World
AI Summary
- Global energy markets are experiencing significant shifts, with Japan rerouting oil imports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz and the UAE investing heavily in new pipeline infrastructure, signaling a strategic pivot amidst geopolitical tensions.
- The tourism sector in Dubai is facing considerable challenges as foreign visitor numbers decline, prompting calls for increased efforts to revive the industry.
- Major financial institutions like Morgan Stanley are entering the cryptocurrency space with more accessible trading platforms, indicating a growing mainstream acceptance of digital assets.
- Gold markets are seeing volatility, with some prominent figures warning of economic instability and suggesting a 'flight to safety' towards precious metals.
- The burgeoning demand for AI-driven computing is spurring significant investment in energy solutions, with companies like Blue Energy, GE Vernova, and Riot Platforms forging partnerships to develop reliable power sources, including a focus on gas as a bridge to nuclear energy and dedicated data center power.
ZeroHedge
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World Starts To "Build" Around Hormuz; Japan Buying UAE Oil Bypassing Strait As ADNOC To Spend $55 Billion On Pipelines
an hour ago
by Tyler Durden
World Starts To "Build" Around Hormuz; Japan Buying UAE Oil Bypassing Strait As ADNOC To Spend $55 Billion On Pipelines Long after the Iran war is just a bookmark in the history books, one distinct consequence will persist: much of the world, at least the part that does not fall under the Chinese sphere of influence, will do everything it can to avoid the Strait of Hormuz and failing that, have a Plan B. Just like when the Biden admin weaponized the US Dollar in 2022 by booting Russia from SWIFT after the Ukraine war, and in the process started the
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'We Need People To Come Back': Dubai's Tourism Industry Reels As Foreigners Flee
an hour ago
by Tyler Durden
'We Need People To Come Back': Dubai's Tourism Industry Reels As Foreigners Flee Via Middle East Eye Dubai is facing an existential crisis with the US and Israeli war on Iran forcing tourism numbers to fall sharply, with widespread hotel closures and job losses decimating the global tourism hotspots' hospitality sector. On Monday, Dubai Airports reported that first-quarter passenger traffic was down by at least 2.5 million from the same period in 2025, with March seeing a 66 percent drop in passenger numbers as travelers chose to steer clear of the Gulf. Empty beds are pictured before high-rise buildings along a beach at Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) in Dubai on March 11, 2026.
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'Still So Early On This Journey': Morgan Stanley Launches Lower-Cost Crypto Trading
2 hours ago
by Tyler Durden
'Still So Early On This Journey': Morgan Stanley Launches Lower-Cost Crypto Trading Just a week after Amy Oldenburg, Morgan Stanley’s head of digital assets, spent the better part of an hour making a case for bitcoin that few clients have heard in full (a gap she says is the industry’s most urgent problem), the bank announces the launch of crypto trading on E*Trade, charging 50bps in a pilot that undercuts rivals like Coinbase, Robinhood, and Charles Schwab. CoinDesk reports that Morgan Stanley’s Head of Wealth Management, Jed Finn, said the initiative goes beyond offering cheaper crypto trading and is aimed at “disintermediating the disintermediators,”
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'Don't Even Think About Selling': Mr. Gold Warns US 'Officially A Banana Republic'
2 hours ago
by Tyler Durden
'Don't Even Think About Selling': Mr. Gold Warns US 'Officially A Banana Republic' Via Greg Hunter’s USAWatchdog.com, Last time financial writer and precious metals expert Bill Holter (aka Mr. Gold) was on USAW, he said don’t even think about selling any gold or silver. One of the big reasons why he is still saying this is the news last week that the US debt to GDP ratio is now at 100%. Mr. Gold says, “I have talked for years about how the entire world runs on credit. What we started this off with is the United States is officially a banana republic. It’s 100% debt to GDP..." >
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Blue Energy & GE Vernova Bet On Gas Bridge-To-Nuclear For AI Power
2 hours ago
by Tyler Durden
Blue Energy & GE Vernova Bet On Gas Bridge-To-Nuclear For AI Power Blue Energy announced a collaboration with GE Vernova to develop the world's first gas-plus-nuclear power plant in Texas. The project will use two GE Vernova gas turbines to deliver roughly 1 GW starting around 2030. Steam supply will later shift to GE Vernova Hitachi BWRX-300 small modular reactors for up to 1.5 GW of nuclear capacity by 2032. Work at the Texas site could begin as early as this year, with a final investment decision expected in 2027. The plan is similar to other announcements from companies like Oklo and Liberty Energy
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Ken Griffin "Doubles Down On Miami" After Mamdani's "Creepy And Weird" Video Vilifying Him
3 hours ago
by Tyler Durden
Ken Griffin "Doubles Down On Miami" After Mamdani's "Creepy And Weird" Video Vilifying Him Ken Griffin said New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s push for higher taxes on second homes has reinforced Citadel’s commitment to Miami — and even led the firm to scale up its planned headquarters there, according to Bloomberg. Speaking Tuesday at the Milken Institute Global Conference, Griffin said Citadel decided to enlarge its Miami office project after Mamdani publicly referenced his $238 million Central Park South penthouse while promoting a new pied-à-terre tax proposal. “We went to Miami and revised our building plan to make it a bigger office building,”
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US Navy Jet Fires On Iran-Flagged Tanker Trying To Reach Iranian Port
3 hours ago
by Tyler Durden
US Navy Jet Fires On Iran-Flagged Tanker Trying To Reach Iranian Port SUMMARY * US Navy jet fires on Iran-flagged tanker trying to reach Iranian waters & port. * Axios reports that the White House is nearing a preliminary deal with Iran to end the war, as Trump post appears to offer olive branch. Other reports say just hammering out at 'framework' for 'monthlong' talks. * White House says it expects a response to the latest offer within 48 hours. * Iran's initial response via media & national security spox: US demands are unrealistic & do not reflect reality, & Axios
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It Just Keeps Happening Over And Over Again...
4 hours ago
by Tyler Durden
It Just Keeps Happening Over And Over Again... Authored by Steve Watson via modernity.news, Another illegal migrant, handed legal status under Biden-era policies, is charged with brutally murdering two women in New York — one a hardworking mother of two, the other his own roommate. The victims were stabbed multiple times in the neck and torso in what authorities describe as an anger-fueled rampage. Open borders policies didn’t just fail these women. They enabled their killer to stay here legally and strike. > BREAKING: Two women stabbed to death by illegal immigrant in New York. > > Bruce Blakeman, Nassau County Executive and a candidate for
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"Data Centers Require Reliable And Predictable Energy": Riot Partners With Terrestrial Energy
4 hours ago
by Tyler Durden
"Data Centers Require Reliable And Predictable Energy": Riot Partners With Terrestrial Energy Riot platforms announced a collaboration with Terrestrial Energy to pair future data centers with co-located nuclear reactors. The two companies are evaluating deploying Terrestrial’s Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR) plants to existing Riot facilities in Texas and Kentucky, as well as multiple other potential sites. The headline comes on the same morning as reactor development peer NANO Nuclear announced a strategic MOU with Supermicro… > NANO Nuclear Soars On Strategic MOU With Supermicro For Powering AI Data Centers https://t.co/8evwYdhjZC > > — zerohedge (@zerohedge) May 6, 2026 Following deals that have been announced
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Give Peace A Chance
4 hours ago
by Tyler Durden
Give Peace A Chance By Benjamin Picton, senior market strategist at Rabobank It was TACO Tuesday again in the United States this week as President Trump announced that he was pausing Operation Freedom “for a short period” after it had been underway for just one day. Channelling John Lennon, Trump indicated that progress in negotiations with Iran had convinced him to ‘give peace a chance’, but that the US blockade of Iranian ports would remain in place for now. The Dow Jones, S&P500 and NASDAQ all closed higher and US stock futures are pointing to further gains. Asian stocks are mostly higher with
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Lutnick Testifying Today On Epstein Ties After Dems Demand Subpoena
4 hours ago
by Tyler Durden
Lutnick Testifying Today On Epstein Ties After Dems Demand Subpoena Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick - a former neighbor and pal of Jeffrey Epstein who emailed the sex offender about visiting his Caribbean island (and then said it was 'nice to see him' in a subsequent email) - will provide closed-door testimony today in front of the US House committee investigating the Epstein's crimes and possible lapses in the law enforcement response. While Lutnick initially claimed he barely knew Epstein (like everybody else), emails and other documents released earlier this year by the DOJ reveals he's full of shit. ABOUT THAT TRIP As we noted in February, the
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China Wants Iran War End, Pushes 'Immediate' Hormuz Reopening During Araghchi Visit Ahead Of Trump-Xi Summit
5 hours ago
by Tyler Durden
China Wants Iran War End, Pushes 'Immediate' Hormuz Reopening During Araghchi Visit Ahead Of Trump-Xi Summit Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi is currently in Beijing meeting with his Chinese counterpart, FM Wang Yi, and the timing of the visit sends a resounding message to Washington and the West. The highly anticipated Trump-Xi meeting is still scheduled for next week, expected for May 14-15, though there has been ample speculation the ongoing events of the unpredictable Iran war and Hormuz Strait crisis could derail the trip at the last minute. Of course, Iran and the question of peace will be high on the
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ABC Reporter Fabricated Trump Call, Made Himself The Focus After Assassination Attempt
6 hours ago
by Tyler Durden
ABC Reporter Fabricated Trump Call, Made Himself The Focus After Assassination Attempt Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news, President Trump has slammed ABC News chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl for what he calls outright dishonest reporting after Karl inserted himself into the story of the latest assassination attempt on the president. Karl appeared on ABC’s This Week shortly afterward and claimed Trump had reached out to him personally. “My phone rang shortly after 7 a.m., my landline, George actually. A number that few people call and it was President Trump calling,” Karl told host George Stephanopoulos. Karl further claimed that Trump “said at first he was calling to
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WTI Holds Rebound Gains As US Fuel Exports Hit Record High, Production Dips, Huge SPR Drain
6 hours ago
by Tyler Durden
WTI Holds Rebound Gains As US Fuel Exports Hit Record High, Production Dips, Huge SPR Drain Oil prices are lower overnight (but dramatically off their lows) amid on-again, off-again optimism of an imminent US-Iran peace deal. Benchmark Brent fell as much as 12% to $96.75 a barrel in London, while West Texas Intermediate dropped up to 13%. European natural gas plunged as much as 14%. Oil and gas later pared about half of those losses after Trump said in a Truth Social post on Wednesday that if Iran doesn’t agree, “the bombing starts.” Overnight we saw huge across the board drawdowns in US energy
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UBS Says Transport Stock Rout Is "Overdone" After Amazon News
6 hours ago
by Tyler Durden
UBS Says Transport Stock Rout Is "Overdone" After Amazon News UBS senior analyst Tom Wadewitz, who covers freight transportation, told clients that Amazon's latest push to open its supply chain network to businesses beyond its own marketplace triggered an "overdone" sell-off in transport names, including UPS, FedEx, and C.H. Robinson. Wadewitz said the risk is not new, noting that Amazon's supply chain service has been around since 2023. He said the pullback has created attractive entry points in select transport stocks, particularly UPS, FedEx, and C.H. Robinson. "While we view AMZN's strategy of selling transportation services as a negative for transports generally, it
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Israel Says Preparing For Escalation With Iran, Didn't Know Deal Was Close: 'Series Of Targets Ready'
6 hours ago
by Tyler Durden
Israel Says Preparing For Escalation With Iran, Didn't Know Deal Was Close: 'Series Of Targets Ready' Wednesday saw yet another early morning Axios 'scoop' that within hours of being issued proved premature and too out front, given talk of Iran and the US being 'close' to a deal was quickly denied by Tehran and even President Trump quickly acknowledged it's "too soon" to plan peace talks with Iran. But the headline of "US and Iran closing in on one-page memo to end war" was enough to raise alarm bells in Israel, which has insisted that the conflict must end with a nuclear-free
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U.S. Gasoline Tops $4.50 As "Shock & Awe" Level Approaches
7 hours ago
by Tyler Durden
U.S. Gasoline Tops $4.50 As "Shock & Awe" Level Approaches WTI futures plunged more than 11% to the $90-a-barrel level after Axios reported earlier this morning that the U.S. is nearing a preliminary agreement with Iran to end the war. The sharp decline suggests traders are beginning to price in a potential geopolitical de-escalation and the potential reopening of the Hormuz chokepoint. At the pump, however, the latest AAA data as of Wednesday morning show that the national average for regular 87-octane gasoline has climbed to $4.50 a gallon, the highest level since July 2022. There will be a lag. Even if the
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Treasury Refunding: No Changes To Auction Sizes; Bessent Keeps "At Least" In Forward Guidance
7 hours ago
by Tyler Durden
Treasury Refunding: No Changes To Auction Sizes; Bessent Keeps "At Least" In Forward Guidance In our preview to this morning's Quarterly Refunding Statement, we said that we do not expect major changes and that, at most, the treasury might adjust its statement language to soften the forward guidance on possibly futures increase in coupon auction sizes with one likely change would be dropping “at least” while retaining the expectation for unchanged coupon sizes over “the next several quarters” (recall Deutsche Bank said it expects nominal coupon increases beginning in February 2027). Overnight, JPMorgan agreed, writing that while the current auction calendar will leave Treasury well
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NANO Nuclear Soars On Strategic MOU With Supermicro For Powering AI Data Centers
7 hours ago
by Tyler Durden
NANO Nuclear Soars On Strategic MOU With Supermicro For Powering AI Data Centers NANO Nuclear and Supermicro have agreed to explore the integration of NANO’s KRONOS microreactor system with Supermicro’s AI server and data center platforms for scalable nuclear-powered solutions. The news of the strategic collaboration - a critical moment in the integration of alternative energy source within the AI rollout - sent the stock soaring in pre-market We anticipate the shorts are also taking notice with over 22% of shares loaned out… “The AI revolution is fundamentally an energy challenge,” said Jay Yu, Chairman and President of NANO Nuclear, “and we believe nuclear
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OpenAI Co-Founder Greg Brockman Defends Company's For-Profit Pivot... And His Own $30 Billion Payday
8 hours ago
by Tyler Durden
OpenAI Co-Founder Greg Brockman Defends Company's For-Profit Pivot... And His Own $30 Billion Payday Authored by Beige Luciano-Adams via The Epoch Times, In the second week of a high-profile jury trial that could have profound impact on the race for artificial intelligence, OpenAI president Greg Brockman rejected allegations that he and other co-founders betrayed the company’s philanthropic mission and illegally enriched themselves by flipping the non-profit lab into a for-profit corporation. Tesla CEO Elon Musk in 2024 sued Brockman and CEO Sam Altman, alleging they bilked him of $38 million in donations then restructured as a for-profit corporation by exclusively licensing their flagship
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Corning Shares Erupt On Nvidia Deal To Supercharge Fiber Optics Output By 10x
8 hours ago
by Tyler Durden
Corning Shares Erupt On Nvidia Deal To Supercharge Fiber Optics Output By 10x U.S.-based glass company Corning soared in premarket trading in New York after announcing a new mega deal with Nvidia to expand manufacturing capacity for fiber optic production used in AI data centers. "Corning will increase its U.S.-based optical connectivity manufacturing capacity by 10x and expand its U.S. fiber production capacity by more than 50% to meet the accelerating demand driven by AI factory buildouts," Nvidia wrote in a press release. The expansion includes three new manufacturing plants in North Carolina and Texas and is expected to create more than 3,000
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Deja Vu All Over Again: Futures Surge, Oil Tumbles On Iran Deal Optimism, Tech Rally
8 hours ago
by Tyler Durden
Deja Vu All Over Again: Futures Surge, Oil Tumbles On Iran Deal Optimism, Tech Rally US equity futures are up big this morning and making fresh all time highs, led by tech companies, while oil prices and bond yields fell sharply on optimism that the US and Iran are nearing a peace deal. As of 8:00am Nasdaq 100 futures jumped 1.7% while those for the S&P 500 gained 1%, with both gauges set to build on record highs. Iran is evaluating a new proposal from the US to end their near 10-week war, according to an Axios report. If Tehran accepts the terms, it will lead to a
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ADP Employment Report Signals Biggest Job Additions In 15 Months In April
8 hours ago
by Tyler Durden
ADP Employment Report Signals Biggest Job Additions In 15 Months In April With non-farm payrolls looming, we get another glimpse at the labor market today from the ADP Employment Report which shows the US economy added 109k jobs in April (a slight disappointment relative to +120k exp). That is the tenth straight month of job additions and strongest monthly addition since January 2025... Source: Bloomberg Under the hood, Goods-producing jobs rose 15,000 while Service-providing jobs rose 94,000. > "Small and large employers are hiring, but we're seeing softness in the middle," said Dr. Nela Richardson Chief Economist, ADP. > > "Large companies have resources to deploy, and small
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New Disney CEO Delivers Earnings Beat As "Important Change" Underway
9 hours ago
by Tyler Durden
New Disney CEO Delivers Earnings Beat As "Important Change" Underway Disney reported better-than-expected second-quarter results, driven by momentum across entertainment, sports, and experiences, while reaffirming its positive outlook for the year. "At an important moment of change for Disney, we remain focused on executing our long-term growth strategy," Disney wrote at the beginning of the earnings release. The entertainment company continued, "Our creative and operational momentum drove strong quarterly results, and we continue to expect growth to accelerate in the second half of the fiscal year." "We are strengthening streaming through continued investment in the creative storytelling that defines us and in product and
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Taxpayers Foot Staggering £629 Million Bill For Foreign Nationals In UK Prisons
9 hours ago
by Tyler Durden
Taxpayers Foot Staggering £629 Million Bill For Foreign Nationals In UK Prisons Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news, UK taxpayers are forking out £629 million a year to house 10,487 foreign national offenders in British prisons — a bill that could pay for 16,500 police officers or 15,000 NHS nurses. While Labour claims it’s deporting record numbers, an ex-prison governor has torn into the “staggering” cost and the “incredibly slow process” that leaves dangerous foreign criminals draining public resources instead of being sent home. This is the direct result of years of open-borders policies that prioritise criminals’ “rights” over British safety. > 'We've got to persuade countries
The Guardian
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British crew member in need of urgent medical care amid suspected hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship
2 days ago
by Ashifa Kassam and agencies
Water transport, Infectious diseases, Cape Verde, World news, Africa, South Africa, Netherlands, UK news, Travel & leisure, HantavirusWHO says seven confirmed or suspected cases of hantavirus on MV Hondius, including three passengers who died * What is hantavirus, the infection thought to have killed three on cruise ship? A British crew member was in need of urgent medical care and a passenger from the UK remained in a critical but stable condition following a suspected outbreak of hantavirus on a luxury cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Three people have died and medics on Monday were scrambling to evacuate two others from the MV Hondius, which set off in March from southern Argentina carrying 149 people from 23 countries.
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Nigerian refinery accused of sacking union members is key to UK plan to tackle jet fuel shortage
2 days ago
by Daniel Boffey Chief reporter
Airline industry, Air transport, Nigeria, Unions, Heidi Alexander, UK news, Strait of Hormuz, Oil, Oil and gas companies, Politics, Africa, Commodities, Energy industry, Business, World newsHeidi Alexander says part of answer to strait of Hormuz crisis is importing more fuel from US and west Africa A refinery in Nigeria accused of dismissing workers for joining a union has emerged as key to the UK government’s hopes of saving the summer holiday amid a jet fuel shortage. Heidi Alexander, the transport secretary, said at the weekend that part of the answer to the strait of Hormuz crisis was to import more fuel from the US and west Africa. Continue reading...
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Flaws in Kenya’s AI-driven health reforms driving up costs for the poorest
3 days ago
by Purity Mukami, Joy Kirigia, Gabriel Geiger, Tomas Statius and Aisha Down
Global development, Kenya, Health, AI (artificial intelligence), Africa, Society, World news, Technology, Social protection, Global health, PovertyExclusive: amid unrest, President William Ruto promised to give all Kenyans access to healthcare. But the algorithm favours the rich, an investigation has found An AI system used to predict how much Kenyans can afford to pay for access to healthcare, has systemically driven up costs for the poor, an investigation has found. The healthcare system being rolled out across the country, a key electoral promise of President William Ruto, was launched in October 2024 and intended to replace Kenya’s decades-old national insurance system. Continue reading...
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Three passengers dead after suspected hantavirus outbreak on cruise ship
3 days ago
by Matty Edwards and agencies
Cape Verde, Argentina, South Africa, St Helena, Infectious diseases, Africa, Science, Netherlands, World news, HantavirusDutch husband and wife and third unidentified person reported to have died, with three further people taken ill * What is hantavirus, the infection thought to have killed three on cruise ship? A suspected outbreak of the rare hantavirus infection on a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean killed three people – including an elderly married couple – and sickened at least three others, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and South Africa’s health department said on Sunday. The WHO said an investigation was under way but that at least one case of hantavirus had been confirmed. One of the patients was in
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Two US service members missing after military exercises in Morocco
3 days ago
by Associated Press
US military, Morocco, Africa, US news, World news, Middle East and north AfricaSearch and rescue operation launched after service members reported missing near south-western city of Tan Tan Two US service members are missing in south-western Morocco after taking part in annual multinational military exercises in the North African country, the United States Africa Command (Africom) said on Sunday. The US, Morocco and other countries participating in the African Lion exercise have launched a search and rescue operation, Africom said. Continue reading...
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US cancels visas for board of Costa Rica newspaper critical of Trump ally
7 hours ago
by Oscar Lopez
Costa Rica, Trump administration, Press freedom, Newspapers, Americas, US news, World news, Media, Newspapers & magazines, US politicsLeading newspaper La Nación calls US’s barring of board members ‘indirect attack on press freedom’ The US state department has cancelled tourist visas for more than half of the board members of Costa Rica’s leading national newspaper, La Nación, which has been a critical voice against the country’s president, Rodrigo Chaves, an ally of Donald Trump. During Chaves’s 2022 presidential campaign, La Nación published several articles documenting allegations of sexual harassment against him that had forced him out of his job at the World Bank. The paper also reported on allegations of illegal campaign financing, which Chaves denied. Continue reading...
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Mexico nightclub’s $300 cover charge for US citizens captures popular mood
10 hours ago
by Oscar Lopez in Mexico City
Mexico, World news, Americas, US newsOwner of Japan nightclub says ‘This is a response to a year of insults directed at us – as a country – by the United States’ A Mexico City nightclub has gone viral for charging Americans a nearly $300 cover charge, while citizens from any other country pay just $20 for access, and Mexicans and other Latin Americans pay only $14. The Instagram announcement from the nightclub Japan in the Roma Norte neighborhood has been liked over 26,000 times and received more than 200 comments, mostly supporting the policy as part of a broader revolt in the capital against what many see
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Search called off for Australian hiker missing in rugged Canadian national park
19 hours ago
by Leyland Cecco in Toronto
Canada, Australia news, World news, AmericasPolice suspend ‘extensive’ six-day air and ground search in Nova Scotia, citing ‘no new information’ Teams in eastern Canada have called off an “extensive” six-day air and ground search of a rugged park for a missing Australian hiker. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said this week it had suspended operations after an effort involving dogs, 100 people, aircraft and ground crews yielded “no new information” in the whereabouts of Denise Ann Willams. Continue reading...
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Alberta voter data leaked as separatists file signatures for independence vote
a day ago
by Leyland Cecco in Toronto
Canada, Americas, World newsAuthorities investigate leak of 2.9 million voters’ details, adding to turmoil over push for independence referendum Alberta separatists have delivered more than 300,000 signatures to elections officials in western Canada, in support of their attempt to force an independence referendum in Canada’s oil-rich province. But the effort stumbled immediately as a separatist-linked group posted the personal data of nearly 3 million residents online in one of the largest data breaches in Canadian history, fomenting fears of a possible political interference crisis. Continue reading...
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Carney appoints former war crimes prosecutor as Canada governor general
a day ago
by Leyland Cecco in Toronto
Canada, Mark Carney, Americas, World news, King Charles IIILouise Arbour will serve as Canada’s representative of King Charles and carry out ceremonial and constitutional duties Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, has appointed a former supreme court justice and war crimes prosecutor as the country’s new governor general, saying her appointment would reflect the importance of global institutions. Louise Arbour, a celebrated jurist, served as United Nations commissioner and prosecuted war crimes in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, will serve as Canada’s representative of King Charles III. Continue reading...
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Singapore introduces caning for boys who bully others at school
15 hours ago
by Rebecca Ratcliffe
Singapore, Corporal punishment, Asia PacificUnder new guidelines caning will only be used in schools for male students aged nine and above Male school students who bully others, including through cyberbullying, will face caning as a “last resort” under new guidelines introduced in Singapore. Male students can face up to three strokes of the cane under the new rules, which were discussed in parliament on Tuesday. Continue reading...
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Explosion at fireworks factory in China kills at least 26
a day ago
by Associated Press in Beijing
China, Asia Pacific, World newsOther fireworks manufacturers in Liuyang, in central Hunan province, ordered to halt production after deadly blast An explosion at a fireworks plant in a central Chinese province has killed at least 26 people and injured 61, prompting the halting of all firework manufacturing near the site. The blast occurred in the city of Changsha, in Hunan province, on Monday afternoon, China’s official news agency Xinhua said. China Daily said the plant was operated by the Huasheng Fireworks Manufacturing and Display Co in the Changsha-administered, county-level city of Liuyang. Continue reading...
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Australia eyes security pact with Fiji as pushback from Beijing undermines agreement with Vanuatu
2 days ago
by Tom McIlroy Political editor
Asia Pacific, China, Australian politics, Fiji, Australia news, Pacific islands, Australian foreign policyForeign minister Penny Wong visits Fiji this week to progress the security and economic agreement * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Australia looks close to signing a landmark security and economic agreement with Fiji as part of the Albanese government’s efforts to contain China’s growing influence across the Pacific. But pushback from Beijing has undermined a separate pact with Vanuatu’s government, resulting in a scaling back of a deal aimed at locking in Australia as the country’s primary security partner. Continue reading...
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Japan sees largest protest in support of pacifist constitution as PM Takaichi pushes revisions
3 days ago
by Justin McCurry in Tokyo
Japan, Sanae Takaichi, Asia PacificJapanese leader Sanae Takaichi has called for discussions to revise the constitution, saying it should ‘reflect the demands of the times’ Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, has called for “advanced discussions” on revising the pacifist constitution, as large demonstrations were held nationwide to oppose any changes to the country’s supreme law. Speaking during an official visit to Vietnam, Takaichi said the constitution, which was written by US occupation forces after the second world war, “should periodically be updated to reflect the demands of the times”. Continue reading...
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Rare comet to flash through New Zealand skies – before it disappears for 170,000 years
3 days ago
by Eva Corlett in Wellington
New Zealand, Asia Pacific, Comets, AstronomyOver the next two weeks stargazers have a chance to spot the blue-green orb and smudgy tail of comet known as C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS A comet formed on the edges of the solar system will grace southern skies over the next fortnight, giving viewers a rare chance to glimpse it before it disappears from view for another 170,000 years. The comet – known as C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS – had been travelling through the northern hemisphere but has “swung around the sun” and is now visible in the south, said Josh Aoraki, an astronomer at Te Whatu Stardome in Auckland, New Zealand. Continue reading...
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‘Your craft is obsolete’: WiseTech staff in limbo as AI touted as better than humans
5 hours ago
by Josh Taylor Technology reporter
Technology, AI (artificial intelligence), Australia news, Sydney, SoftwareThe software company said in February it would cut 7,000 jobs but, as it touts new technology, workers are still waiting to hear which roles will go * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Staff at WiseTech have been waiting almost three months to be told if they’re among the 2,000 people the logistics software company is to cut due to advances in AI, with workers criticising the wait as stressful and “ridiculous”. The comments come as its founder on Tuesday told investors an AI agent could learn a human’s job in just 15 minutes, according to
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Coalition considers plan to slash net overseas immigration by nearly half its current rate, leaked documents reveal
5 hours ago
by Dan Jervis-Bardy Chief political correspondent
Coalition, Liberal party, Australian politics, Australia news, Australian immigration and asylum, MigrationExclusive: Taskforce to mull options to cut level to 150,000-200,000, higher than One Nation’s hard 130,000 cap and Howard-era’s 100,000 target * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The Coalition is planing to cut Australia’s annual net overseas immigration levels to 150,000-200,000, according to a confidential policy roadmap that reveals Angus Taylor is preparing to fight a possible early election. An internal document circulated to senior Coalition MPs details the key policies the opposition wants to build its election platform on, as it rebuilds from its catastrophic 2025 loss. Continue reading...
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Two Australian states prepare to resettle children from Syrian detention camp with most bound for Melbourne
11 hours ago
by Nino Bucci and Tom McIlroy
Australian security and counter-terrorism, Syria, Australia news, Australian police and policing, Victoria, New South Wales, Australian politics, Australian federal police, Jacinta AllanFour women and nine children expected to return to Australia on Thursday with all apart from a mother and her child expected to go to Victoria * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Authorities in two Australian states are preparing to resettle children returning from squalid detention camps and life under Islamic State rule, as at least some of their mothers face possible criminal charges. Four women and nine children are expected to return to Australia on Thursday, with all of them apart from a mother and her child bound for Melbourne. Continue reading...
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Man arrested over alleged offensive shirt outside royal commission venue – as it happened
12 hours ago
by Caitlin Cassidy and Nick Visser (earlier)
Australia news, Australian politics, Australian economy, Business, Health, Australian education, Australian immigration and asylum, Australian foreign policy, Labor party, Coalition, Interest ratesThis blog is now closed. * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Federal shadow treasurer says any handouts in budget could add to inflation The federal shadow treasurer, Tim Wilson, has warned that potential cash handouts in next week’s federal budget could add to inflation. Unfortunately when the government hasn’t take inflation seriously, we’ve ended up in this situation and the risk is that if you keep handing out money to households, what you’ll actually do is fuel inflation. This is a government that cuts taxes. We’ve cut taxes already and we will cut taxes again, we made that
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‘Terrifying’: political candidate violently abused and schoolboy thrown into bin, antisemitism royal commission hears
13 hours ago
by Ben Doherty
Antisemitism, Royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion, Sydney, New South Wales, Bondi beach terror attack, Society, Crime - Australia, Gun control, Australia newsThe third day of hearings of the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion heard further evidence from Jewish Australians * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Violent antisemitic abuse was allowed to proliferate across a Jewish political candidate’s social media as part of a broader trend designed to intimidate Jewish Australians from public life, a royal commission has heard. Joshua Kirsh launched a campaign as an independent candidate for the New South Wales upper house in late 2025 but found his advertisements online bombarded by antisemitic
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Pussy Riot protest at Venice Biennale forces Russian pavilion to briefly close
4 hours ago
by Lanre Bakare in Venice
Pussy Riot, Venice Biennale 2026, Russia, Italy, Art and design, Culture, Europe, World newsDemonstrators, angered by Russia’s inclusion at arts festival, shouted ‘Curated by Putin, dead bodies included’ The Russian pavilion at the Venice Biennale was forced temporarily to shut its doors on the second day of the preview after the activist group Pussy Riot staged a chaotic protest against the country’s inclusion in the art festival. Wearing pink balaclavas, the protesters ran towards the Russian pavilion where they gathered outside and lit pink, blue and yellow flares while playing punk music and shouting slogans, including “Blood is Russia’s Art”. Continue reading...
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‘Putin only cares about parades’: fury as Russia rains missiles on Ukraine during 24-hour truce
4 hours ago
by Luke Harding and agencies
Ukraine, Russia, Europe, World newsDozens killed despite ceasefire announced by Zelenskyy, after Moscow asked for Saturday truce for military parade * Europe live – latest updates Kyiv has criticised Russia for attacking several Ukrainian cities overnight with more than 100 combat drones and three missiles in spite of a unilateral 24-hour ceasefire called by Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Ukraine’s president had announced the truce after the Kremlin said it wanted a ceasefire on Saturday during its annual military parade in Red Square, but he said he would reciprocate if Vladimir Putin broke Ukraine’s ceasefire, which ends at midnight on Wednesday. Continue reading...
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Norwegian government attacked over decision to reopen North Sea gasfields
5 hours ago
by Miranda Bryant and Jillian Ambrose
Oil, Norway, Gas, Fossil fuels, Energy industry, Business, Commodities, Energy, Environment, Europe, World newsApproval for exploration in 70 new areas prompts fierce backlash from fossil fuel opponents The Norwegian government has been heavily criticised for approving plans to reopen three North Sea gasfields nearly three decades after they were closed to help fill the gap in energy supplies created by the Middle East war. Amid sharp price rises in oil and gas since the US and Israel’s attack on Iran in February, Oslo has also given its approval for oil and gas companies to explore in 70 new locations in the North Sea, Barents Sea and Norwegian Sea. Continue reading...
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From Eurovision to the Venice Biennale, culture contests are being overshadowed by politics
6 hours ago
by Philip Oltermann European culture editor
World news, Europe, Culture, Venice Biennale, Venice Biennale 2026, Cannes film festival, Exhibitions, Awards and prizes, Art and design, Sculpture, Painting, Eurovision, Eurovision 2026, Art, Festivals, MusicThe Venice Biennale, Eurovision and Cannes are framed as artists representing their nations. But in a fractured world, national identity seems increasingly futile • Don’t get This Is Europe delivered to your inbox? Sign up here Are the arts being drowned out by politics? A few days before the biggest week of the year in Europe’s cultural calendar, that impression may be hard to avoid. The Venice Biennale opens its doors to the public on Saturday, but talk in the run-up to the world’s largest contemporary event has focused little on the works that will go on display inside the national pavilions,
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Gibraltar dumping all of its raw sewage into Mediterranean
15 hours ago
by Rachel Salvidge
Gibraltar, Pollution, Water, Oceans, Environment, Northumbrian Water, Europe, Water industry, World news, BusinessWastewater from nearly 40,000 people and businesses pumped straight into sea as territory still has no treatment plant Raw sewage from nearly 40,000 people and businesses is being pumped straight into the sea because the British overseas territory of Gibraltar does not have, and has never had, a wastewater treatment plant. For decades, untreated sewage has poured into the Mediterranean from the southern tip of the peninsula at Europa Point, where the government of Gibraltar says there are “high levels of natural dispersion”. Continue reading...
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Middle East crisis live: Iran’s top negotiator says US aiming to force Tehran’s ‘surrender’
an hour ago
by Lucy Campbell (now); Nadeem Badshah, Tom Ambrose, Taz Ali and Mark Saunokonoko (earlier)
US-Israel war on Iran, Iran, Israel, Middle East and north Africa, Trump administration, US foreign policy, US politics, Strait of HormuzStatement comes after Trump’s threats to escalate bombing if Iran doesn’t agree deal and IRGC suggestions the strait of Hormuz could reopen The UK work and pensions secretary, Pat McFadden, has warned that job losses “could happen” in Britain due to the economic impacts of the Iran war. He said the UK economy was “going in the right direction” at the start of the year and unemployment figures for February showed a decline. He added that interest rates were expected to come down and the markets were pricing in cuts during the course of the year. Continue reading...
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Trump tells Iran to accept deal or face new wave of US bombing
3 hours ago
by Jason Burke, Shah Meer Baloch in Islamabad and Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi
US-Israel war on Iran, Trump administration, Donald Trump, US news, Iran, Strait of Hormuz, Pakistan, Middle East and north Africa, World newsPresident issues fresh ultimatum despite US claims of progress in stalled negotiations * Middle East crisis – live updates Donald Trump has issued a fresh ultimatum to Iran, telling it to accept a deal to end the war or face a new wave of US bombing “at a much higher level and intensity than it was before”. The announcement on social media on Wednesday was the latest in a rapid series of dramatic and often contradictory changes in policy and came amid unconfirmed reports of progress in stalled negotiations between Tehran and Washington. Continue reading...
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Oil prices fall as Trump says strait of Hormuz ‘open to all’ if Iran accepts deal
3 hours ago
by Lauren Almeida
Oil, Stock markets, Business, Donald Trump, US-Israel war on Iran, Commodities, US news, World news, Strait of Hormuz, Iran, Middle East and north Africa, Oil and gas companies, Energy industry, Economics, Global economyUS president says war will end if Tehran agrees to deal, but that ‘bombing starts’ again if it does not Oil prices fell and stock markets rose as Donald Trump said the war with Iran would end and the strait of Hormuz would be “open to all” if Tehran struck a deal with Washington. The US president posted on social media: “Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL,
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Pope Leo rejects claim he supports nuclear weapons after Trump tirade
4 hours ago
by Angela Giuffrida in Rome
Pope Leo XIV, Donald Trump, Iran, Nuclear weapons, US-Israel war on Iran, US foreign policy, The papacy, Trump administration, Marco Rubio, Catholicism, Vatican, Italy, Middle East and north Africa, Religion, World newsPontiff responds after US president accuses him of ‘endangering a lot of Catholics’ with stance on Iran war * Middle East crisis – live updates * People in the US: what do you think of Chicago-born Pope Leo? Pope Leo has said he has never supported nuclear weapons and that those who criticise him need to speak the truth, in response to Donald Trump’s latest tirade accusing him of “endangering a lot of Catholics” with his stance on the Iran war. Speaking to journalists on Tuesday night after leaving the papal retreat in Castel Gandolfo, near Rome, the first US-born pontiff said:
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Another day, another pivot as Trump flails in an Iran trap of his own making
5 hours ago
by Julian Borger in Jerusalem
US-Israel war on Iran, Iran, Donald Trump, World news, Middle East and north Africa, US newsLatest proposal, derided by Tehran as a ‘wishlist’, could yet be a way out – but with 5,000 dead, it comes at an awful price * Middle East crisis – live updates Another day, another hairpin turn in the world of Donald Trump’s foreign policy. The weekend was all about war, and Trump insisting Iran had not yet “paid a big enough price”. Tuesday was Project Freedom, styled as a grand “humanitarian gesture” to allow trapped ships and their crews to escape the Gulf, but also aimed at weakening Iran’s chokehold on the strait of Hormuz. Continue reading...
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‘Defeated by conspiracy’: West Bengal chief minister refuses to resign after election loss
7 hours ago
by Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi
India, Narendra Modi, South and central Asia, World newsMamata Banerjee says Narendra Modi’s party ‘forcefully captured’ election that ended her party’s 15 years in power A political showdown is taking place in the Indian state of West Bengal as the chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, India’s most powerful female politician, has refused to resign after she lost elections to the prime minister’s party this week. Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) won an overwhelming victory on Monday in state elections in West Bengal, where Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress party (TMC) have been in power for 15 years. Continue reading...
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Narendra Modi’s BJP wins election in West Bengal for the first time
2 days ago
by Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi
India, World news, Narendra Modi, South and central AsiaResult in key Indian state is set to have significant implications for the country’s political landscape Narendra Modi’s party has won a resounding election victory in West Bengal, a state which had been a rare opposition stronghold, expanding his unrivalled consolidation of power across the country. It is the first time that the Indian prime minister’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) has won assembly elections in West Bengal, a large and politically significant state in eastern India. Continue reading...
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Shock in India after man takes remains of his sister to bank to prove her death
6 days ago
by Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi
India, South and central Asia, World newsJitu 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...
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Indian billionaire’s son offers to house Pablo Escobar’s hippos at his private zoo
8 days ago
by Hannah Ellis-Petersen in Delhi
Colombia, Animals, Zoos, World news, India, Americas, South and central AsiaAnant 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...
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Calls for humanitarian corridor through strait of Hormuz as Iran war hits vital aid
8 days ago
by Rebecca Root
Global development, Aid, Food security, Global health, Humanitarian response, Strait of Hormuz, US-Israel war on Iran, Middle East and north Africa, Iran, India, Dubai, Yemen, Somalia, Afghanistan, Sudan, Bangladesh, Africa, South and central Asia, World newsSoaring oil prices and the blockade are preventing food, fuel and medicine being delivered to millions of people in desperate need, say NGOs The volatility of global oil prices caused by the US and Israel’s war on Iran is taking a toll on the most vulnerable people, by slowing or blocking food and medical aid from reaching them. Now aid organisations are calling for a “humanitarian corridor” to be opened through the strait of Hormuz amid rocketing transportation costs. Continue reading...
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Three evacuated from hantavirus-hit ship as Spain says vessel can dock
an hour ago
by Jamie Grierson
Hantavirus, Cape Verde, Spain, Water transport, World news, UK newsShip’s doctor, a Briton, among those evacuated from MV Hondius, which is now heading for Canary Islands * Explainer: What is hantavirus? Three people with suspected hantavirus, including a British doctor who is a crew member, have been medically evacuated from a cruise ship. The 56-year-old Briton, along with a Dutch colleague aged 41 and a 65-year-old German, were taken from the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius for onward travel to the Netherlands, the World Health Organization (WHO) said. Continue reading...
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Sudanese asylum seekers challenge Home Office rule changes for refugees
an hour ago
by Diane Taylor
Immigration and asylum, Refugees, Home Office, Shabana Mahmood, UK news, Politics, World newsShabana Mahmood has announced plan to cut leave to remain from five years to 30 months, to concern of UN’s refugee agency Two Sudanese asylum seekers are challenging a central element of Labour’s plans to strip refugees of basic rights, rejecting the home secretary’s accusation that they are “asylum shoppers”. Shabana Mahmood has announced plans to halve refugees’ leave to remain in the UK, from five years to 30 months. Previously, people could apply for permanent settlement after five years but now refugees will have to wait 20 years before being eligible. Continue reading...
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Cameo, speeches, pushing gold bullion: how Farage has made millions since becoming an MP
an hour ago
by Rowena Mason Whitehall editor
Nigel Farage, Politics, Reform UK, Party funding, UK newsAfter two years in parliament, Reform UK leader has brought in £2m on top of his Commons salary * Nigel Farage’s income since being elected MP has hit £2m, analysis shows “There’s no money in politics,” Nigel Farage complained almost a decade ago, describing himself as “53, separated and skint”. He has since proved himself wrong. After two years in parliament, Farage has brought in £2m, including hospitality, through speeches, presenting, writing news articles, promoting gold bullion – and even recording modestly priced Cameo clips for his fans. It seems that every £70 video counts when it comes to making cash. Continue reading...
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Nigel Farage’s income since being elected MP has hit £2m, analysis shows
an hour ago
by Helena Horton and Anna Isaac
Nigel Farage, Reform UK, Politics, UK news, Boris Johnson, MPs' expenses, ConservativesReform UK leader has registered wide range of financial interests on top of his Commons salary since July 2024 * Cameo, speeches, pushing gold bullion: how Farage has made millions since becoming an MP Nigel Farage’s income since he was elected as an MP has now reached £2m on top of his parliamentary salary, analysis of the register of MPs has shown. Farage’s earning power sets him alongside a small number of MPs who have been able to leverage their status for external income alongside their day jobs – drawing comparisons to Boris Johnson, who made about £5m on top of his
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‘Climate solutions will bring down bills and restore nature’: green issues and May elections
2 hours ago
by Fiona Harvey Environment editor
Local elections 2026, Local elections, Local government, UK cost of living crisis, Green party, Local politics, Politics, Energy bills, Labour, Reform UK, Conservatives, UK news, Society, Household bills, Nigel Farage, Wind power, Solar power, Fracking, Fossil fuel divestment, Fossil fuels, Renewable energy, Environment, England, Scotland, WalesAs Reform vows to block solar and windfarms, energy leaders say renewables offer most secure future, insulating UK from hostile forces * UK politics live – latest updates • May elections: What’s at stake across England, Wales and Scotland? The defining issue of Thursday’s local elections, feedback from doorsteps suggests, will be the UK’s soaring cost of living. But voters should be told about the links between inflation and the effects of fossil fuels and the climate crisis – or the remedies they choose – may make the situation worse, green campaigners have warned. Ami McCarthy, the head of politics at Greenpeace UK,
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Trump would fire Howard Lutnick if he saw video of his Epstein testimony, say House oversight committee Democrats – live
an hour ago
by Shrai Popat (now); Lucy Campbell and Tom Ambrose (earlier)
US politics, Trump administration, US news, Donald Trump, World news, Jeffrey Epstein, US midterm elections 2026, Iran, US-Israel war on IranRo Khanna criticizes commerce secretary after closed-door interview about ties to Jeffrey Epstein as Democrats call performance ‘embarrassing’ * Sign up for the Breaking News US email It’s worth noting, ahead of Howard Lutnick’s closed-door testimony before House oversight committee members today, that the commerce secretary has refused to answer questions about his ties to Jeffrey Epstein from lawmakers during congressional hearings on Capitol Hill over the last month. In April, Represenative Madeleine Dean, a Democrat from Pennsylvania, asked whether the president expressed “concerns” about the commerce secretary’s relationship with Epstein. Lutnick refused to comment. Continue reading...
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Uncertainty looms as last oil tanker from Middle East arrives in California
an hour ago
by Dani Anguiano
California, Oil, Gas, US news, Money, US-Israel war on Iran, West Coast, Business, US politicsWith gas more than $6 in state, delivery of about 2m barrels is last planned shipment to pass through strait of Hormuz * Middle East crisis – live updates The average price of a gallon of gas in California already stands at more than $6, but more uncertainty looms as the last oil tanker from the Middle East arrived in the Golden state this week. The Los Angeles Times reported on Sunday that the New Corolla, which left the Middle East for California before the war broke out, is delivering about 2m barrels of crude oil from Iraq to Long Beach. It
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Howard Lutnick answers questions from US House over Jeffrey Epstein ties
2 hours ago
by Anna Betts
Jeffrey Epstein, Trump administration, House of Representatives, US news, US Congress, US politicsDemocrats sharply criticize the US commerce secretary’s testimony, saying he was ‘dishonest’ and should resign The US commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, appeared before the House oversight and reform committee on Wednesday to answer questions over his past ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Lutnick agreed in March to sit for a transcribed interview with the committee after the justice department’s release of millions of documents related to Epstein, which included documents showing that Lutnick continued correspondence with Epstein after the disgraced financier had been convicted of soliciting prostitution from a minor. The session is part of the committee’s broader investigation into Epstein. Continue reading...
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Influencer Clavicular faces charges in Florida tied to alligator shooting video
2 hours ago
by Guardian staff
Florida, US crime, Animals, US news, Men, Social media, InternetVideo shows ‘looksmaxxing’ influencer shooting an apparently already dead alligator in the Everglades A controversial social media influencer known as Clavicular is facing charges in connection with a live stream showing him shooting an apparently already dead alligator in the Everglades, local Florida media has reported. Clavicular, whose real name is Braden Eric Peters and is known for the practice of “looksmaxxing”, faces charges of unlawfully discharging a firearm in a public place or residential property, according to legal files obtained by television station ABC6 in South Florida. The charges stem from his alleged actions in a 26 March live stream. Continue reading...
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New York real estate titan likens the phrase ‘tax the rich’ to racial slurs
3 hours ago
by Gaya Gupta
New York, The super-rich, Zohran Mamdani, Business, US newsSteve Roth was responding to the announcement by New York’s mayor of tax on second homes worth more than $5m * Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email The phrase “tax the rich” can be “just as hateful as some disgusting racial slurs”, according to the New York City billionaire Steve Roth, who said that the top 1% should be “praised and thanked”. Speaking on his company’s quarterly earnings call on Tuesday, Roth, the CEO of Vornado Realty Trust, expressed his support for fellow billionaire and the CEO of Citadel, Ken Griffin, who was singled out in the 15 April
South China Morning Post
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Israel strikes Beirut for the first time since Lebanon ceasefire
an hour ago
by Reuters
Israel struck Beirut on Wednesday for the first time since agreeing to a ceasefire with Hezbollah last month, with Israel saying it targeted a commander of the militant group’s elite Radwan force in the city’s southern suburbs. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Israel Katz announced the action in a joint statement. Israeli media reported that the commander was killed in the strike, but there was no immediate confirmation from the Israeli military or Hezbollah. The...
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FBI reportedly probing leaks behind article on bureau chief Kash Patel’s drinking
2 hours ago
by Agence France-Presse
The FBI has opened a criminal leak investigation focusing on a journalist who wrote a critical article about Kash Patel, the head of the US law enforcement agency, the cable news channel MS Now reported on Wednesday. Patel filed a US$250 million suit last month against The Atlantic magazine and the author of the article, Sarah Fitzpatrick, calling it a “sweeping, malicious, and defamatory hit piece”. The Atlantic story accused Patel of frequently drinking to excess and said he was in danger of...
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CNN founder Ted Turner dies at 87
5 hours ago
by Agence France-Presse
Ted Turner created CNN in 1980, revolutionising the way America, and the world, got their news, and then went on to become one of the most prominent business leaders and philanthropists of his era. A brash risk taker, Turner – whose death aged 87 was announced on Wednesday – helped reshape the television industry in the late 20th century. He also made a name for himself with spectacular business deals, his ownership of professional sports clubs, a marriage to actress Jane Fonda, his leadership...
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Pope Leo to inaugurate Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia in June trip to Spain
6 hours ago
by Associated Press
Pope Leo will inaugurate the soaring central tower of Barcelona’s famed Sagrada Familia basilica when he visits Spain next month in a week-long trip that will also take him to a migrant reception centre in the Canary Islands, the Vatican said on Wednesday. The June 6-12 visit will first bring Leo to Madrid for meetings with the government, parliament and King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. He will also preside over a prayer vigil with young people that will recall the last time a pope visited...
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US firms add 109,000 jobs, the most since early 2025
7 hours ago
by Bloomberg
US companies boosted payrolls in April by the most in over a year, the latest evidence of stabilisation in the labour market. Private-sector payrolls rose 109,000 in April after a revised 61,000 advance in the prior month, according to ADP Research data out on Wednesday. The median estimate in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for a 120,000 increase. More than half of the hiring advance was due to health services and education. Trade, transport and utilities payrolls also increased....
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As power flows through submarine cables, law of the sea must evolve
8 hours ago
by Yogi Putranto
Beneath the surface of the world’s oceans lies an infrastructure so essential, modern life would stall without it – yet so invisible it rarely enters public debate. Submarine cables, slender fibre-optic systems laid across the seabed, carry over 95 per cent of global internet traffic, transmitting the data that underpins financial markets, diplomatic exchanges and everyday communication. What appears to be neutral infrastructure is, in fact, a deeply political system – one that exposes a...
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EU cyber plan barring Chinese suppliers will cost US$430 billion: report
11 hours ago
by Xiaofei Xu
The European Union’s push to bar Chinese suppliers from its critical infrastructure under a proposed new Cybersecurity Act would cost the bloc a jaw-dropping €367.8 billion (US$431.4 billion) over the next five years, a new study has warned. The law’s vast price tag comes from the need to rip out and replace huge amounts of Chinese hardware – a task that alone could cost €146.2 billion – with other losses stemming from resource reallocation, service disruptions, employment adjustments and legal...
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Is Rubio’s star rising in Trump world? Duel with Vance for 2028 heats up
12 hours ago
by Agence France-Presse
It was the perfect split-screen for the race to succeed Donald Trump – so long as your name is Marco Rubio and not J.D. Vance. In a packed White House briefing room, journalists shouted over each other in a bid to get a question from the US secretary of state. At the same time Vice-President Vance – Rubio’s most likely rival for the 2028 Republican presidential nomination – was hundreds of kilometres away from the action at a political fundraiser in Oklahoma. “Guys, this is chaos,” said Rubio as...
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Asia must unite to avert an Iran war food crisis
12 hours ago
by Genevieve Donnellon-May
Asia’s next food crisis is under way. After the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz collapsed, sending shock waves across energy, fertiliser and food systems. Fuel, freight and fertiliser costs are rising sharply, amplified by skyrocketing insurance premiums – feeding directly into the price of every tonne of fertiliser that still reaches the market. The scale of disruption reflects the strait’s outsize role in global trade. It carries around one-third of globally...
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Spain opens port to hantavirus-hit cruise ship as rare Andes strain confirmed
12 hours ago
by Reuters
A luxury cruise ship hit by a deadly hantavirus outbreak and marooned for days off the coast of Cabo Verde with close to 150 people on board was due to head to Spain, while South Africa confirmed it identified among the victims a strain of the virus that can – in rare cases – spread among humans. The ship will dock “within three days” at Granadilla on the island of Tenerife, Spain’s health minister said on Wednesday, despite opposition from the Canary Islands regional government. “A joint...
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From Beijing to Berlin: Chinese EVs turn heads as brands eye European markets
17 hours ago
by Themis Qi
For German consumer Erik Böhme, a first visit to the Beijing auto show was an eye-opener – the world’s largest car exhibition showcased a vast array of electric vehicle (EV) brands, many already gaining traction in Europe. “I think there will be more Chinese brands coming and being successful in Europe,” said Böhme, a freelance automotive consultant who spent two days at the event, which ran through May 3. Böhme was among 250 foreign media, clients and social media influencers invited by Geely...
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Russian attacks kill 27 in Ukraine before proposed rival ceasefires
18 hours ago
by Reuters
Russian attacks throughout eastern Ukraine killed at least 27 people on Tuesday, including 12 in one of the worst strikes so far this year, hours before a midnight deadline ushering in an open-ended ceasefire proposed by Kyiv. Russia announced a ceasefire for May 8 to 9 to coincide with commemorations of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II and a military parade in Moscow’s Red Square. Ukraine, in response, announced a proposal for an open-ended ceasefire starting at...
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Boy, 13, shoots 2 dead at Brazil school
21 hours ago
by Agence France-Presse
A teenage boy shot dead two staff members and injured two other people, including a student, at a school in northeast Brazil on Tuesday, prompting panicked students to try to escape over a wall, authorities and a witness said. A 13-year-old boy was arrested over the attack at Sao Jose Institute in Rio Branco, the capital of Acre state, the local government said in a statement. Eduardo Rodrigues Cavalcante, who works as a receptionist at a hotel next to the school, said that when the shooting...
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Trump admin sued over dumping of White House debris, tests show toxic metals
21 hours ago
by Associated Press
Debris from the demolition of the White House East Wing that was dumped at a nearby public golf course has tested positive for lead, chromium and other toxic metals, the National Park Service said. An interim report by a Virginia engineering firm says the toxic metals, along with PCBs, pesticides, petroleum by-products and other chemicals were detected at levels above laboratory reporting limits in soil at the East Potomac Golf Links, a historic golf course that US President Donald Trump plans...
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How China-Gulf ties can turn energy vulnerability into sustainability
a day ago
by Mohamad Zreik
For decades, the Strait of Hormuz has been a narrow passage with a big footprint. Whenever it comes under tension, the world is reminded that energy security is less a policy construct than an everyday reality for Asia’s economies, factories and prices. For China, Japan, South Korea, India and Southeast Asia, it has always been more than just a Middle Eastern problem. It is an Asian economic issue. This is why we should not interpret the latest Gulf tensions solely in terms of naval forces,...
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Deadly hantavirus may have spread between humans on luxury cruise, but risk is low: WHO
a day ago
by Reuters
The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that it suspects some rare human-to-human transmission of the deadly hantavirus took place between very close contacts on board a luxury cruise ship hit by seven confirmed or suspected cases. Human-to-human transmission is not common, and the UN health agency reiterated that the risk to the wider public was low from a disease typically spread from contact with infected rodents. A Dutch couple and a German national have died, while a British national...
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Trump assails Pope Leo again, just before Rubio’s Vatican trip
a day ago
by Associated Press
US President Donald Trump has renewed his criticism of Pope Leo, potentially complicating a fence-mending visit that Secretary of State Marco Rubio plans to make to the Vatican on Thursday. In an interview with conservative commentator Hugh Hewitt, Trump said the first American-born pontiff was helping Iran and also making the world less safe with his comments about the importance of not treating immigrants with disrespect. “The pope would rather talk about the fact that it’s OK for Iran to have...
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Italy PM Meloni warns over AI deepfakes after false photos of her circulate
a day ago
by Reuters
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday that fake images of her generated by artificial intelligence were circulating online, warning that such false photos could deceive the public and target people unable to defend themselves. Meloni said in a statement that several fake photos of her had been created with AI and passed off as real by political opponents. She posted one such image appearing to show her sitting on a bed wearing underwear. The original post included outraged...
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Panama minister blasts China’s ship crackdown, tells deputies to demand answers in Beijing
a day ago
by Igor Patrick
Panama’s foreign minister has called on a group of opposition lawmakers visiting China to deliver a firm message defending the country’s sovereignty, as tensions over a wave of detentions of Panamanian-flagged vessels show no signs of easing. Javier Martinez-Acha Vasquez said on Monday that the lawmakers should relay a clear message to their Chinese counterparts on Panama’s behalf. “I can only suggest that you convey that Panama respects China, but Panama first respects the Constitution of our...
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Thanks to Trump and Netanyahu, everyone now wants to go nuclear
a day ago
by Alex Lo
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and successive US presidents have spent the better part of the past three decades warning that a nuclear-armed Iran would threaten the whole world. Now, thanks to the illegal US-Israeli war, Iran may have to go nuclear by claiming self-defence. After all, what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Israel would justify its clandestine nuclear weapon programme, which dates back to the 1950s, by claiming Arab states wanted to exterminate it. Well,...
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Sweden to form new spy agency in Ukraine war reset
a day ago
by Agence France-Presse
Sweden’s government said on Tuesday it would push forward with a plan to form a new spy agency targeting overseas threats, part of a wider reset prompted by Russia’s war in Ukraine. The new agency would be called Sweden’s foreign intelligence service (UND) and would start operations in January 2027, Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard told a press conference. “During the ongoing war in Ukraine, it has become very clear that an information advantage and the ability to rapidly and...
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America builds AI, China uses it. That gap may decide the future
a day ago
by Matt Terrell
When it comes to artificial intelligence, the United States still dominates the headlines – and, by most conventional measures, the technology itself. American institutions continue to produce a large share of high-impact AI research, and private investment reached over US$109 billion in 2024, nearly 12 times China’s total, according to the Stanford Institute for Human-Centred AI. At the same time, the economics of AI are rapidly improving. Training and deployment costs have fallen dramatically...
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Deadly hantavirus outbreak traps 150 on cruise ship as WHO identifies more cases
2 days ago
by Agencies
A hantavirus outbreak tied to a cruise ship off Cabo Verde has grown to seven cases, including two confirmed infections, the World Health Organization said on Monday, with three deaths among those linked to the voyage. The Dutch-flagged MV Hondius is carrying 147 passengers and crew from 23 countries. Among the passengers are 17 Americans, 19 Britons and 13 from Spain. Sixty-one crew members are also on board. Of the seven cases identified, one British passenger in intensive care in Johannesburg...
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South Korea rebuffs Trump’s ‘Project Freedom’ call after Hormuz ship fire
2 days ago
by Park Chan-kyong
When a South Korean cargo ship exploded and caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz late on Monday, Donald Trump wasted no time declaring what he thought it meant. “Perhaps it’s time for South Korea to come and join the mission!” the US president wrote on his social media platform Truth Social, invoking the incident as fresh justification for Seoul to send naval forces to the embattled waterway. Seoul’s answer, for now, has been a polite but firm no – or at least, not yet. The explosion occurred...
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Drones shatter months of relative calm in Sudan’s capital as international airport targeted
2 days ago
by Reuters
Sudan’s armed forces blamed a drone attack on Monday that targeted Khartoum airport on the United Arab Emirates and Ethiopia, the latest in a barrage of assaults in recent days that has shattered months of relative calm in Sudan’s capital, three years into its civil war. Reuters could not independently verify the claims. Neither country immediately commented on the allegations made late on Monday. Sudan has often accused the UAE of supporting Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries, a charge...
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Birthday girl among 3 crushed to death by monster truck in Colombia
2 days ago
by Agence France-Presse
A Colombian girl celebrating her 10th birthday was among three people crushed to death at a monster truck display when a vehicle veered out of control and ploughed into spectators, authorities said on Monday. Hellen Velarde was attending Sunday’s exhibition in the southwestern city of Popayan as a birthday gift when she was crushed by the truck in an incident that caused widespread anger. A second girl and a young woman were also killed, local media reported. Images circulating on social media...
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UK eyes joining EU’s €90 billion loan to Ukraine
2 days ago
by Reuters
Britain is in talks to join the European Union’s €90 billion (US$105.13 billion) loan to Ukraine to qualify for Kyiv’s defence orders that the loan finances but will have to cover some interest payments on the borrowing to be eligible, the European Commission said. “Today marks the first high-level discussion on the UK’s potential participation in the €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan, following technical exchanges between the UK Government and the Commission,” a Commission spokesman told...
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Pulitzers honour damning coverage of Trump and his policies
2 days ago
by Agence France-Presse
Coverage of the Trump administration dominated the Pulitzer Prizes announced on Monday as the prize committee unleashed a searing attack on US President Donald Trump’s attempts to limit freedom of reporting. “We stand for civil discourse and against censorship,” said Pulitzer Administrator Marjorie Miller ahead of the announcements, which honoured coverage of Trump’s immigration crackdown and his enrichment of his allies. “Unfortunately, this bears repeating now, as media access to the White...
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How the Middle East crisis is expanding China’s agrochemical influence
2 days ago
by Mia Nurmamat
As the Middle East conflict spreads uncertainty among farmers around the world, Chinese farmers are carrying out their spring ploughing as usual and appear largely untroubled. “The supply of chemical fertilisers for spring ploughing is ample,” an official with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs said at a news conference last month, adding that domestic fertiliser prices were “far lower than international prices” and spring sowing was proceeding as normal. While policymakers around the...
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US Secret Service shoots armed suspect near White House
2 days ago
by Agence France-Presse
An armed man was shot by US Secret Service (USSS) agents in downtown Washington on Monday, officials said, prompting a brief lockdown of the nearby White House. The shooting near the National Mall took place just after a motorcade carrying Vice-President J.D. Vance had passed by the area, USSS Deputy Director Matthew Quinn said. Quinn told reporters he did not believe that the vice-president was an intended target and said he could not speculate if it was related to recent attempts on the life...
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How US tech hegemony is locking out the Global South
2 days ago
by Zhou Xiaoming
In global discourse, a script has been handed to us: the United States and China are locked in a “tech race”. But this is really a misnomer. True competition requires a level playing field. When one runner trips the other to ensure victory, it’s not a competition; it’s cheating. So, when Washington deploys an arsenal of sanctions, export controls and diplomatic strong-arming to hamstring China’s technological ascent, it is not competing. It is an act of suppression. This reflects a deliberate...
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Putin and Zelensky announce rival ceasefires ahead of Russia’s Victory Day
2 days ago
by Reuters
President Vladimir Putin on Monday declared a two-day ceasefire in the conflict with Ukraine on May 8-9 to mark Russia’s World War II victory, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky countered with his own proposed pause in fighting starting earlier, on the night of May 5-6. Putin had first spoken of a possible ceasefire coinciding with commemorations of the 81st anniversary of the victory in a phone conversation last week with US President Donald Trump. Ukraine had been wary of the notion...
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China consul in Mexico calls protectionism a ‘dead end’ as trade tensions with US escalate
2 days ago
by Igor Patrick
China’s top diplomat on the US-Mexico border denounced protectionism as a dead end at the weekend, delivering a pointed defence of open trade just weeks before Mexico, the United States and Canada sit down to review the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) that governs North American commerce. Consul General Fu Xinrong told a business gathering in Tijuana that unilateralism benefits no one and called on nations to build economic ties based on sovereignty and mutual respect rather than...
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Britney Spears admits reckless driving in DUI plea deal, avoiding jail
2 days ago
by Agence France-Presse
Troubled pop princess Britney Spears on Monday admitted to reckless driving involving alcohol, in a plea deal that means she will avoid jail. The “Toxic” singer was arrested in March after police spotted her driving erratically on a freeway in Ventura County, near Los Angeles. She was initially charged with DUI – driving under the influence – but under the plea deal confirmed Monday she admitted to a lesser charge of reckless driving involving alcohol, drugs or both. A court in Ventura sentenced...
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Chloe Zhao, Stellan Skarsgard and Demi Moore among Cannes Film Festival jurors
2 days ago
by Agencies
Chloe Zhao, Demi Moore and Stellan Skarsgard are among the jurors who will decide the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, organisers announced on Monday. Just about a week before the 79th Cannes begins May 12, organisers unveiled the nine-member jury that will deliberate on the films in competition at the annual French Riviera festival. As already announced, South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook (Oldboy) is president of the jury. Moore, 63, along with Chinese filmmaker Zhao, whose...
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US’ Bessent urges China to help open Strait of Hormuz
2 days ago
by Dewey Sim
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Monday pressed China to ramp up diplomatic pressure on Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz even as he stressed that the US has “absolute control” over the strategic waterway. “Let’s see [China] step up with some diplomacy and get the Iranians to open the strait,” Bessent said in a Fox News interview. “Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism and China has been buying 90 per cent of their energy, so they are funding the largest state sponsor of...
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Fatal 2022 China Eastern Airlines plane crash points to deliberate fuel cut-off
2 days ago
by Bloomberg
The China Eastern Airlines plane that crashed into a hillside in 2022, killing all 132 people on board, had its fuel supply cut mid-flight, newly released investigative material shows, which bolsters the theory that the aircraft was intentionally brought down. While China still has yet to release a final report on the accident, findings released by the US National Transportation Safety Board this month show that levers controlling the flow of fuel to the jet’s engines were switched to the...
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Driver ploughs car into crowd in German city of Leipzig, killing 2
2 days ago
by Agence France-Presse
A man suspected of ploughing a car into a crowd in the eastern German city of Leipzig, killing two people, had recently been treated for mental health problems, reports said on Tuesday. The 33-year-old German national allegedly drove the vehicle Monday at high speed down a main street in the historic centre of the eastern city, leaving two people dead and many others injured. The driver, a 33-year-old German man, was arrested at the scene and officials have said they do not believe he had a...
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Germany jails mother for locking up daughter for 7 years
2 days ago
by Agence France-Presse
A German woman convicted of keeping her young daughter locked up at home for years was sentenced to five years in prison on Monday. The woman, who had kept her daughter confined to the home of the girl’s grandparents, was found guilty of kidnapping, abduction of a minor and mistreatment of a vulnerable person, according to a court spokeswoman. The grandmother was given a two-year suspended sentence for the same charges, while the grandfather also received a suspended sentence as an...
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Trump family’s crypto project sues billionaire backer Justin Sun
2 days ago
by Reuters
World Liberty Financial, the crypto venture co-founded by US President Donald Trump and his sons, said on Monday it had filed a defamation lawsuit against Hong Kong-based crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun, in the latest escalation of a dispute between the project and one of its most prominent backers. World Liberty posted a copy of its lawsuit on X in which it accused Sun of launching a “public smear campaign” including claims that it said were false. The crypto project – one of several...
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US Supreme Court restores access to abortion pill mifepristone
2 days ago
by Associated Press
The Supreme Court on Monday restored broad access to the abortion pill mifepristone, blocking a ruling that had threatened to upend one of the main ways abortion is provided across the nation. The order signed by Justice Samuel Alito temporarily allows women seeking abortions to obtain the pill at pharmacies or through the mail, without an in-person visit to a doctor. Those rules had been in effect for several years until a federal appeal court imposed new restrictions last week. Most abortions...
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Awkward India diplomacy, US-Nato ‘crisis’, Strait of Hormuz woes: 7 global relations reads
2 days ago
by SCMP
We have selected seven of the most interesting and important news stories covering global relations from the past few weeks. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Quad summit plan turns uneasy as India pushes ahead without top leaders: sources A stretch of awkward diplomacy was unfolding in the Indo-Pacific in April: New Delhi was planning to host a foreign ministers’ meeting that could have been framed as a leaders-level discussion, even if the top...
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Wall Street hesitates, oil prices rise amid uncertainty in Strait of Hormuz
2 days ago
by Associated Press
The US stock market is holding tentatively near its record heights on Monday, while oil prices climb with uncertainty about when oil tankers can resume crossing the Strait of Hormuz and restore the world’s flow of crude. Duelling claims about a possible Iranian strike on a US Navy vessel in the strait heightened the tensions. The S&P 500 slipped 0.1 per cent, coming off its latest all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 216 points, or 0.4 per cent, as of 9.35am Eastern time, and...
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‘Made in Europe’ law sets stage for an economic showdown with China
2 days ago
by Nikola Mikovic
Amid the trade war with the United States, the last thing China needs is an economic confrontation with the European Union – Beijing’s major export destination. But with the EU seemingly determined to protect its market by introducing measures that many see as controversial, an economic stand-off appears inevitable. When European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen blamed China last June for showing an “unwillingness to live within the constraints of the rules-based international system”,...
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Austria expels 3 Russian diplomats over signals spying
2 days ago
by Reuters
Austria declared three Russian diplomats personae non gratae over an “antenna forest” on the roofs of diplomatic buildings that could be used for spying, the government said on Monday. Numerous satellite dishes placed on buildings used by the Russian state in Vienna, particularly a residential complex for diplomatic staff, have long attracted the attention of Austria’s main domestic intelligence service, which has warned for years they could be used to intercept other states’ satellite...
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Police search for suspects in Oklahoma shooting that injured at least 18 people
2 days ago
by Associated Press
A weekend shooting at a lakeside park in Oklahoma that left nearly two dozen people injured erupted when a group began arguing at an unsanctioned party packed with young adults, a witness said on Monday. Authorities were continuing to search for suspects on Monday in the shooting that critically injured at least three of those hurt. No arrests have been made. It was not clear how many of the injured had been shot, police said on Monday in a statement. It provided few answers about what had...
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Drone hits upscale Moscow tower as Russian capital readies for Victory Day parade
3 days ago
by Bloomberg
A drone hit a residential tower in an upscale Moscow district in a rare strike near the city centre ahead of the traditional World War II Victory Day parade. Moscow air defences repelled an attack by two Ukrainian drones, and one hit the building on Mosfilmovskaya Street, according to a post on Monday by Mayor Sergei Sobyanin. Emergency services were sent to the scene, and there were no reports of casualties. Mosfilmovskaya is about 6-8km (about 4-5 miles) from the Kremlin, and local media...
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Cheaper durians for China, Hong Kong helpers camp in tents: 5 weekend reads you missed
3 days ago
by SCMP
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. Durian Express? China brings in cheaper fruit with new Southeast Asia train 2. ‘Structural shift’: new routes for Middle East freight to bypass Hormuz 3. ‘Nowhere to go’: helpers pushed out of parks spend day off in tents at bus terminus 4. Why Beijing now wants its spies executed in Taiwan back...
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United Airlines Boeing 767 jet hits light pole, truck while landing at Newark
3 days ago
by Agence France-Presse
A United Airlines jet with 231 passengers and crew escaped a major disaster on Sunday after one of its wheels clipped a light post and truck on a highway while on final approach to land in New Jersey. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials said the Boeing 767 landed safely at Newark Liberty International Airport after arriving from Venice, Italy, and the agency would investigate the incident. A preliminary investigation from New Jersey State Police said “while a United Airlines Aircraft...
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Paul Chan should welcome lawmakers’ budget scrutiny, not dismiss it
3 days ago
by Alice Wu
Congratulations to Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po for getting the city’s budget to sail through the Legislative Council. It wasn’t always such smooth sailing and Chan would do well to acknowledge as much. When Chan was first given the keys to the city’s coffers, they were full. Successive financial secretaries faced political pressure of a very different kind. There weren’t many issues that opposing parties saw eye to eye on. However, accusing the government of hoarding cash and not giving...
New York Times
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How the Fight Over Israel Is Playing Out Inside MAGA
3 hours ago
by Anton Troianovski
US and Israeli Attack on Iran (2026), United States Politics and Government, United States International Relations, Republican Party, Fishback, James (1995- ), Carlson, Tucker, Loomer, Laura, Trump, Donald J, IsraelThe war in Iran has added to a tectonic shift in public opinion — a bipartisan swing away from Israel. Some on the far-right are fighting to keep President Trump’s movement aligned with the Jewish state.
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Trump and Rubio Insist Iran War Is Over, Even as Missiles Fly During Cease-Fire
19 hours ago
by David E. Sanger
Iran, Nuclear Weapons, Defense and Military Forces, US and Israeli Attack on Iran (2026), United States Defense and Military Forces, United States International Relations, Strait of Hormuz, Ships and Shipping, State Department, Rubio, Marco, Trump, Donald J, Middle EastThe White House is turning to rhetorical leaps as President Trump tries to put the biggest political crisis of his presidency behind him.
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Iran’s Oil Sector and Economy Are Under Pressure as U.S. Blockade Bites
3 hours ago
by Farnaz Fassihi
US and Israeli Attack on Iran (2026), Oil (Petroleum) and Gasoline, Iran, Embargoes and Sanctions, internal-open-access-from-nlTehran says it can endure the pain, but its oil may soon have nowhere to go.
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Ted Turner, Creator of CNN and the 24-Hour News Cycle, Dies at 87
2 hours ago
by Jonathan Kandell
Cable Television, News and News Media, Atlanta Braves, CNN, Turner, Ted, Deaths (Obituaries), Television, Media, America's Cup, Fonda, Jane, Montana, internal-open-access-from-nlAs one of the most important figures in media history, he oversaw a vast cable empire of news, sports and entertainment channels.
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Rupert Murdoch, David Zaslav and More Media Moguls Remember Ted Turner, CNN’s Founder
3 hours ago
by Benjamin Mullin
Media, News and News Media, Turner, TedThe CNN founder’s death was met with encomiums from leaders in the media industry, which he helped reinvent. “He will be remembered for generations,” said one.
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Higher Gas Prices Are Hitting Lower-Income Americans the Hardest
2 hours ago
by Talmon Joseph Smith
Oil (Petroleum) and Gasoline, United States Politics and Government, Prices (Fares, Fees and Rates), US and Israeli Attack on Iran (2026), Income Inequality, United States Economy, Consumer Behavior, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Federal Reserve SystemPeople with lower incomes are driving less and devoting more of their budgets to transport as gas prices soar.
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Why Is Gas So Much More Expensive in Some States Than Others?
3 hours ago
by Emmett Lindner
Prices (Fares, Fees and Rates), Oil (Petroleum) and Gasoline, US and Israeli Attack on Iran (2026), Regulation and Deregulation of Industry, United States Politics and Government, Ships and Shipping, Taxation, Law and Legislation, Refineries, States (US), Gasoline Tax (US), Air Pollution, Shopping and Retail, Sales and Excise Taxes, Alaska, California, Florida, Texas, LouisianaShipping, taxes, competition and environmental regulations all play a part in the cost of gasoline. That can lead to stark differences in pump prices.
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Tennessee Republicans Unveil New Congressional Map Carving Up Majority-Black House District
3 hours ago
by Emily Cochrane
Midterm Elections (2026), Redistricting and Reapportionment, Voting Rights Act (1965), State Legislatures, Memphis (Tenn), Nashville (Tenn), Tennessee, Race and EthnicityThe General Assembly is expected to quickly approve the map, which slices up Memphis, a majority-Black city that makes up most of the state’s lone Democratic district.
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Obama Talks Trump, Mamdani, Aliens and More in Colbert Interview
3 hours ago
by Tim Balk
United States Politics and Government, Colbert, Stephen, Obama, Barack, Trump, Donald J, internal-open-access-from-nlThe former president was critical of President Trump, without ever naming him. Mr. Obama also urged Democrats to be plain-spoken, and talked about aliens.
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Candidates for California Governor Debate Tonight: What to Know
3 hours ago
by Jill Cowan
California, Debates (Political), Elections, Governors, Midterm Elections (2026), Becerra, Xavier, Porter, Katie (1974- ), Steyer, Thomas F, Hilton, Steve (1969- ), Swalwell, Eric M, Democratic Party, Republican PartySeven candidates in the California governor’s race will face off at a debate hosted by NBC Los Angeles. The New York Times will livestream the event.
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A Democratic State Auditor Is Taking on Her Party, and Firing Up Voters
2 hours ago
by Jenna Russell
State Legislatures, Politics and Government, Corruption (Institutional), Referendums, Suits and Litigation (Civil), Midterm Elections (2026), DiZoglio, Diana, Democratic Party, MassachusettsMassachusetts voters approved a ballot measure in 2024 authorizing Diana DiZoglio, the state auditor, to closely scrutinize the State Legislature. A battle ensued.
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Weather Service Races to Rehire as Storm Season Arrives
2 hours ago
by Scott Dance, Judson Jones and Amy Graff
Weather, Hurricanes and Tropical Storms, Tornadoes, Layoffs and Job Reductions, United States Politics and Government, Government Employees, National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Trump, Donald JAfter deep cuts last year, the agency is hiring hundreds. But fears linger that it isn’t equipped for imminent tornado and hurricane threats.
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Howard Lutnick Is Grilled by Lawmakers Over Epstein Ties
an hour ago
by Ana Swanson and Michael Gold
United States Politics and Government, Commerce Department, House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Epstein, Jeffrey E (1953- ), Lutnick, Howard WThe commerce secretary appeared for hours in a closed-door session on Wednesday with the House Oversight Committee
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Conservative Group’s Connections at the State Department Raise Some Alarms
an hour ago
by Michael Crowley and Edward Wong
United States Politics and Government, Diplomatic Service, Embassies and Consulates, Hiring and Promotion, Diversity Initiatives, Foreign Service (US), Heritage Foundation, State Department, Meeks, Gregory W, Landau, Christopher T (1963- ), Rubio, Marco, Bass, John R, United StatesFounders of the Ben Franklin Fellowship are trying to dismantle pro-diversity practices in the agency and to boost career diplomats who promote President Trump’s ideas.
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Her Self-Experiment with Drug Detox Almost Broke Her
6 hours ago
by Matt Richtel and Meridith Kohut
Opioids and Opiates, Pain-Relieving Drugs, Drug Abuse and Traffic, Drugs (Pharmaceuticals), Content Type: Personal Profile, Reddit Inc, Scripps Research Institute, University of South Florida, Moyers, William CopeAgainst expert advice, people are using new and unpredictable synthetic drugs to experiment on themselves in hopes of becoming free of addiction.
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3 People Are Evacuated From Cruise Ship With Hantavirus Outbreak
2 hours ago
by Claire Moses and Aimee Ortiz
Cruises, Hantavirus, Deaths (Fatalities), Oceanwide Expeditions BV, Canary Islands, South Africa, Cape Verde, internal-open-access-from-nlThree people with possible symptoms of the disease were evacuated on Wednesday morning from the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius.
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Should You Worry About Hantavirus?
an hour ago
by Nina Agrawal and Dani Blum
Quarantines, Hantavirus, Disease Rates, Respiratory Diseases, Ships and ShippingHere’s what to know about the virus, how it spreads and the risk to the general public.
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The Longevity Secrets Helping Athletes Blow Past the Limits of Age
11 hours ago
by Devin Gordon and Dina Litovsky
Athletics and Sports, Longevity, Diet and Nutrition, Age, Chronological, Saunas and Sweat Lodges, Wearable Computing, Surgery and Surgeons, Sleep, Brady, TomWith cutting-edge sports medicine and sci-fi gadgetry, more and more athletes are figuring out how to extend their careers.
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Leo XIV Is the First Pope From the U.S. He’s Making That an Asset.
5 hours ago
by Motoko Rich and Elizabeth Dias
Europe, United States, Leo XIV, Roman Catholic Church, Popes, United States Politics and GovernmentA year into his papacy, Leo has shown a readiness to challenge Washington, defying any concerns about the election of an American pontiff.
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What Happened When Pope Leo XIV Had to Call Customer Service
a day ago
by Julie Bosman
Leo XIV, Roman Catholic Church, Chicago (Ill), Content Type: Personal ProfileSpoiler alert: There was no miracle.
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A Landslide in Alaska Set Off a Tsunami. There May Be More to Come.
7 hours ago
by Christian Elliott
Landslides and Mudslides, Geology, Tidal Waves and Tsunamis, Global Warming, Glaciers, United States Geological Survey, Science (Journal), Alaska, internal-open-access-from-nlScientists say as glaciers retreat in a warming climate, landslide-generated tsunamis are likely to become more frequent.
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New Study Shows Risks of Amazon Deforestation. And Rewards of Protection.
2 hours ago
by Sachi Kitajima Mulkey
Amazon Jungle, Forests and Forestry, deforestation, Global Warming, Research, Nature (Journal), Carbon Dioxide, Rain, Conservation of Resources, Environment, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Drought, BrazilResearchers examined the combined effects of tree loss and global warming in an effort to better understand how and when an ecosystem collapse could unfold.
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Guy Goma’s Accidental BBC Interview Lives On After 20 Years
4 hours ago
by Jonathan Wolfe
Television, News and News Media, British Broadcasting CorpGuy Goma thought he was interviewing for an I.T. job when he found himself on air on the BBC. What came next was familiar to anyone who has been unprepared at work.
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Artifacts from the Titanic May Soon Be Auctioned
5 hours ago
by Marc Davis
Shipwrecks (Historic), Collectors and Collections, Titanic (Ship), Ships and Shipping, Atlantic Ocean, Newfoundland (Canada), Norfolk (Va), White Star Line, Maritime Accidents and Safety, DrowningsThe last time a sale was proposed, the idea drew objections from the U.S. and French governments, and from UNESCO and other cultural institutions.
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In ‘Rocky Horror,’ Luke Evans Finds His Ballad of Sexual Liberation
an hour ago
by Zachary Small and Justin J Wee
Evans, Luke (1979- ), Content Type: Personal Profile, Actors and Actresses, Theater, Theater (Broadway), The Rocky Horror Show (Play), Homosexuality and Bisexuality, Jehovah's Witnesses, Wales, vis-photoWhat does it take to play Frank-N-Furter in “The Rocky Horror Show” on Broadway? Luke Evans transforms in five-inch heels and an endless supply of glitter.
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Neil deGrasse Tyson: Give Us the Aliens
5 hours ago
by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Extraterrestrial Life, Space and Astronomy, Classified Information and State Secrets, United States Politics and Government, Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO)Is that too much to ask for?
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John Roberts Believes in an America That Doesn’t Exist
5 hours ago
by Jamelle Bouie
Voting Rights Act (1965), Minorities, State Legislatures, Federal-State Relations (US), Voting Rights, Registration and Requirements, Midterm Elections (2026), Black People, Redistricting and Reapportionment, Supreme Court (US), House of Representatives, Senate, Douglass, Frederick, Roberts, John G JrGuess who benefits from a “colorblind Constitution.”
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Tell Us How High Gas Prices Have Affected Your Finances
a day ago
by Tony Romm
US and Israeli Attack on Iran (2026), Prices (Fares, Fees and Rates), Oil (Petroleum) and Gasoline, Content Type: Service, United States Economy, United States, internal-reader-calloutWith fuel costs soaring from the war with Iran, we want to hear how you’re feeling about the U.S. economy.
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His DNA Was Taken After His Arrest at an ICE Protest. Now, He’s Suing.
an hour ago
by Hurubie Meko
Illegal Immigration, Demonstrations, Protests and Riots, Immigration Detention, Forensic Science, Suits and Litigation (Civil), DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid), Genetics and Heredity, United States Politics and Government, Immigration and Emigration, Federal Actions in US Cities, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Department, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (US), Dunne, Carey R, Trump, Donald J, Broadview (Ill), Chicago (Ill), Illinois, United StatesIn a lawsuit, an Air Force veteran says that the federal government is sending a “chilling message” to people demonstrating against the immigration crackdown.
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Office of Virginia State Senator Louise Lucas Raided by F.B.I. Agents
3 hours ago
by Devlin Barrett
United States Politics and Government, Cannabis Foods and Products, Corruption (Institutional), State Legislatures, Marijuana, Redistricting and Reapportionment, Search and Seizure, Federal Bureau of Investigation, VirginiaTwo people familiar with the case said the search of a Democratic lawmaker’s office was related to a Biden-era investigation of possible corruption and bribery related to marijuana businesses.
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Reclaiming the Name of the Black Hero Who Inspired ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’
11 hours ago
by Ian Austen and Ian Willms
Uncle Tom's Cabin (Book), Black People, Slavery (Historical), Ontario (Canada), Race and Ethnicity, Canada, Museums, Discrimination, Stowe, Harriet Beecher, Books and LiteratureAfter 42 years of slavery, Josiah Henson escaped to Canada, where he wrote a memoir, founded a school and led others to freedom. But his home long bore the name “Uncle Tom,” to the offense of many.
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Clavicular Charged With Shooting at Alligator While Livestreaming
2 hours ago
by David Ovalle and Christina Morales
Social Media, Video Recordings, Downloads and Streaming, Alligators, Kick.com, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Clavicular (Braden Peters), Everglades (Fla), Miami (Fla)The influencer, whose real name is Braden Eric Peters, fired 12 shots at the gator from an airboat in the Florida Everglades.