Minimalist News

America's Fanatical Left Wing Mayors Are A Malignant Threat This week the Democrat mayor of Arcadia, CA pled guilty to charges of acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China. Prosecutors alleged that from 2020–2022 (pre-mayor but continuing into her time in office), she and an associate operated a website promoting pro-China propaganda at the direction of PRC officials, without registering as a foreign agent. She faces at up to 10 years in prison for the crime, and it raises questions about how many more US mayors are on the payroll of foreign governments. But this scandal,

Charitable Giving: How To Manage Donations With New Tax Laws Authored by Javier Simon via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), When you donate to qualified charitable organizations under the IRS, you could get some tax benefits in the form of charitable deductions. The OBBBA introduces new limits and tax breaks for charitable giving starting in 2026. Fox_Ana/Shutterstock But tax laws are constantly changing , and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) has brought some major changes to charitable deductions beginning in tax year 2026. These shifts affect both itemizers and those who take the standard deduction. So let’s take

Vance Shrugs Off Backlash After Trump Says Americans' Finances Don't Factor Into Iran War "Even A Little Bit" Just before leaving to China on Tuesday, President Trump fielded question from the media and issued some shocking remarks which are sure to hurt, not help Republicans, during a week in which the Iran war hits the 75-day mark. President Trump conceded that the financial situation for Americans was not a factor in his decision-making when it came to Iran , at a moment Americans are alarmed at steadily rising gas prices, and the potential that the cost of everything from groceries

Rising Jet Fuel And Ticket Prices Could Disrupt Summer Air Travel Submitted by Tsvetana Paraskova of OilPrice.com Summer travel could be disrupted for millions of airline passengers as airlines pass on higher jet fuel prices onto air fares and cancel unprofitable routes, according to the global association Airports Council International. The surge in jet fuel prices as a result of the Middle East crisis leads to higher air fares. Passengers should be prepared for higher ticket prices for longer, Stefano Baronci, the Airports Council International’s director general of Asia Pacific and Middle East, told Bloomberg in an interview published on

24/7 Live Feed: Watch Humanoids Work On Factory Floor We have spent several quarters building the case for readers that humanoid robotics is approaching an inflection point, transitioning from years of training videos and promotional stunt videos to real-world factory-floor deployment. Multiple leading research desks we have cited expect global shipments of humanoid robots to begin ramping later this year and the years ahead, suggesting the job-displacement wave now hitting white-collar workers through AI chatbots could soon extend to blue-collar labor across warehouses, manufacturing lines, and beyond. Let's revisit an early February note from UBS analysts led by Phyllis Wang

Chaos Unleashed: When "Irrational" Makes Perfect Sense Authored by Charles Hugh Smith via OfTwoMinds blog, Once fairness and honesty have been stripped out of a social order, social trust collapses. Once trust collapses, society disintegrates. It's important to understand the dynamics of chaos before the certainties in our lives are swept away. Over the past few months, I've been exploring the dynamics of delusion and breakdown: 1. our reliance on models to make sense of the world and what happens when those models no longer track reality; 2. the difficulties in adapting when our old model breaks down; 3. our

Democrats Are Not In Good Shape For The Midterms The conventional wisdom heading into 2026 was simple enough: an unpopular president, a restless electorate, and history's gravitational pull toward the opposition party would deliver the House back to Democrats. CNN's Harry Enten spent this week throwing cold water on that narrative — and the data he brought to the table should give Democrats serious pause. Start with the map. Democrats were counting on Virginia’s new map to give them four more solid seats heading into the midterms, but the Virginia Supreme Court struck it down in a 4-3 ruling, finding

Where Have The Men Gone? Authored by Jeffrey Tucker via The Epoch Times, The Department of Labor keeps careful track of employment and the demographics thereof. Their latest report on men in the labor force is both mysterious and deeply alarming. It turns out that the labor force is missing about 7 million men who would otherwise be working. Close to a third of working-age men have vanished from the labor force. The labor force participation rate among “prime age men,” age 25 to 54, in the 1950s approached 100 percent. Now it is 89 percent, meaning roughly 11 percent

Japan's Refinery Utilization Hits 73% As Strategic Oil Stocks Flow In With global refineries working overtime to convert oil into much needed product, Japan's refinery utilization rates also surged in May, as releases from petroleum reserves and increased supply of non-Middle East crude are easing the crude supply crunch seen in March and most of April, OilPrice reported. For the first time since March, refiners in Japan have boosted their average utilization rate to above 70% in the past two weeks, data from the Petroleum Association of Japan (PAJ) showed on Wednesday. Utilization rate of the designed capacity was 73.3%

Vaccine Researcher Trying To Debunk Measles-Autism Claims Extradited To US On CDC Fraud Charges Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), A researcher who co-authored papers that he and others said undercut claims that measles vaccination causes autism has been extradited to the United States on fraud charges 15 years after he was charged. Poul Thorsen in an undated file image (L), and being extradited to the United States on May 7, 2026. HHS OIG via The Epoch Times Poul Thorsen , 65, a Danish national, was transported from Germany to the United States on May 7

The Liberal Media Is Finally Noticing Democrats Are Willing To Shred The Rule Of Law Democrats have anointed themselves the defenders of democracy and protectors of the rule of law. For years, the liberal media has been more than willing to help push that narrative. But after the state Supreme Court struck down the Virginia gerrymander, the reaction from Democrats was so extreme that even their usual defenders couldn’t ignore how bad it looked. On Sunday, t he New York Times reported that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Virginia Democrats held a conference call the day after the Virginia

CIA, Mexico Criticize CNN Report Claiming US Directly Participated In Bombing Of Cartels In Mexico Authored by Kimberly Hayek via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), The Central Intelligence Agency and Mexico are criticizing CNN for spreading false information after the news outlet published a report - citing anonymous sources - claiming that CIA operatives had directly participated in targeted killings as part of the U.S. intelligence agency’s alleged “secret war” against cartel members in Mexico. A man walks across the CIA seal in the lobby of the agency headquarters in Langley, Va., on Aug. 14, 2008. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty

Iran Claims 80% Of Bombed-Out Areas Of Tehran Restored, Amid $270BN War Loss Compensation Demand Iran has been seeking to prove its unity and defiance to the world in the aftermath of the 38-days of heavy US-Israeli bombing it endured throughout the Trump-ordered Operation Epic Fury. Along with fast seeking to rearm and recover its missile capability after the bombardment which heavily targeted above and below-ground missile silos, it is also rapidly rebuilding bombed-out parts of the capital city Tehran . Getty Images In what sounds like a surprising and perhaps high estimate, about 80% of war-damaged sites in Iran's

Jane Street Slashes Bitcoin ETF Holdings, Adds Ether Funds In Q1 2026 Authored by Helen Partz via CoinTelegraph.com, Wall Street market maker Jane Street reduced its exposure to Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs) in the first quarter of 2026 while increasing positions in Ether funds. Jane Street cut major Bitcoin ETF holdings in Q1 2026, including BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) and Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund (FBTC), according to a 13F filing published Tuesday. IBIT holdings fell about 71% from Q4 2025 to roughly 5.9 million shares valued at about $225 million, while FBTC dropped about 60% to around 2

GOP Lawmakers Leery Of Trump's Billion-Dollar Ballroom-Security Package Wary of the terrible election-year optics, some federal Republican legislators are less-than-enthusiastic about approving a request for a billion dollars in security funding relating to President Trump's White House ballroom project . Some of them shared those feelings with reporters after they received a Tuesday afternoon closed-door briefing by Secret Service Director Sean Curran. When he first rolled out the 90,000-square-foot ballroom project, Trump repeatedly emphasized that the project would cost $200 million and be funded entirely with private donations . Now the ballroom itself is projected to cost $400 million --

Senate Confirms Kevin Warsh As Fed Chair In Most Partisan Vote Ever Update: In a largely party-line vote, the U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed President Donald Trump’s nominee Kevin Warsh to a 14-year term as the next Chair of the Federal Reserve, succeeding Jerome Powell whose term as chair ends this Friday. The 54-45 vote was the slimmest confirmation margin ever for a head of a central bank, reflecting fears that he'll be Trump's puppet. Trump has made no secret that he expects rates to lower under Warsh after repeatedly slamming Powell for monetary policy Trump feels is too restrictive.

Gamma And Momentum: A Recipe For Cheers And Tears Authored by Michael Lebowitz via RealInvestmentAdvice.com, Intel (INTC) shares have risen 90% over the past month and more than 200% since the start of the year. Its competitors, Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and Micron (MU), are posting similar gains. Many other semiconductor stocks, along with some computer hardware companies, are the market’s latest AI darlings. Momentum and gamma are driving the outperformance, and, in their wake, a supportive narrative is trying to justify it. The narrative holds that the insatiable infrastructure buildout for AI, including data centers, GPUs/CPUs, networking equipment, and

Ex-Con Hacker Twins Fired - Proceed To Wipe Out 96 Government Databases In Minutes Note to employers: When you discover your twin brother employees are ex-cons who did time for hacking into the US State Department, and go to fire them, make sure you fully disable their access. February 2025, twin brothers Muneeb and Sohaib Akhter turned a routine job termination into one of the most brazen insider sabotage incidents in recent U.S. government history . Just minutes after being fired from Opexus - a Washington, D.C.-area contractor that provides critical case-management software to more than 45 federal agencies -

Gunfire Erupts Inside Philippine Senate As Former 'Drug War' Enforcer Evades International Arrest Warrant At least a dozen gunshots rang out inside the Philippine Senate building in Manila earlier on Wednesday as police and marines moved to arrest Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa on an International Criminal Court warrant for alleged crimes against humanity linked to former President Rodrigo Duterte's brutal war on drugs, a campaign that left more than 6,000 suspected drug dealers dead in operations. Reuters reports that it is unclear who fired the burst of shots inside the Senate building, but it occurred as Dela Rosa was

Ugly, Tailing 30Y Auction Makes History With First 5%+ Yield Since The Great Quant Crash Of Aug 2007 Moments ago, the last refunding auction of the week, the sale of $25BN in 30Y paper, made history: it was the first 30Y auction to print with a high yield above 5%, and a coupon of 5%, since August 2007... which as veteran traders will recall was the month of the historic quant crash which marked the S&P highs at the time and eventually culminated in the global financial crisis. The auction priced at a high yield of 5.046%, up sharply from

With Mexico under pressure from Trump to tackle drug trafficking groups, analysts say ‘it’s the most tense situation since the 1980s’ Relations between Mexico and the United States are being pushed to breaking point amid accusations by Washington that Mexican officials have been “in bed for years” with drug traffickers, and reports of CIA agents freely operating south of the border. “There are many who are betting on the defeat and failure of the Mexican government,” said Claudia Sheinbaum tersely on Wednesday, when asked about the allegations at a news conference. ”We want a good relationship with the United States

Beloved animated series will return for 36th season in the fall after telecoms giant Bell Media reaches deal with Disney Fans of Les Simpson have a message for anyone who doubted the future of the beloved and long-running Québécois version of the animated satirical show: Mange de la crotte. Les Simpson will return for its 36th season in the fall after telecoms giant Bell Media said it had reached an agreement with Disney for the rights to air and dub the show. The deal caps nearly a year of uncertainty surrounding the adaptation, which is beloved in Canada’s lone francophone

Richard Werstine, wanted in connection with killing of Cold as Life vocalist Rodney Barger, was arrested in Panama A suspect accused of murdering his rock singer friend in 1993 has been apprehended in Central America after spending more than 30 years successfully evading authorities. According to the US Marshals Service, Richard Werstine, who was wanted in connection with the killing of Cold as Life vocalist Rodney Barger, was arrested in Panama. Continue reading...

Exclusive: In letter seen by the Guardian, 30 members of Congress warn US president’s Cuba military operation would worsen ‘mass suffering’ US politics live – latest updates More than 30 members of Congress have urged Donald Trump ’s top officials to end the use of the Guantánamo Bay naval base for immigrant detention and rule out any plans for military action on Cuba . In the letter to the secretaries of defense, state and homeland security on Wednesday morning, reviewed by the Guardian, Democratic lawmakers led by Delia Ramirez, a representative from Illinois, linked a rise in migration from the

Davis is the country’s first leader to serve a second consecutive term in nearly 30 years The Bahamas prime minister, Philip Davis, and his ruling Progressive Liberal party (PLP) have been re-elected , making him the country’s first leader to serve a second consecutive term in nearly 30 years. “The Bahamian people have spoken, and I receive their verdict with humility and gratitude,” Davis told Reuters. “This victory is a mandate to keep moving the Bahamas forward, to expand opportunity, strengthen security, ease the pressure on families, and deliver progress across our islands.” Continue reading...

Ahead of the crucial talks, security has been heightened in Beijing, with the US president set to meet Xi at the Great Hall of the People Trump lands in China for high-stakes summit with Xi Jinping as Iran war looms over talks Explainer: five key issues on the table at summit Donald Trump will drive through a Chinese capital that is smoggier than it was on his last visit in 2017 , when the authorities launched emergency measures to clear the skies of pollution days before his first state visit to Beijing. Factories were ordered to halt production and heavily

All Her Lives is only the fifth short story collection to win the prestigious NZ$65,000 prize in 58 years First-time fiction writer Ingrid Horrocks has won New Zealand’s richest literary prize for her debut short story collection, All Her Lives . The Wellington-based poet, essayist and memoirist won the prestigious NZ$65,000 (A$53,000, £28,500) Jann Medlicott Acorn prize for fiction at the 2026 Ockham New Zealand book awards on Wednesday night. The book follows nine women across nine different life stages and generations, as they navigate politics, gender and motherhood. Continue reading...

Case attracts widespread attention as example of China balancing enthusiastic adoption of AI with job security A court in China has ruled in favour of a worker whose company replaced him with artificial intelligence (AI), awarding him more than £28,000 in compensation. The worker, whose surname is Zhou, joined a tech company in the eastern city of Hangzhou in 2022 as a quality assurance supervisor overseeing large language models used in AI products. Continue reading...

Ronald dela Rosa, accused of crimes against humanity by international criminal court, has holed up in building to evade arrest Gunshots have been fired in the Philippines senate as a senator who is wanted by the international criminal court (ICC) remained holed up in the building to evade arrest. Ronald dela Rosa, a Philippine senator accused of crimes against humanity for his role in overseeing the former president Rodrigo Duterte’s “war on drugs”, has spent two nights in the country’s senate in a standoff with the authorities. Continue reading...

US’s apparent decline has fuelled growing Chinese nationalism while US president has lost his novelty value Trump in Beijing – latest updates Five key issues for Xi-Trump summit . Yaoji Chaogan, a no-frills canteen next to Beijing’s historic Drum and Bell towers, once proudly displayed photographs of Joe Biden, who visited the restaurant when he was US vice-president in 2011. Biden’s visit went viral in China, with media praising his “noodle diplomacy” (one of the dishes that Biden ordered was zhajiang mian, a traditional style of Beijing noodles with bean paste). But evidence of Biden’s visit was removed when the

Anthony Albanese praises Tyrrell as ‘a fighter’ after joining Labor party. Follow today’s news live Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Holding Jewish people responsible for Israel a ‘building block’ of racism, inquiry hears There will always be “edge cases”, Dr Dave Rich has told the antisemitism royal commission, where there are good faith disagreements on whether something is antisemitic. Holding Jews collectively responsible for the actions of the state of Israel is the justification provided by terrorists who murder Jews around the world, who attack Jews around the world while shouting abuse about

Landmark finding against supermarket giant comes after competition watchdog argued that markdowns did not represent genuine savings Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Coles misled Australian shoppers by promoting fake “Down Down” discounts on everyday grocery products, the federal court has ruled in a landmark decision for the supermarket industry. Justice Michael O’Bryan handed down his judgment on Thursday, delivering a significant blow to Australia’s second-largest supermarket chain, which had argued that the discounts represented genuine savings during a period of high inflation. Continue reading...

Researchers say budget decision to cut commercialisation program to fund the CSIRO and other science initiatives undermines the government’s own priorities Explore all of our 2026 Australia federal budget coverage Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The federal government has been accused of “robbing Peter to pay Paul” over the budget axing of a $760m research commercialisation program in order to fund other science initiatives. The budget includes a $387.4m boost to “support the financial sustainability” of the beleaguered national science agency CSIRO, as well as $273m for the National Measurement Institute. Continue reading...

Changes to capital gains tax and negative gearing will make the strategy of renting in a preferred area while buying a cheaper property elsewhere less attractive, experts say Explore all of our 2026 Australia federal budget coverage Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Rent-vesting – a popular strategy used by young Australians to save for their first home – could be killed off by Labor’s tax changes on investment properties, experts warn. Renters have used the strategy to keep living in their preferred area while

Australia Palestine Advocacy Network says criticism of Israel is routinely misrepresented as antisemitic – and that Palestinian voices are being excluded from debate Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast Palestinian voices are being excluded from the debate on social cohesion, the peak body for Palestinians in Australia has said after it was refused leave to appear before the royal commission on antisemitism and social cohesion. The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (Apan) made detailed submissions on the issues of antisemitism – including how it is defined

Brand owner Mondelēz was accused of reducing weight of Alpine Milk bar from 100g to 90g without significantly altering the packaging Many chocolate lovers consider shrinkflation a serious crime – and they have been vindicated after a German court ruled that the makers of Milka cheated consumers by cutting the bar’s size, while keeping the wrapper the same. The three-week case in a regional court was brought by Hamburg’s consumer protection office. It accused the chocolate brand’s US owner Mondelēz of deceiving shoppers by cutting the weight of Milka’s classic Alpine Milk bar from 100g to 90g without significantly altering

New rules would enable single-ticket bookings across multiple rail operators throughout Europe Cross-border train journeys through several European countries are the stuff of many a holidaymaker’s dreams. But the reality of trying to buy the tickets, navigating multiple websites without knowing who can help if a connection is missed, can prove less than relaxing. As one MEP puts it, it can often require “five tabs, three apps and a prayer”. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed, you can read more of our Ukraine war coverage here Responding to the Guardian’s questions, the operator also confirmed that the vast majority of the 1,187 guests on board are British. There are also 514 crew members. Ambassador Cruise Line also confirmed that a 92-year-old man died on board earlier this week, but he did not report any symptoms at the time and the cause of his death is yet to be established. Continue reading...

After drawing delighted crowds since first sighted in Orkney the young male has swum 400 miles across the North Sea A peripatetic walrus who became a local celebrity as he toured the north-east coast of Scotland has now been spotted in Norway, bringing to an end his Celtic sojourn. The young male was christened Magnus after he after first hauled his estimated 2.5-metre frame out of the sea on to Stronsay pier in Orkney on 16 April. Continue reading...

Strikes killed at least six people as Moscow and Kyiv trade long-range attacks after brief ceasefire Europe live – latest updates Russia targeted Ukraine with more than 800 drones in a large-scale daytime assault that killed at least six people on Wednesday, hours after a previous deadly barrage. The strikes came as Kyiv and Moscow traded long-range attacks after a brief ceasefire, and despite the latest suggestion from Donald Trump that the war could soon come to an end. Continue reading...

Prime minister under pressure over failure to grant military service exemptions as multi-party government looks at risk of collapse Israel’s ruling coalition has submitted a proposal to dissolve parliament to pave the way for early elections as the prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, came under mounting pressure from ultra-Orthodox parties. The move, initiated by Netanyahu’s rightwing Likud party, came as Netanyahu appeared to be facing a possible collapse of his fractious coalition. Continue reading...

Lindsay and Craig Foreman were given 10-year sentences after entering the country on a motorcycling trip The “terrified” family of a British couple jailed for 10 years in Iran on spying charges have said they have lost all contact with them. Lindsay and Craig Foreman, both 53, were arrested in January 2025 while travelling through Iran during an around-the-world trip by motorcycle. Continue reading...

Emirates’ foreign ministry rejects claims that Netanyahu visited the country describing them as ‘baseless’ Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed he made a secret trip to the United Arab Emirates at the height of the Iran war to meet the president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. “This visit has led to a historic breakthrough in relations between Israel and the UAE,” the Israeli prime minister’s office said on Wednesday night. Continue reading...

Pete Hegseth and other officials appear before House to face grilling on Iran war expenditure and military operations Iran has expanded its definition of the strait of Hormuz into a “vast operational area” far wider than before the war, according to a senior officer in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy in comments likely to anger the US. The strait is no longer viewed as a narrow stretch around a handful of islands but instead has been greatly enlarged in scope and military significance, according to Mohammad Akbarzadeh, deputy political director of the IRGC Navy, the state-affiliated Fars news

If current precarious ceasefire between US and Iran ends, Emirates are more likely to be targeted by Tehran The risk of some Gulf states becoming embroiled in a direct war with Iran has risen after it was reported the United Arab Emirates had secretly launched a major attack on Iran during the conflict. In addition, Kuwait has said that at least four members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps had been captured trying to carry out “terrorist attacks” on the Kuwaiti-owned Bubiyan Island, the largest island in the Kuwaiti coastal chain. Continue reading...

Stone being paid $50,000 a month to ‘rebuild’ relations between Washington and Myanmar’s military-backed government The US lobbyist Roger Stone, a longtime friend and ally of Donald Trump, has been condemned for accepting $50,000 a month to “rebuild” relations between Washington and Myanmar’s military-backed government. Myanmar’s leaders have been internationally isolated since seizing power in a coup in 2021 , and have repeatedly been accused of atrocities that may amount to war crimes . Activists say the military rulers, which recently held widely condemned “sham” elections , are now trying to reassert themselves abroad. Continue reading...

Turmoil and violence rocks state after prime minister Narendra Modi’s party claimed victory in legislative election Tensions have been high in the Indian state of West Bengal after a top political aide from Narendra Modi’s party was shot dead in the street and hundreds were arrested as violence broke out following elections this week. The prime minister’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) claimed victory in the West Bengal elections on Monday , defeating Trinamool Congress (TMC), which had ruled over the state legislature for 15 years. Continue reading...

Mamata Banerjee says Narendra Modi’s party ‘forcefully captured’ election that ended her party’s 15 years in power A political showdown is taking place in the Indian state of West Bengal as the chief minister, Mamata Banerjee, India’s most powerful female politician, has refused to resign after she lost elections to the prime minister’s party this week. Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) won an overwhelming victory on Monday in state elections in West Bengal, where Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress party (TMC) have been in power for 15 years. Continue reading...

Result in key Indian state is set to have significant implications for the country’s political landscape Narendra Modi’s party has won a resounding election victory in West Bengal, a state which had been a rare opposition stronghold, expanding his unrivalled consolidation of power across the country. It is the first time that the Indian prime minister’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) has won assembly elections in West Bengal, a large and politically significant state in eastern India. Continue reading...

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

Medicines watchdog approves two treatments for patients with spinal muscular atrophy Hundreds of children with a rare muscle-wasting disease will be able to receive two drugs that can improve their survival in a move parents hailed as a “lifeline”. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has published final draft guidance recommending that any patient who would benefit can have either drug. Continue reading...

Greenpeace finds cocktail of pesticides including seven banned in EU may have been used on seven categories of vegetables and soft fruit It is a beautiful early summer Sunday afternoon and you have stopped for a pub lunch. A waiter sets down a roast served with carrots, peas, parsnips, potatoes and onion gravy, and then for pudding, strawberries and cream. It feels like the perfect rustic meal to accompany a day in the country. However, a report by Greenpeace, published on Thursday, has found that the ingredients of the traditional Sunday roast have potentially been treated with a cocktail of

Homebuyers more cautious due to possible mortgage rate rises and higher inflation as sellers sit on properties Fears of higher mortgage rates and rising inflation as a result of the Middle East conflict are leading to a subdued and downbeat housing market, according to estate agents. Demand from potential homebuyers across England and Wales has shown a “noticeable softening” recently, according to a monthly survey of estate agents by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Continue reading...

King Charles unveils government agenda for the next year as PM faces leadership threat from within Labour Keir Starmer attempted to reassert his authority over his restive party on Wednesday, announcing his plans for the next parliamentary session even as speculation grew that he would be challenged for his job as soon as Thursday. Starmer announced his second king’s speech as prime minister, promising a package of measures with bills to abolish NHS England, overhaul the provision of special educational needs teaching, limit trials by jury, introduce digital ID and end the leasehold system in England and Wales. Continue reading...

Elias Calocane says he thought violent messages sent by brother related to suicidal thoughts not harming others The younger brother of Valdo Calocane, who killed three people in an attack in Nottingham, said he felt “powerless” over his sibling’s mental ill health and believed violent messages his brother had sent concerned suicidal thoughts. Valdo Calocane, who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2020, stabbed to death Barnaby Webber and Grace O’Malley-Kumar, both 19, and caretaker Ian Coates, 65, on 13 June 2023, and seriously injured three others. Continue reading...

In apology, William Paul said he had had ‘too much to drink’ and the things he said ‘don’t represent who I really am’ Republican senator Rand Paul’s son William apologized on Wednesday for a drunken tirade at a bar in Washington DC, in which he reportedly told a Republican congressman he “hates Jews and hates gays”. “Last night, I had too much to drink and said some things that don’t represent who I really am. I’m sorry and today I am seeking help for my drinking problem,” William Paul posted on social media under the handle TastyBrew1776. Continue reading...

Cindy Burbank, who bested an alleged Republican plant, plans to step aside for Dan Osborn in general election Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email A Democratic challenger who said she intends to drop out of November’s race for the US Senate in Nebraska to clear the way for an independent candidate has won the state’s Democratic primary. Cindy Burbank ran against William Forbes, who Democrats contended was a Republican plant in the race, with the intent to drop out if she won. Forbes, a pastor who has voted for Trump and opposed abortion access , is currently

Lu Jianwang was accused of operating a ‘secret police station’ in Manhattan’s Chinatown at the behest of Beijing A New York man was found guilty on Wednesday of acting as an unregistered agent of the Chinese government after he was accused of operating a “secret police station” on behalf of Beijing in Manhattan’s Chinatown neighborhood. Federal prosecutors in Brooklyn said Lu Jianwang, 64, should have alerted the US attorney general that he was a Chinese agent when he helped open the so-called police station in 2022. They also said he helped China’s government locate a pro-democracy activist living in California.

In House committee transcript, commerce secretary denied any further contact with disgraced financier Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email The US commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, told lawmakers in a closed-door interview earlier this month that he met Jeffrey Epstein only three times and had no “personal or professional relationship” with the disgraced financier, according to a newly released transcript of the meeting. “I unequivocally condemn the conduct attributed to Jeffrey Epstein and everyone who participated in his illegal activities,” Lutnick said in his opening statement before the House oversight and reform committee. Continue reading...

Dalton Eatherly, 28, known as Chud the Builder, accused of firing at another man outside courthouse in Clarksville An influencer has been detained in Tennessee following his alleged involvement in a shooting, according to local police. On Wednesday afternoon, Dalton Eatherly, 28 – known online as Chud the Builder – was involved in a confrontation with another man outside the Montgomery county courthouse in Clarksville, Tennessee, during which shots were fired, the office of the district attorney general said in a statement. Continue reading...

A paediatrician at a hospital near Berlin has been charged with sex offences in 130 cases, many of which are said to have taken place at the hospital, prosecutors said on Wednesday. The extent of the offences, which include serious sexual abuse of children and rape, had previously been unknown. The paediatrician has been in pre-trial custody since November, with prosecutors citing a risk of reoffending as a reason for the man’s continued detention. In January, it became known that the doctor was...

French prosecutors on Wednesday requested a seven-year prison sentence for former president Nicolas Sarkozy in an appeal trial on charges that he sought Libyan financing for his 2007 election. Sarkozy, France’s right-wing leader from 2007 to 2012, has always denied any wrongdoing but last year became modern France’s first former president to have gone to jail over the case, before he was released after 20 days pending his appeal trial. Prosecutors had also requested seven years in the first...

The bodies of three women have been recovered from the sea off Brighton. Sussex Police said emergency services were called after concerns were raised for the women’s welfare at around 5.45am on Wednesday, and their bodies were pulled from the water near Madeira Drive. Chief Superintendent Adam Hays said the coastguard is completing an “extensive search of the water”, but the force is not searching for anyone else. The officer said CCTV inquiries are being carried out. Following the incident,...

The European Union will not ban “conversion therapy” targeting LGBTQ people, but will push member states to take action against such practices, it said on Wednesday. So-called conversion “therapies” involve methods that seek to change the sexual orientation or gender identity or expression of members of gay, lesbian, queer and trans people. The EU stopped short of heeding a call by over a million people, who signed a petition last May calling on the 27-country bloc to prohibit such...

French authorities on Wednesday allowed asymptomatic passengers to leave a British cruise ship, saying a gastrointestinal virus was behind an outbreak of sickness that came after an elderly man died of a heart attack. Earlier, authorities had ordered a lockdown for the more than 1,700 passengers and crew on the vessel, but insisted there was no connection with the hantavirus outbreak suspected of killing three people on the Dutch-flagged MV Hondius cruise ship, which has sparked international...

Keir Starmer faced his biggest challenge yet on Wednesday when his health minister was reported to be readying his resignation to try to trigger a contest to replace a British prime minister who had sought some respite to set out his government’s agenda. As Starmer and his ministers stood in silence to hear King Charles read out their government’s agenda, the ceremony was overshadowed by what could be the most dangerous threat to the prime minister since lawmakers began urging him to resign over...

This live article is freely available to our registered users. Please log in or create an account below. Unrivalled Xi-Trump summit analysis: get real-time updates and exclusive boots-on-the-ground reporting from our Beijing and Washington bureaus. Subscribe now with great savings to stay ahead. US President Donald Trump has arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The state visit is the first by an American president in almost nine years. It...

Some European companies operating in China are shifting more production to the country as part of broader supply chain adjustments in response to the US-Israeli war on Iran, according to a new survey by the EU Chamber of Commerce in China. The flash survey of European companies found that more than a quarter of firms had adjusted their supply chain strategies in China following the Middle East conflict, as higher energy and logistics costs weigh on operations. Six in 10 chemicals and petroleum...

Senior officials from China and the United States concluded their latest round of trade talks in Seoul after less than four hours on Wednesday, the briefest session since the two countries began holding talks last year. The seventh round of negotiations – led by Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent – wrapped up just hours ahead of US President Donald Trump’s scheduled arrival in Beijing. The officials ended the session without speaking to the media, a departure...

The G7 economists’ memo from March and the IMF’s April report on global imbalances arrived at the same prescription: China’s current account surplus is excessive and should be cut by boosting consumption. The diagnosis is wrong. The world economy, especially emerging markets and developing economies, benefits from China’s high saving. A current account surplus is the excess of national saving over domestic investment. The saving is not lost; it is exported abroad in the form of net capital...

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under pressure to resign after more than 80 lawmakers in his Labour Party said he was not the right person to lead the country and win the ⁠next national election. He has vowed to stay on as no formal ⁠leadership challenge has yet been triggered. If Labour were to choose a new leader, here is ⁠a list of those in the frame to replace Starmer: Wes Streeting, 43 Streeting has served as health and social care minister since Labour came to power in July 2024 – a...

French President Emmanuel Macron is facing backlash after he interrupted a panel at the Africa Forward Summit in Kenya to demand silence from the audience. Macron stormed the stage to rebuke audience members for what he called a “total lack of respect”, accusing them of disrupting speakers during a presentation by artists and young entrepreneurs. He had earlier described himself as a “Pan-Africanist” during a news conference. The summit is meant to showcase France’s new policy for the continent...

Argentina’s city “at the end of the world” Ushuaia, the jump-off point for expeditions to the Antarctic, has been labouring under suspicion of being the source of the deadly hantavirus outbreak that killed three cruise ship passengers. The MV Hondius set sail from this spectacular Patagonian port, sandwiched between snow-capped mountains and the South Atlantic, on April 1. Five days later, a Dutch man who had travelled through South America on a birdwatching trip with his wife, developed...

Israel hammered south Lebanon with strikes on Tuesday ahead of talks between the two countries in Washington, as Beirut reported 380 people killed in Israeli attacks since an April 17 ceasefire took effect. Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem vowed to turn the battlefield into “hell” for Israeli forces, and insisted his Iran-backed group’s weapons would not be up for discussion at the talks on Thursday and Friday, after the US had called for its disarmament. Israel has intensified its attacks on south...

Senior officials from China and the United States have started a new round of trade talks in Seoul, South Korea, hours ahead of US President Donald Trump’s scheduled arrival in Beijing. The delegations – led by Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng and US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent – arrived at Terminal 1 of Incheon Airport around noon on Wednesday Seoul time. The two officials had both paid courtesy calls to South Korean President Lee Jae Myung in the morning. This is the seventh round of...

Vietnam’s state oil company urged the US to let a supertanker pass through an American naval blockade outside the Persian Gulf, saying the shipment is critical to the Asian country’s economy. The very large crude carrier Agios Fanourios I, managed by Athens-based Eastern Mediterranean Maritime, performed a mid-ocean U-turn on Monday at around the point where the US blockade begins. It had only just cleared the Strait of Hormuz, holding 1.99 million barrels of Iraq’s Basrah Medium crude, when it...

After the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803, which almost doubled the size of the United States’ territory, US president Thomas Jefferson commissioned the legendary Lewis and Clark expedition, which surveyed new routes from the Missouri river to the Pacific coast. It also carried out work in agriculture, ethnography (with indigenous peoples) and geography. Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, that was the kind of science the US government was willing to pay for – practical,...

FBI Director Kash Patel angrily lashed out at a Democratic lawmaker at a budget hearing Tuesday, calling allegations that he drinks excessively on the job and has been unreachable to his staff at times “unequivocally, categorically false”. “I will not be tarnished by baseless allegations and fraudulent statements from the media,” Patel told Senator Chris Van Hollen during a testy exchange that began when the Maryland Democrat confronted him about a recent article in The Atlantic magazine that...

US President Donald Trump’s landmark visit to China comes as the US-Iran war disrupts global energy supplies, fuels economic uncertainty and adds fresh strain to Washington-Beijing ties. In this story, part of a series examining how rivalry, interdependence and geopolitical crises are reshaping the relationship between the two powers, we explore how the countries’ standing in the world has changed – mostly to China’s benefit – since Trump’s previous trip. When US President Donald Trump unleashed...

Against the backdrop of a shifting diplomatic landscape, US President Donald Trump is set to arrive in Beijing this week for a high-stakes summit. While Washington frames the visit, delayed by the war in Iran, as a pivotal effort to rebalance ties, the bravado of maximum pressure masks a deepening domestic vulnerability. Trump’s arrival comes at a critical juncture; his administration faces multiple crises. The looming 2026 midterms have intensified pressure from a restless agricultural...

A French woman infected in the deadly hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship is critically ill and being treated with an artificial lung, a doctor at the Paris hospital caring for the sickened passenger said on Tuesday. The outbreak has now reached 11 total reported cases, nine of which have been confirmed. Three people on the cruise died, including a Dutch couple that health officials believe were the first exposed to the virus while visiting South America. The French passenger hospitalised in...

Beijing lashed out at Paraguay on Monday after President Santiago Pena wrapped up a four-day visit to Taiwan, branding Paraguayan leaders as willing “chess pieces” for independence forces on the self-ruled island that China claims as its own territory. Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said China “firmly opposes and condemns” the trip and urged Asuncion to “change course at an early date” and recognise the one-China principle. “The wheels of history wait for no one. Rejecting the one-China...

US President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome missile defence shield will cost as much as US$1.2 trillion to deploy and operate, six times above current forecasts, according to a new estimate – and would still probably fail to stop an all-out attack. The new forecast from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office relies on capabilities spelled out in Trump’s January 2025 executive order unveiling the idea rather than any government plan because the administration has given no details about what the...

China’s foreign minister Wang Yi on Tuesday urged Pakistan to ramp up mediation efforts in the Iran crisis, as the war threatens to overshadow US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing. In a call with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar, Wang lauded Pakistan’s efforts in facilitating negotiations between Washington and Tehran and helping to extend the ceasefire. But he also called for Pakistan to “step up its mediation efforts to contribute to … the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the...

⁠US Food and Drug Commissioner Marty Makary resigned on Tuesday, President Donald Trump said, the latest leadership change at the federal health department which comes after weeks of public speculation and a mounting pressure campaign. FDA Deputy Commissioner for Food Kyle Diamantas will lead the agency in an acting capacity, according to two sources familiar with the situation. Politico first reported the development. “Marty is a terrific guy, but he’s ‌going to go on and he’s going to lead a...

Russia on Tuesday test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile as part of efforts to modernise the country’s nuclear forces, a launch hailed by President Vladimir Putin just days after his claim that the fighting in Ukraine was nearing an end. Putin said that the nuclear-armed Sarmat missile would enter combat service at the end of the year. It was built to replace the ageing Soviet-built Voyevoda. “This is the most powerful missile in the world,” Putin declared, adding that the combined...

The US customs agency has ⁠processed refunds including interest ⁠worth US$35.46 billion as of ⁠May 11 for tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump last year that were deemed illegal, according to a Tuesday court filing. As of 7am on May 11, ‌the US Customs and Border Protection had received 126,237 applications for refunds covering an undisclosed number of shipments or entries, according to the court filing. The agency said it had validated 86,874 of those applications covering 15.1 million...

The US Senate on Tuesday confirmed Kevin Warsh as a governor on the board of the Federal Reserve, clearing the way for him to take the reins of the central bank later this week as the world’s largest economy faces inflation at a three-year-high. The Senate voted 51-45 to confirm Warsh’s appointment to the board for a 14-year term, with the results largely along party lines. The Senate will hold a separate vote to confirm Warsh as the central bank’s chair, taking over from incumbent Jerome...

US consumer prices climbed sharply again last month as the 10-week war with Iran pushed energy prices higher. The Labor Department’s consumer price index rose 3.8 per cent from April 2025, according to data released on Tuesday. On a month-to-month basis, April prices rose 0.6 per cent from March as petrol prices rose 5.4 per cent during the month; the month-over-month gain was down from 0.9 per cent increase from February to March. Labor Department figures showed that petrol prices are up more...

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said Cuba was asking for help and “we are going to talk”, without providing any more detail. “No Republican ‌has ever spoken to me about Cuba, which is a failed country and only heading in one direction – down! Cuba is asking for help, and we are going to talk!!! In the ⁠meantime, I’m off to China!” Trump wrote on social media. Representatives for the White House and the State Department could not be immediately reached ‌for comment. Representatives for...

A Spanish passenger evacuated from the cruise ship at the centre of a hantavirus outbreak has tested positive for the virus, Spain’s health ministry announced on Tuesday as the World Health Organization said it has now confirmed 11 cases, including three people from the cruise who died. The passenger with the new confirmed case of hantavirus was in quarantine in a military hospital in Madrid, where 13 other Spanish nationals evacuated on Sunday – who all tested negative for the virus – also are...

German companies in China have grown more optimistic about the country’s economic outlook, even as the Iran war and persistent trade tensions continue to weigh on their operations, according to the German Chamber of Commerce in China. In a survey released on Tuesday, the chamber found that 37 per cent of respondents expected China’s economy to improve over the next six months. That was up 22 percentage points from last year, with only 17 per cent anticipating a deterioration – a sharp reversal...

British Prime ⁠Minister Keir Starmer defied calls to resign on Tuesday, telling ministers he would “get on with governing” despite a “destabilising” 48 hours of growing calls to set out a timetable for his departure after a drubbing in local elections. At a meeting of his cabinet, Starmer, in the top job for less than two years, repeated that, while he took responsibility for one of his Labour Party’s worst election defeats, there had been no official move to trigger a leadership contest....

Two national agencies fighting corruption in Ukraine have named Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s former chief of staff as an official suspect in a major corruption investigation. Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the Specialized Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office announced late on Monday that Andriy Yermak is suspected of an alleged 460-million-hryvnia (US$10.5 million) money-laundering scheme. The announcement coincided with, but was not connected to, the end of a three-day...

Forty years. That is how long Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has been in power. The 81-year-old was sworn in on Tuesday to extend his presidency over a further five-year term that may well be his last – although not necessarily the last for the Museveni family. The president’s son and presumptive heir, army chief General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, oversaw days-long rehearsals of the military parade that will animate the eighth inauguration of Museveni, with Russian-made Sukhoi fighter jets flying...

US President Donald Trump said a month-long ceasefire with Iran was on “massive life support” as he rejected Tehran’s response to a peace proposal. The Iranian reply was a “piece of garbage”, Trump told reporters in the White House on Monday. “I didn’t even finish reading it.” The comments helped to push the price of Brent crude oil above US$106 a barrel on Tuesday. Trump is expected to discuss the war with Chinese President Xi Jinping in a Beijing summit on Thursday, as Iran’s 10-week shutdown...

British Prime ⁠Minister Keir Starmer’s position ⁠is under serious threat after ⁠dozens of his own lawmakers called for him to set out a timetable for his departure, or resign, in the wake of heavy losses in local elections. Here’s what could happen next: Has a leadership contest been triggered? Not yet. On ‌Monday, several ministerial aides stepped down and more than 70 Labour lawmakers publicly called for Starmer’s departure after his appeal for another chance seemingly fell on deaf ears. Some...

Israeli lawmakers approved a bill on Monday setting up a special tribunal that would try and have the authority to sentence to death Palestinians convicted of taking part in the 2023 Hamas-led attack that triggered the war in Gaza. The measure passed 93-0 in the 120-seat Knesset, or parliament, reflecting widespread support for punishing those found responsible for what was the deadliest attack in Israel’s history. The remaining 27 lawmakers were absent or abstained from voting. Rights groups...

European governments have rejected a suggestion by Russian President Vladimir Putin that former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder could represent them in possible future talks with Moscow on the continent’s security. Putin said on Saturday he believed the war in Ukraine was coming to an end and that he would be willing to negotiate new security arrangements for Europe, with Schroeder as his ‌preferred partner. But European Union foreign ministers, attending a meeting in Brussels on Monday,...

South Korea is treading carefully in attributing blame for the strike on one of its cargo ships earlier this month, even as preliminary signs point to Iranian drones being the culprit. Seoul has surveillance footage of the incident in the early hours of May 4 – when two airborne objects struck the HMM Namu while it lay at anchor off the United Arab Emirates – but so far has said little. Observers believe the government is biding its time and waiting to deliver a verdict until after a highly...

With a fragile US-Iran ceasefire barely holding, the Strait of Hormuz still blockaded, and all eyes on the upcoming Trump-Xi meeting, investors are embracing a new market narrative: “Nacho”. The acronym – short for “Not a chance Hormuz opens” – reflects a growing bet on prolonged gridlock and high oil prices. This marks a sharp pivot from last year’s dominant trade tactic, “Taco” – “Trump always chickens out”, which was born in the chaos of Trump’s tariff blitz and relied on the assumption that...

A Southern California mayor has agreed to plead guilty to acting as an illegal agent for the Chinese government, and has resigned from her city position, officials said on Monday. Eileen Wang, the mayor of Arcadia, was charged in April with one count of acting in the United States as an illegal agent of a foreign government. She was accused of doing the bidding of Chinese officials, such as sharing articles favourable to Beijing, without prior notification to the US government as required by...

Netflix was sued on Monday by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who accused the streaming company of spying on children and other consumers by collecting their data ‌without consent and designing its platform to be addictive. The lawsuit says that for years, Netflix has falsely represented to consumers that it did not collect or share user data, when it actually tracked and sold viewers’ habits and preferences to commercial data brokers and advertising technology companies, making billions of...

The Treasury Department wants US banks and other financial institutions to monitor for suspected Iranian money-laundering networks that use their funds to smuggle sanctioned oil through shell companies and cryptocurrency networks. The move, which effectively deputises the global financial system to help disrupt Iran’s sanctions-evasion infrastructure, comes as the US and Iran reached another impasse over how to end their war while their ceasefire has grown increasingly shaky. US President Donald...

Two South Florida police officers claim Ben Affleck and Matt Damon’s recent action thriller The Rip used too many real-life details in its fictionalised narrative, causing harm to the officers’ personal and professional reputations, according to a defamation lawsuit. Jason Smith and Jonathan Santana, sergeants in the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, filed the lawsuit in Miami federal court earlier this month against Artists Equity, a film-production company owned by Affleck and Damon. Court filings...

The decision, in which judges cited jury interference by a court clerk, upends one of America’s highest-profile homicide cases.

A court overturned the murder convictions against Alex Murdaugh, who had been found guilty in the killing of his wife and younger son. Here are the basics of the entire case.

The president’s top military adviser is walking a tightrope as he leads the military through a divisive and unpopular war.

Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska became the latest Republican to switch her vote to halt the conflict and require President Trump to win congressional approval to continue it.

The claim and the denial signaled both how close Israel and the United Arab Emirates have become, and how delicate that relationship remains.

The aging statesman braved rough seas and arduous carriage rides to reach Paris, where he persuaded the French to back the American rebels. We followed in his footsteps.

Asked if he was motivated by Americans’ financial woes to make a deal to end the war with Iran, he responded, “Not even a little bit.”

Vice President JD Vance said the state had not done enough to fight fraud in the public health insurance program.

The unusual ruling came after the judge found that the Trump administration had most likely violated the law by deporting the 55-year-old woman to the African country despite its refusal to take her.

The move escalates the administration’s feud with legal disciplinary bodies over the ethical conduct of government lawyers.

A YouTube series starring Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and his family is part of the nation’s 250th anniversary celebrations, but it doubled as a family excursion for them.

Kouri Richins, 36, who wrote a children’s book about grief after murdering Eric Richins, will serve without the option of parole.

Denise Powell prevailed in a close primary race for an Omaha-based seat, currently held by a retiring Republican, that could help determine control of the House.

Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, also asked lawmakers to delay changes to the state’s election system that could cause disarray in the midterms.

A diet inspired by the Bible has found new audiences online in the Make America Healthy Again era.

Rudolph W. Giuliani, the 81-year-old former New York City mayor, was in critical condition with pneumonia in a Florida hospital earlier this month.

The woman, who was a passenger on the MV Hondius, was breathing with the help of an artificial lung, officials in Paris said.

The passenger, who had tested positive once in the Canary Islands, was being monitored in a special biocontainment facility in Omaha, until a new test came back negative.

In her second pop-science book, theoretical cosmologist Chanda Prescod-Weinstein returns to her celestial and cultural roots.

In Beijing this week, Mr. Trump should not hand China more victories.

More children will die because the Trump administration is cutting pediatric cancer research.

Erik Fleming, a licensed drug addiction counselor, had admitted to selling 51 vials of ketamine to the actor, including the dose that killed him.

Some wild animals, eating fermented or rotten fruits, “may exhibit completely unpredictable behavior,” the police warned drivers in Saône-et-Loire, a rural region in central-eastern France.

Lithuanian officials hope restored peat bogs can reinforce the border in addition to locking away planet-warming carbon.