Minimalist News

Trust In Higher Education Hits Another Low As The Public Rejects Institutional Bias Authored by Jonathan Turley via JonathanTurley.org , According to the latest Gallup poll, only 38% of U.S. adults have a "great deal" or "quite a lot" of confidence in higher education . One of the Gallup experts told Fox News that one of the key reasons for the continued slide in public trust is "the perception that there's a political agenda being taught." That perception is well documented after most departments purged their ranks of any republican, conservative, or libertarian faculty members. At the same time, many

US Withdraws Troops, Patriot Batteries From Northern Iraq Amid Iranian Attacks There are new reports Friday of more US troop pullback initiatives in the wake of the last couple weeks of US-Iran fighting, and Iranian ballistic missile and drone strikes which have targeted American bases with increased regularity, especially in Jordan and Kuwait. One regional media publication freshly reports , "The United States military has started to draw down its last remaining forces from Iraq stationed in the vicinity of Erbil's airport in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, well-placed sources with close knowledge of the process confirmed to Al-Monitor." via AP

Students Seek To AI-Proof Their Careers With Trades Over College Authored by Autumn Spredemann via The Epoch Times , For years, students were told the future belonged to college graduates with a four-year degree. Now, some of the fastest-growing opportunities are in skilled trades , where there is an escalating demand for labor and a higher level of job security amid the rise of artificial intelligence. An instructor teaches a student about brazing—a metal joining process used in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems—at a construction trade school in Homestead, Fla., on May 9, 2026. Joe Raedle/Getty Images Vocational schools

F-35 Stealth Jet Suffers "Mishap" At San Diego Airbase A US Marine Corps F-35B assigned to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing suffered a "mishap" at MCAS Miramar in San Diego earlier today, according to Fox News. Viral videos have circulated on X showing the $100 million fifth-generation fighter jet in flames. BREAKING: Emergency crews are responding to an aircraft mishap appearing to involve an F-35 at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego after the incident was reported earlier this morning.+ Authorities have not released details about what happened, and it remains unclear… pic.twitter.com/PqTBisE7Jo — Fox News (@FoxNews) July

China-Focused Influence Program Courted Senior US Media Figures With Sponsor-Paid Trips Authored by Arthur Zhang via The Epoch Times , A journalist's review of Committee of 100 (C100) records has renewed scrutiny of sponsor-paid trips that brought senior figures from major U.S. news organizations to China and recorded changes in their views and professional plans. A tour guide stands near a display showing images of people at locations described as vocational training centers in southern Xinjiang at the Exhibition of the Fight Against Terrorism and Extremism in Urumqi in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China on April 21, 2021.

Argentina's Milei Borrows Warren Buffett's Idea To Punish Deficit-Spending Politicians More than two years after campaigning to "blow up" Argentina's central bank, President Javier Milei has announced his "Fiscal Shackle" bill - a permanent rule aimed at preventing Argentina from approving or maintaining budgets with fiscal deficits that could have consequences for politicians . On Thursday, in a speech recorded at the Casa Rosada and broadcast nationwide, Milei proposed an overhaul that would restore the Central Bank of Argentina's sole mandate of preserving the currency's value, stop direct and indirect financing of the Treasury, provinces, and municipalities, and expose officials

Judge Rejects States' Attempt To Block Medicaid Work Requirements Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times, A federal judge on July 30 declined to block new work requirements for Medicaid recipients that states must implement by Jan. 1, 2027. Judge Richard Stearns of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts turned down a request for a preliminary injunction made by Massachusetts and 25 other states to block the work requirements as the states’ legal challenge proceeds. Stearns said in a six-page decision that the harms about which the states complained—added costs to comply with the new requirements—are

Memory-Chip Crunch Hits Smartphone Demand Across China Prices for electronic devices reliant on advanced memory chips, from smartphones to gaming consoles , have risen as the AI data-center buildout tightens supply and drives component costs higher. The resulting memory-chip crunch is now weighing on consumer demand, with Goldman’s latest note showing that the pressure is increasingly visible in China’s handheld-device market. Goldman analyst Allen Chang, who focuses on everything from smartphones to semiconductors, AI, EVs, and robotaxis, cited new data on Friday showing that China’s smartphone shipments fell 17% from a year earlier and 36% from May, to 17 million

Trump Orders Heavy Attack On Energy-Related Targets In Iran, To Commence This Weekend Summary Trump orders major strikes on Iran , likely to start this weekend. US adds sanctions, Bessent says Tehran can't pay troops , as Iran faces growing pressure. Most Americans say the Iran war isn't worth fighting : AP poll. Iran claims drone strike on US base in Kuwait - after no new US strikes overnight. Oil rises as fears of wider conflict grow and lack of talks. US announces end of Iranian blockade by August 15, 2026? Yes 20% · No 80% View full market &

Saudi Arabia Planning Major Escalation In Yemen, Possible Ground Op: Reports Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the leader of Yemen’s Ansar Allah, commonly known as the Houthis, said Thursday that there were indications Saudi Arabia was planning a major escalation in Yemen, as the war between the two sides has been reignited following the July 13 Saudi strikes on the Sanaa International Airport. "We will work to establish the equation of siege with siege, especially since indicators reveal that the Saudis are heading toward comprehensive escalation , and we will seek God’s help against him and

Trump's Jones Act Waiver Helped Avert Fuel Shortages Across These Key US Regions The Department of Homeland Security has issued the broadest Jones Act waiver since at least the 1950s, just weeks after the US-Iran conflict erupted. The measure has allowed foreign-flagged vessels to transport fuel, crude oil, fertilizer, and other essential goods between US ports, bypassing domestic shipping restrictions to mitigate supply chain disruptions across various U.S. regions. The Jones Act , a century-old law requiring goods transported between U.S. ports to be carried aboard U.S.-Built, US-owned, and US-crewed vessels, was immediately waived in the early days of the

The Fourth Turning Is Here: The Old Order Is Breaking Down Authored by Chris MacIntosh via InternationalMan.com, In 1997, historians William Strauss and Neil Howe published “The Fourth Turning,” a cyclical theory of Anglo-American history built around generational archetypes and recurring saecular rhythms of approximately 80 to 100 years — roughly the length of a long human life. Their framework identified four “turnings,” each lasting roughly 20 to 25 years, that repeat in sequence. The First Turning , the High , is an era of institutional confidence and community solidarity following a great crisis. The rules work, people trust them,

From Nazi Tats To Kissing Cousins: Maine Democrats Go Full Jerry Springer In the span of a few weeks, Maine Democrats replaced their U.S. Senate nominee amid a cascade of personal controversies, with a guy who's been banging his 2nd cousin for years. Platner's Collapse Graham Platner , a Marine Corps veteran and oyster farmer, had emerged as a progressive populist challenger to five-term Republican Sen. Susan Collins . He secured the Democratic nomination in June 2026 despite a string of earlier controversies that included inflammatory Reddit posts, reports of sexually explicit texts sent to women while married, and a

Demoralizing The Whole Citizenry To The Max Authored by James Howard Kunstler, The Curse It Is Cast... “I have nothing to hide. I can explain and validate everything that I’ve done.” - Dr. Anthony Fauci, recorded for TV in 2022 However you cut this Fauci business, one thing Americans have learned is how slippery and treacherous this thing called The Law has become. You saw it in the sundry Trump prosecutions of 2024, too - a marvelous demonstration of how to play Hide-the-Salami with the truth about anything and everything. You saw it in the structured failure to adjudicate election

ICE Planning New Detention Facilities For 5,500+ Detainees In Four US Cities Authored by Bryan Hyde via American Greatness, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is currently moving to open four new major detention facilities across the United States with a combined capacity to hold 5,500 detainees. Just the News reports that ICE has sent out a request for information seeking contractors who could operate detention facilities near Denver, Miami and Seattle, and central Pennsylvania. The request calls for 1,500 beds near Denver, 1,500 near Seattle, 700 near Miami, and 1,800 in Pennsylvania. Trump administration plans four new ICE detention

Five States Make The Cut For $50 Billion Nuclear Campuses The Department of Energy has selected Utah, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Idaho as the first five potential hosts for Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses (NLICs), advancing an effort that forced states to decide whether they support the entire nuclear industry or merely the convenient parts . Energy Secretary Chris Wright signed Memorandums of Understanding with the five states after the DOE reviewed 28 applications from 26 states. The agreements allow the federal government and the states to continue exploring potential campuses. The potential prize is substantial, with NLICs potentially attracting up

FCC Chair Carr Defends License Review As ABC Cries Censorship Via American Greatness, Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr is pushing back against Disney-owned ABC’s claims that his agency is engaged in “attempted censorship,” insisting the review of the network’s broadcast licenses stems from evidence of discriminatory hiring practices, not politics. ABC leveled the censorship accusation in a 119-page regulatory filing posted Thursday, arguing the FCC’s scrutiny of its eight television licenses sends a chilling message to media companies nationwide. “The retaliation against ABC is a signal to every media company in the country: accommodate the Administration’s view of what

Chips To Ships: Nvidia Plans New Shipbuilding Investment With Kawasaki Authored by Stuart Chirls via FreightWaves.com, Can the world’s newest technology give a boost to one of transportation’s oldest? A plan by leading Asia companies wants to find out. Nvidia and Kawasaki Heavy Industries announced a joint effort to build a “next‑generation digital shipyard” at Kawasaki’s Sakaide Works in Japan. The core of the deal is co‑development of AI‑powered robots for shipbuilding tasks such as welding, painting, inspection, and material handling. Kawasaki (OTC: KWHIY ) will contribute decades of shipbuilding data, production know‑how, and its own robotics capabilities. Nvidia (NASDAQ:

US Treasury Informed Banks It May Intervene In Japan's Yen, As Market Laughs At BOJ's Own Attempts To Prop Up Currency While the BOJ understandably refuses to admit it spent a record $140BN (across all markets, $90BN on EBS) to briefly manipulate the Japanese yen higher... ... ahead of yet another disappointing (non-rate hike) decision (according to some calculations, Japan's central bank is about 100 bps of rate hikes behind to stop the ongoing collapse of the yen), others are less shy. According to Reuters , similar to the last failed intervention by Japan and citing "a source familiar with

Italy Suspends Schengen Travel Agreement With Spain After Horrifying Ceuta Invasion Summary: Italy Suspends Schengen Agreement With Spain Over Ceuta Invasion Europe's Right-Wing Blasts Spanish Socialists For Border Failure Riots erupted in Ceuta as Illegals Clashed with Security Forces Mass Migration Invasion Of Military-Aged Males From Morocco Invades Spanish Enclave " Looks Like World War Z!": Spain's Ceuta Invaded By Thousands Of Military-Aged Male Illegals Italy Suspends Schengen Agreement With Spain Over Ceuta Invasion After Italy's government and top French conservative politicians demanded the suspension of Schengen arrangements with Spain following the invasion of 50,000 military-aged illegal aliens in the

Injectable PrEP drug holds promise but investment in HIV prevention has declined dramatically worldwide Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email New innovations in HIV prevention could dramatically reduce the number of new HIV cases around the globe, but US foreign aid cuts will mean that those that most need the new medication will be unable to access it, according to experts at the Aids 2026 Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil . One year ago, the World Health Organization recommended that governments around the world prioritize expanded access to lenacapavir, an injectable version of the HIV prevention

Data shows Canadians have replaced US vacations with other international trips in apparent rebuke to Trump Canadians spent $3.3bn less on travel to the US in 2025 than in the previous year, as Donald Trump’s hostile policies towards his northern neighbour continue to incur an economic cost, new government data shows. The research also indicates that Canadians are not bucking travel overall and instead have replaced US vacations with other international destinations, in a rebuke to Trump’s tariff regime and the president’s continued musings on annexing Canada. Continue reading...

Three years after Maui wildfires many still struggle with ‘biological, emotional and social consequences’, study says A spate of ferocious wildfires across North America and Europe, worsened by the climate crisis, has incinerated homes and forests and forced thousands of people to flee. Previous fires suggest the effects of these blazes may linger for years to come. The current fires and their plumes of smoke can appear to be a temporary, if immediate, crisis. Nearly 1,000 fires have sprung into life in the boreal forests of Canada, causing the evacuation of towns and toxic smoke to waft into major Canadian

President also blames Brazil and Mexico and says online critics ‘do not want the ideas of freedom to succeed’ More than a week has passed since Ferran Torres scored the extra-time goal that gave Spain its second World Cup, but – at least for Argentina’s president – the tournament is not over. Javier Milei has claimed that a coordinated “anti-Argentina campaign” was behind criticism of the country’s team, accusations of racism among its fans and conspiracy theories alleging that Lionel Messi’s side was secretly being favoured by Fifa. Continue reading...

Nelson Haase Mazzei was sentenced for murdering Jara in 2023, but fled from authorities in Chile More than 50 years after the murder of the Chilean folk singer Víctor Jara , the last man wanted in connection with his death has been tracked down and brought to justice. Nelson Haase Mazzei, a retired colonel, fled from authorities in 2023 after he and six other retired soldiers were sentenced in absentia for murdering Jara and another man. Continue reading...

Treasury secretary’s notepad, photographed by Reuters on Friday morning, prompts questions over US plans During a cabinet meeting at Camp David on Friday, the US treasury secretary Scott Bessent carelessly revealed plans for the US to buy $5bn-$10bn ⁠in Japanese yen in a scribbled “to do” list left visible to a Reuters photographer. The image, taken over Bessent’s shoulder during a portion of the meeting open to journalists, showed a Camp David notepad with the underscored words “To Do” followed by “Buy Japanese Yen (JPY) $5-10 bil”. Continue reading...

Live, rolling coverage as London’s biggest companies defy Middle East disruption and UK petrol prices rise to around £1.60 per litre, the highest since Donald Trump ordered renewed strikes The story piquing the interest of the financial press this morning is that of Leopold Aschenbrenner , the AI Wunderkind (he’s German-born) who has been forced to sell off his fund in a fire sale after the AI boom ran out of steam. The 24-year-old had persuaded a lot of people to give him a lot of money for a hedge fund, after previously working for OpenAI and the FTX Future

Soldiers and emergency teams search damaged shopping centre, paper mill and homes for survivors Earthquake rocks southern Japanese island of Kyushu – in pictures The death toll from the powerful earthquake that hit Japan on Tuesday has risen to 30, as the search for survivors trapped in a badly damaged shopping centre, paper mill and collapsed homes across the south-west of the country continues. The 6.8-magnitude quake, which struck Kumamoto prefecture on the island of Kyushu, injured at least 62 people, according to the prefectural government. Continue reading...

Emergency workers are continuing their search for survivors in southern Japan after yesterday’s powerful earthquake ‘Race against time’: Japan earthquake death toll rises as rescue teams search for missing An aerial view of a collapsed section of a bridge in the city of Yatsushiro after an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 struck Japan’s southern Kumamoto prefecture: Japan’s Mainichi Shimbun newspaper has been speaking to people at the Nippon Paper Industries factory in Yatsushiro, where a chimney collapsed on to the site. “I never imagined something like this would happen,” said a 33-year-old man who worked at the factory.

Rescuers pulling people from the wreckage in southern Japan in a haunting repeat of disaster that struck 10 years ago ‘Race against time’: Japan earthquake death toll rises as rescue teams search for missing “There was a voice coming from the collapsed house, and I could see a hand,” Tomohide Nagata, a volunteer firefighter, told the Kumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun. “One of our senior members crawled in and pulled him out. He was bleeding from the head, but I’m so glad he survived.” Nagata had heard a noise coming from one completely flattened home in the rural town of Hikawa, close

Petrol now costs more than $1.90 a litre in every capital city, with diesel expected to exceed $2.40 a litre Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Petrol prices could surpass $2 a litre and diesel $2.40 in coming days, after the government’s 16-cent discount ends on Sunday. The 32-cent per litre reduction in fuel excise, introduced in March at the peak of the fuel price spike, was halved to 16 cents in July. Continue reading...

Indian conglomerate offsets earnings from Carmichael mine to report $340.6m loss, after promising billions in taxes and royalties Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Indian conglomerate Adani will pay no company tax despite generating almost $1bn in revenue from coal mining in Queensland over the past year. Financial accounts show the Carmichael thermal coal operations used large costs – including production and related party logistics expenses – to offset its $963.5m revenue in the 12 months to 31 March. This resulted in a recorded $340.6m loss for the year, erasing its tax bill. Continue

Body of William Standish discovered in Teton mountains as investigators say fatal fall likely cause of death A 28-year-old Australian hiker who lost contact with his family while hiking the Continental Divide Trail between Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks in Wyoming has been found dead, according to authorities. The man, identified as William Standish, was discovered by rescuers on Wednesday morning in the Wigwams, a series of rocky peaks on the west slope of the Teton mountain range, the Teton county coroner said. Investigators say it was likely he suffered a fatal fall. Continue reading...

Ombudsman finds Homes NSW acted unreasonably and recommended additional payment for distress and suffering Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast An elderly public housing tenant whose home was damaged by sewage overflows will be fully compensated by the New South Wales government after it disposed of her personal belongings without her consent and failed to properly support her insurance claim. The NSW Ombudsman on Friday published its report after an investigation in which it found Homes NSW acted unreasonably in how it handled the tenant’s contaminated belongings and “failed to provide full and accurate

This blog is now closed Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast eSafety commissioner says court action against Telegram ‘very significant’ Julie Inman Grant, the eSafety commissioner, spoke to the ABC this morning after yesterday’s court action against Telegram over its alleged failure to detect and remove pro-terror material from its platform. The scars are still very raw around Bondi. … These are platforms – and they may be doing more content moderation and we would encourage that – but not to the degree that Australian law requires them to. This is just upping the

The measure will impact people travelling by plane or boat between the two countries Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez is now in Ceuta, accompanied by interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska. He first visited the Tarajal border crossing, and is now talking to officials from local authorities, border and police services. Continue reading...

Move will end six decades of production in area, as new CEO tries to simplify company and cut debt Business live – latest updates BP has put its North Sea oil and gas business up for sale as it looks to end six decades of production from the basin. The firm announced on Friday morning it had launched a formal process to market its North Sea business for a potential sale. The move comes as BP’s new chief executive, Meg O’Neill, tries to simplify the company and cut its debt levels. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Danielle Kirton calls on Ed Miliband to help her get answers about why evacuation order came too late The bereaved daughter of a British couple who died in a Spanish wildfire is calling on the foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, to get answers from Spain’s government about why her parents were not told to evacuate until it was too late. Severe wildfires have burned across Spain and France since early July, killing people, destroying thousands of homes and forcing more than 300,000 people to flee. Continue reading...

Companies must ensure people know when they are interacting with artificially generated images, audio and text designed to look real From apparently conspiring to steal elections to abusing staff or performing embarrassing dance moves, the last few years have seen plenty of fake content made about politicians intended to malign its targets and mislead the public. Now EU rules aim to stem the flood of this deceptive content: starting from Sunday, artificially generated images, audio and text designed to look authentic must be labelled. Continue reading...

Rashad Sultanov, from London, suspected of conducting hostile surveillance and passing information to Revolutionary Guards A British-Azerbaijani national has been arrested ⁠in Cyprus on suspicion of spying on a British airbase on the Mediterranean island and passing information to Iran’s ⁠Islamic Revolutionary Guard ⁠Corps, the Metropolitan police ​said. Rashad Sultanov, 44, from Islington, north London, was arrested on 17 July by Cypriot authorities ⁠and is being held in custody as extradition proceedings continue, the police said in a statement on Friday. Continue reading...

The agreement is a ‘great breakthrough’, the president says in response to media questions Trump claims agreement for ‘complete disarmament’ of Hamas in Gaza but support uncertain Saudi Arabia prepares sea and possible land offensive against Houthis Al Jazeera reporter Hani Mahmoud has reported the mood in Gaza this morning following news of Hamas’s potential disarmament. Palestinians have heard repeated statements about their fate in the three years since the current war began between Israel and Hamas, so last night’s announcement by Donald Trump wasn’t met with any particular joy or celebration. “There is scepticism and cautiousness among Palestinians,” Mahoud

Donald Trump has declared a breakthrough in negotiations over the disarmament of Hamas in Gaza and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, but Israeli government officials have voiced scepticism over the deal. Lucy Hough speaks to Julian Borger, the Guardian’s senior international correspondent – watch on YouTube Continue reading...

Rescuers say four bodies found in search for team caught in Broad Peak avalanche, after trackers showed rapid descent The world-renowned Nepali mountaineer Nirmal Purja – a former British special forces member – is among 11 climbers caught in a deadly avalanche on Pakistan’s Broad Peak. The Alpine Club of Pakistan said “seven climbers have been spotted via aerial drone footage” adding that “their identities and condition cannot yet be verified”. Continue reading...

Energy prices have soared again since fighting between US and Iran resumed two weeks ago as conflict spreads across Middle East Iran has said it struck two tankers trying to pass through the strait of Hormuz under the escort of the US military as Donald Trump gathered his cabinet to discuss the stalling war and rising prices as midterm elections in the US loom. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Friday that the “non-compliant oil tankers … were struck and brought to a halt, while four other oil tankers quickly changed course and returned to their previous positions”. The

US president hails breakthrough but Israeli far-right minister says ‘only solution’ is ‘encouraging emigration and destroying Hamas’ Middle East crisis – live updates What is Trump’s Board of Peace and who is involved? Donald Trump has declared a breakthrough in negotiations over the disarmament of Hamas in Gaza and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, issues that have so far stalled the implementation of last October’s ceasefire, but Israel has yet to respond officially to the plan and government officials have voiced scepticism over the deal. Announcing the agreement in a social media post on Thursday night, Trump said it involved

António Guterres says strengthening El Niño will help push the world’s climate crisis into ‘uncharted territory’ India’s monsoon is in danger and hotter, drier conditions are forecast across much of the world as a stronger El Niño weather system is taking hold, weather experts have warned. António Guterres, the UN secretary general, said the strengthening El Niño was “adding fuel to a planet already on fire” and pushing the world into “uncharted territory”. Continue reading...

Local civil rights group alleges authorities removed evidence of killings amid communications blackout At least 30 people are alleged to have been killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir in the past two days as part of what has been claimed is a brutal state crackdown that has engulfed the disputed region for weeks. According to a local civil society group, Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC), the Pakistani security services fired on tens of thousands of peaceful protesters, killing 25 people on Monday and five more on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Cockroach Janta party says government has broken promise, with detentions in Delhi, Assam, West Bengal and Bihar India’s youth-led “Cockroach” movement, whose nationwide protests forced the resignation of the education minister , has accused the government of backtracking on its promise not to act against student protesters and has threatened to restart demonstrations. The Cockroach Janta party (CJP), which organised mass protests over exam paper leaks and other irregularities, said it had received reports of hundreds of students being detained or “harassed” by police. Continue reading...

Wind and record-breaking heat are fuelling the continent’s explosive fire season, with Spain and France among worst hit Explainer: what is a ‘fire cloud’, and how have they worsened wildfires in Europe? Europe wildfires live – latest updates A combination of an unusually wet winter, very low rainfall since spring and repeated record-breaking summer heatwaves is likely to explain why wildfires have ignited, spread and resisted control so readily across France and Spain in recent days . About 90% of wildfires are started by human activity, typically igniting “fine fuels” such as vegetation grass, pine needles, litter and twigs. And

In today’s newsletter: Across ​the country, a ​younger generation is turning private disillusionment into public defiance​ against a government that once felt untouchable Good morning. As flames engulfed parts of France and Spain this weekend, in India, the prime minister, Narendra Modi, was trying to put out a very different kind of fire. Thousands of people arrived in Delhi on Saturday to demand the resignation of his education minister, Dharmendra Pradhan. When he stepped down in the early afternoon, the protests turned into a triumphant block party. But the Cockroach protests that have swept through India this summer are about

Bev Craig succeeds Andy Burnham and wins back support in areas where Reform made gains in May Labour has stormed to a decisive victory in the Greater Manchester mayoral byelection, seizing back areas that recently fell to Reform UK and the Greens. Labour’s Bev Craig, the Manchester city council leader, will now succeed Andy Burnham and hold one of the most powerful political positions outside Westminster. Continue reading...

Legal challenge to King’s College London research study claimed it could harm participants but was rejected A clinical trial of drugs that can delay puberty can go ahead after a high court judge threw out a legal challenge on Friday. Campaigners had launched the attempt to halt the planned research into puberty blockers, to be run by researchers at King’s College London (KCL), on the grounds that they believed it could harm the children taking part. Continue reading...

The turnout was recorded as the lowest on record for a mayoral role in the region The construction of a new Chinese “super-embassy” in London, which is set to be built near the Tower of London, can go ahead after a high court challenge against the decision to grant planning permission was dismissed, PA Media is reporting. The Royal Mint Court Residents’ Association (RMCRA) brought legal action against the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Continue reading...

Duetting stars surpass record set in 1953, when crooner Frankie Laine hit the top with I Believe Sam Fender and Olivia Dean have scored the longest running UK No 1 single in history with Rein Me In , beating a record that has stood since 1953. Back then, the UK singles chart had been running for less than a year and contained just 12 songs when I Believe, a bombastic ballad by US crooner Frankie Laine, hit No 1 and spent a total of 18 weeks on the chart. Continue reading...

CJ Miller from West Lothian has delighted global audiences with ‘sheer stupidity’ of his half-time dances The 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow have already provided plenty of highlights. But fans across the world have been dazzled by one particular breakout star: the “mop man”. When a cleaner came out at half-time during a netball match to wipe down the court before the restart, everything appeared normal. But as the cleaner swept, and the first bars of Queen’s I Want to Break Free rang out in the venue, he went from sweeping to a standing split. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed. You can read our latest story here When asked by a reporter at Camp David about negotiations with Iran, Trump said the US would be “hitting them very hard”. “We just want to win,” he said. “We’re doing very well, trying to be nice, as nice as you can be in a situation like that, but, you know, they’re being decimated. They have no Navy. They have no air force, they have no anti-aircraft. They don’t have any capability. They have some, but very little.” Continue reading...

Unidentified pilot of F-35B fighter jet receives treatment for non-life-threatening injuries after crash near Miramar An F-35B fighter jet crashed near a US Marine Corps base in San Diego on Friday morning, sparking a small fire that first responders doused. The pilot, who has not been publicly identified, sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to a statement from the Marine Corps Miramar air base. “The pilot ejected, was transported to a local medical facility in stable condition for evaluation and treatment of non-life-threatening injuries,” the Marine Corps said in an updated statement. Continue reading...

Pup named Roo, who ran away from home, was found curled up next to rail track – and was ‘thrilled’ to be rescued A two-year-old pitbull who ran away from home braved two days in a dim San Francisco railway tunnel before being rescued. Caltrain operators spotted the pup named Roo on his first day in the tunnel. Looking at the dog’s unmoving body, they had assumed he had been fatally struck by a train, according to a recent social media post from the San Francisco animal care and control shelter. Continue reading...

Sean Grayson, diagnosed with colon cancer, was sentenced to 20 years for killing Massey in Springfield in 2024 A former Illinois sheriff’s deputy won’t get an early medical release from his two-decade prison sentence for killing Sonya Massey inside her home after the Black woman called 911 about a possible prowler, state officials decided on Friday. Sean Grayson had been diagnosed with colon cancer prior to the 2024 shooting, and his attorney noted in January that the cancer had advanced to his liver and lungs. Continue reading...

Defense lawyers say Clancy was ill with postpartum psychosis when she killed three children in January 2023 Jurors walked through the Massachusetts home where Lindsay Clancy strangled her three children, a rare visit on Friday that let them see first-hand the place where an outwardly ordinary family life unraveled into tragedy . After being driven past two businesses relevant to the narrative of the January 2023 killings, jurors were escorted in groups of six to view the inside of the house, including the basement where the children died. Continue reading...

US President Donald Trump said on ⁠Friday that America has not agreed to Ukraine building Patriot missiles, but that talks are ongoing, adding that the US must be “very careful about letting somebody build them”. Trump said during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Turkey this ‌month that he was going to give Ukraine a licence to manufacture Patriot missile interceptors to help defend against Russian strikes, but has since backed away from that pledge despite hosting...

Italy said on Friday it ⁠was suspending the EU’s ⁠border-free Schengen arrangements with Spain for one month in ⁠response to a mass influx of migrants into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta from neighbouring Morocco. Italy does not share a land border with Spain but the measure – which looks certain to anger Madrid – will ‌affect people travelling by plane or boat between the two countries, meaning they will need to show a passport to gain access. Italy’s interior ministry said in a statement it had...

Hungary’s only nuclear power plant will shut down for the first time in its history due to record-low water levels on the Danube River, Prime Minister Péter Magyar said on Friday, adding that the plant may not come back online for several weeks as the river is expected to continue receding. The Paks nuclear plant, located around 90 km (50 miles) south of the capital Budapest, is operating at less than half its normal capacity, producing 965 megawatts of power rather than the usual 2,000. The...

US President Donald Trump on Friday hailed a “great breakthrough” in the Middle East, saying that the Board of Peace – the body he created to oversee Gaza’s governance, security and reconstruction – will lead the process of disarming Hamas. Speaking at an open-to-press cabinet meeting at Camp David, the presidential retreat that has hosted numerous world leaders, Trump credited the Board of Peace with the latest US-brokered deal, under which Hamas has agreed to disarm amid the lingering conflict...

In America today, many low-income workers and households can’t get adequate healthcare or pay for food. Depending on who you ask, medical costs are the number one cause or at least among the top causes of bankruptcy for families. This is despite the United States spending more on healthcare per capita than any developed economy within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and having the most advanced medical science and technology in the world. Healthcare is one good...

British singer Boy George has pulled out of a West End production of the musical Jesus Christ Superstar after facing a backlash for releasing a pro-Israel song, We Will Dance Again. The 65-year-old musician “will no longer be appearing in Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium”, his manager Paul Kemsley said on social media. The singer, whose real name is George Alan O’Dowd, rose to fame in the 1980s as the flamboyant singer of the pop band Culture Club. This week he released a song...

The European Union rolled out a new team on Friday to rein in AI companies across the world, in one of the most aggressive regulations the hi-tech sector has so far faced as fears rise over the risks the rapidly advancing technology poses to people, politics and prosperity. Brussels aims to track the use of AI models for violations of its new regulations, like the publishing of sexually explicit material, fake photos and videos, and cyber threats to public infrastructure. When the bloc’s AI Act...

Chinese President Xi Jinping held discussions with the leaders of Slovakia and Namibia in Beijing during July, as well as meeting the heads of Cambodia, Thailand and Kazakhstan in Shanghai on the sidelines of the World AI Conference. Xi also hosted North Korean Premier Pak Thae‑song in Beijing following his state visit and meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in June. So far this year, Xi has met with 26 national leaders, including US President Donald Trump. There may be three more...

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. Chinese satellite imagery analysis challenges US-Iran war claims Chinese scientists have used detailed satellite imagery analysis to examine damage to US military bases in the Middle East, uncovering discrepancies in both Washington...

Argentine President Javier Milei on Thursday imposed a bar on foreigners who express “hate” towards the Latin American country, which he claims is the target of a sinister campaign. Experts have cast doubt on the legal feasibility of the emergency decree, which is already in force but requires parliamentary approval to remain law. The measure bars or expels foreigners deemed to have “spread or incited hate messages” against the country or its people. In a statement, Milei said the measure was in...

Russia used a North Korean missile for a strike on a village that killed five members of the same family, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday, in what would be the first time such a weapon has been fired in the ‌war in nearly a year. Russia has launched North Korean missiles at Ukrainian targets before, but their first deployment since August points to a fresh stock of weapons that Moscow can draw on as it steps up missile attacks, a military source said. Russia pounded...

A scaremongering narrative has taken root in Western corridors and financial press columns: China, having saturated developed markets, is now aiming to crush fragile industries in developing nations, effectively slamming the door on their industrial dreams. It is a convenient little tale. However, it does not hold up against empirical evidence. The premise assumes that China and the Global South are fighting over the same slice of the global consumption pie – cheap T-shirts, plastic sandals,...

A US government map of Africa mislabelled every country during a State Department presentation at a global conference taking place in Brazil this week, causing a stir among attendees who took screenshots and posted them online. Reuters viewed a ‌video of the presentation given at the Aids 2026 conference in Rio de Janeiro, which shows the errant map displayed halfway during a presentation about the State Department’s new health agreements. A Reuters analysis found the image of the map included...

The Trump administration is weighing a plan to charge international students US$100,000 to stay in the country and work after graduating, according to a person familiar with the matter, in a potentially devastating move for student visa holders already squeezed by recent immigration crackdowns. The person familiar spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. A White House official said there was no imminent policy change, but did not deny the proposal was under...

A man who gave his son the gun he used to kill two students and two teachers at Apalachee High School in Georgia was sentenced Thursday to 15 years in prison. Colin Gray’s sentencing comes days after his son, Colt Gray, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in the September 4, 2024, shooting at the school 70km (45 miles) northeast of Atlanta. Colt Gray had pleaded guilty to murder and other charges. A defence lawyer for Colin Gray asked the judge for a sentence that...

At least 34 people died trying to cross from Morocco into Spain’s Ceuta enclave during a massive surge this week in illegal migration, local regional president Juan Jesús Vivas told reporters on Friday. Vivas said around 60,000 people had crossed into Ceuta during the influx, many by swimming around a border barrier stretching into the water. He did not give details on how the victims died. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited Ceuta on Friday and said his country had suffered a...

Uefa member federations agreed on Thursday to boycott all Fifa competitions in protest of Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors. “Uefa and its national associations will not participate in Fifa competitions,” the European football body said after an urgent online meeting of the 55 members. “Some things are simply too important to sell,” Uefa said in a statement. “The Fifa World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a...

US economic growth slowed in the second quarter amid a widening in the trade deficit, but an acceleration in consumer spending and robust business investment in equipment related to the buildout of artificial intelligence infrastructure pointed to underlying strength. Gross domestic product increased at a 1.5 per cent ‌annualised rate last quarter, the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis said in its advance estimate of second-quarter GDP on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters...

Over the past 10 years, Washington, Brussels and London have made decreasing economic reliance on China a strategic goal. Western economic plans now stress supply-chain resilience, industrial sovereignty, technological leadership and national security. The Covid-19 pandemic highlighted weaknesses in global supply networks. Increasing geostrategic tensions, export restrictions and technological rivalry have supported political backing for reshoring and “friendshoring” manufacturing. The objective...

Best known as Viagra, the erectile dysfunction drug sildenafil started off as a treatment for reduced blood flow but soon saw its value spike after its other effects became clear. The blue pill could have more uses, according to research by scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Tel Aviv. The team found indications that it curbs cancer metastasis via a “newly discovered biological mechanism” drawing upon the drug’s blood dilatation effects. Sildenafil curbs the capacity of cancer...

David Cifaldi and his two hiking companions were crossing Montana’s ominous Froze-to-Death Plateau and approaching the top of the state’s highest peak when their adventure took a bizarre and dangerous turn: Cifaldi slipped and impaled himself on his trekking pole as he fell. The 44-inch (112-centimetre) steel-tipped pole passed through the flesh beneath Cifaldi’s left arm, missing any vital organs, and protruded from his back. After conferring with his friends – and considering the high cost of...

Russia pounded Ukraine with dozens of missiles and hundreds of drones, killing nine people in overnight attacks on Thursday, President Volodymyr Zelensky said, decrying shortages of air defence supplies and urging allies to help. Russia launched more than 70 missiles and about 280 drones, Zelensky said in a statement on the Telegram app. The capital Kyiv and the western region of Lviv on Ukraine’s border with Poland were the main focus of the attack, the Ukrainian air force said. Poland, a...

It was important enough to the framers of the US Constitution to be included in the first 10 amendments known as the Bill of Rights – that no person “shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself”. Today, that protection – famously known as “pleading the Fifth” – remains one of the most visible and politically charged safeguards in American law. It has seeped into the culture, too. “Pleading the Fifth” has become an idiom in the United States, used jokingly in casual...

Nearly three-quarters of Cuba’s hotels have been closed and the island’s tourism sector has been brought to “almost total paralysis” by US sanctions and fuel shortages, Prime Minister Manuel Marrero said on Wednesday. Detailing the scale of the tourism crisis for the first time, Marrero said seven international chains, responsible for about half of all hotel rooms, had left the island. Tourism had been Cuba’s second-largest source of foreign currency earnings, employing more than 300,000 people...

The US military said it struck dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guard targets in Iran, including military command centres and drone facilities, in a two-hour operation launched after Tehran fired ballistic missiles at US forces in the Middle East. “The strikes aimed to further diminish threats posed by Iran and its proxies to American forces, commercial shipping, and neighbouring Gulf countries,” US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on Wednesday. Iran’s state media reported that...

Five people have died after powerful gusts of wind in Brazil brought chaos to Rio de Janeiro and parts of Sao Paulo state, cutting power and bringing public transport to a standstill. Residents of Rio de Janeiro were taken by surprise when winds of up to 100km/h hit just before rush hour, felling dozens of trees and leaving thousands stranded as the city’s three subway queues ground to a halt. The fire department said in a statement that two people had died when a wall collapsed in the city of...

Lindsay Clancy sobbed in court on Wednesday as jurors listened to the anguished emergency call her then-husband made after returning from an errand to find she had strangled their three children in their Massachusetts home. On the roughly seven-minute recording, Patrick Clancy can be heard speaking with his wife upon finding her badly injured and bleeding in their yard, after she jumped from the home’s second-storey window. “Look at me,” he says. “Say my name.” He then tells the dispatcher he is...

US President Donald Trump unveiled a US$22 billion plan on Wednesday to rebuild Washington Dulles airport by replacing concourses and adding a large parking garage while preserving the landmark main terminal. The announcement is the latest in a series of major projects he has announced in and around the US capital. “It’s considered one of the ‌worst airports anywhere in the world, we’re going to make it maybe the best with some hard work,” Trump said, arguing it was time “for a major and long...

Brazil overtook Russia and Belgium in the first five months of this year to become the world’s largest importer of Chinese cars, buying US$5.2 billion worth of vehicles as brands raced to land shipments before a tariff increase took effect in July. The figure, drawn from Chinese customs data, is up 146.9 per cent from the US$2.1 billion recorded a year earlier, when Brazil ranked sixth among buyers. Russia bought US$5 billion over the same months this year and Belgium purchased US$3.8...

The man who stabbed and partially blinded author Salman Rushdie at a speaking engagement in 2022 was found guilty on Wednesday of federal terrorism charges for the attack, which prosecutors said was incited by death threats over Rushdie’s novel The Satanic Verses. Hadi Matar, 28, already serving a 25-year prison term on state charges of attempted murder for ‌the knife assault, now faces a maximum penalty of life behind bars when he is sentenced on his federal conviction, scheduled for November...

Four women have accused Jared Leto of sexual misconduct when they were teenagers, to which the actor and musician responded Wednesday that he has “never sexually assaulted anyone”. “I have never sexually assaulted anyone in my entire life. These claims are absolutely and categorically false,” Leto, 54, said in a statement. The BBC documentary Jared Leto: Hollywood’s Dark Secret, released on Wednesday, details allegations including those from four women who accused the actor of sexual misconduct...

The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday, a choice that may intensify questions about how US central bank chief Kevin Warsh will deliver on his commitment to bring inflation back down to the 2 per cent target. The widely ‌expected decision to leave the benchmark interest rate in the 3.50 per cent to 3.75 per cent range drew dissents from three of the 12 members of the policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee who “preferred” a quarter-percentage-point hike at this...

The United States on Wednesday sanctioned a group of mainland Chinese and Hong Kong shipping companies accused of operating vessels that transported Iranian oil to China, extending Washington’s economic campaign against Tehran alongside its naval blockade. The US State Department said eight companies were designated for operating vessels that moved Iranian crude oil and petrochemical products to China and the United Arab Emirates as part of Iran’s sanctions-evading “shadow fleet”. Six of the...

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham pledged on Wednesday to take difficult decisions to overhaul England’s adult social care system, saying he wanted to work with other parties to end unfair high costs for users that he likened to US healthcare. Successive governments have failed to reform adult social care, for which families can pay hundreds of thousands of pounds, after previous proposals were defeated by opposition parties ‌who dubbed them a “dementia tax” or “death tax”. Burnham did not...

French DJ and musician Kavinsky, known for his electronic classic “Nightcall”, has been found dead at his home in Paris, prosecutors said on Wednesday. The self-taught pianist, whose real name is Vincent Belorgey, would have turned 51 on Friday. It was not immediately clear how he died, but emergency crews late on Tuesday noted nothing suspicious, the Paris prosecutor’s office said. “Nightcall” became a global hit after hit was featured in the soundtrack of 2011 movie Drive starring Ryan...

At least 15 elephants have died from exposure to a suspected poison in the Amboseli National Park in southern Kenya over a four-week period, the country’s nature conservation authorities reported on Wednesday. The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) said the animals had died in the park, which lies along the border with Tanzania, between June 24 and July 24. The nearby Kimana Conservancy and the Kuku Ranch area have also been affected. The KWS said that 10 of the 15 elephants showed similar symptoms,...

A ⁠Norwegian teenager ⁠was convicted on Wednesday of ⁠conspiracy to commit murder in Britain after being recruited by a Swedish organised crime group that prosecutors said was being used by the Iranian government. Johannes Natland, now ‌19, was arrested in a hotel room in Huddersfield, northern England, in March last year with two firearms and ammunition in his possession. Prosecutors said Natland had been recruited by the Foxtrot Network, a Swedish organised crime group used by ⁠the Iranian...

Firefighters in southwest France battled an uncontained wildfire four times the size of Paris on Wednesday as temperatures were forecast to reach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), threatening to turn a calm night into only a brief reprieve. Authorities in the Gironde region said the blaze had not spread overnight, but rising heat and afternoon winds could revive smouldering hotspots, carry embers across firebreaks and open new fronts beyond crews’ reach. At the command centre in Lège,...

Over the past few decades, people in many countries have witnessed extraordinary technological progress. Transport is becoming smarter, robots and drones are entering everyday life, infrastructure is growing more complex, buildings are reaching ever higher into the sky and expanding cities are drawing in millions of new residents. The number of megacities – urban areas with populations of at least 10 million – rose from eight in 1975 to 33 in 2025. The United Nations expects this number to reach...

If South Korea wants to unlock access to South American trade, it will need to prove it is not a competitor interested only in extracting natural resources but a trustworthy partner committed to revitalising manufacturing industries, according to observers. On Monday, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva agreed to revive negotiations on a free-trade agreement between South Korea and Mercosur, the South American trade bloc. A joint working group...

China’s emerging advantage in artificial intelligence (AI) is not that it already has the world’s best chips or strongest frontier models. It is that Chinese companies are increasingly providing capable intelligence at a price the global market can afford. AI is fast becoming everyday infrastructure. It is metered by usage and embedded in businesses, public services and devices, much like electricity or cloud computing. In an infrastructure market, leadership depends on affordability,...

Russia’s main domestic security agency said on Wednesday that Pavel Durov, founder and owner of the messaging app Telegram, has been charged with aiding terrorism and put on an international wanted list. The charges against Durov, who was born and began his career in Russia but later moved abroad, came as the Russian authorities restrict Telegram, one of the most popular messaging apps in the country. It is part of a long-term effort to bring the internet under the Kremlin’s full control that...

The US Senate confirmed Jay Clayton as Donald Trump’s top intelligence official on Tuesday, putting a permanent chief in charge of the country’s spy agencies as the president revives unsupported election fraud claims ahead of the midterms. Senators voted 51-47 to confirm Clayton’s appointment, with all Democrats in the upper chamber voting against it. “Jay is outstanding in every way, and will do a spectacular job as Director!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social shortly after the vote. The...

Elon Musk’s social media company X, formerly known as Twitter, launched its own bank account-like product where users can send money to one another. The service, known as X Money, is not a new bank. X Money is using technology and banking services provided by Cross River Bank and branding that backbone as X Money. It is common for new financial companies to use a traditional bank’s backbone to launch their services, as chartering a new bank is a timely and costly process. Currently X Money is...

A US teenager who shot dead four people at a high school with a gun his father gave him as a Christmas present was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday. Colt Gray, 16, pleaded guilty to carrying out the September 2024 attack at Apalachee High School in the town of Winder, Georgia. Gray was 14 years old when he shot dead two 14-year-old pupils and two teachers, while also wounding nine other people. He was charged as an adult. Superior Court Judge Nicholas Primm sentenced Gray to life in prison...

Changing one’s affiliation is rare in the Senate, but it can have big consequences. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania says he is staying put as a Democrat.

The president of Ukraine had warned that the country was running out of Patriot interceptors, the most reliable weapon it has to shoot down Russian ballistic missiles.

President Trump claimed without evidence that Minnesota’s Democratic government was “behind” a cyberattack on the state’s own water systems. Investigators believe Iran is likely responsible.

The Douglas DC-3 was mass-produced during World War II. Today, one of the few still remaining transports passengers in Colombia’s jungle.

Todd Blanche’s approach has collided with the jury-of-two reality in the Senate that has, thus far, kept him from the prize he covets: the stability and status conferred by a Senate confirmation.

The president’s comments threw the confirmation of Todd Blanche, his pick to be attorney general, further into doubt.

Several migrants said they had been motivated by social media messages claiming that the Spanish border was open, though the origin of those messages remained unclear.

Speculation has focused on lax Moroccan policing, attractive Spanish immigration policies and misinformation from human traffickers. In reality, experts said, it’s too early to know.

The 84-year-old mother of Savannah Guthrie, the television news anchor, has been missing for nearly six months.

President Trump’s announcement came at a difficult point in his relationship with the Israeli leader over their war against Iran.

Situational Awareness, led by a 24-year-old, exploded onto the artificial intelligence scene — and then nose-dived.

The newest entry in the franchise took a more grounded approach, a departure for a spectacle-focused genre that is teetering at the box office.

The Spider-Man series is about growing up. Now its superhero has become an adult.

As famous for his antisemitic rant in 2011 as he is for his fashion, Galliano would be one of only three living designers ever to receive the honor.

The New York Times correspondent says 70 percent of the president’s mind is dedicated to White House renovations.

Vivek Ramaswamy’s brand of post-Trump fusionism faces a test in Ohio.

Have you had to cancel, reschedule or replan a trip to France, Spain or elsewhere because of raging fires or stifling heat? If so, we want to hear from you.

He was widely suspected of being an F.B.I. informant and of playing a role in the 1965 assassination of Malcolm, the charismatic Black activist.