Minimalist News

Will Falling Birth Rates Mean A More Conservative World? Authored by Michael Barone via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), George Orwell was on to it almost 80 years ago—the problem of below-replacement level birth rates. In a short book written for the Britain in Pictures series in 1947, written just as Britain was emerging from wartime rigors into an uncharted postwar future, Orwell noted that despite an upward blip in birth rates during the war, “the general curve is downward. The position is not quite so dangerous as it is sometimes said to be, but can only be put right if the

Trump Imposes Secondary Tariffs, Reaching 25%, On Countries Still Importing From Iran US and Iranian delegations conducted eight-hours of indirect negotiations mediated by the Omani government in Muscat on Friday, but it was merely minutes after the close of the talks that the US Department of State announced yet more sanctions on Iran. The punitive measures target 15 entities, two individuals and 14 vessels, charging them of being part of "the illicit trade in Iranian petroleum, petroleum products, and petrochemical products" - or the so-called shadow fleet. via The Export Practitioner  The Friday US statement signaled support for antigovernment protests which dominated headlines for

Thousands Of Iraqis Volunteer To Defend Iran Against US Attack Via Middle East Eye Thousands of Iraqis have signed a pledge to help defend Iran in the event of a US attack on the Islamic Republic. According to a statement, almost 5,000 people in Iraq's Diyala province gathered to declare their intent to defend both Iraq and its eastern neighbor, as well as Iran-backed armed groups, "without any compensation". "We announce our readiness to volunteer to support our security forces, the Popular Mobilization Forces, and the Islamic Republic of Iran, and we categorically reject American intervention in the Islamic Republic," the statement read. Men sign up for the 'martyrdom brigades'

Fifth Circuit Upholds Policy That Illegal Immigrants Can Be Detained Without Bond Authored by Kimberly Hayek via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), A federal appeals court has sided with the Trump administration in upholding a policy that mandates detention without bond hearings for illegal immigrants in the United States who entered without inspection. President President Donald Trump (2L), Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (L), and Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem (R) tour a detention center for illegal immigrants, dubbed Alligator Alcatraz, located at the site of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Fla., on July 1, 2025. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty

Washington Post CEO And Publisher Quits As Newspaper Implodes In Epic Chaos How the mighty have fallen. In a "poetic ending" plot twist, that even jaded conspiracy theorists would have had trouble scripting, Washington Post CEO and publisher Will Lewis has abruptly and unexpectedly stepped down from his perch atop Jeff Bezos's crumbling media empire. Well, maybe not that unexpectedly... Will Lewis, the chief executive and publisher of The Washington Post, has stepped down That's right, the same WaPo that spent years hurling "fake news" grenades at us here at ZeroHedge, trying to get us deplatformed, demonetized, and disappeared from the internet, is now

AI 'Kill Chains' And Rise Of Skynet-Like Weapons Offer Glimpse Of 2030s Battlefield Ukraine has become the proving ground for 2030s warfare, where Western weaponry, Russian weaponry, and anyone else's "next gen" weaponry collide on a modern battlefield that's already providing a sneak peek of what conflict will look like: weaponized AI, ground robots, FPV swarms, and automated kill chains, with humanoid robo-killers that could enter field testing as early as this year. The focus of this note is how "kill chains" are becoming central to modern warfare, with humans increasingly pushed out of decision-making on the Ukrainian frontlines, according to a

Why This Crash Is Bitcoin's Biggest Test Yet Submitted by QTR's Fringe Finance Bitcoin has a way of faking its own death, and this past week delivered another such instance with theatrical flair. After flirting with the once-unthinkable level of $120,000, the world’s most famous digital asset promptly face-planted to around $62,000 at its recent lows on Thursday. Even for crypto, a 50% drawdown in months isn’t just a bad couple weeks. In a nascent asset like Bitcoin it’s always a bit of a spiritual test. More than that, this drawdown looks and feels like yet another Bitcoin “moment of truth,” the kind that

Young America's Affordability Crisis Has Political Consequences Authored by Micky Horstman via RealClearPolitics, One and a half million more young adults live with their parents today than a decade ago. They’re losers … economically.  Since the pandemic, fair market rents have increased as much as 40% in Chicago, the cost of owning a car is up more than 40%, and car insurance and health care prices have spiked. Student loan debt has quadrupled since 2000, and entry-level wages haven’t kept pace with inflation. For young people without financial or family support, it’s an affordability crisis that feels insurmountable. Cost of living was Gen Z’s

Uber Ordered To Pay $8.5 Million In Trial Over Driver Sex Assault Claims A U.S. jury ordered Uber on Thursday to pay $8.5 million to a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by a driver, a verdict that could shape the course of thousands of similar lawsuits pending against the ride-hailing company. The Uber logo is shown on the building in Los Angeles, Calif., on Feb. 14, 2024. Mike Blake/Reuters The case, brought by Jaylynn Dean, was the first bellwether trial among more than 3,000 claims consolidated in federal court. Bellwether trials are designed to test legal theories and help both sides

Newsom's 'Train To Nowhere': Californians Burn Billions For Political Boondoggle Authored by Jonathan Turley, In the dystopian novel 1984,  George Orwell wrote, “The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.” The true meaning of that line was never more clear than watching the truly bizarre photo op of California governor Gavin Newsom heralding the success of the greatest boondoggle in history: his high-speed train to nowhere. Without laying a single yard of track after burning $12 billion, Newsom showed a diesel freight train on a conventional track to create the appearance of

All Is Well... Or Is It? Authored by Jim Quinn via The Burning Platform blog, “If you depreciate the money, it makes everything look like it’s going up.” – Ray Dalio “People don’t realize how hard it is to speak the truth to a world full of people who don’t realize they’re living a lie” – Edward Snowden My government overlords and their legacy media propaganda outlets tell me the economy is booming because GDP is between 4% and 5%, the stock market is near all-time highs, inflation is declining, unemployment is low, and AI is going to transform our world for the better. According to their narrative, All

Cuba Shutters Beach Resorts As Fuel Crisis Spreads Economy-Wide President Trump's pressure campaign on Cuba is gaining serious momentum as the Caribbean island's energy crisis deepens, unleashing rampant fuel shortages and prolonged power blackouts. The government rolled out new conservation measures late Friday to preserve energy, but large parts of the economy are already imploding. Bloomberg reports that Trump's move to curb fuel shipments to Cuba is spilling over into the tourism sector, with energy shortages forcing two large beach resorts to shut down as early as this weekend. Here's more from the outlet: > At least two large beach resorts on Cayo Coco,

HIMS Halts Copycat GLP-1 Pill After FDA Warns Of "Swift Action" Update (Saturday): The official Hims & Hers Health X account, "Hims & Hers Comms," revealed in the early afternoon (a very convenient time to drop news) that its newly launched $49 a month copycat GLP-1 pill, positioned against Novo Nordisk's $149 a month Wegovy pill, will no longer be offered. > *HIMS & HERS TO STOP OFFERING WEIGHT LOSS PILL https://t.co/tiQoqBHf0K > > — zerohedge (@zerohedge) February 7, 2026 "Since launching the compounded semaglutide pill on our platform, we've had constructive conversations with stakeholders across the industry," HIMS wrote on X. It continued, "As a

Zelenskyy Says US Gave Ukraine And Russia A June Deadline To End War Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Feb. 6 that the United States has given both Ukraine and Russia a June deadline to reach an agreement to end the nearly four-year war, adding that Washington is likely to increase pressure on both sides if fighting continues beyond that point. Speaking to reporters in Kyiv, Zelenskyy said U.S. officials have outlined a timeline aimed at securing an end to hostilities by early summer, as the Trump administration steps up diplomatic efforts to halt Europe’s

SpaceX's New Order Of Operations: Moon Mission First, Mars On Hold Elon Musk's SpaceX is apparently reorienting its near-term space roadmap, pushing back a planned 2026 uncrewed Mars mission and focusing efforts on NASA's Artemis program, with Starship's uncrewed moon mission targeted for early next year. According to Wall Street Journal sources, the rocket company told investors this week that Musk will prioritize a moon mission, with a Mars mission to follow. The lunar landing with a Starship rocket is slated for March 2027. The person noted that the moon mission will be uncrewed and will not include humanoid or wheeled ground-based

Rickards: A Geopolitical Earthquake Authored by James Rickards via the Daily Reckoning, Our specialty is forecasting. We use multiple branches of science in our predictive analytic models including complexity theory, behavioral psychology, Bayes Theorem, neural networks (a form of artificial intelligence or AI), inference, subject matter expertise and good old-fashioned intuition to arrive at the market and geopolitical predictions we offer our readers. Our track record speaks for itself. We predicted Brexit when polls gave it only a 25% chance. We predicted Trump’s 2016 victory when polls gave it only a 5% chance. We were the only publication in the world to predict

Kiev Left With Few Hours Of Power Per Day In Subzero Temps Ukraine and Russia have just wrapped up a second round of US-mediated negotiations in Abu Dhabi, but overnight Ukrainian cities were hit with another massive aerial attack on the national power grid. "Russia is carrying out another massive attack on the Ukrainian power grid facilities," grid operator Ukrenergo said on Saturday. "Due to the damage caused by the enemy, emergency outages have been applied in most regions." via AFP Ukrenergo said in its Telegram statement, "Currently, the attack is still ongoing. Restoration work will begin as soon as the security situation allows." Dozens of

The Reflation Narrative Authored by Lance Roberts via RealInvestmnentAdvice.com, The market got off to a strong start in 2026, with investors chasing industrials, materials, and commodity-related stocks as the reflation narrative gained traction. The “reflation narrative” is the belief that a range of policies will boost the rate of economic growth in the U.S. without triggering inflation. As I discussed at our recent 2026 Investment Summit, the markets are banking on the effects of the passage of the OBBBA, tax cuts, and deregulation to fuel earnings and profit growth in 2026. Furthermore, the markets are focused on the Federal Reserve with expectations of further rate

Goldman Finds Consumer Trends Remain Solid Amid K-Shaped Economy Fears Goldman analysts Scott Feiler and Eric Mihelc updated clients this week with the latest read on consumer health. The key takeaway: spending trends remain resilient heading into spring, even as the K-shaped economy narrative dominates the news cycle and the Trump administration continues to push affordability measures. "It seems like consumer trends are still solid. It's not a clean sweep, but we're seeing January growth as strong, or stronger than December for most companies we have heard from," Feiler said. There was good news earlier this morning: University of Michigan consumer sentiment rose unexpectedly

US Retains Right To 'Militarily Secure' Chagos Air Base, Trump Says Authored by Evgenia Filimianova via The Epoch Times, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Feb. 5  he retained the right to “militarily secure” the U.S.–UK Diego Garcia air base in the Chagos Islands, if future arrangements threatened American access. Trump has criticized the UK’s decision to cede sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, calling it an “act of total weakness” last month. Under the agreement, signed in October 2025, the Diego Garcia military base would remain under UK control for at least 99 years, ensuring continued access for U.S. forces. Trump said

While Quebec parties have long sought independence, the secret meetings by unelected Albertans with US officials have been branded treasonous by some A separatist push for a referendum on independence from Canada. Meetings with foreign officials perceived to be sympathetic to their cause. Accusations of treason and sedition. Ahead of a 1995 referendum, leaders of Quebec’s independence movement made a string of provocative overtures to foreign governments, including a trip by the province’s premier to France. In a move that outraged anglophone Canada, the mayor of Paris gave Quebec’s Jacques Parizeau a welcome befitting a national leader. Continue reading...

Special pods at Chester zoo helped conservationists breed and release more than 100,000 greater Bermuda snails A button-sized snail once feared extinct in its Bermudian home is thriving again after conservationists bred and released more than 100,000 of the molluscs. The greater Bermuda snail (Poecilozonites bermudensis) was found in the fossil record but believed to have vanished from the North Atlantic archipelago, until a remnant population was discovered in a damp and overgrown alleyway in Hamilton, the island capital, in 2014. Continue reading...

Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was detained on drug charges in 2014 before Canada-China ties nosedived in 2018 China has overturned the death sentence of Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, a Canadian official said on Friday, in a possible sign of a diplomatic thaw as prime minister Mark Carney seeks to boost trade ties with Beijing. Schellenberg’s lawyer Zhang Dongshuo, reached in Beijing on Saturday, confirmed the decision was announced on Friday by China’s highest court. Continue reading...

Initial announcement sparked fury from US cattle ranchers as economists say change will have little impact on prices Donald Trump on Friday signed a proclamation to hike the US’s low-tariff imports of Argentinian beef, though economists have said the attempt to lower costs for US consumers will likely have little impact on prices. A White House official said in October that Trump would make such a move, evoking fury from the nation’s cattle ranchers. Continue reading...

Founding of diplomatic outposts in Nuuk comes after US made efforts to secure control of Arctic island * Opposition to US has hardened in western Europe after Greenland threat, poll finds Canada and France are to open diplomatic consulates in the capital of Greenland on Friday, showing support for their Nato ally Denmark and the Arctic island after US efforts to secure control of the semi-autonomous Danish territory. Canada’s foreign minister, Anita Anand, was travelling to Nuuk to inaugurate the consulate, which officials say also could help boost cooperation on issues such as the climate crisis and Inuit rights. She was joined

Exit polls point to public endorsement of new prime minister, after day hit by blizzards and freezing conditions Japan’s conservative governing party is on course to dramatically strengthen its grip on power after exit polls predicted a landslide victory in Sunday’s lower house elections. The Liberal Democratic party (LDP) was projected to win between 274 and 328 seats out of a total of 465, according to an exit poll by the public broadcaster NHK, well above the 233 it needed to regain the majority it lost in 2024. Combined with seats secured by its junior coalition partner, the Japan Innovation party, the

Residents of New Zealand capital advised not to enter the water, collect seafood or walk their dogs on local beaches after wastewater plant failure A sewage leak in New Zealand’s capital Wellington has been described by local authorities as an “environmental disaster,” with repairs to the city’s wastewater treatment plant expected to take months. Residents of Wellington have been advised not to enter the water, collect seafood or even walk their dogs on local beaches. Continue reading...

Dozens of people have died, including two Australians, as record-breaking snowfall blankets the north Dozens of people have died in Japan after record-breaking snowfall blanketed northern regions of the country, while officials warned that warmer temperatures could trigger a new wave of accidents. Authorities said 35 people had died in snow-related incidents across Japan since 20 January, with almost 400 injured, 126 of them seriously. Most of the deaths were among people who fell while trying to clear snow from their roofs or around their homes. Continue reading...

The country’s first female PM is the object of a personality cult revolving around everything from her outfits and snacks to her favourite pink pen Just eight months ago, Japan’s ruling party appeared to have reached the edge of the electoral abyss. It had lost a parliamentary majority for the second time in 15 months; its MPs were implicated in a long-running slush fund scandal; the then prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, was the target of factional plotting. But as voters prepare to brave freezing temperatures in this Sunday’s lower house elections, the Liberal Democratic party (LDP) is expected to pull off a

Taiwanese president says ties with Washington ‘rock solid’, hours after leaders of US and China share first call since November In their first call since November, Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned US president Donald Trump to be “prudent” about supplying arms to Taiwan, according to a readout of their call provided by China’s foreign ministry. “President Xi emphasised that the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations,” the readout said. “China must safeguard its own sovereignty and territorial integrity, and will never allow Taiwan to be separated. The US must handle the issue of arms sales to Taiwan with

One MP who now considers a spill inevitable says accepting shorter suspensions for rogue Nationals senators was a significant backdown * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Sussan Ley’s deal to reunite with the Nationals has damaged her credibility and potentially shifted some MPs into her leadership rival Angus Taylor’s corner, according to colleagues who are bracing for a spill as soon as this week. As Ley told a press conference the majority of colleagues believed the was “stronger together”, one Liberal MP privately feared the reunion would ultimately lead to the “destruction of the Liberal party”. Continue

Expansion of space operations comes as ADF entering ‘most challenging strategic environment since second world war’, minister says * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Australian defence force recruits are being asked to aim for the stars, with two new positions advertised in defence’s space command. Applicants were invited to apply directly for the two space specialist roles – an operations officer to plan and support missions, and an operations specialist with knowledge of equipment. Continue reading...

Research suggests surging costs under Morrison government’s job-ready graduate scheme and axing of dozens of subjects largely to blame * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Australia risks becoming an “artless country” if it does not address the long-term decline in enrolments in creative courses, with more than 40 courses and degrees axed in less than a decade. New research published in the Australian Journal of Education this week found fewer students in high school and university were choosing to study the creative arts. At the same time, it found, dozens of tertiary courses were being slashed. Continue

Laws to be introduced this week include up to two years in prison for distributing, displaying or reciting prohibited phrases to harass or offend * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Queensland could become the first state in Australia to outlaw the phrase “from the river to the sea”, under sweeping new hate speech reforms announced by the state government. The premier, David Crisafulli, announced the proposed laws on Sunday, ahead of their introduction to parliament on Tuesday, describing them as a direct response to the Bondi terror attack, in which 15 people were killed during a

Wind gusts up to 170km/h could develop as cyclone forecast to make landfall between Exmouth and Onslow on Sunday night * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Severe Tropical Cyclone Mitchell is expected to maintain its category 3 intensity as it barrels along the Pilbara coast before making landfall. Located west of Karratha, the cyclone was about 30km offshore with 120km/h winds near the centre and gusts up to 165km/h on Sunday morning, according to the Bureau of Meteorology’s latest track map. Continue reading...

Former culture minister Jack Lang resigns from Arab World Institute in Paris and is also subject of tax investigation Jack Lang, a former French culture minister, has resigned as head of Paris’s prestigious Arab World Institute after revelations of his past contacts with the disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the launch of a financial investigation by French prosecutors. The 86-year-old resigned on Saturday night before he was due to attend an urgent meeting called by the French foreign ministry to discuss his links to Epstein. Continue reading...

Arrests follow discovery on Friday of magistrate and her mother in a garage in south-east of country French authorities have arrested five suspects after a magistrate and her mother were held captive last week for about 30 hours in a cryptocurrency ransom plot. Four men and one woman were detained, three overnight and two on Sunday morning, the Lyon prosecutor Thierry Dran told Agence France-Presse. Continue reading...

Blaze probably caused by candles at makeshift tribute near Le Constellation bar in Crans-Montana, say police A memorial for the victims of a deadly fire at a new year party in Switzerland caught fire early on Sunday, probably sparked by candles left burning inside, police have said. The memorial was a makeshift tribute to the 41 people killed and the 115 injured in the fire that erupted in the early hours of 1 January at Le Constellation bar in the ski resort town of Crans-Montana, which was packed with mainly teenagers and young adults. Continue reading...

Relatives shut out of €200m fortune reportedly receive letters from executor saying will could be overturned The late German-born Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld was famously precise, exacting and known to hold a grudge, but his final wishes concerning the beneficiaries of his vast fortune could now be overturned beyond the grave in a looming court battle. Seven years after Lagerfeld’s death from cancer, an unnamed plaintiff has come forward to challenge the haute couture titan’s last will and testament. Continue reading...

António José Seguro tipped to beat populist André Ventura with support of mainstream politicians on left and right The centre-left Socialist candidate, António José Seguro, is heavily favoured to defeat the far-right populist André Ventura in Portugal’s runoff presidential election on Sunday, in a vote that will test the depth of support for Ventura’s brash style of politics. Recent opinion polls suggest Seguro will collect twice as many votes as Ventura in the head to head between the two top candidates in last month’s first round of voting, when none of the 11 runners captured the more than 50% of the vote

Reporters say relatives in Iran have been questioned and persecuted in an effort to curb coverage of unrest Exiled Iranian journalists working for the BBC have been warned their movements are being closely monitored by the state, as they said their families in Iran were being interrogated and persecuted for their reporting. Journalists said family members had been threatened with arrest and the seizure of their assets unless their loved ones stopped reporting on Iranian unrest. Continue reading...

Donald Trump says another meeting set for next week while warning of ‘very steep’ consequences if Tehran doesn’t make a deal Indirect talks between Iran and the US on the future of Iran’s nuclear programme ended on Friday with a broad agreement to maintain a diplomatic path, possibly with further talks in the coming days, according to statements from Iran and the Omani hosts. The relieved Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, described the eight hours of meetings as a “good start” conducted in a good atmosphere. He added that the continuance of talks depended on consultations in Washington and Tehran, but said

Zubayar al-Bakoush is suspected in Libya attack resulting in deaths of US ambassador and three other Americans The US attorney general, Pam Bondi, announced on Friday the arrest of a “key participant” in the 2012 Benghazi terrorist attack that killed four US government officials, including the US ambassador to Libya, J Christopher Stevens. Bondi said the suspect, Zubayar al-Bakoush, was taken into US custody at 3am ET on Friday. “We will prosecute this alleged terrorist to the fullest extent of the law. He’ll face charges related to murder, terrorism, arson, among others,” Bondi told reporters at a press conference at the Department

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story here It is the first time the US and Iran have sat down for face-to-face negotiations since June last year, when Israel launched attacks on Iran that sparked a war marked by tit-for-tat airstrikes, with the US also joining the fray. It effectively ended the US-Iran talks that were held in the weeks prior to the conflict aimed at reaching a nuclear peace agreement. More recently, Donald Trump has been threatening to strike Iran for more than a month and just last week warned that an “armada” of US warships

Emails appear to show Mountbatten-Windsor attempting to introduce Epstein to UAE crown prince via foreign affairs minister Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor vouched for Jeffrey Epstein during a UK state visit to the United Arab Emirates with Queen Elizabeth II in 2010, according to newly released emails. The email was sent from “The Duke” to Epstein on 24 November of that year, with the subject listed as “Abdullah” – an apparent reference to the UAE foreign affairs minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Continue reading...

The case in Bangladesh, where Nipah cases are reported almost every year, follows two Nipah virus cases identified in neighbouring India The World Health Organization said on Friday that a woman had died in northern Bangladesh in January after contracting the deadly Nipah virus infection. The case in Bangladesh, where Nipah cases are reported almost every year, follows two Nipah virus cases identified in neighbouring India, which has already prompted stepped-up airport screenings across Asia. Continue reading...

Police investigating whether blast that injured at least 169 at Friday prayers in Islamabad was suicide attack An explosion has ripped through a Shia mosque on the outskirts of Pakistan’s capital during Friday prayers, killing 31 people and injuring at least 169 others, according to officials. Police said they were investigating whether the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber. There were fears the death toll from the blast at the Khadija al-Kubra mosque in Islamabad could rise as some of the injured were reported to be in a critical condition. Television footage and social media images showed police and residents

Officials say calm restored to province day after dozens killed in suicide and gun attacks in at least 10 cities Pakistan’s security forces have intensified their operations against separatist militants in Balochistan province who launched a large-scale assault on Saturday in which at least 31 civilians and 17 security personnel were killed. A day after the militants carried out suicide attacks in the heart of the province’s capital, Quetta, the chief minister of the south-western region, Sarfraz Bugti, said 145 people he described as militants had been killed in 40 hours and that their bodies were in the custody of the authorities. Continue

Five years after the junta’s coup, the civil war devastating Myanmar has reached a turning point. The military is carrying out large-scale counter-offensives across the country to reclaim territory seized by pro-democracy rebels of various ethnic and religious backgrounds In Tanintharyi, the southernmost region of Myanmar, the local resistance has managed to contain the military. After five years of guerrilla warfare, the revolutionary youth there remain determined to restore democracy through armed struggle. A long, narrow stretch of land at the southern tip of Myanmar, between the Andaman Sea to the west and Thailand to the east, Tanintharyi region is one of

* Concern raised over politicisation of sport * Bangladesh pulled out of men’s World T20 after row Bangladesh’s withdrawal from the men’s T20 World Cup could have implications for India’s 2036 Olympic bid amid concern at the International Olympic Committee over the potential politicisation of sport. Bangladesh pulled out of next month’s tournament last weekend after the International Cricket Council declined a request to move their group matches from India to the co-hosts Sri Lanka, after a long-running political row triggered by Kolkata Knight Riders’ decision to remove the Bangladeshi bowler Mustafizur Rahman from their Indian Premier League squad. Continue reading...

Keir Starmer’s chief of staff has resigned after a bitter row about supposed plots to bring down the PM Speaking to Sky News this morning, Conservative shadow minister Alex Burghart said: This administration under Keir Starmer has failed. It has U-turned, I think, what, 14 or 15 times now. It has had two resets in the past five months, and it is now caught up in the worst political scandal of my lifetime. He was lied to by someone who was known to be a serial liar. There’s no excuse for the fact that he made the wrong judgment. He was in possession of enough

Longtime aide departs after seemingly botched No 10 effort to shore up PM’s position against supposed plotters Morgan McSweeney, Keir Starmer’s chief of staff and longtime aide, has resigned after a bitter row about supposed plots to bring down the PM. McSweeney masterminded Starmer’s path to Downing Street less than five years after Jeremy Corbyn’s devastating defeat in the 2019 election. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Campaign group calls on institutional shareholders to vote against re-election of bosses overseeing net zero row-back Bank chairs who water down their lenders’ climate commitments this year could face embarrassing shareholder revolts as campaigners try to hold bosses to account for environmental backtracking. ShareAction, a campaign group for responsible investment, will be issuing detailed reports to pension funds and asset managers in the coming weeks, outlining whether 34 of the world’s largest lenders are sticking to their climate goals. Continue reading...

Northern leaders urge government to support proposal as Manchester mayor says a London bid ‘wouldn’t be right’ The north of England is seeking to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games to boost a region “left out of the national story”. Northern leaders have written to the culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, urging the government to back a multi-city games spanning an area with a population of 15 million people. Continue reading...

Providers report rise in demand as companies seek mental health benefits and increased sense of community In a growing number of workplaces, the soundtrack of the lunch break is no longer the rustle of sandwiches at a desk, but the quiet hum of bees – housed just outside the office window. Employers from Manchester to Milton Keynes are working with professional beekeepers to install hives on rooftops, in courtyards and car parks – positioning beekeeping not as a novelty but as a way to ease stress, build community and reconnect workers with nature in an era of hybrid work and burnout. Continue reading...

Proposals by California, Hawaii and New York lawmakers aim to hold fossil fuel industry accountable for soaring rates As climate disasters drive up the price of home insurance, three US states are considering empowering their state prosecutors to sue major polluters for their role in those rising costs. Lawmakers in California, Hawaii and New York have introduced measures which would authorize their attorneys general to sue fossil fuel companies on behalf of residents whose insurance premiums have soared amid climate disasters. Continue reading...

Murdoch tabloid leads charge as big freeze persists – could the mayor please do something about the weather? It snowed two weeks ago in New York. Since then, the temperature has barely risen above freezing – a temperature science naturally dictates is necessary to melt snow and ice. But science isn’t enough for some US political critics, however, who have instead blamed Zohran Mamdani, New York’s new socialist mayor, for the snow not having melted and still clogging up some of the city’s streets. Continue reading...

Puerto Rican superstar promises ‘the world will dance’ in all-Spanish half-time gig that comes as Trump agents wage deadly crackdown For 13 minutes on Sunday night, Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara will pulse with reggaeton, Latin trap and Caribbean rhythms as Bad Bunny headlines a historic Super Bowl halftime performance, primarily – or perhaps entirely – in Spanish. The Puerto Rican megastar, whose songs fuse the raw energy of música urbana, Boricua pride and resistance politics, has promised a “huge party”. At a moment when masked federal agents are sweeping through American cities, rounding up long-settled immigrants, legal residents and even US

Jeff Bezos’s axing of more than 300 jobs at the storied newspaper has renewed fears about the resilience of America’s democracy to withstand Trump’s attacks The email landed in Lizzie Johnson’s in-tray in Ukraine just before 4pm local time. It came at a tough time for the reporter: Russia had been repeatedly striking the country’s power grid, and just days before she had been forced to work out of her car without heat, power or running water, writing in pencil because pen ink freezes too readily. “Difficult news,” was the subject line. The body text said: “Your position is eliminated as part

Whistleblower says that Tulsi Gabbard blocked agency from sharing report and delivered it to White House chief of staff Last spring, the National Security Agency (NSA) flagged an unusual phone call between two members of foreign intelligence, who discussed a person close to Donald Trump, according to a whistleblower’s attorney who was briefed on details of the call. The highly sensitive communique, which has roiled Washington over the past week, was brought to the attention of the director of national intelligence (DNI), Tulsi Gabbard. Continue reading...

At this time of year, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s top priority is finalising the Hong Kong government’s budget for 2026-27, balancing requests for incentives and welfare against calls for a return to fiscal prudence. For decades, budget speeches have followed a familiar structure: a review of past performance, near- and medium-term forecasts, support measures for industries and social services, a report on the government’s fiscal position and financial estimates for the coming year....

The Washington Post said on Saturday its CEO and publisher Will Lewis was leaving effective immediately, just days after the storied newspaper owned by billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos made drastic job cuts that angered readers. Though newspapers across the United States have been facing brutal industry headwinds, Lewis’ management of the outlet was sharply criticised by subscribers and employees alike during his two-year tenure as he tried to reverse financial losses at the daily. Lewis,...

Two French adventurers reached the end of an epic walk from their hometown to Shanghai on Saturday, after nearly a year and a half crossing 16 countries almost entirely on foot. Tired but delighted, Loic Voisot and Benjamin Humblot embraced as they stood by the river on the Bund promenade, the Chinese financial hub’s distinctive skyline glittering in the background. Voisot, 26, and Humblot, 27, set off from Annecy in southeastern France in September 2024. Yearning for a “great adventure”, they...

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky says the US is proposing to finish all necessary negotiations to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in June. “The Americans are proposing that the parties end the war by the beginning of this summer,” Zelensky told reporters in a briefing late on Friday. “We understand that American internal issues have an impact and will certainly become even more relevant for them,” he said, suggesting US midterm elections in November would become the administration’s major...

Syria and Saudi Arabia signed deals on Saturday that include a joint airline and a US$1 billion project to develop telecommunications, officials said, as Syria seeks to rebuild after years of war. Saudi Arabia has been a major backer of Syria’s Islamist authorities who took power after toppling long-time ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. The new authorities in Damascus have worked to attract investment and have signed major agreements with several companies and governments, including Saudi...

Spain and Portugal on Saturday braced for another storm heading for the Iberian Peninsula, just days after the floods caused by Storm Leonardo proved fatal in both countries. The latest depression, christened Storm Marta, has prompted the deployment of more than 26,500 rescuers in Portugal, where the foul weather has led three municipalities to postpone Sunday’s presidential vote till next week. Both countries have issued warnings over the potential fresh floods, after inundations blocked...

Haiti entered political limbo on Saturday as the mandate of the Caribbean nation’s transitional governing council, a body intended to curb ‌a bloody gang conflict and bring about long-delayed elections, ended with no succession plan in ‍place. The nine-member Transitional Presidential Council (CPT) was installed in April 2024 after Prime Minister Ariel Henry resigned. It has been led by a rotating roster of council presidents. However, its term has been marked by a deterioration in security,...

With the Winter Olympics now under way in Milan and Cortina, Chinese brands involved in the Games are mounting an ambitious marketing push across Italy and Europe, with sportswear and sports equipment naturally taking centre stage. At the forefront is Li Ning, the company supplying the national team with clothing and gear for the competition after returning as the official partner of the Chinese Olympic Committee (COC) – a role that had previously ended in 2004. The partnership coincides with Li...

A “massive attack” by Russian forces on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure has caused power outages across the country, the state grid operator said on Saturday. Russia has pressed on with its invasion of Ukraine in recent days despite the two countries holding US-brokered talks to end the nearly four year long war. Ukrainian officials have accused Moscow of deliberately targeting energy infrastructure, causing outages that have left hundreds of thousands of people without lighting or heating in...

The Pentagon is cutting ties with Harvard University, ending all military training, fellowships and certificate programmes with the Ivy League institution. Friday’s announcement marks the latest development in the Trump administration’s prolonged stand-off with Harvard over the White House’s demands for reforms at the Ivy League school. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a statement on Friday that Harvard “no longer meets the needs of the War Department or the military services”. “For too...

A Colorado funeral home owner who stashed 189 decomposing bodies in a building over four years and gave grieving families fake ashes was sentenced to 40 years in state prison on Friday. During the sentencing hearing, family members told Judge Eric Bentley they have had recurring nightmares about decomposing flesh and maggots since learning what happened to their loved ones. They called defendant Jon Hallford a “monster” and “vile”, and had urged the judge to give him the maximum sentence of 50...

The US stock market roared back on Friday, as technology stocks recovered much of their losses from earlier in the week and bitcoin halted its plunge, at least for now. The S&P 500 rallied 2 per cent for its best day since May. The Dow Jones Industrial Average soared 1,206 points, or 2.5 per cent, and topped the 50,000 level for the first time, while the Nasdaq composite leaped 2.2 per cent. Chip companies helped drive the widespread rally, and Nvidia jumped 7.8 per cent to trim its loss for the...

Across Europe, demand for Chinese goods is soaring as consumers seek quality products at a lower cost. Some goods – particularly electric vehicles, batteries and solar panels – have been shipped from China at a large enough scale that the continent’s lawmakers have begun taking action against an “overcapacity” they feel could throttle domestic industries. But in one European country where multi-day blackouts are commonplace, buyers are rushing to secure a piece of that excess supply, desperate...

For the India-China-US triangle, the new US-India trade deal, announced with Trumpian flourish on social media on Monday, has potentially significant economic, geopolitical and strategic implications. US President Donald Trump’s post, which came after a phone call with Narendra Modi, said the Indian prime minister had committed to “BUY AMERICAN”, including over US$500 billion of US products. It also said Modi had “agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and...

Canada and France, which both oppose US President Donald Trump’s claim to Greenland, opened consulates in the Danish autonomous territory’s capital on Friday, in a show of support for the local government. Since returning to the White House last year, Trump has insisted that Washington needs to control the strategic, mineral-rich Arctic island for security reasons. Trump last month backed off threats to seize Greenland after saying he had struck a “framework” deal with Nato chief Mark Rutte to...

West Wing and Field of Dreams actor Timothy Busfield has been indicted by a grand jury on four counts of criminal sexual contact with a child, a New Mexico prosecutor announced on Friday. The allegations are tied to Busfield’s work as a director on the set of the television series The Cleaning Lady in recent years. Busfield has denied the allegations, initially filed in court by police, and a defence lawyer on Friday said he would “fight these charges at every stage”. Bernalillo County District...

The US has arrested a person suspected of ‍playing a central role in the 2012 attack on its consulate in Benghazi, Libya, Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Friday. Bondi said Zubayar al-Bakoush has been ⁠extradited to the United States and will face murder, arson and terrorism-related charges. Four US personnel were killed in the September 11, 2012, incident, which was initially thought to be a spontaneous reaction to protests ‍but was later identified as a deliberate attack carried out by...

Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit said on Friday she “deeply regretted” her friendship with convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and the embarrassment it has caused the royal family. A commoner who married Crown Prince Haakon in 2001, Mette-Marit’s name appears in new Epstein documents released a week ago by the US Justice Department. The documents revealed an unexpectedly close friendship between the two and raised questions in Norway about whether Mette-Marit can become queen. “I deeply...

Iran and the United States held indirect talks in Oman over Tehran’s nuclear programme on Friday, months after America bombed Iran’s uranium enrichment sites and just weeks following nationwide protests that convulsed the Islamic Republic. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the talks as “a very good start” even as the parties met Oman’s top diplomat at different times at a palace on the outskirts of the country’s capital, Muscat. Both Araghchi and the Omanis described the talks...

Nasa astronauts venturing deeper in space than any human has travelled will be able to document and share images from the landmark moon mission next month using Nasa-provided Apple iPhones. Crews undertaking a lunar fly-by as part of the Artemis programme, and a preceding International Space Station mission in February, will fly with “the latest smartphones”, Nasa Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a social media post. “We are giving our crews the tools to capture special moments for their...

While China emerges as an unmistakable superpower, “Great” Britain or the “United” Kingdom increasingly sounds like self-mockery. Much of the UK outside London is threatening to descend into developing-world status. There have been at least a dozen instances of English councils declaring bankruptcy since 2018, while one in four could be insolvent by 2027. Diplomatically, it turns out the American cousin across the Atlantic thinks nothing of the so-called special relationship, as London...

US President Donald Trump condemned but did not apologise for a video on his social media account depicting Democratic former president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama as apes, a post that triggered swift, bipartisan criticism for dehumanising people of African descent. The White House first defended the racist post on Friday, then deleted it 12 hours after it appeared. The minute-long video shared on Trump’s Truth Social network late on Thursday amplified false claims that his 2020...

German companies are turning towards investments in China as they lose confidence in the United States over President Donald Trump’s policies, but they still see obstacles in the world’s second-largest economy, according to an executive at a German chamber of commerce. That landscape would form the backdrop of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s planned visit to China later this month, said Oliver Oehms, executive director and board member of the German Chamber of Commerce in North China. Merz...

A deputy chief of Russian military intelligence was shot and wounded in Moscow on Friday in an attack that follows a series of assassinations of senior military officers that Russia blamed on Ukraine. Lieutenant General Vladimir Alekseyev was shot several times by an unidentified assailant at a residential building in Moscow’s northwest and rushed to hospital, Investigative Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said in a statement. Petrenko did not say who could be behind the attack on...

The US government on Thursday announced an additional US$6 million in aid for Cuba as the island’s crisis deepens and tensions escalate between the two countries, with Cuba’s president accusing the US of an “energy blockade”. The aid was largely meant for those living in Cuba’s eastern region, which Hurricane Melissa slammed into late last year. The supplies include rice, beans, pasta, cans of tuna and solar lamps that will be delivered by the Catholic Church and Caritas, said US Department of...

First, the jihadists sent a letter saying they were coming to the village to preach, said Nigerian chief Umar Bio Salihu. When no one attended, they went on a rampage, killing people and torching houses, he said. Salihu is the traditional chief of Woro, a small, Muslim-majority village in west-central Nigeria where alleged jihadist gunmen are reported to have perpetrated a massacre late Tuesday. Details were still emerging from the attack, but it was one of the country’s deadliest in recent...

Keir Starmer never met Jeffrey Epstein. But the British prime minister’s job is under threat because of the fallout from the late sex offender’s global web of relationships. Friendship with Epstein has already brought down a British royal – Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, formerly known as Prince Andrew – and UK ambassador to Washington Peter Mandelson, fired by Starmer over his links to the financier. Now, new revelations have plunged Starmer’s centre-left government into turmoil. The prime...

The US military said on Thursday that it carried out another deadly strike on a vessel accused of trafficking drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean. US Southern Command said on social media that the boat “was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations”. It said the strike killed two people. A video linked to the post showed a boat moving through the water before exploding in flames. The strike was announced just hours after...

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. USS Abraham Lincoln is in the Arabian Sea. So is a Chinese vessel A Chinese research vessel has been operating in Middle Eastern waters close to a US aircraft carrier, according to ship-tracking data, at a time of heightened American...

Combine three wary nations, deep historical mistrust, rapid technological change, the most destructive weapons ever developed and a US unwilling to extend Thursday’s last formal nuclear weapons guardrail, and you have the ingredients for much worse geopolitical tension, if not a slide towards global disaster, warn nuclear weapons negotiators, analysts and former government officials. While Moscow has offered to formally extend its New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New Start) with the US for...

Iran’s state-run Press TV ‌said on Thursday that “one ‍of the country’s most advanced long-range ballistic missile Khorramshahr 4” ⁠has been deployed at one of the Revolutionary Guards aerospace underground missile cities. The Khorramshahr 4 has a ‍range of 2,000km (1,240 miles) and is ‌capable of carrying a 1,500kg warhead, it added. Tehran has also announced a significant change in its military policy following the 12-day war with Israel last June, moving to a first-strike from a previously...

China’s trade with some South American nations is accelerating after the opening of Peru’s Chancay port, underscoring Beijing's push to secure resources and bolster industrial supply chains under the Belt and Road Initiative, analysts said. The surge in two-way trade builds on years of Chinese investment and comes as the United States seeks to roll back Beijing’s influence in the region under a strategy US President Donald Trump has called the “Donroe” doctrine – invoking a 19th-century policy...

‌Greek defence authorities have arrested a member ‍of the Greek defence forces accused of leaking “secret information” to “third parties”, the Greek National Defence General Staff (GEETHA) said ⁠on Thursday. Two months ago, Greece’s intelligence service received a tip-off from a Western national security agency that “highly sensitive” information was leaked to China by ‍a member of the country’s military, sources close ‍to the investigation added. The man, a member of the Greek Air Force in ‌the...

Investigators in Arizona presume the kidnapped elderly mother of popular US television news host Savannah Guthrie is “still out there” and alive four days after she was abducted from her home, though no suspect ‍has been identified, authorities said on Thursday. Police and FBI officials said they had intensified their search for Nancy Guthrie, 84, calling in extra personnel and special forensic analysts, even as the first of two deadlines set in a ransom note came and went early Thursday...

Europe’s political and business elite arrived at the World Economic Forum in Davos this year with nerves already frayed after a bruising first year of US President Donald Trump’s second term. That period was defined by the imposition of a protectionist tariff strategy to gain economic and geopolitical leverage, an often combative approach to the war in Ukraine and renewed doubts over Nato security guarantees. In the run-up to Davos, the White House threatened eight European countries – including...

Pizza Hut plans to close 250 US restaurants in the first half of this year as its parent company considers a sale of the chain. Yum! Brands said on Wednesday it is targeting underperforming Pizza Hut restaurants in its system. Pizza Hut has more than 6,000 locations in the US. The Louisville, Kentucky-based company said in November it was conducting a formal review of options for Pizza Hut, which has struggled with outdated restaurants and growing competition. The chain’s US same-store sales, or...

The last 89 Christians held captive since criminal gangs attacked three churches in northern Nigeria in mid-January were released on Thursday, following a spate of mass kidnappings in the country. The worshippers, dressed in yellow and including children, arrived on a bus escorted by security forces, and were received by the governor of Kaduna state, Uba Sani, who said 183 people were initially abducted. They were snatched from three churches during Sunday services on January 18, in the Kurmin...

US President Donald Trump on Thursday unveiled a self-branded “TrumpRx” website allowing consumers to buy discounted drugs such as weight-loss and infertility treatments directly from companies. The move is part of Trump’s drive to tackle voter anger over the cost of living ahead of midterm elections in November, in which his Republicans risk losing control of Congress. “Starting tonight, dozens of the most commonly used prescription drugs will be available at dramatic discounts for all...

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will visit the White House on March 19, President Donald Trump said on Thursday, praising the Asian country’s first female leader ahead of weekend snap elections she is expected to win. Takaichi “has already proven to be a strong, powerful, and wise Leader, and one that truly loves her Country”, Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social as he announced her visit next month. The United States and Japan have been working to strike a “very substantial” deal on...

A Russian captain was on Thursday jailed for six years over the death of a crew member lost at sea when his cargo ship hit an anchored oil tanker in the North Sea. Vladimir Motin, 59, had been on sole watch duty when his ship, the Solong, crashed into the Stena Immaculate anchored just off the coast of Yorkshire, northeastern England, last March. The collision triggered a huge fire and a major rescue operation. Motin was an “accident waiting to happen”, judge Andrew Baker said as he sentenced...

Two Chinese nationals suspected of trying to intercept satellite communications from ‌a base in an Airbnb rental property in southwestern France have been placed ‍under formal investigation, the Paris public prosecutor’s office said on Thursday. Police were first alerted last week when locals noticed that a roughly two-metre (6.6-foot) wide satellite dish being installed at the property in Gironde, which coincided with an internet outage, the office ⁠said. The two Chinese nationals, and two...

Bitcoin plunged on Thursday, its decline accelerating amid weakening risk sentiment driven in part by volatility in precious ‍metals and a broad sell-off in tech shares. The world’s largest cryptocurrency fell to a low of US$66,675.12, its weakest since October 2024, a month before Republican Donald Trump won the US presidential election, having signalled his intention to support cryptocurrency on the campaign trail. It was last down 6.5 per cent at US$67,817. In total, the global digital market...

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, battling for his political future, apologised on Thursday to victims of Jeffrey Epstein for appointing disgraced Peter Mandelson as US ambassador. Starmer issued the wide-ranging apology after being dogged for days by the decision, following fresh allegations about Mandelson’s cosy ties to late sex offender Epstein which emerged in newly released files last Friday. The latest crisis to hit Starmer’s struggling government has left many doubting his judgment and...

US President Donald Trump’s trip to Europe to speak at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss alpine town of Davos was possibly one he wished he had never made; such was its failure to impress. First, his plane had to turn back due to a technical problem. Second, he gave a typically hostile speech, but then he lived up to his nickname “Taco” (Trump always chickens out) over threats to invade Greenland that would have imperilled about a third of global trade. Third, he said disingenuously that if...

Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed Iran in wide-ranging calls with both Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, as the US president steps up pressure on the Islamic Republic following the bloody quashing of anti-government protests. The US president said on social media that the “excellent” phone call with Xi covered topics including Iran, the Chinese purchase of US oil and gas, and Taiwan. Earlier, Xi and Putin “checked their approaches” on Iran, Venezuela and Cuba among other...

Mr. Lutnick had claimed to have distanced himself from Jeffrey Epstein even before the disgraced financier was convicted of a sex crime in Florida.

Young Puerto Ricans say the star has opened the world’s eyes to their challenges, and to the island’s fraught territorial relationship with the U.S. government.

Your guide to today’s matchup.

He’s most commonly recognized for his screen roles as a plotting hit man and an unlikely Lothario, but it’s his work as a playwright that shows more of his true self.

Seven pages of grand jury testimony from Richard Nixon were deemed so incendiary that they were hidden from the public for years.

Before MAGA, conservatives’ affinity for wilderness was a powerful force in American politics.

Today, some advice on having conversations with aging parents about their health.

The fastest way into the gaps between gigantic blocks of a broken-up glacier is by lowering instruments from above, through the door of a helicopter.

Scientists on the Thwaites Glacier attempted to install equipment beneath the ice to better understand how it is melting. Our climate reporter Raymond Zhong walks us through their landmark experiment and the bittersweet outcome.

The “Today” show anchor, in a message on social media with her siblings, said the return of their mother Nancy “is the only way we will have peace.”

His departure came days after the company cut 30 percent of the staff. He will be replaced in the interim by Jeff D’Onofrio, the chief financial officer, the company said.

While iguanas were stunned by freezing cold in Florida, would-be skiers were looking at dirt on Utah’s slopes. Here’s what’s going on, and when it will finally end.

Sunday’s election is a test for the progressive, pro-democracy movement in Thailand, which has been blocked from taking power despite success at the polls.