Minimalist News

China's BYD Introduces 3.9-Second 0-60 Electric SUV With Massive Range Authored by Bojan Stojkovski via Interesting Engineering, The BYD Great Tang full-size SUV is now reaching dealerships across China ahead of its planned April presale debut at the Beijing Auto Show. Early dealer data shows at least four configurations are being prepared for the market, spanning rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive setups with varying performance and range ratings.  BYD Great Tang SUV set to challenge established plug-in hybrid rivals. In its most capable form, the SUV is expected to deliver up to around 590 miles of driving range, positioning it as a long-distance option in the

Bitcoin Could Be Quantum-Safe Without Protocol Changes, New Proposal Claims Authored by Micah Zimmerman via Bitcoin Magazine.coim A new research proposal claims it can make Bitcoin transactions resistant to quantum attacks without changing the network’s core rules, a goal that has drawn attention as concerns grow over future cryptographic risks. In a paper published on April 9, Avihu Levy of StarkWare outlined “Quantum-Safe Bitcoin Transactions Without Softforks,” introducing a scheme called Quantum Safe Bitcoin, or QSB. The design aims to protect transactions from threats posed by quantum computers while remaining compatible with the existing Bitcoin protocol. The proposal targets a known vulnerability in Bitcoin’s current design. Standard transactions

Car-Shopping Websites Report Uptick In EV Interest Following Gasoline Price Shock March brought the biggest fuel price shock Americans have experienced on record, or at least according to AAA data going back to the early 2000s. A fuel price shock changes consumer behavior, especially for low-income households, by forcing folks to drive less, combine trips, cancel discretionary travel, or shift to carpooling and public transit. For those who have the financial flexibility to do so, a fuel price shock may push some consumers toward smaller cars, hybrids, and EVs and away from large SUVs and trucks, because fuel economy suddenly matters much more. The

Climate Organization Behind Anti-ICE Protests Is Leading May 1 School Walkout Plan, Parent Group Reports Authored by Aaron Gifford via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), One of the main organizations behind the recent protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations is encouraging children to walk out of class en masse next month to help promote its agenda, which includes achieving what it said are “Eco-socialism, [a] multi-racial democracy, and Green New Deal legislation,” according to a April 8 report by representatives of parent group Defending Education. Organized by the Sunrise Movement, hundreds of young climate activists march to the White House to

It's A MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+ World And We're Just Living In It Authored by Rick Moran via PJMedia.com, What is MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+? It might be a new, super-strong password. Maybe it's a Gen-Whatever code-like thing that's sweeping the internet, like "6-7" or something. If only it could be that mundane. In fact, MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+ is an all-inclusive, all-encompassing, balls-to-the-wall, slam bang, wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am acronym for the totality of the gender bending, sexually "unique" population of Canada.  For the record, as Jim Treacher helpfully points out, it stands for "Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and "additional identities ("+"). The excitement was started by

Netanyahu Says Israel Will Continue To Fight Iran & Proxies, Unlike Appeaser Erdogan As expected, Israel says it is preparing to keep waging war against Iran - even as the US and Tehran are engaged in high level talks in Pakistan. Clearly Tel Aviv has a dim view of the potential outcome in the Islamabad summit. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a fresh statement Saturday vowed he will continue fighting Iran and its allies, in a post that also took a swipe at Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. > Israel under my leadership will continue to fight Iran’s terror regime and its

Texas To Face $700 Million In Federal Penalties For SNAP Errors Through 2027 Authored by Sylvia Xu via The Epoch Times, Texas is expected to pay $708 million more by 2027 to the federal government in penalties for erroneous distributions from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The state officials released the cost in a presentation to the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services on April 8. The state payment error rate was estimated to be nearly 9 percent in fiscal year 2025, totaling $627 million in erroneous payments. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Texas will need to share an additional food

Three Supertankers Carrying Iraqi And Saudi Crude Sail Through The Strait Of Hormuz The wait is over: after the Persian Gulf side of the Hormuz Strait had turned into a bit of a parking lot late last week as tankers piled up hoping to use the ceasefire and make the crossing, two Chinese supertankers loaded with crude sailed through the Strait of Hormuz hours after a Greek vessel moved through the waterway, marking a significant uptick in oil shipping traffic. It represents the biggest day of oil exits through Hormuz since the war caused traffic through the waterway to all but halt

Sotomayor Blames Colleagues For Flood Of Emergency Appeals Authored by Jackson Richman via The Epoch Times, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said a surge in emergency appeals to the Supreme Court is largely the court’s own doing. “We’ve done it to ourselves,” she said during an April 9 event at the University of Alabama School of Law. She said that the volume of emergency filings has reached levels never seen before in the court’s history.   Over the past 15 months, the Trump administration submitted about 30 emergency requests to the court, succeeding in more than 80 percent of them.   Many of those rulings divided the justices along ideological

Rep. Tim Burchett Says "Names, Dates, People And Locations" Set To Be Revealed In UFO Briefings Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-TN) says he is looking forward to what he has seen in classified UFO briefings be made public next week. In a clip that’s ripping across X, Stephen A. Smith asked point-blank: “You’ve said you’ve seen UFO briefings that would, quote, set the earth on fire, end quote. And you also said publicly, you’re not su*cidal. That’s a serious statement. What exactly are you being told that the American people aren’t allowed to hear, sir, about UFOs?” Burchett responded:

Why Is China's Embassy In D.C. Hardening Security Perimeter With Barbed Wire Washington, D.C.-focused local outlet Popville, short for Prince of Petworth, posted several images showing barbed wire being installed around the security perimeter of the Chinese Embassy. The photos appear to show at least four workers installing the barbed wire atop an already hardened perimeter wall of block and iron fencing.  Embassies in Washington face security risks, but the sudden decision to further harden the Chinese compound raises obvious questions: whether Beijing is responding to a specific threat, anticipating protests or unrest nearby, or preparing for the arrival of a senior official

'Next Step Mars': Trump Congratulates Artemis II Astronauts On Historic Lunar Mission Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times, President Donald Trump congratulated the crew of NASA’s Artemis II mission after their spacecraft splashed into the Pacific Ocean on April 10, capping their 10-day lunar voyage. Artemis II, NASA’s 10-day test flight around the moon, concluded just after 5 p.m. PT, 8 p.m. ET, on April 10 when the Orion spacecraft gently parachuted into the Pacific Ocean off San Diego, California. > Artemis II splashdown. pic.twitter.com/UUvbvVfGey > > — Joyce (@Trefejoy4) April 11, 2026 In a Truth Social post, Trump said he “could not be

Orban Warns "We Could Now Lose Everything": Sunday's Hungarian Elections Have Profound Implications For Europe As Hungarians head to the polls on Sunday, April 12, 2026, the country stands at a historic inflection point. For the first time since Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party swept back into power in 2010, a credible challenger - Péter Magyar and his Tisza party - has a genuine shot at ending 16 years of what Orbán proudly calls his "illiberal laboratory." In a final campaign rally, Orbán warned supporters they are choosing "not just a government, but the fate of the country" and could "now lose

Three Contrarian Signals That Aren't Easy To Ignore As Earnings Season Begins Authored by Lance Roberts via RealInvestmentAdvice.com, 💰 Q1 EARNINGS SEASON BEGINS As a fragile ceasefire with Iran hangs in the balance and oil trades near multi-year highs, the Q1 earnings season is arriving in one of the most negatively positioned markets in years. That backdrop may be exactly the reason it’s worth reconsidering the “fade the rally” stance we posited last week. For individuals who have not been in the financial markets for very long, there is an important lesson to learn. > “The markets are designed to inflict the maximum amount of pain

Watch: Axe-Wielding Man Attacks U.S. C-130 Cargo Plane At Irish Airport Footage posted on X appears to show a deranged man hammering away on top of a U.S. Air Force C-130H Hercules parked at Shannon Airport on Ireland's west coast on Friday. "A man breached security at Shannon Airport in Ireland, climbed onto a parked C-130 Hercules, and damaged it with a tool," the Clash Report wrote on X. > WATCH: A man breached security at Shannon Airport in Ireland, climbed onto a parked C-130 Hercules, and damaged it with a tool. > > He was arrested. pic.twitter.com/uls2tfgGND > > — Clash Report (@clashreport) April

Swalwell Denies Rape Allegations - Refuses to Drop Out Of Governor's Race Despite Democrat Exodus The latest: • Eric Swalwell’s California governor campaign collapsed after sexual assault allegations. • Former staffer alleged harassment plus two assaults while she was intoxicated. • Four women total have accused Swalwell of sexual misconduct. • Swalwell denies all claims as false and politically motivated. • Major Democratic allies withdrew support and called for him to exit the race. - Update (as of Saturday morning): Since the San Francisco Chronicle story and initial fallout (including Hakeem Jeffries’ call for Swalwell to step down), Swalwell released a video across social media strongly denying

IMF Warns Iran War Will Slow Global Growth, Raise Inflation, And Worsen Food Insecurity Submitted by OilPrice.com Severe fuel shortages, hunger, and spiralling inflation will be some of the consequences of the Iran war as the head of the International Monetary Fund said that it would leave “scarring effects” on the global economy.   In a speech by Kristalina Georgieva, the IMF’s managing director, global policymakers were warned that trade disruption across the Middle East over the last month would lead to lower growth and higher inflation. > IMF Başkanı Kristalina Georgieva, İran savaşının küresel ekonomik büyümeyi yavaşlatacağı konusunda uyarıda bulundu. pic.twitter.com/KJjRWlQvYl > > — Voice

Mamdani's First 100 Days Aren't Getting High Marks From Voters Zohran Mamdani rode a wave of progressive enthusiasm and sweeping promises to become the Mayor of New York City. Now, as he closes in on his first hundred days in office, he’s learning that governing is a lot harder than campaigning, and a new poll suggests New Yorkers are starting to be skeptical about what they voted for. Some of Mamdani’s campaign promises won’t be fulfilled because Gov. Kathy Hochul is refusing to subsidize them. Earlier this year, snow and trash removal problems became major issues, as residents were forced to endure eight-foot-high

Novorossiysk Restarts Oil Loadings At Reduced Capacity After Drone Strike By Julianne Geiger of OilPrice Russia has restarted limited oil loadings at its Black Sea port of Novorossiysk after a drone attack earlier this week forced a full suspension. Operations at the Sheskharis terminal resumed late Thursday, but only one berth is currently active. A single cargo of roughly 80,000 tons is expected to depart, well below the terminal's normal capacity of about 700,000 barrels per day. The restart comes after the Monday strike that caused fires at a fuel terminal and damaged loading infrastructure. Shipments were halted entirely. The loading schedule had since

Metal Shock: Gulf's Largest Aluminum Producer Declares Force Majeure A little more than a week after Emirates Global Aluminum (EGA), the Gulf's largest aluminum producer, halted operations at its Al Taweelah smelter following Iranian missile and drone strikes, EGA has now declared force majeure on parts of its contract book, signaling that supply chain disruptions are spreading beyond energy markets and into industrial metals. Bloomberg obtained new documents showing that EGA invoked force majeure clauses to suspend at least some deliveries after Iranian drone and missile strikes damaged the Taweelah smelter and forced it to shut down operations. EGA is jointly owned by

Crime and corruption top voter concerns in highly unpredictable election with 35 candidates for president Peruvians go to the polls on Sunday hoping to break a cycle of instability that has produced nine presidents in a decade as well as surging violent crime, corruption scandals and overwhelming distrust in institutions and politicians. About 27 million people who are eligible to vote must choose between a record 35 presidential candidates as well as contenders for the bicameral congress – all from a ballot sheet measuring nearly half a metre, the longest in the country’s history. Continue reading...

Lynette and Brian Hooker, from Michigan, were years into a sailing adventure when Brian said his wife fell overboard Lynette Hooker bounced around the deck of the docked Soul Mate, smiled into the camera and proclaimed, “We’re finally leaving Kemah,” referring to a Texas port town. “It’s only been four months,” she said as her husband, Brian, tugged on some rigging as they got ready to set sail. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Dozens of organizations write to Congress after general announced plan to ‘deal with’ those fleeing any humanitarian crisis on the island Dozens of US and international human rights organizations are decrying the Trump administration’s plans to establish a migrant “camp” for fleeing Cubans at the Guantánamo Bay military base if the island nation’s crisis worsens under pressure from the US, according to a letter to members of Congress on Friday. The 85 groups plan to submit the joint letter, exclusively shared with the Guardian, to US senators and House representatives, expressing their “profound concern” with comments made last month by a

John Feeley says US president was ‘flush with victory’ of Maduro capture and could make same mistake in Cuba Donald Trump is “reaping the bitter fruit” of erroneously thinking that the capture of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, offered a blueprint for toppling the Iranian regime, according to one of the US state department’s most respected former Latin America experts. John Feeley, a Marine helicopter pilot who later served as the US ambassador to Panama, believed Trump had been “flush with the victory from Venezuela” when he made the ill-fated decision to attack Iran in February, leaving a trail of destruction across the

Cuba accuses US of ‘extorting’ countries in pushing them to axe deals with Havana to send doctors on medical missions Cuba’s foreign minister has accused the United States of “extorting” Latin American countries by putting pressure on them to cancel decades-old deals with Havana for the supply of doctors. Bruno Rodríguez said the United States was trying to “strangle” the economy of the communist island, which earns billions from its foreign medical missions, after several countries stopped deploying Cuban doctors. Continue reading...

Cyclone crossed coast near Maketu peninsula, packing destructive winds exceeding 130km/h (80 mph), heavy rain and large swells Cyclone Vaianu made landfall in New Zealand’s North Island on Sunday, triggering floods, power outages and forcing hundreds to evacuate. The cyclone crossed the coast near the Maketu peninsula, packing destructive winds exceeding 130km/h (80 mph), heavy rain and large swells, national weather provider MetService said, describing Vaianu as a “life-threatening” system. Continue reading...

Having received assurances from Singapore over refined fuels, diesel supply will surely be next on the prime minister’s agenda * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Anthony Albanese isn’t coming back from Singapore with a shipload of diesel in his checked baggage. That doesn’t mean his whistle-stop visit wasn’t a success, or that it won’t be seen in future as a pivotal moment if fuel stocks continue to be choked by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The government never expected that the quick whip to Singapore, with just one full day on the ground, would

Vaianu, forecast to bring heavy rain and winds of up to 130 kmh (80 mph), is expected to hit on Sunday Thousands of New Zealanders were ordered to evacuate their homes on Saturday as the country’s North Island braced for Cyclone Vaianu, which authorities warned could cause coastal flooding and landslides. Vaianu, forecast to bring heavy rain and winds of up to 130 km/h (80 mp/h), was expected to hit on Sunday, then pass west of the remote Chatham Islands on Monday, the country’s weather forecaster said. Continue reading...

Local people say road conditions are rugged and weather unpredictable, while some say it has become too congested The recent death of a British gap-year student on the Ha Giang loop, a popular motorcycle tour through the mountains in north Vietnam, has heightened concerns about a trail reputed to be one of the most dangerous in the country. Orla Wates, 19, from Surrey, was riding as a pillion passenger when she fell off and was hit by an oncoming truck, according to local media. She was taken to hospital in Hanoi, where she died from her injuries last week. Continue reading...

Powerful storm brings destruction, while temperatures soar in Vietnam and torrential rain lashes South Korea Severe Tropical Cyclone Maila, currently in the Solomon Sea, is expected to continue moving south-westwards over the coming days. According to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Maila had peak sustained winds of 115mph (185km/h), with gusts up to 160mph on Thursday, making it the strongest cyclone recorded this far north in the Solomon Sea. The storm has caused widespread damage across the Solomon Islands, particularly in Western, Choiseul and Isabel provinces, where schools, clinics and homes have been damaged. The government is prioritising humanitarian assistance after about

Australia’s foreign affairs minister says priority ‘must be to continue the ceasefire and return to negotiations’ * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Australia’s foreign affairs minister, Penny Wong, has urged the US and Iran to continue the ceasefire and return to negotiations quickly, after peace talks failed to secure a deal or the re-opening of the strait of Hormuz. Historic face-to-face meetings in Pakistan – marking the highest-level of direct engagement between Washington and Tehran in decades – seemingly broke down after a marathon 21-hour first day of talks. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed * Penny Wong calls failed peace talks between US and Iran ‘disappointing’ and urges resumption * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Seven-year-old girl drowns at swimming spot on Brisbane River A seven-year-old girl has drowned at a popular swimming spot on the Brisbane River in the south-west of the city, AAP reports. Continue reading...

Catherine King says while peace talks were ‘best chance’ at lowering fuel prices, further help may be included in budget * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Track Australia’s fuel prices, service station outages and shipments in charts * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The Albanese government is contemplating further relief for struggling households and businesses in next month’s federal budget, as peace talks continue between the US and Iran amid a fragile ceasefire. The infrastructure minister, Catherine King, said the success of those talks was the “best chance” at bringing down

Human rights lawyers say NDIS workers and their clients remain at risk despite newly bolstered whistleblower protections * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast When Susan* came across wrongdoing at her disability support provider, she faced a choice. Say nothing, and allow her highly vulnerable clients to be put at serious risk. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Move comes after Guardian Australia revealed Gemma Seymour was facing potential suspension over video criticising RMIT’s ties to weapons companies RMIT University has dropped a misconduct case against a student who accused the institution of being “complicit in genocide” in Gaza, because of its defence and aerospace research centre’s ties to weapons companies. Guardian Australia this week revealed the student, Gemma Seymour, faced potential suspension over a social media video calling for the university’s Sir Lawrence Wackett Defence and Aerospace Centre to be shut down. Continue reading...

Rightwing leader trails in polls to Péter Magyar, despite support from JD Vance on recent visit Hungarians are heading to the ballot boxes to vote in a hard-fought parliamentary election that could oust Viktor Orbán after 16 years in power and potentially reshape the central European country’s relations with the EU, Moscow and Washington. In the campaign, Orbán – the EU’s longest-serving leader – has trailed in the polls as he faces an unprecedented challenge from Péter Magyar, a former elite member of Orbán’s Fidesz party. Continue reading...

Suspect in 40s arrested after man apparently climbed on to USAF C130 Hercules transport plane on remote taxiway in County Clare A man has been arrested after entering an unauthorised area of an airport in the Republic of Ireland and allegedly causing damage to a US military aircraft, police have said. The suspect, aged in his 40s, was arrested for alleged criminal damage and remains in custody over the incident on Saturday at Shannon airport in County Clare. Continue reading...

Ukraine reports 469 violations of Putin’s 32-hour ceasefire, hours after deadly drone attacks on Odesa and Kherson Russia continued to strike Ukrainian positions with drones after a Kremlin-declared Easter ceasefire took effect on Saturday, a Ukrainian military officer said. “The ceasefire is not being observed by the Russian side,” said Serhii Kolesnychenko, a communications officer for the 148th Separate Artillery Brigade. Continue reading...

Police rescued boy after neighbour reported sounds of a child coming from vehicle in Hagenbach in eastern France A malnourished nine-year-old boy was rescued after being locked in his father’s van since 2024 in eastern France, a prosecutor said. A neighbour alerted police to “sounds of a child” coming from a vehicle in the village of Hagenbach, near the borders of Switzerland and Germany. Continue reading...

Former Ukrainian major general says 4kg of material was most likely an attempt to influence Hungary’s election * Hungary elections explainer The amount of explosives discovered in Serbia last week would not have been enough to destroy the Balkan Stream gas pipeline, prompting an expert to conclude it was probably a Russian intelligence plot aimed at influencing Hungary’s impending election. A former Ukrainian major general and a munitions specialist told the Guardian calculations made by his company showed the 4kg of explosives recovered by Serbia’s military security agency in Kanjiža could not have seriously ruptured the pipe. Continue reading...

JD Vance leads American delegation while Iran’s negotiators headed up by Iran’s parliamentary speaker Peace talks between Iran and the US began in Islamabad this afternoon, with senior negotiators from both countries meeting face to face at the highest level for the first time since 1979, in the presence of mediators from Pakistan. Pakistani state TV said US and Iranian officials were “sitting directly at the same table” – which was later confirmed by the White House – and discussions were beginning in a positive atmosphere, despite fighting continuing in Lebanon. Continue reading...

Three arrested by federal agents had family ties to Iranian military general, regime spokesperson or security chief United States federal agents arrested three Iranian nationals – including the son of a revolutionary at the center of the 1979 Iran hostage crisis – after the US state department terminated their green cards, the department announced on Saturday. State department officials revoked the green card status of Seyed Eissa Hashemi, whose mother was an Iranian revolutionary who served as the spokesperson for Iran’s regime during the hostage crisis that defined the late Jimmy Carter’s presidency. The state department also revoked the green card –

Britain’s standing in the world was never the same after its assault on Egypt in 1956. Now the US risks repeating history in the Middle East * Middle East crisis – live updates Donald Trump’s addiction to framing every event in the most apocalyptic terms is what allows conservative commentators such as Mark Levin to praise him as “a once-in-a-century president”. But Trump cannot play out his entire presidency on a reckless high wire without eventually falling off – potentially taking America with him into a steep decline into the unknown. Continue reading...

US president says that warships are being reloaded with weaponry to strike Iran if Saturday’s Islamabad talks fail to produce a deal * JD Vance warns Iran against trying to ‘play’ the US in peace talks * Netanyahu says there is no ceasefire in Lebanon as Israel launches fresh strikes The streets of Islamabad are on strict lockdown as Pakistan’s capital prepares to play host to historic negotiations between Iran and the US that have dangled the promise of an end to war that has devastated the Middle East. Even as the US-Iran ceasefire looked increasingly precarious, amid Israel’s continued bombardment of

Vice-president’s war doubts and his boss’s desperation to reopen the Hormuz strait constitute a weak deck against bolstered opponents * Middle East crisis – live updates As JD Vance arrives in Islamabad to negotiate a peace deal with Iran, his first high-profile assignment of the war looks to be a poisoned chalice. Vance, a vocal opponent of US wars in the Middle East gone quiet since the beginning of the current military campaign, will now face off with Iranian negotiators who feel emboldened by their new control of the Hormuz strait and their resilience in the face of the largest US-Israeli onslaught

In Pakistan’s capital, the army has been deployed, a public holiday has been declared and the streets are eerily empty * Middle East crisis – live updates The streets of Islamabad were on strict lockdown as Pakistan’s capital prepared to play host to historic negotiations between Iran and the US that have dangled the promise of an end to war that has devastated the Middle East. Even as the US-Iran ceasefire looked increasingly precarious, amid Israel’s continued bombardment of Lebanon and disputes over the terms of the talks, Pakistani officials insisted that the make-or-break peace negotiations would be going ahead over the

Israeli PM says he will continue to attack Hezbollah ‘with full force’ after attacks that killed more than 300 people * Middle East crisis – live updates Benjamin Netanyahu has said there is “no ceasefire in Lebanon” and Israel would continue “to strike Hezbollah with full force” as the country’s military launched fresh strikes. The Israeli prime minister’s remarks and latest attacks on what the IDF called “Hezbollah launch sites” came shortly after Donald Trump said he had asked Netanyahu to be more “low-key” in Lebanon. Later on Friday, a US state department official said Israel and Lebanon will hold talks in Washington

Analysts say Pakistani officials’ efforts led to breakthrough that has helped avert catastrophe, at least for now * Middle East crisis – live updates Pakistan’s leaders had almost lost hope. After more than two weeks of frantic negotiations, phonecalls and diplomatic summits to try to end the US-Israeli war with Iran, it looked like the conflict might instead be escalating into Islamabad’s worst nightmare. In a cabinet meeting held at about 5pm on Tuesday, Pakistan’s prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, was morose. “We should brace ourselves for the impact of the war,” he told his cabinet ministers. “The situation has really become very

Two-week ceasefire comes after Trump spoke to Pakistan’s leaders, with China also believed to be exerting influence over Tehran * Middle East crisis – live updates * US and Iran agree to provisional ceasefire with Tehran saying it will reopen strait of Hormuz The US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday barely an hour before Donald Trump’s deadline to obliterate Iran was set to expire, with Tehran agreeing to temporarily reopen the strait of Hormuz. Israel also agreed to the ceasefire, the White House said. As Trump announced he was suspending his plans to escalate attacks across Iran, the

UN assists in emergency vaccination drive as country battles worst surge in cases in years amid fall in vaccination rates Bangladesh is battling its worse measles outbreak in years, with more than 100 children dead amid a rise in unvaccinated infants. The government, in partnership with the United Nations, has begun conducting an emergency measles-rubella vaccination drive for children across the country, after more than 900 cases were confirmed since March. Continue reading...

Formerly unloved vegetable casts off lowly roots to feature in Great Pavilion after online craze among young gardeners They are an unloved root vegetable traditionally grown for cattle feed, and when pulled from the ground they look like an ingredient destined for a witch’s cauldron. But the humble mangelwurzel will be in pride of place in the Great Pavilion at this year’s Chelsea flower show (19-23 May), after becoming the subject of an online craze among young gardeners. Continue reading...

War with Iran has brought 15 American sites across the UK countryside firmly into the spotlight They are dotted across the UK countryside, often obscured from public view behind highly secured perimeter fences. Technically, they are on British soil, and misleadingly most have “Royal Air Force” in their name. But in many respects, these military outposts are under the control of the US president and commander-in-chief. Continue reading...

Fraudsters send emails claiming storage is full or nearly full, then trick people into clicking on links that can expose bank and personal details For a while you’ve been getting messages from Apple saying “your iCloud storage is full”. They say you have exceeded your storage plan, so documents are no longer being backed up, and photos you take aren’t being uploaded. You have been resisting Apple’s efforts to get you to pay a minimum of 99p a month for more storage. But it seems that you can’t keep putting off the inevitable: you have received an email which says your iCloud

Estate agents say rising mortgage costs have created a mood of fear, with Canterbury among the cities being hit * Have you lost a mortgage deal or seen your rate rise? On a warm, spring morning in Canterbury, the cobbled streets are buzzing with activity and the white Tudor houses gleam in the sun. It is a scene that seems far removed from events in the Middle East, but the conflict is undermining business and consumer confidence – rattling the city’s housing market just as the spring selling season began. Continue reading...

Exclusive: US state is targeting corporate heavyweights in the UK with subsidies and incentives * Y’all Street: Bullish Dallas aims to steal New York’s crown The US state of Texas is putting UK businesses in its crosshairs with the launch this month of a dedicated London office to lure jobs and investment to the low-tax Lone Star State. Texas recently secured approval for the new site, adding to a growing list of international offices from which it can try to draw corporate heavyweights across its borders. Continue reading...

US vice-president says Iran chose not to accept American terms for a deal, including to not build nuclear weapons * JD Vance and US delegation leave Pakistan after failing to reach deal with Iran * US officials claim Iran unable to find mines it laid in strait of Hormuz The UK will host a strait of Hormuz meeting next week, bringing together multiple countries aiming to restore free movement of ships through the strait, which has been blockaded by Iran since the beginning of the war and inflicted heavy damage on the global economy. A British official told AP that the meeting

Animals were used legally as fishing bait, sheriff’s office confirms after incident shook locals in Guemes Island A Washington state sheriff’s office says it has solved the mystery of nearly two dozen dead canines who washed ashore recently. The animals were foxes being used legally as bait for fishing operations, the Skagit county sheriff’s office said on Friday. Continue reading...

After Calvin Duncan served 28 years for a murder he didn’t commit, he won an election to serve as criminal court clerk. But now the office might be shut down A man imprisoned for nearly 30 years before being exonerated won a landmark election in New Orleans promising to fix a judicial system that failed him. Now, Louisiana’s governor, Jeff Landry, and the Republican-controlled state legislature are racing to eliminate his job before he can be sworn in. Calvin Duncan won 68% of the vote last November to become the Orleans parish clerk of criminal court after pledging to reform the justice

Three people wounded in attack at Grand Central subway station by man who stated he was ‘Lucifer’, police said Police in New York City shot and killed a man who stabbed three people on a subway platform in New York City’s Grand Central station, the city’s police commissioner said. Jessica Tisch, who leads the New York police department, told reporters at a news conference at the station that officers, flagged down by a witness to the stabbings at about 9.40am, had encountered a suspect, armed with a machete, who defied at least 20 verbal orders to drop the weapon and repeatedly stated

President already has issued sweeping pardons throughout second term, including for 1,500 US Capital riot defendants Donald Trump has reportedly said he will issue pardons en masse to his closest advisers at the end of his second presidency, promising them in casual conversations over the last year. “I’ll pardon everyone who has come within 200 feet of the Oval [Office],” the president reportedly said in a recent meeting, garnering laughs from the room, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing an anonymous source. Continue reading...

A nine-year-old boy has been rescued after living locked in his father’s utility van in eastern France since 2024, according to the local prosecutor. The child has been hospitalised, and his father detained. Police were alerted by a neighbour to the “sounds of a child” coming from a van on Monday in the village of Hagenbach, near the borders with Switzerland and Germany, according to a statement on Saturday from prosecutor Nicolas Heitz. After forcing the van open, officers found the child...

A temporary truce between Russia and Ukraine entered into force on Saturday, with Kyiv warning it would respond “immediately” if Russia violated it. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the ceasefire on Thursday to coincide with Orthodox Easter, more than a week after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky first made the proposal. Both sides have agreed to observe it. The ceasefire is due to last for 32 hours, from 4.00pm on Saturday until the end of the day on Sunday, according to the...

A private spy firm founded by former members ⁠of Israeli intelligence ⁠has confirmed its involvement in ⁠a sting operation targeting state officials and private interests in Cyprus, saying it wanted to expose corruption. A senior aide to President of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides resigned in January after a video posted online showed ‌him discussing investment projects in Cyprus. It also featured a businessman who suggested he had direct access to Christodoulides, and a former minister speaking...

Britain’s government said on Saturday it had ⁠put on hold ⁠its deal to cede sovereignty ⁠of the Chagos Islands – home to the US-British Diego Garcia airbase – which has been criticised by US President Donald Trump. British media reported that planned legislation underpinning the deal to cede the ‌islands to Mauritius, which needs the backing of Washington, would not be included in the government’s next parliamentary agenda. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office said London would try to persuade...

Can the collective wisdom or clout of the almost 200 countries that make up the membership of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) prevail against the United States and Israel, whose rash actions of declaring war on Iran have effectively declared economic war on the whole world? We may get the answers to this critical question when the two so-called Bretton Woods institutions begin their annual meetings in Washington on April 13. The week-long gatherings provide an opportunity...

The gap between rich and poor nations is growing even wider as actions agreed to by many countries last year, including overhauling the major global financial institutions, remain unfulfilled promises, a UN report has concluded. The report assessing the blueprint adopted in Seville, Spain, last June to narrow the gap and achieve UN development goals for 2030 was issued ahead of next week’s spring meetings in Washington of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, the main global...

⁠Police in the United States ⁠have arrested a man for allegedly ⁠throwing a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home and for making threats outside the artificial intelligence start-up’s headquarters. In a social media post, the San Francisco Police ‌Department said an unknown man threw an incendiary device at a North Beach residence at 4.12am on Friday and then escaped on foot. The 20-year-old suspect was detained about an hour later after police received a call about a man threatening...

The Artemis II capsule and its four-member crew streaked through Earth’s ⁠atmosphere and safely splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on Friday after nearly 10 days in space, capping the first voyage by humans to the vicinity of the moon in over half a century. Nasa’s gumdrop-shaped Orion capsule, dubbed Integrity, parachuted gently into the sea off the Southern California coast shortly after 5pm, concluding a mission that took the astronauts deeper into space than anyone had flown before. The...

In classrooms and training centres across China, a growing number of students from Southeast Asia, Africa and beyond are learning not just the Chinese language, but how the country’s factories operate, how supply chains are managed and how products are marketed and sold across borders. Hebei Software Institute, in the northern city of Baoding, has been at the forefront of the push. The vocational college said it had established multiple overseas-oriented programmes in recent years, particularly...

Importers seeking tariff refunds will be able to begin filing their requests on April 20, US Customs and Border Protection said on Friday. In the first phase, the CBP’s Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries tool, called CAPE, will process paperwork for certain straightforward and recent import entries – leaving more complex refund scenarios for later. The move comes as the administration looks to comply with the February ruling by the US Supreme Court that threw out duties that...

China and Russia expressed support for Cuba’s embattled government amid mounting pressure from the United States, as Moscow’s deputy foreign minister concluded a visit to Havana and Beijing signalled its willingness to step up diplomatic backing for the island. “China is willing to work with the international community to firmly support Cuba in safeguarding its national sovereignty and security, and opposing external interference,” foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday. “The US...

US President Donald Trump on Friday pressed Iran to meet US demands, as Vice-President J.D. Vance travelled to Pakistan to lead high-stakes negotiations seen as a key effort to end the more than month-long Middle East conflict. The talks between the US and Iran, taking place during the agreed two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan, are expected to begin on Saturday morning in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. Clouding the talks were Iranian demands, namely a ceasefire in Lebanon and the release...

US President Donald Trump’s plans for a new triumphal arch in the capital, unveiled on Friday, include a towering winged figure with a Lady Liberty-like torch and crown, flanked by two eagles and guarded by four lions – all gilded. The 12-page plan released by the US Commission on Fine Arts shows the arch will stand 250 feet tall (76.2 metres) from its base to the tip of the winged figure’s torch, with “One Nation Under God” and “Liberty and Justice for All” inscribed in gold atop either side of...

A charity co-founded by Prince Harry in Africa to honour his late mother, Princess Diana, has sued him for defamation after he stepped down as a patron last year. Sentebale, which supports young people living with HIV in Botswana and Lesotho, filed suit last month in London’s High Court, according to court records reviewed Friday. Online filings show Harry and his friend, Mark Dyer, a trustee at the charity, are being sued for either libel or slander. No documents were available. Disagreements...

Ukrainians on Friday were wary of Russia’s pledge to pause fighting for an Orthodox Easter ceasefire – first proposed by Kyiv – this weekend. The Kremlin said it had ordered a temporary truce to be in effect from Saturday afternoon until the end of Sunday, a 32-hour period during which Russia would stop fighting “in all directions”. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – who has repeatedly called for a ceasefire in the four-year war – said Kyiv was willing to reciprocate. But in Kyiv there was...

Kimberley Milne jumped to her death in Scotland in July 2023, but prosecutors in a landmark case said on Friday that she was driven to do it by her husband’s physical abuse. Lee Milne, 40, was sentenced to eight years in prison following his conviction in Glasgow’s High Court for culpable homicide and engaging in abusive behaviour. It was the first case in which Scottish prosecutors asked jurors to find an abusive spouse responsible for the death of a victim who takes their own life. “Lee Milne...

French President Emmanuel Macron has invited US President ⁠Donald Trump to a ⁠sumptuous dinner at the ornate Palace of ⁠Versailles the day after a G7 summit in mid-June, although it remains unclear if Trump will attend either event, sources said. France is the host of this year’s G7, with a leaders’ summit in the lakeside resort of Evian-les-Bains at the foot ‌of the French Alps scheduled for June 15-17 – dates that Macron has already moved to accommodate a mixed martial arts event Trump is...

China’s green energy transition is expanding from a domestic security priority into a potent geopolitical asset at a time of heightened global uncertainty, according to the latest official reading of the country’s 15th five-year plan. That shift has been tested in recent weeks by the US-Israeli war in Iran and Tehran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz – a chokepoint for 20 per cent of global oil and gas supplies. While Tehran signalled it would reopen the strait on Tuesday under a...

Travellers stepping out of the railway station at Hungary’s second-biggest city, Debrecen, are immediately greeted by a banner hanging over the street that reads “No battery, no deal”, “Debrecen belongs to Hungarians” and “Chinese, go home”. Targeting a mega-factory set up by Chinese battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd (CATL), it also calls for a protest on Saturday, on the eve of Sunday’s general election in the central European nation. The banner was put up by the local candidate...

Everyday Iranians are awaiting planned negotiations between Washington and Tehran with a mixture of scepticism and outright fear, caught between a government they say does not understand peace and an American president who has threatened to destroy “a whole civilisation”. Talks between the United States and Iran and hosted by Pakistan were hanging in the balance on Friday, but if they go ahead they could transform a temporary ceasefire in the US-Israeli campaign against the Islamic Republic into...

The Gulf’s six Arab monarchies, battered by Iranian drones and missiles because of a war they never wanted, are watching with trepidation to see what Pakistan-hosted US-Iran negotiations will yield for their collective future. After China and Russia vetoed the Gulf Cooperation Council’s bid to attain UN Security Council approval for “defensive” measures to force open the Strait of Hormuz earlier this week, analysts say the GCC states have little sway over what is about to transpire in...

Friday marks six months since Gaza’s ceasefire deal took effect, a milestone largely lost in the confusion over the new and even more fragile ceasefire in the Iran war. The ravaged Palestinian territory of 2 million people has seen the most intense fighting stop between Israeli forces and Hamas-led militants. But most of the ceasefire work remains to be done, from disarming Hamas and ending its two-decade rule to deploying an international stabilisation force and beginning vast reconstruction....

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Indonesian fisherman nets surprise catch – a Chinese underwater drone A Chinese underwater drone was caught by an Indonesian fisherman near a key waterway leading to Australia, local media reported. 2. What is the war on Iran teaching...

The Pentagon and the Vatican denied allegations of a rift following Pope Leo’s criticism of the Trump administration and a news report of a contentious meeting between a papal envoy and a top US defence official. In separate statements, the two sides both professed an eagerness to get along, saying the meeting that occurred in January was frank but polite. The Defence Department issued a statement that said “we have nothing but the highest regard and welcome continued dialogue with the Holy...

In a potential boost to Middle East ceasefire efforts, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that he authorised direct negotiations with Lebanon “as soon as possible” aimed at disarming Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants and establishing relations between the neighbours. Israel and Lebanon have technically been at war since Israel was established in 1948, and Netanyahu later stressed that there was no ceasefire between them. In a video statement, he said Israel will keep...

US Vice-President J.D. Vance has boarded Air Force Two en route to Islamabad, according to the White House. Vance, who will lead the US delegation in talks with Iran in the Pakistani capital on Saturday, struck an upbeat tone on the prospects. “We’re looking forward to negotiation. I think it’s going to be positive,” he told reporters before boarding on Friday morning (US Eastern Time). “As the President of the United States said, if the Iranians are willing to negotiate in good faith, we’re...

With the coming summit between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump back on schedule for May, the two leaders present two starkly different paths for the world: one defined by a “community with a shared future” and the other driven by unpredictable impulses of rivalry and division. While Trump postponed the April summit to engage Xi without the distractions of the war he launched on Iran, a swift resolution before their meeting does not seem likely – despite the newly...

A lobbying firm led by one of Donald Trump Jnr’s hunting buddies helped a Chinese company ⁠make its case to a US national security watchdog, public filings show. The case involved a US ⁠start-up that was seeking to have the Chinese firm removed as one of its investors. The watchdog rejected the US firm’s request for ⁠a national security review of the Chinese firm’s investment, according to a document seen by Reuters, handing a rare win to a Chinese company in Washington. The decision has not...

A US judge in Washington ruled ⁠on Thursday that the Pentagon is ⁠hampering journalists in defiance of a court order that required it to restore access to credentialled reporters covering the seat of US military power. US District Judge Paul Friedman said the Defence Department must comply with his earlier order that sided with The New York Times newspaper and other news organisations ‌challenging restrictions imposed on them last year. “The Department cannot simply reinstate an unlawful policy...

The Iran war has been framed as a Middle East crisis with global energy consequences. That is true, but incomplete. It is also reshaping China’s strategic map. The disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, the jump in oil prices and the shock to shipping and energy markets have reinforced a lesson for Beijing: vulnerability begins with concentration. When one region becomes more unstable, the value of diversified suppliers, routes and external partners rises. That is why Latin America matters more to...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s corruption trial will resume on Sunday, the Jerusalem District Court confirmed, after emergency restrictions imposed during the conflict with Iran were lifted. A court statement on Thursday said that “the return to work of the judicial system” means Netanyahu’s trial is cleared to continue, beginning with a hearing on Sunday set to include testimony from a defence witness. Court business in Israel had been interrupted by the conflict but the military’s...

Russian ⁠President Vladimir Putin’s special ⁠envoy Kirill Dmitriev is currently in the United States and is meeting members of US President Donald Trump’s administration for ‌discussions on a peace deal for Ukraine and US-Russia economic cooperation, sources with knowledge of the visit said on Thursday. The visit comes before the US decision on ⁠whether to extend sanctions relief on Russian oil, ‌which expires on April 11 and could also be on the agenda. The ‌United States issued a 30-day waiver...

Brazil is set to exhaust its annual beef export quota to China by early May, industry officials said, as cattle prices hit a nominal record and Beijing’s import restrictions forced exporters across South America to scramble for alternative markets. The benchmark price for finished cattle tracked by the Centre for Advanced Studies on Applied Economics at the University of Sao Paulo reached R$365 (US$71.57) per arroba (per 11.5-15kg) on Wednesday, a gain of 12.5 per cent over the past 12 months,...

US first lady Melania Trump on Thursday rejected what she called “lies” about her relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, in a rare White House address where she also called on Congress to hold public hearings for his victims. The first lady denied having ties to Epstein or knowledge of his crimes in a brief but strongly worded statement, saying the “lies” linking her to the disgraced financier “need to end today”. “I am not ‌Epstein’s victim,” said Melania Trump, while also...

Russia has formally designated Nazi crimes against the Soviet population during World War II as genocide and criminalised their denial, after President Vladimir Putin signed amendments to the country’s criminal code, the Kremlin said on Thursday. The term “genocide of the Soviet people” has increasingly been used in Russia in recent years. Authorities have also proposed repurposing a closed museum dedicated to the Soviet-era Gulag system into one focused on victims of Nazi crimes. Moscow has...

US President Donald Trump said he plans to impose a 20 per cent tariff on all cars imported from the European Union unless the trade bloc “soon” removes import duties and other barriers to US goods, escalating global trade tensions. “Based on the Tariffs and Trade Barriers long placed on the US and it great companies and workers by the European Union, if these Tariffs and Barriers are not soon broken down and removed, we will be placing a 20% Tariff on all of their cars coming into the US. Build...

Britain said on Thursday it had tracked and deterred three Russian submarines on an alleged month-long “covert operation” in UK waters in the North Atlantic near vital undersea cables and pipelines. Disclosing details of the joint mission with Norway and other unspecified allies, British Defence Secretary John Healey said there was no evidence the Russian vessels had damaged the subsea infrastructure. The UK minister said he was revealing the operation, which involved British warships and...

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen said on Thursday that he represents a proud nation seeking to maintain global order, pushing back against the latest comments about ‌the Arctic island by US President Donald Trump. Trump on Wednesday vented his frustration with Nato as relations reached a crisis point over the Iran war, stating that the military alliance was not around when needed, and that he still ⁠remembered Greenland, a “BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE”. “What is important ‌for...

The two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran is a real diplomatic breakthrough. It has reopened the Strait of Hormuz, triggered a relief rally in global markets and eased the immediate fear of a spiralling energy shock. But its strategic significance lies less in the relief it has produced than in the uncertainty it leaves behind. The truce is time-limited, tied to negotiations and built around temporary safe passage rather than a settled regional order. The ceasefire terms and...

A thief who swiped a handbag from a London pub containing a Faberge egg and watch set valued at up to £2.2 million (US$3 million) has been jailed for more than two years. Enzo Conticello, 29, took the Givenchy handbag belonging to Rosie Dawson as she stood in the smoking area of the Dog and Duck pub in Bateman Street on November 7, 2024. Inside the £1,600 bag was an emerald-encrusted Faberge egg and Faberge watch belonging to Dawson’s employers at the Craft Irish Whiskey Company, as well as a...

On April 7, less than two hours before US President Donald Trump’s declared deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz expired, a two-week ceasefire was announced after being floated by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The deal followed Iran’s delivery of a 10-point proposal to the United States through Pakistani mediators on April 6. According to Iranian officials, Tehran’s acceptance came after a last-minute intervention by China. The breakthrough came seven days after China and...

Buffeted by six weeks of war in the Middle East, airlines have scrambled to trim routes and costs as fuel bills explode and wary clients think twice about their travel plans, a situation that could persist even if a fragile truce holds. Carriers have largely halted flights in the Gulf region, with Air France announcing this week that it was extending its suspensions until May 3 – a decision a source said was made before this week’s ceasefire between the United States and Iran. With no certainty...

Israel bombed more targets in Lebanon on Thursday, putting the Middle East ceasefire in further jeopardy after the biggest Israeli attacks of the war on its neighbour killed more than 250 people and threatened to torpedo US President Donald Trump’s truce. In Pakistan, authorities locked down the capital Islamabad in anticipation of the war’s first peace talks, cutting off all access to a 3km (2-mile) zone around the five-star luxury Serena Hotel. Both the US and Iranian delegations are expected...

China’s exports of energy storage equipment are expected to keep rising as the US-Israeli war in Iran renews global calls for energy independence, industry insiders and analysts said. The total export value of Chinese inverters – key components in energy storage systems – jumped 57 per cent year on year to US$1.66 billion for the first two months of 2026, Chinese customs data showed. Inverters convert electricity generated from batteries and solar panels into usable power for homes, businesses...

Israel’s military said Thursday it had struck and killed a close adviser to Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem in Beirut a day earlier, when Israeli strikes pummelled Lebanon. “Yesterday, the IDF struck in the Beirut area and eliminated Ali Yusuf Harshi, the personal secretary and nephew of Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem,” a military statement said. Harshi was “a close associate and personal adviser to... Qassem and played a central role in managing and securing his office”, it added. The...

Despite numerous attempts to reform the Postal Service, the agency’s business model has not changed significantly since 1970. Officials are proposing to decrease service and increase prices.

An E.R. doctor was detained Saturday, just days after a family physician had been detained. Both were traveling when immigration agents took them into custody.

The Manhattan district attorney’s office is examining a claim that Representative Eric Swalwell, a candidate for governor in California, assaulted a woman in New York City in 2024.

The House could move within days to consider expelling Representative Eric Swalwell, Democrat of California, in light of sexual assault allegations against him. There could be more to come for both parties.

The four astronauts made an emotional return to Houston a day after splashing down in the Pacific Ocean at the end of their 10-day lunar journey.

Over 16 years, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s party has repeatedly tweaked the electoral system to its advantage, making the vote free, but not entirely fair.

With Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a standard-bearer for global populism, in political peril, the vote on Sunday could have far-reaching implications.

The president should at long last recognize the ineptitude of his impulsive, go-it-alone approach.

Six months after the cease-fire, ordinary Gazans contemplate their future while living with the wounds of war.

The tragedy took place at the Citadelle Laferrière, a historic fortress in northern Haiti and one of the country’s defining symbols.

The victims, two older men and an older woman, were expected to survive after the subway platform attacks. The assailant was shot after he repeatedly refused to drop his weapon, the police said.

Hinds Hall near Columbia University is a place to find Palestinian cuisine and to remember a 5-year-old killed in Gaza.

The National Action Network convention showcased similarities and some differences in a wide-open field of possible contenders.