Florida, according to an April 27 statement.

ZeroHedge Fertilizer Debate: Hormuz Closure Could Usher In New Arab Spring  On Friday, ZeroHedge, in partnership with the Macro Dirt Podcast, hosted a debate focused on the implications for agriculture, inflation, and global supply chains given the current situation in Iran. The discussion was illuminating and worth a rewatch if you missed it.  The discussion featured former Bridgewater head of commodities Alex Campbell, Brent Johnson of Santiago Capital, and was hosted by Tony Greer and Jared Dillian. THE DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE Even in a best case scenario where shipping lanes reopen immediately, Santiago Capital’s Brent Johnson says the damage is already embedded in the

Trump Issues Letter Rejecting Congressional Oversight For War, Citing Ceasefire Has 'Terminated' Hostilities SUMMARY * Trump submits letter to Congress at 60-day mark: ceasefire 'terminated' hostilities & so doesn't need authorization, he argues. * US Treasury goes after Hormuz payment fees, sanctioning  three Iranian foreign currency exchange houses. Bessent issues pressure points against Iranian 'rats'. * Trump on Friday rejects Iran's latest revised proposal to Pakistan mediators. Nuclear issue not included: a non-starter, and focus is on ending the war. Israeli officials balk. * Iran economically squeezed, signs of divided response among leadership, but surviving: "Weeks of conflict have aggravated Iran's dire economic

Dem Rep Suggests Hegseth Could Be Executed For War Crimes Like Nazi Sub-Captains Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news, In a stunning escalation of partisan rhetoric, Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) declared on national television that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is “guilty” of war crimes — and compared U.S. military operations against drug-smuggling boats to the actions of Nazi submarine captains executed after World War II. The remarks, delivered Wednesday on CNN’s OutFront, come as the Trump administration presses aggressive action to dismantle narco-terrorist networks flooding America with deadly fentanyl and other poisons. Instead of backing efforts to secure the homeland, Moulton opted to invoke the language

Russian Black Sea Town Plunged Into Environmental Catastrophe After 4th Drone Strike On Oil Complex Russia's Tuapse on the Black Sea can't catch a break as it has been hit by Ukrainian drones for the fourth time within only a month, after a series of devastating attacks in April which unleashed large fires. On Friday another fire broke out at a marine terminal in Tuapse after this latest Ukrainian drone strike, regional emergency officials have confirmed. Over 100 fire-fighting personnel are battling the blaze. Tuapse has already been under a state of emergency for several days, when a Ukrainian drone strike triggered a massive

USSS Chief Says Hilton Site Was 'Set Up Perfectly,' Critics Disagree Authored by Susan Crabtree via RealClearPolitics, The head of the U.S. Secret Service is defending security arrangements at last Saturday’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, saying he would not change a thing about the security plan, even as questions continue to swirl around the shooting and his leadership of the agency. “The site was set up perfectly, I will tell you I would not change the site again,” Secret Service Director Sean Curran told Fox News host Will Cain Thursday. Curran said one agent was shot at “point-blank range” by suspect Cole Tomas

Spirit Airlines 'Bites The Dust' As All Flights Canceled; Trump Admin To Provide 'Relief' To Customers, Workers The collapse of bankrupt Spirit Airlines is now official. After several failed attempts by the Trump administration to engineer a rescue package, including a proposed $500 million financing deal that could have left the U.S. government with control of up to 90% of the budget carrier, negotiations broke down late this week. By Saturday morning, Spirit had begun winding down operations, with all flights canceled and the carrier entering liquidation mode. The outcome marks the final flight for the budget airline, crushed by years of operational stress,

China's Foreign Minister To Rubio: Taiwan Is 'Biggest Risk Factor' In US-China Relations Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and told him that the issue of Taiwan is the"biggest risk factor" in relations between Washington and Beijing, Chinese media has reported. "The Taiwan issue concerns China’s core interests and is the biggest risk factor in China-US relations," Wang said, according to The South China Morning Post, which cited China’s CCTV broadcaster. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (Chinese Foreign Ministry photo) "The US side should honor its commitments, make the right choice, open up new

Ferrari Hybrid Values Sink As Buyers Chase V8s And V12s Goldman's Ferrari Residual Value Index shows that used Ferrari listing prices remained under pressure in April, down 3.4% year over year. However, analysts noted signs of "stabilization and partial improvements" after a weak second half of 2025. One notable takeaway from analyst Christian Frenes: Ferrari hybrids are depreciating far faster than their petrol-powered counterparts, suggesting buyers still prefer V-8s and V-12s combustion-engine models. In other words, the used market is sending a very clear signal to Ferrari that its wealthy customer base is not sold on the hybrid era. The chart below shows

Syrian Gets Just Six Months In Jail For Raping 13-Year-Old Girl After Court Cites His Low IQ Authored by Thomas Brooke via Remix News, A 21-year-old Syrian man convicted of raping a 13-year-old Norwegian girl in a bike shed will serve just six months in prison after a court cited his low IQ, limited development, and a recent change in Norwegian sentencing law. Abdelmonem Abdelrazak Al-Yousef was found guilty by Nord-Troms and Senja District Court on March 31 in relation to the rape that occurred during the night of Sept. 7, 2024, near the Harbour Terminal in Tromso. As reported by Norwegian news outlet Document,

Mills Drops Out In Maine Governor's Race As Oysterman With Nazi Tattoo Becomes Democratic Frontrunner Maine Gov. Janet Mills suspended her U.S. Senate campaign Thursday morning, citing a lack of financial resources. That's the official explanation. The more accurate one is that the polls showed her trailing badly to Graham Platner, an oysterman from coastal Maine with no electoral experience.  Mills had every structural advantage working for her: she’d already won a statewide election, had name identification, and the support of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. The writing was on the wall for weeks, but Mills’s exit from the race was her

Ex-CIA Analyst Warns Hegseth's Claim Of "Ironclad" Hormuz Blockade Deeply Misleading  Authored by former CIA officer Larry Johnson Pete Hegseth is lying about the US blockade of Iranian ports. On April 12, after JD Vance announced that talks with Iran had failed, Trump declared a naval blockade of Iranian ports and coastal areas. CENTCOM clarified that the blockade would be enforced against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports, but would not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports. Now, after more than two weeks, Pete Hegseth has been saying the US blockade is

This Is The Salary Needed To Live Comfortably In US Cities How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in a major American city? Increasingly, the answer is a six-figure salary. This map, via Visual Capitalist's Bruno Venditti, shows the income required for a comfortable lifestyle across 56 U.S. cities, factoring in housing, food, transportation, savings, and discretionary spending. The data comes from SmartAsset, using the MIT Living Wage Calculator and updated in February 2026. THE HIGHEST-COST CITIES NOW REQUIRE NEARLY $160K New York tops the list at $158,954, narrowly ahead of San Jose at $158,080. California accounts for many of the highest-cost cities overall,

DOJ Probes 36 Illinois School Districts Over Sexual Orientation Content In Pre-K–12 Classes Authored by Naveen Anthrappully via The Epoch Times, The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Rights Division has launched multiple investigations into 36 Illinois public school districts to assess whether sexual orientation and gender ideology content is being taught in pre-K-12 grade classes. If the districts are determined to be teaching sexual orientation and gender ideology-related content, “the investigations will examine whether the schools have notified parents of their right to opt their children out of such instruction,” the DOJ said in an April 30 statement. “The investigation will also assess whether

Hawaii Has America's Highest Life Expectancy, West Virginia The Lowest Life expectancy varies widely across the U.S., with clear regional patterns emerging in the latest data. States in the Northeast and on the West Coast tend to have higher life expectancies, while many in the South and Appalachia rank lower. This map, via Visual Capitalist's Niccolo Conte, shows these differences using data from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, based on 2022 life tables published in December 2025, the latest publicly available state-level figures as of March 2026. The CDC’s report uses period life tables, which estimate how long a hypothetical group would live

Russia Now Main Supplier Of Oil To Post-Assad Syria, Despite Pivot To West Via The Cradle Russia has become Syria's leading supplier of oil since the collapse of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s government and the rise to power of former Al-Qaeda chief Ahmad al-Sharaa, according to Reuters.  Shipments of Russian oil have risen by 75 percent this year to roughly 60,000 barrels per day (bpd), based on Reuters calculations using official data and vessel tracking from LSEG, MarineTraffic, and Shipnext. Getty Images While these volumes account for only a small fraction of Russia’s total global oil exports, they are significant for Syria. With domestic production still well

Estée Lauder Accelerates Turnaround, Adds 3,000 Jobs To Chopping Block Beauty and cosmetics giant Estée Lauder is accelerating its workforce restructuring, announcing Friday morning that it will cut another 3,000 jobs, bringing total planned reductions to as many as 10,000 roles. The move is expected to unlock hundreds of millions of dollars in additional savings. Still, it also suggests a deeper reset in the company's workforce after its hiring spree leading up to  Covid, potentially putting a long-term cap on headcount. The owner of Clinique, La Mer, MAC, Aveda, Bobbi Brown, Jo Malone London, Le Labo, Tom Ford Beauty, Too Faced, and

Spinosaurid fossil bought by Stuttgart institution in 1991 has been the subject of a long restitution campaign It is a 113-million-year-old bone of contention. After Stuttgart’s museum of natural history bought a fossilised dinosaur skull in 1991, researchers found it was the most complete spinosaurid skull known to date, belonging to a previously unknown genus of the huge meat-eating dinosaurs. Continue reading...

The US sanctions target people operating in broad sections of Cuban economy, including energy, defence and mining Cuba’s government has said new sanctions imposed on the island by Donald Trump amounted to “collective punishment”, as an enormous 1 May procession outside the American embassy in Havana vowed to “defend the homeland”. In an executive order on Friday, the US president said he would impose sanctions on people involved in broad sections of the Cuban economy, as he seeks to put more pressure on Havana after ousting Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, earlier this year. Continue reading...

Leo, who has criticized Trump’s hardline immigration policy, selected Evelio Menjivar-Ayala as state’s new bishop * Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Pope Leo XIV has appointed a man who had once entered the United States as an undocumented immigrant, hidden in the trunk of a car, as the new bishop of West Virginia. The pope approved the resignation of Bishop Mark E Brennan of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, and selected Bishop Evelio Menjivar-Ayala, 55, of Washington to take his place, reported OSV News. Continue reading...

Colombia hosted nearly 60 countries at pivotal time on world stage for fight to transition to a clean energy future Looking out to sea from the grey sandy beaches of Santa Marta, on Colombia’s Caribbean coast, it is never hard to spot evidence of the country’s thriving fossil fuel export trade. Oil tankers ride at anchor on the horizon and sometimes, locals say, lumps of coal wash up on the shore, blown off the collier ships that carry cargos from the nearby mines. It was here, on Wednesday evening, that the Colombian government took a bold step to shift its economy –

Gaston Browne is on course to win 15 of the 17 seats in parliament after calling snap election Gaston Browne, the prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, is set to win a fourth term in the country’s snap general election with preliminary results showing his party on course to win 15 of the 17 seats in parliament. Addressing supporters early on Friday morning, Browne said: “You have spoken, you have spoken clearly. You have indicated that the Antigua and Barbuda Labour party (ABLP) is the best institution to run this country.” Continue reading...

Strongest tornado hits Mineral Wells, Texas, where disaster was declared. Elsewhere, extreme rain inundates China Spring is the season for severe thunderstorms across the central US, and the start of this week was a particularly active period for the region. A favourable weather pattern fuelled intense thunderstorms on Monday through Wednesday, bringing strong winds, very large hail and strong tornadoes. Eight tornadoes were reported on Monday, including an EF2 tornado that ripped through the town of Sycamore, Kansas. On Tuesday, a more widespread event tore across the mid-west, most notably as a severe hailstorm moved through Springfield, Missouri. Continue reading...

Media tycoon honoured in absentia as critics decry his 20-year sentence under national security law The jailed media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai has been awarded Deutsche Welle’s freedom of speech award for his contribution to Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. The German public broadcaster said on Thursday that Lai would be presented in absentia with the 12th iteration of the award on 23 June at the DW Global Media Forum in Bonn. Continue reading...

Australian white supremacist who murdered 51 Muslims said poor mental health made him admit to crimes The Australian white supremacist who murdered 51 Muslim worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch in 2019 has been prevented from appealing against his guilty pleas, after one of New Zealand’s highest courts said his bid was “utterly devoid of merit”. Brenton Tarrant, who is responsible for the worst mass shooting in New Zealand’s history, asked the court of appeal in February to allow him to appeal against his guilty pleas, claiming harsh prison conditions had affected his mental health and compelled him to admit to the

Human rights commissioner says alleged jailing highlights the ‘growing risks of transnational repression’ in Australia * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Australia’s human rights commissioner has said the Chinese student who was allegedly jailed for six years by Chinese authorities for joining protests in Sydney underscores the “very real and growing risks of transnational repression affecting people in Australia – including international students”. Commissioner Lorraine Finlay told Guardian Australia that while she could not comment on the circumstances of individual cases “no one should fear punishment

Patrick Vallance says government working with Chinese officials to remove postings from Alibaba after Biobank data breach last week There have been further listings of confidential health records of UK volunteers on the Chinese website Alibaba since the breach reported last week, and the government is braced for further leaks, the science minister has said. Addressing a House of Lords debate on the attempted sale of data belonging to 500,000 UK Biobank volunteers, Patrick Vallance said the government had worked with Chinese officials to remove additional postings on the online marketplace. Continue reading...

Anthony Marsh appears to be in commanding position in significant boost to opposition leader Jess Wilson The Liberals have claimed victory in a key Victorian byelection seen as a preview of what to expect when the rest of the state hits the polls in November. As counting continued in the Mornington peninsula seat of Nepean, the Liberal candidate, Anthony Marsh, appeared to be in a commanding position in a significant boost to opposition leader Jess Wilson. Continue reading...

Daytime temperatures on Friday were 10 to 14C above average in four states * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Record-breaking warm temperatures for the start of May in many parts of the country will be washed out by a cold front bringing rain, thunderstorms and much cooler weather. A high-pressure system dragged warm northerly winds across south-east Australia, the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) said. Continue reading...

Gurindji families mourn ‘a life so precious, gone far too soon’ * Warning: This article contains images of and references to Indigenous Australians who have died Kumanjayi Little Baby’s relatives have released a statement saying they felt “helpless” when they heard she was missing, and hope their community can unite in grief. “A life so precious, so full of innocence, gone far too soon,” the Gurindji families said of the five-year-old Warlpiri girl, who was found dead in Alice Springs on Thursday evening – five days after she had gone missing from her bed in the Old Timers town camp. Continue reading...

Wilderness Society says changes undermined intent of national standards intended to reverse decline of plants, animals and ecosystems * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Green groups have accused the Albanese government of watering down a proposal to protect threatened species and ecosystems. National environmental standards were the key plank of reforms to Australia’s nature laws, passed by the parliament in November. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A man has allegedly stolen nearly $3,000 worth of diesel in jerry cans and drums from a South Sydney service station. Police said they were told a driver of a white ute allegedly filled large drums and jerry cans with 915 litres of diesel, valued at over $2,870 (or about $3.14 a litre), without paying at about 7.15pm on 11 April. Continue reading...

Senator Roger Wicker and representative Mike Rogers say move risks undermining deterrence and sending wrong signal to Putin * Full report: Nato seeks to ‘understand the details’ after US decision to withdraw troops from Germany * ‘We love our Americans’: the German town rocked by Trump’s plan to withdraw US troops The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said suspicious activity had been reported 84 nautical miles southwest of the port of Mukalla in Yemen. A bulk carrier reported that a small boat and a fishing vessel came within 500m of it, according to UKMTO. Continue reading...

German government calls redeployment of 5,000 troops ‘anticipated’ and reminder of Europe’s need to invest in its own defence * ‘We love our Americans’: the German town rocked by Trump’s plan to withdraw US troops Nato is seeking to “understand the details” of a US decision to withdraw 5,000 troops from Germany, a redeployment ordered by Donald Trump amid a feud with the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz. The German government sought to play down the severity of Trump’s move, describing it as “anticipated”, and a reminder of Europe’s need to invest in its own defence. The US withdrawal, which the Pentagon said

Calf was transported by water-filled barge in operation deemed ‘inadvisable’ because of low chance of survival Rescuers have released a young humpback whale that became a national sensation after it was beached in shallow waters off the coast in Germany, although marine experts have said its chances of survival are low. The whale, variously nicknamed Timmy or Hope, was released into the North Sea off Denmark after being transported there in a water-filled barge by rescuers. Continue reading...

Kurdish Syrian man, 26, said he fled forced conscription by YPG militia because he ‘didn’t want to kill people’ An asylum seeker sent back to France under the controversial “one in, one out” scheme faces being returned to Syria after authorities in Paris ruled it was safe to do so, in what is believed to be the first case of its kind. When the British prime minister, Keir Starmer, and the French president, Emmanuel Macron, announced the “groundbreaking” deal in July 2025 to stop small boats crowded with asylum seekers from crossing the Channel – by forcibly returning one small-boat asylum seeker

Exclusive: The collection, including donations from Paul McCartney’s brother Mike, shows band’s development in early 60s A rare set of letters and photos from the early days of the Beatles, in which they write about feeling like stars for the first time, is to go on display in Hamburg. The collection, from an influential period when the band lived in the German city, includes the only letter in existence with words from both Paul McCartney and John Lennon, which was written to the bassist’s brother, Mike McCartney. Continue reading...

President seemed to suggest that legislative deadline to approve war no longer applies as Democrats push back * Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email Donald Trump said in a letter sent to congressional leaders on Friday that hostilities with Iran have “terminated”, suggesting that the 60-day deadline to seek approval from the legislative branch no longer applied. Friday marks 60 days since the US president notified members of Congress that the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on 28 February. Under the War Powers Act of 1973, the president can deploy troops to respond to an “imminent threat”

Tehran reportedly passed proposal to mediators in Pakistan on Thursday night, though its contents are not yet clear Iran has passed a new proposal to Pakistani mediators in the latest effort to end the war with the US, but Donald Trump said he was not “satisfied” by it. “Right now, we have talks going on, they’re not getting there,” he told reporters, adding that his options remained “either blast them away or make a deal”. Continue reading...

US president faced a 60-day deadline on Friday to end the Iran war or make the case to Congress for extending it A US-Iran ceasefire that began in early April has “terminated” hostilities between the two sides for the purposes of an approaching congressional war powers deadline, a senior official of the Trump administration said on Thursday. Donald Trump faced a deadline on Friday to end the Iran war or make the case to Congress for extending it, but the date was most likely to pass without altering the course of the war. Continue reading...

Global Sumud Flotilla describes interception as ‘violent raid’ while Turkey condemns it as ‘act of piracy’ Israeli forces have intercepted and detained the crews of at least 22 boats near the Greek island of Crete from a flotilla that is attempting to break Israel’s maritime blockade of the Gaza Strip to deliver humanitarian aid. The Global Sumud Flotilla, consisting of about 58 vessels carrying people from across 70 countries, departed from Italy on Sunday. Continue reading...

Markets spooked as US president appears willing to keep up naval blockade and Iran keeps strait of Hormuz all but shut The global oil price hit $126 a barrel on Thursday, its highest level since 2022, after Donald Trump said the US blockade of Iranian ports could last for months and peace talks remained stalled. After surging more than 13% in 24 hours, the price of Brent crude futures reached its highest price since the war began on 28 February. Not since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine has Brent topped $120, with the price then peaking at $139. Continue reading...

Jitu Munda says he was refused access to money in case highlighting ‘lack of humanity’ in Indian bureaucracy The sight of a man bringing the remains of his dead sister to a bank in India after officials had refused to let him withdraw money without proof of her death has caused shock in India. Jitu Munda, 52, from the Indian state of Odisha, was captured on video carrying the remains of his recently deceased sister through the streets of Keonjhar and placing them outside the local bank. Continue reading...

Anant Ambani revives offer to transport 80 animals, all descendants of Colombian drug kingpin’s pets, to India It remains one of the strangest conundrums in modern zoological history – what to do with the descendants of Pablo Escobar’s hippos? The animals – herbivores native to sub-Saharan Africa – were originally imported into Colombia by the drug kingpin for his own entertainment. But the beasts and their offspring were left to roam free after his death in 1993. Continue reading...

Customs officials say group allegedly hid 5kg of ‘kush’ in false walls of bags on return from Bangkok holiday Twenty-two Buddhist monks are in Sri Lankan police custody after customs officials found 110kg of high-grade cannabis concealed in their luggage, the largest ever drug bust at Colombo’s main international airport. The group, mostly junior monks in training from temples across Sri Lanka, were alleged to have “carried about five kilos of the narcotic concealed within false walls in their luggage”, according to a Sri Lanka customs spokesperson. Continue reading...

Pakistan officials dismiss Afghan media reports and official statements about strikes on university in Kunar province as ‘blatant lie’ Mortars and missiles fired from Pakistan on Monday struck a university and civilian homes in north-eastern Afghanistan, killing seven people and wounding at least 85, Afghan officials said. Pakistan denied the accusation of targeting a university. Continue reading...

Heatwaves reach 45C across India as unseasonably cold weather affects parts of central Canada Widespread heavy rain is sweeping over southern China. By Wednesday, rainfall totals are expected to exceed 100mm across many parts of Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Hunan provinces, and in some areas as much as 150-200mm. As a result, the Office of the State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters and the Ministry of Emergency Management have been holding meetings with meteorological and hydrological departments to emphasise the importance of reinforced patrols and emergency responses to mitigate against the probable flooding that the intense rainfall is expected

Four people are in hospital, with one 25-year-old man facing life-threatening injuries A drive-by shooting in Brixton which left four people in hospital on Saturday has been called “an act of indiscriminate violence” by police. Shots were fired in the early hours on Coldharbour Lane in the south London area, leaving one 25-year-old man in hospital with life-threatening injuries. Continue reading...

Nigel Farage, Lee Anderson and Robert Jenrick, among others, have sung the praises of the JCB PotHole Pro Reform UK’s leading figures have repeatedly promoted a new pothole-fixing machine by the construction company JCB, while the party received £200,000 from the British digger maker, the Guardian can reveal. Several Reform politicians including Nigel Farage, Lee Anderson, Robert Jenrick, Zia Yusuf and Richard Tice have sung the praises of the JCB PotHole Pro machine. Continue reading...

PM says there are instances in which he would support bans but organisers say this would ‘strike at root of free speech’ Organisers of pro-Palestine marches have said Keir Starmer’s threat to ban some demonstrations opposing Israel’s actions in the Middle East will “strike at the root of free assembly and free speech” in the UK. On Saturday morning, the prime minister told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that “there are instances” in which he would support stopping some pro-Palestine protests altogether. Continue reading...

Tory leader says she did not sign off on video attacking Labour’s Troubles legacy proposals Kemi Badenoch has apologised after footage from Bloody Sunday was used in social media posts criticising a bill on legacy issues in Northern Ireland. The Conservative leader said on Saturday that she did not sign off on the use of a clip from the massacre, in which British soldiers opened fire on unarmed civil rights demonstrators in Derry, and that it was distributed by “very young people”. Continue reading...

GB News owner’s son, who wants Channel to be mined to stop migrants, is latest to have a go at transatlantic rightwing commentary On a Los Angeles stage in 2011 Winston Marshall, then the banjo player for the folk rock band Mumford & Sons, could scarcely believe what was happening. Not only was he playing at the Grammys, he was playing alongside Bob Dylan, legendary composer of social justice anthems and one of his heroes. About 15 years later, Marshall once again found himself stateside, this time on a very different stage. Appearing on Fox News in his new guise as a

Republicans blame Biden administration block on JetBlue deal; Democrats point to fuel price surge amid Iran war * Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email US airlines and government officials battled on Saturday to deal with stranded passengers and stricken employees after discount carrier Spirit Airlines abruptly ceased operations – and a political and business blame game got under way over the collapse of the low-cost carrier. “If you have a flight scheduled with Spirit Airlines, don’t show up at the airport; there will be no one here to assist you,” the US secretary of transportation, Sean Duffy, warned at

Orange county resident Tommi Jo Mejer’s son was illegally riding e-motorcycle when he ran into 81-year-old * Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email A southern California woman is facing an additional charge of involuntary manslaughter after an 81-year-old man died from his injuries after being struck by the woman’s teen son while he was riding an e-motorcycle, prosecutors said on Friday. On 16 April, Tommi Jo Mejer’s 14-year-old son was riding a Surron e-motorcycle and doing wheelies when he hit Ed Ashman, according to prosecutors. Ashman, a former captain in the US Marine Corps, was walking home from his

Several US airlines have agreed to cap ticket prices for Spirit customers who need to rebook canceled flights * Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox The US secretary of transportation, Sean Duffy, has announced a series of measures to help Spirit Airlines passengers following the low-cost airline’s collapse early on Saturday after running out of cash and the failure of rescue talks with the Trump administration. Duffy said that larger US airlines, including United, Delta, JetBlue and Southwest, had agreed to cap ticket prices specifically for Spirit customers who need to rebook canceled

From Virginia to New York, the bugs drain vines, cut yields and leave growers resorting to one simple fix: squash them Around grape harvest time about three years ago, an employee at Zephaniah Farm Vineyard in Leesburg, Virginia, noticed bugs, about 1in long with gray and black wings and a bright red underwing, atop some trees. While the insects were pretty, they were there for the grapevines and not welcome guests at the vineyard, which sits atop a farm that the Zephaniah family has run since 1949. Continue reading...

US president says ‘we took over the cargo, took over the oil. It’s a very profitable business’ Donald Trump has said the US navy acted “like pirates” as he described an operation seizing a ship amid the tit-for-tat American blockade of Iranian ports. “We … land on top of it and we took over the ship. We took over the cargo, took over the oil. It’s a very profitable business,” said Trump at a rally in Florida on Friday. Continue reading...

A planned drawdown of US troops from Germany should spur Europeans to strengthen its own defences further, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Saturday, following the latest salvo from Washington against transatlantic ties. The Pentagon announced on Friday that ‌the United States would withdraw 5,000 soldiers from Germany, its largest European base, as a rift over the Iran war and tariff tensions place further strain on relations between the US and Europe. Pistorius said the move was...

The United Arab Emirates is expected to continue making high-risk geopolitical moves with potentially high rewards, following its exit from the Opec oil cartel, as the small but extremely wealthy Gulf state strives to become a global power. Framed by Emirati officials as an orientation towards strengthening economic autonomy, the UAE’s decision to leave the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) on Tuesday coincided with the downgrading of its diplomatic participation in the Gulf...

Not a sudden, major crash but a series of mini-crises. That, according to some, is the prospect facing the global economy and financial system in the wake of conflict in the Middle East. But what if these mini-crises cascade into a collective collapse? And what if the Trump administration emerges as the only winner in the conflict by virtue of the fact that it has, in engineering the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, locked Europe and Asia into a desperate dependence on US oil and gas, especially...

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in an interview broadcast on Saturday that banning some pro-Palestinian marches could be justified, especially when they call for the intifada to spread. Labour leader Starmer is under pressure to act after a spate of antisemitic incidents, including this week, when two men were stabbed in the north London suburb of Golders Green, which is home to a large Jewish community. A 45-year-old British national who was born in Somalia was remanded in custody...

Hezbollah’s cheap fibre-optic drones are creating new challenges for Israeli troops in southern Lebanon, forcing the military to adapt its tactics against an increasingly lethal threat. The Israeli military – considered one of the most advanced in the world – has confirmed two soldiers and one civilian contractor killed in explosive drone attacks in under a week, with several others wounded despite a ceasefire in place since mid-April. The devices are small, cheap and readily available, like...

“You could do with some international exposure. China, maybe,” a law firm partner said as we stood over the water cooler. His offhand comment was so blasé. I wasn’t sure what unsettled me more – the comment or my reaction to it. Was it xenophobia or the inertia of assumption? He was perfectly pleasant, encouraging even, but beneath the civility was an implication I couldn’t ignore. I had never set foot in Asia, yet suddenly, it felt as though my credibility required a pilgrimage. I wrestled with...

The United States will withdraw about 5,000 troops from Germany in the next six to 12 months, the Pentagon said on Friday, fulfilling President Donald Trump’s threat as he clashes with the German leader over the US war with Iran. Trump had threatened to withdraw some troops from the Nato ally earlier this week after Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the US was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership and criticised Washington’s lack of strategy in the war. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said...

China’s top UN diplomat slammed the US on Friday over its coercive behaviour, sanctioning of Chinese vessels and firms and for starting the Iran war along with Israel as Beijing assumed the rotating one-month presidency of the UN Security Council. The verbal blast came as Washington heaped more pressure on China on Friday by sanctioning a China-based petroleum terminal operator, the latest in a string of recent US moves to cut off Chinese funding to Iran under what the White House has dubbed...

US President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order expanding sanctions on Cuba, authorising penalties not only against Cuban officials but also on foreign companies and financial institutions that do business with the island. The order significantly broadens Washington’s ability to exert economic pressure, allowing US authorities to target third-country actors deemed to support the Cuban government, in a move that could have implications for global firms, including those in China and...

The United States on Friday announced fresh sanctions on entities and individuals it said were involved in trading Iranian petroleum, including a China-based oil terminal operator and a Chinese national, as it ramped up pressure on Tehran to end the conflict. The State Department said the operator, Qingdao Haiye Oil Terminal Co., Ltd, “imported tens of millions of barrels of sanctioned Iranian crude oil”. Also on the sanctions list are Li Xinchun, a Chinese national who is the president of a...

After being forced to check his Academy Award on a transatlantic flight, recent winner Pavel Talankin’s Oscar went missing before an airline tracked it down two days later. Talankin, who co-directed the best documentary winner Mr Nobody Against Putin, did not expect to have to check his statuette for a flight from New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport bound for Frankfurt, Germany, on Wednesday. But a Transportation Security Administration agent said it could not go on board. “At the airport, a TSA...

US President Donald Trump told Congress on Friday that the hostilities in Iran “have terminated” following the ceasefire starting April 7, with the deadline for a congressional authorisation of the war looming. “There has been no exchange of fire between the United States Forces and Iran since April 7, 2026. The hostilities that began on February 28, 2026, have terminated,” Trump wrote in letters sent to the House and the Senate. Trump’s claims echoed previous remarks from senior officials in...

US President Donald Trump sang the praises of King Charles after the latter’s state visit this week. He even lifted some tariffs on Scotch whisky as a favour to the British monarch. The king delivered a diplomatic masterclass on the trip, mixing praise for his host with subtle criticism. It’s unclear, though, whether it will make a major difference to a transatlantic relationship troubled by divisions over issues including the Iran war. “In the short term probably yes, in the long term probably...

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would increase the tariffs charged on cars and trucks from the European Union next week to 25 per cent, a move that could jolt the world economy at a fragile moment. Trump said in the post that the EU “is not complying with our fully agreed to Trade Deal”, though he did not flesh out his objections in the post. Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had agreed to the trade deal last July. It set a 15 per cent tariff on most...

A small plane crashed in Texas Hill Country, killing all five people aboard, officials said on Friday. The crash happened on Thursday night in Wimberley, a city about 40 miles (65km) southwest of Austin, Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra said on social media. The Federal Aviation Administration said the Cessna 421C crashed around 11.25pm with five people on board. It said the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the crash. The plane took off from Amarillo, Texas, about two...

The US stock market is rising towards more records on Friday after Apple, Estee Lauder and other big companies became the latest to deliver fatter profits for the start of the year than analysts expected. Modest dips for oil prices also helped to steady the relatively few stock markets open worldwide on the May Day holiday. The S&P 500 rose 0.6 per cent and added to its all-time high set the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 226 points, or 0.5 per cent, as of 9.35am Eastern...

We have selected six of the most interesting and important news stories covering Latin American relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Chile exposes smuggling ring that shipped US$917m in stolen copper to China Chinese buyers were the end destination of a five-year smuggling pipeline that drained an estimated US$917 million worth of stolen copper from Chile, authorities said in April after police dismantled the network...

Japan’s relaxation of its weapons-export rules opens a path for talks that could one day lead to Tokyo supplying military equipment to help Ukraine resist Russia’s invasion, Kyiv’s ambassador to Japan said. “This allows us to talk,” Yurii Lutovinov said in an interview at Ukraine’s embassy. “Theoretically, it’s a very big step forward.” Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s move last week to ease export rules – Japan’s latest shift away from a strict post-war pacifist stance – has sparked broad...

A 45-year-old man was charged on Friday with attempted murder in the stabbings of two Jewish men in London, the latest in a string of attacks that have sparked fear and anger in Britain’s Jewish community. Essa Suleiman was remanded into custody after appearing in Westminster Magistrates’ Court to face two counts of the charge related to the attack in Golders Green. He also faces a third count of attempted murder over an incident elsewhere in the city earlier the same day that left a man with...

If the “China shock” of the early 2000s was about China catching up, then “China shock 2.0” is about the country redefining the boundaries of what is economically possible across manufacturing sectors, according to Columbia University professor Adam Tooze. Amid complaints about the trade and industrial policies accelerating China’s rise in many sectors – including aviation, space, artificial intelligence (AI), telecoms, microprocessors, robotics, nuclear and fusion power, quantum computing,...

The Trump administration is arguing that the war in Iran has already ended because of the ceasefire that began in early April, an interpretation that would allow the White House to avoid the need to seek congressional approval. The statement furthers an argument laid out by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth during testimony in the Senate earlier Thursday, when he said the ceasefire effectively paused the war. Under that rationale, the administration has not yet met the requirement mandated by a...

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. US economic gap over China to widen, but Iran might bring them closer: former UN official The economic divide between the United States and China is projected to widen to US$11 trillion by the end of the decade, yet escalating...

Elusive street artist Banksy on Thursday confirmed he was behind a new work drawing crowds in central London: a statue of a suited man striding into the void while holding a flag that blocks his view. The monument, which has Banksy’s name scrawled on the base, first appeared on Wednesday just off the central street of Pall Mall. The man depicted is mounted on a plinth, with one leg striding off it, and appears to be blindly stepping off the platform without knowing it, thanks to the flag...

After winning legislative backing for the Hong Kong Jockey Club to offer basketball betting – an initiative aimed at drawing punters away from illegal online bookmakers and capturing additional tax revenue – the government has now paused the roll-out. Officials say the rise of prediction markets has altered the landscape and warrants closer examination. So, what is it about prediction markets that unsettles officials? Prediction markets are online platforms where the menu stretches far beyond...

US President Donald Trump and the head of the Secret Service said on Thursday the federal agent injured during the attack at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner had not been hit by friendly fire, as authorities released a video of the incident. Jeanine Pirro, the US Attorney for the District of Columbia, posted the nearly six-minute video on social media amid lingering questions over whose bullet struck the officer. Pirro noted that the security footage captured suspect Cole Tomas...

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he was removing certain tariffs on Scotch whisky after this week’s White House visit by the UK’s King Charles and Queen Camilla. “The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking!” Trump posted on social media. Trump said people had wanted this change, especially with regard to the wooden barrels in which the spirits of Scotch and bourbon can be aged. His post left it unclear if the tariffs were...

Brazil’s Congress on Thursday overturned President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s veto of a law dramatically reducing the prison sentence of his arch-rival Jair Bolsonaro, the second major defeat for Lula in as many days. Former president Bolsonaro, 71, was sentenced last year to 27 years behind bars for coup plotting over his attempt to cling to power after losing the 2022 election to Lula. The left-wing Lula had attempted to block a subsequent push by the conservative-majority Congress to reduce...

With Congress again failing to curb US President Donald Trump’s authority over Cuba, the centre of gravity in US policy towards the island is shifting decisively back to the White House – and to a narrower, more consequential question: what comes next? Tuesday’s 51-47 Senate vote to block a Democratic-led war powers resolution on Cuba does not change policy on its own. It was widely expected, reflecting a long-standing pattern in which Congress has struggled to assert its war powers authority...

The US Congress on Thursday approved funding for most of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ending a record-breaking partial government shutdown that has disrupted critical agencies for more than two months. The House approved the measure, already passed by the Senate, sending it to US President Donald Trump, who quickly signed it. It will fund key DHS agencies through the end of the financial year on September 30. It does not include new money for immigration and border enforcement,...

The Federal Communications ⁠Commission on Thursday voted unanimously to advance a proposal to bar all Chinese labs from testing electronic devices such as smartphones, cameras and computers for use in the United States. The agency says about 75 per cent of ‌all US electronics are tested in China and plans to adopt a streamlined approval process for devices tested in US labs or labs from countries not posing national security risks. In a separate 3-0 vote, the commission advanced a proposal to...

The man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at a black-tie press gala in Washington agreed on Thursday to remain in custody while his case moves forward. The suspect, Cole Allen, 31, would ‌not immediately contest prosecutors’ arguments that he was a danger to the community and should remain in jail, his lawyer, Tezira Abe, said during a court hearing. Allen allegedly stormed a security checkpoint and fired a shotgun outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner on...

The first direct commercial flight between the United States and Venezuela departed a bit early on Thursday on its way to the capital of the South American country, seven years after the US Homeland Security Department ordered an indefinite suspension, citing security concerns. The resumption of a commercial flight between the two countries comes months after the US capture of then-president Nicolas Maduro in a stunning night-time raid on his residence in Caracas in early January. It also comes...

A Ugandan-American man was sentenced to death on Thursday over the murders of four young children he stabbed to death at a kindergarten in Uganda’s capital. Christopher Okello Onyum was arrested on April 2 as he tried to flee the day care centre in Kampala where he murdered the children aged 15 months to two-and-a-half years. Prosecutors said Onyum, who holds Ugandan and US citizenship, confessed to the crime, believing the “human sacrifice” would help him become rich, though he eventually...

The Paris prosecutor’s office has opened an ⁠investigation into ⁠a 15-year-old, suspected of having ⁠hacked the country’s ID agency and trying to sell the data of millions of French people on the dark web this month, it said on Thursday. The teenager, whose identity ‌was not revealed, was detained on April 25 and held in police custody for questioning after he was suspected of hiding behind the nickname “breach3d”, a hacker who had put on sale on hacker forums between 12 million and 18 million...

The US economy accelerated at the start of 2026, expanding at a modest 2 per cent pace from January through March after recovering from last fall’s 43-day federal government shutdown. But the outlook is clouded by the Iran war. The Commerce Department reported on Thursday that gross domestic product – the nation’s output of goods and services – rebounded from a lacklustre 0.5 per cent expansion the last three months of 2025. The federal government’s spending and investment grew at a 9.3 per cent...

Brics’ inability to speak with one voice on the Middle East conflict has become a stern test of India’s leadership of the bloc, exposing the challenge of building consensus among its 10 members with divergent interests and concerns. The bloc could not agree on a common position on the war at a meeting of Brics officials to discuss Middle East and North Africa issues in New Delhi last week. Brics has long sought to present itself as a voice for the Global South as frustrations with the US-led...

Global oil prices jumped to a four-year high of more than US$126 a barrel on Thursday, on concerns that the US-Iran war could worsen and lead to a protracted Middle East oil supply disruption that could hurt global economic growth. The market moved higher after Axios, citing unidentified sources, reported late on Wednesday that US President Donald Trump was slated to receive a briefing on Thursday on plans for a series of military strikes on Iran in hopes it would return ‌to negotiations on its...

The UK government said on Thursday that the country was facing an antisemitism emergency and pledged to increase security for Jewish communities after a string of arson attacks and a double stabbing that have sparked fear and anger among Jews. The country’s official terror threat level was raised from substantial to severe after Wednesday’s stabbing attack in London, which police have called an act of terrorism with potential links to Iran. Severe is the second-highest rung on a five-point scale...

Subscribers: The Daily Pulse won’t be published on May 1 because of China’s Labour Day holiday. We will resume publication on Monday, May 4. Crude oil prices jumped to a four-year high after US President Donald Trump suggested that a US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could last for “months”. Brent crude, the global benchmark, surged as much as 7.3 per cent, surpassing US$126 a barrel, following reports that Trump met oil executives on Tuesday to discuss ways of extending the blockade and...

Israeli forces near the southern Greek island of Crete intercepted more than 20 boats from a flotilla of several dozen seeking to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza and planned to transport about 175 detained activists to Greece on Thursday, Israeli authorities said. Activists aboard the Global Sumud Flotilla said Israeli forces stormed their vessels overnight, smashing engines and detaining some of those on board while they were sailing in international waters near Greece, hundreds of...

A series ⁠of reversals suffered by Mali’s Moscow-backed military government has dented Russia’s image as ⁠a self-styled security guarantor in Africa and threatens its strategic and economic interests on the continent. The military junta, which turned to Russia for support after expelling French and UN troops following coups in 2020 and 2021, was rocked at the weekend by an offensive by West Africa’s al-Qaeda affiliate and a Tuareg-dominated separatist group. Mali’s Russia-trained defence...

R&B singer D4vd used chainsaws he bought from Amazon to cut up the body of the teenage girl he murdered and left to rot in the trunk of his Tesla, prosecution documents claimed on Wednesday. The internet breakout star killed Celeste Rivas Hernandez because she threatened to reveal their long-standing and illegal sexual relationship, which began when she was just 13, charging papers allege. He then hacked up her corpse, using a plastic paddling pool to contain the blood, and stuffed it into bags...

Ant International, the overseas spin-off of Chinese fintech giant Ant Group, has connected more than 150 million merchants with over 2 billion consumer accounts around the world, as it positions its payments network as core infrastructure for the emerging AI commerce economy. The figures, disclosed at the company’s MoMents 2026 forum in Kuala Lumpur, which ran from Monday to Wednesday, underscore the scale Ant is seeking to leverage amid the rising adoption of artificial intelligence agents. Ant...

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States is considering reducing the number of its troops in Germany, amid a row with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the Iran war. “The United States is studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time,” Trump said on social media. The United States had more than 35,000 troops in Germany in 2024, according to the Congressional Research Service,...

The United Nations is bloated, costly, badly in need of reform, and too often works against US interests, but pulling out of the international organisation would see China expand its influence and leave Washington at a major disadvantage, according to testimony before a House oversight committee on Wednesday. The hearing came as the administration of US President Donald Trump has imposed an “America first” overhaul of international funding, leaving the UN, over the past 18 months, at what...

The Fifth Circuit court’s ruling, which is being appealed, reinstates a requirement that patients visit a health care provider in person to obtain mifepristone, upending abortion access in the United States.

The president’s push to punish political enemies in his own party will play a starring role in a series of Republican primaries this month in which he has backed challengers.

Plans for the project include formal gardens, reflecting pools and plazas alongside the statues of 250 notable Americans, according to documents obtained by The New York Times.

President Trump plans to build a park along the Potomac River featuring life-size statues of 250 Americans.

The administration’s decision to relax federal regulations on medical marijuana comes with big tax breaks for many cannabis companies, and could drive new investment in the budding sector.

The budget carrier abruptly canceled flights early on Saturday, leaving passengers to rush to make other plans. “Even if they go back into business, never again,” one traveler said.

After two stints in bankruptcy, the low-cost airline shut down early Saturday. Here’s what travelers should know about rebooking and refunds.

The conservative media commentator split with the administration over the war in Iran. Will the breakup last?

He spoke about the rupture with President Trump and what it portends for the conservative movement. Here are the key moments from our conversation.

“The Interview” host Lulu Garcia-Navarro talks about her preparation to interview Mr. Carlson and some judgment calls she had to make in real time.

Ahead of the 152nd annual horse race at Churchill Downs, attendees trotted out some eye-catching ensembles.

The prolific country singer and songwriter has never quite fit the country music mold. Her upcoming album, “Wild,” revels in her individuality, and her sobriety.

A ruling by a federal appeals court has blocked access to abortion pills via telemedicine.

The real king delivers a needed royal lesson on democracy.

From the Gold Rush to the A.I. boom, San Francisco has always drawn those seeking riches. Now, people are deciphering riddles and digging up the city to find a box filled with cold, hard cash.

A Brooklyn case has ignited a debate around the prevalence of deed theft, in which scammers fraudulently take ownership of people’s homes. Here’s what we know.

The Tampa disappeared in 1918 with 131 British and American personnel and civilians aboard. It was the largest single American naval combat loss of life in World War I

A three-time gold medalist in the 1960s, he was a champion when athletes were expected to be stoic and vulnerability was viewed as a sign of mental weakness.