Minimalist News

Why'd The US Temporarily Waive Sanctions On India's Purchase Of Russian Oil? Authored by Andrew Korybko, The “politically inconvenient” truth is that the US is unilaterally reshaping the world order in a bid to restore unipolarity, and regardless of one’s opinion about this, it’s objectively achieved some tangible progress as of late. Treasury Secretary Scott Bennett announced that Indian refiners had just been provided with a 30-day waiver to purchase Russian oil, but only if it’s that which is already stranded at sea, thus ensuring “no significant financial benefit to the Russian government”. The stated purpose is “To enable oil to keep flowing into the global market”

These Are The Retailers That Change Prices Most Often...And When They Offer The Largest Discounts Dynamic pricing is becoming a defining feature of modern retail, with more of America’s best-known brands adjusting prices in real time based on demand, timing, and market conditions, according to Decodo.  A new report from Decodo, which analyzed more than 1.5 million data points across 120 global eCommerce retailers, reveals which companies are changing prices most often — and when shoppers are most likely to find a deal. At the top of the list is Amazon, which recorded 116,509 price changes over the past year — far more

'Victory' In Iran Will Look Nothing Like 1945 Authored by James Howard Kunstler, You probably wonder what the end of this war will look like. It won’t look like V-J Day in Times Square, 1945, with sailors kissing girls they met five seconds ago. Our country is way too divided and disturbed with politically-inflected mental illness for love to bloom in the streets like it did then. If you happen to catch the glum crew on CNN you will detect that they really want this operation to fail because, you know, Trump. Terminally Depressed on CNN The war will be over when Iran loses

Bessent Says US May "Unsanction" More Russian Oil Amid Energy Crisis Yesterday, when discussing the stunning development that Russia would be granted a one-month license to sell (formerly) sanctioned oil to india while the Straits of Hormuz are blocked, we said that this step is just the start, and precited "unlimited extensions" in the future. We had to wait less than 24 hours for this to come true. Speaking to Fox Business, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the US may lift sanctions on further Russian oil supply after a move Thursday to give Indian refiners the green light to purchase crude from the nation. “Treasury

3 Reasons Why Obamacare Is So Hard To Fix Authored by Lawrence Wilson via The Epoch Times, Obamacare had problems even before it launched in 2014. Marketplace websites were glitchy during the open enrollment period, frustrating many would-be customers. Sweeping changes ushered in by the Affordable Care Act, the law creating Obamacare, all but guaranteed that premiums would increase—which they did by 23 percent in the program’s first year. Even so, public opinion swung in favor of Obamacare starting in 2017 and remains positive, according to KFF Health Tracking polls. More than 24 million people were insured through the program by 2025. And insurers learned to

FBI Investigating Suspected Cyber Attack On Sensitive Surveillance Network The FBI is scrambling to investigate a suspected cybersecurity incident involving a sensitive internal network used to manage court-ordered wiretaps and foreign-intelligence surveillance warrants, according to CNN. The bureau confirmed the activity in a brief statement, saying that it had "identified and addressed suspicious activities on FBI networks" and deployed its full technical resources in response. And of course, the timing couldn't be more interesting, as the incident comes amid heightened vigilance for retaliatory cyberattacks following the joint U.S.-Israeli military operation, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, which targeted Iranian nuclear, missile and command infrastructure and resulted in

US Gasoline Demand Fell Further Amid Long-Term Structural Shift: Plunging Per-Capita Consumption Authored by Wolf Richter via Wolf Street, Gasoline consumption in the US, in terms of product supplied to gas stations, declined by about 1% in 2025, to 8.91 million barrels per day, according to EIA data, below where consumption had first been in 2003, even though the US population increased by 52 million people, or by 18%, over the same period. Compared to the peak in 2018, gasoline consumption in 2025 fell by 4.5%. Compared to the prior peak in 2007, gasoline consumption is down 4.1%. Gasoline consumption is increased by miles

Dems To Keep Blocking DHS Funds Despite Noem Firing On Thursday, President Donald Trump fired Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and tapped Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma as her replacement, marking the first administration shake-up of Trump’s second term. Democrats had been demanding her ouster for months, but they’ve made it quite clear that the move changed nothing in their eyes, and the standoff over DHS funding continues. The DHS partial shutdown - now stretching into its third week - was already the product of Democratic demands for sweeping restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.

4 Takeaways From Top Minnesota Officials' Testimony On State's Massive Fraud Authored by Janice Hisle via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Two of Minnesota’s top officials, Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison, testified before Congress for more than four hours on March 4 about their state’s multibillion-dollar fraud controversies. (L-R) Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Rev. Mariah Tollgaard, are sworn in ahead of their testimony before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 4, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times During the latest hearing on Capitol Hill, Republicans tried to

"We Have An Emergency": Newsom's Climate Obsession Could Wreak Havoc California's Oil Industry The oil-and-gas industry is sounding the alarm over a tightening of California's cap-and-invest program, warning that stricter emissions caps could drive up gasoline prices and jeopardize the viability of in-state refining. The California Air Resources Board is advancing amendments to the cap-and-invest framework, a market-based mechanism requiring major emitters to purchase allowances for greenhouse-gas emissions, that would significantly reduce the supply of available credits and accelerate reduction targets through 2030, according to the New York Post. The program, extended through 2045 last year, generates revenue through quarterly auctions that

Bad Faith Noncompliance: Virginia Schools Flout Supreme Court And Trump With DEI 'Rebrand' Authored by Teresa R. Manning via American Greatness, Just over a year ago, President Trump issued two executive orders banning destructive diversity ideology (a.k.a. “DEI” or “diversity, equity, and inclusion”) from the federal government and its contractors, including colleges and universities. The EOs sought to restore merit as the basis of hiring, advancement, and college admissions. Both EOs reinforced prior actions by the president as well as by the Supreme Court: In his first term, Trump signed EO 13950, Combatting Race and Sex Stereotypes, which banned divisive concepts based on race and ethnicity,

Mills: Trump Admin "Reveling In The Carnage" As Tehran Burns Last night, Bret Weinstein joined ZeroHedge to moderate a debate on the Iran war featuring Curt Mills, executive director of The American Conservative (magazine founded by Pat Buchanan), and Max Abrahms, Northeastern University professor and terrorism expert. The discussion went far and wide. From Chabad to whether the war has strengthened Iranian hardliners to the question of Israeli influence over U.S. policy to how this war affects Russia-Ukraine. Below are some of the most notable exchanges for those who missed it: CAN TRUMP WRANGLE ISRAEL? Abrahms argued that claims Israel dictates U.S. policy ignore numerous

USPS Could Run Out Of Funds Within A Year Without Congressional Action: Postmaster General Authored by Kimberly Hayek via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), U.S. Postal Service Postmaster General David Steiner said on March 4 that the service could run out of cash reserves within a year unless Congress removes a decades-old cap and allows the agency to borrow more money. A USPS van driver parks the car on a street in Manhattan, New York City, on August 24, 2020. Chung I Ho/The Epoch Times If it doesn’t, the service risks not being able to pay employees and vendors as early as February 2027,

AIPAC-Targeted 'AK Guy' Set To Take GOP House Seat After Sex-Suicide Scandal His reputation shredded by a sex scandal involving a staffer who committed suicide, incumbent Texas Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales said he was no longer seeking re-election, handing the GOP nomination to YouTube gun personality Brandon Herrera. If his last bid for office is any indication, the self-nicknamed "AK Guy" could soon find himself in the crosshairs of AIPAC and other pro-Israel organizations. If he prevails in November, Congress could gain a Republican who feels no need to pander to the tiny, far-away country and its stateside boosters.      > 🚨

The Fog Of Oil Authored by Matthew Piepenburg via VonGreyerz.gold, War, oil and gold are making headlines of late for overlapping and independent reasons. Below, we avoid the guesswork, finger-pointing or sensationalism attendant to current headlines concerning Iran and stick to a theme which offers some clarity, namely the interplay of oil and gold. THE FUNDAMENTALS STAY THE SAME For years, of course, we have tracked the fundamental drivers which impact the gold price (from DXY debates, inflation signals, and de-dollarization headlines to COMEX outflows). All of these complex signals and themes ultimately boil down to a simple realization: Gold rises as debt-trapped nations debase their currencies to monetize their

Oracle & OpenAI Scrap Texas Data Center Expansion Plan, Sending AI Stocks Lower AI-related stocks are sliding late in the New York cash session after Bloomberg News reported that Oracle and OpenAI have scrapped plans to expand the Stargate AI data center in Abilene, Texas, from about 1.2 GW to 2.0 GW. Sources said the expansion was canceled after talks stalled over financing issues and OpenAI's changing demand forecasts. However, the collapse of the Oracle-OpenAI plans has opened the door for Meta, which is now in talks to lease the space instead. Nvidia is reportedly helping to broker that deal and has

Trump Ready To Continue Operations Until Iranians "Can't Fight Any Longer" Summary: * Trump sticking to surrender demand, freshly telling Axios, but tweaking the messaging a bit compared to earlier: "Unconditional surrender could be that [the Iranians] announce it. But it could also be when they can't fight any longer because they don't have anyone or anything to fight with."  * Trump's expected timeline on Operation Epic Fury: WH Press Secretary Leavitt: "Four to six weeks." And Leavitt further tweaks Trump's message... ops to continue till "Iran can no longer pose a threat to the U.S. and our troops in the Middle East."

Nearly 20,000 Americans Have Safely Returned Home From The Mid-East: State Dept Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Nearly 20,000 U.S. citizens have returned safely from the Middle East since Feb. 28, when the Iran conflict broke out, Dylan Johnson, assistant secretary at the Bureau of Global Public Affairs, said in a March 5 statement. Smoke rises from a reported Iranian strike in the industrial district of Doha, Qatar, on March 1, 2026. Mahmud Hams/AFP via Getty Images “These figures do not include the many Americans who have safely relocated to other countries or those who have departed the Middle

ASP Isotopes Signs MOU With Major Nuclear Operator ASP Isotopes announced Thursday that its Quantum Leap Energy (QLE) subsidiary has entered “a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a large publicly traded U.S. energy company that operates nuclear power stations”. Under the agreement, the utility will evaluate options to provide support and potential financing for QLE’s planned U.S. facilities focused on High Assay Low Enriched Uranium (HALEU), LEU+, uranium conversion and deconversion services. Discussions could also lead to long-term enriched uranium supply contracts, according to the press release. QLE’s CEO described the move as an important validation of the need for reliable

Did Trump Force China's Hand? Beijing Nears 500-Jet Boeing Deal Ahead Of Xi Summit Boeing shares moved higher in late-afternoon trading in New York after Bloomberg News reported that the planemaker may be nearing one of the largest sales in its history, potentially to be unveiled during President Trump's trip to China later this month. People familiar with the potential Boeing-China jet deal said it could be announced during President Trump's trip to Beijing from March 31 to April 2. They said the deal includes a 500-plane order for 737 Max jets, with additional talks covering approximately 100 widebody aircraft, including 787

Omission of presidents of Brazil, Mexico and Colombia, however, exposes failure of US president’s ‘theatrical’ doctrine, say experts Donald Trump will welcome the leaders of at least 10 Latin American countries to a palm-dotted golf resort in Miami on Saturday as the president continues his quest to transform the US’s standing in the region and outmuscle China. Since returning to power last year, Trump has launched a dramatic – and at times deadly – crusade to, as the Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, put it, “reclaim our back yard”. Continue reading...

Landmark ruling in Celia Ramos case finds 310,000 women, most Indigenous, were targeted in brutal 1990s campaign The highest human rights court in Latin America condemned Peru on Thursday over the death of its citizen Celia Ramos, who died at the age of 34 in 1997 after undergoing sterilisation “under coercion”. The landmark ruling by the inter-American court of human rights (IACHR) is the first on Peru’s forced sterilisation programme, which operated between 1996 and 2000 and was directed against poor, rural and Indigenous women. Continue reading...

Police say Masood Masjoody was most likely murdered; Iranian expats suspect he was killed for his criticism of the theocratic regime Police in Canada have concluded that a missing Iranian activist was most likely the victim of murder, prompting fears that his disappearance has the hallmarks of a transnational repression campaign targeting critics of Tehran. Masood Masjoody, a mathematician critical of both Iran’s theocratic regime and the exiled family of the former shah, went missing in early February in the city of Burnaby, British Columbia. Continue reading...

Experts say US influence over South American neighbour will be hard to replicate in country with deep and long-standing antipathy to the west First, the CIA tracks the head of an oil-rich, US-baiting nation to a heavily guarded compound at the heart of his country’s mountain-flanked capital. Then, that leader is removed from power with a deadly and irresistible show of US military force. Continue reading...

Re-establishing diplomatic relations will support Venezuela’s economy, US state department claims, amid push for minerals access Venezuela and the US are restoring diplomatic ties, the two countries announced Thursday, in a new sign of thawing relations after Washington ousted former president Nicolás Maduro. The announcement came as US interior secretary Doug Burgum wrapped up a two-day trip to Venezuela, part of US president Donald Trump’s push for greater access to the country’s mineral wealth. Continue reading...

Platforms include YouTube, TikTok and Instagram as communication minister says ‘our children face real threats’ Indonesia will ban social media for children under 16, its communication and digital affairs minister said on Friday. Meutya Hafid said in a statement to media said that she signed a government regulation that will mean children under the age of 16 can no longer have accounts on high-risk digital platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, Roblox and Bigo Live, a popular livestreaming site. With a population of about 285 million, the fourth-highest in the world, the south-east Asian nation represents a significant market for

South-east Asian country limits air conditioning and travel for public officials amid soaring fuel prices * Middle East crisis – live updates The Philippines is searching for ways to conserve energy in response to surging fuel costs, with public officials ordered to cut back on air conditioning usage and reduce travel. All national government agencies, state universities and colleges, and local government branches have been told to reduce fuel consumption by at least 10% in response to the crisis in the Middle East. Government offices have been told to adopt flexible work arrangements, and to set air conditioning units no lower than 24

Decision marks end of years-long legal saga for 78-year-old critic of Chinese Communist party Jimmy Lai, the prominent pro-democracy activist who was recently sentenced to 20 years in prison in Hong Kong, has said he will not appeal his conviction. The decision marks the end of a years-long legal saga for the 78-year-old critic of the Chinese Communist party (CCP), and opens the door for political negotiations to his release. Continue reading...

Pacific island says the US weakened its proposal to advance a key climate ruling but vows to hold major polluters accountable The Trump administration’s attempt to sink a UN resolution demanding countries act on the climate crisis has caused cuts to the proposal but hasn’t entirely killed it, according to the tiny Pacific island country spearheading the effort. The US has demanded that Vanuatu, an archipelago in the south Pacific, drop its UN draft resolution that calls on the world to implement a landmark international court of justice (ICJ) ruling from last year that countries could face paying reparations if they fail

Reports of attack on US registered tanker in Gulf lifts crude by 3% to $84 a barrel as gas price also starts to climb * Business live – latest updates * Middle East crisis – live updates Stock markets have rebounded in Asia after days of heavy losses driven by the war in the Middle East, but oil and gas prices have continued to climb amid disruption to supplies. South Korea’s KOSPI, which posted its biggest ever fall on Tuesday of 12%, rose by almost 10% on Thursday, while Japan’s Nikkei climbed by 1.9%. MSCI’s Asia-Pacific

Presenter who entertained children with his sharp-witted, furry puppet Agro Vation, remembered for his brash and unapologetic humour * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Jamie Dunn, a veteran radio personality who unleashed the puppet Agro on Australia, entertaining children and adults alike for decades, has died aged 76. Dunn, who was once Australia’s longest-serving breakfast radio host, died on Saturday. Continue reading...

Andrew Hastie, Basil Zempilas and Warren Mundine were among the guests at the conservative convention, which focused on immigration and housing * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The rightwing Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) made its foray into Western Australia on Friday evening, with no sign of One Nation on a stage dominated by Liberal politicians. The event, dubbed Reset the West, was a rallying call for conservatives to work together, but what emerged was a Liberal party attempt to rebuild the centre-right with itself at its core. Continue reading...

Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor’s ‘deplorable’ alleged actions warrant his removal from the royal line of succession, Carney says The Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, has said Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor should be removed from the royal line of succession for alleged actions he described as “deplorable”. Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Carney said the actions that have caused the former prince to be stripped of his royal titles “necessitate” his removal from the line of succession. Continue reading...

Global markets have become inured to the US president’s posturing over the past year, but economists warn they may be ‘a little bit complacent’ in anticipating a short conflict in the Middle East Investors over the past year have learned that Donald Trump has a boundless capacity to quickly reverse course in the face of acute political or market pressures. But a week since the United States and Israel launched missile strikes on Iran, there are fears the war could morph into a protracted conflict. Patrick Commins is Guardian Australia’s economics editor Continue reading...

Jenny Ware says party is ‘at crisis point’ and cannot be competitive at election time unless it selects candidates who better reflect the makeup of Australia * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The former Liberal MP Jenny Ware says her party must implement gender quotas for candidates for office, warning the opposition “cannot get back into government” without putting forward candidates who are more reflective of the broader community. Ware, who lost her seat of Hughes at the 2025 election, said it was “deeply embarrassing” that the Liberal party executive had not released its own review

Exclusive: MoD-contracted workers assisting Ukrainians in a way ‘no other nation has been willing to do’, says minister In an unmarked and undisclosed location in western Ukraine, British and Ukrainian engineers work side by side to fix damaged military hardware, crawling under the chassis of artillery systems and pulling apart the insides of British-donated howitzers. Until now, the existence of this facility, along with three other similar sites inside Ukraine, has been kept quiet, buried in neutral language to avoid drawing too much attention to the sites, given the sensitivities of all military-linked work inside Ukraine. Continue reading...

Foreign minister wants ‘conversation’ about closing UK military sites following lack of warning of impending attack on RAF Akrotiri * Middle East crisis – live updates Cyprus’s foreign minister has said there are “questions” about the future of the UK’s military bases on the island after the drone strike last Sunday. The attack on RAF Akrotiri, suspected to have been launched by Hezbollah in Lebanon, caused minimal damage and did not result in casualties. Continue reading...

The European media giant Axel Springer has scuppered the Daily Mail owner. But why did it not bid sooner? And what will Brexit-backing readers think? After three years, a series of failed bids stretching from the US to Abu Dhabi, internal rebellions and even changes in the law, it should be no surprise that the tortured sale of the Telegraph has delivered another spectacular twist with a blockbuster offer from the media giant Axel Springer. It has torpedoed the long-held dreams of the Daily Mail proprietor, Lord Rothermere, to secure the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph and begin the next chapter of

Ukraine police investigating what foreign ministry calls a ‘hostage’ situation involving seven employees of Oschadbank stopped by Hungary Icelandic foreign minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir submitted a government motion for a referendum on resuming accession talks with the European Union, proposing the vote should take place on 29 August, state broadcaster RUV has reported. The draft resolution will be put to Icelandic parliament for approval next week. Continue reading...

Seven Ukrainians arrested and money-laundering investigation launched in latest spat between Kyiv and Budapest An increasingly acrimonious spat between Hungary and Ukraine has escalated further, as Budapest impounded two Ukrainian armoured bank vehicles carrying millions of euros of hard cash as well as bars of gold. Seven Ukrainian citizens accompanying the convoy were also arrested. Hungarian officials said the detained Ukrainians had intelligence links and suggested the money could be of dubious origin, while Ukraine’s foreign minister, Andrii Sybiha, accused Budapest of “taking hostages and stealing money”. Continue reading...

Masoud Pezeshkian says no more attacks against neighbouring countries unless they were the source of an attack against Iran * Tell us: how have you been affected by the latest events in the Middle East? The Saudi defence minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, urged Iran on Saturday to “avoid miscalculation” after missile and drone launches at the kingdom. Saudi Arabia’s defence ministry said earlier in the day it had blocked repeated missile launches at an airbase housing US military personnel and drone attacks at a major oilfield. We stressed that such actions undermine regional security and stability and expressed hope that the Iranian

Senate blocks war powers measure and House follows suit – now president can bomb Iran free from congressional interference Before US troops invaded Iraq, George W Bush asked Congress to pass a resolution authorizing military force against Washington’s longtime nemesis, a request that lawmakers obliged. Twenty four years later, the United States is at war with a different Middle Eastern rival – Iran – under a different Republican president – Donald Trump. But this time, the president did not bother to seek permission from the Senate and House of Representatives before joining Israel in launching the air and naval campaign. And far

Masoud Pezeshkian issues rare apology to neighbouring Gulf states for Iranian strikes as war enters eighth day * Middle East crisis live: latest news updates The president of Iran has rejected Donald Trump’s call for the country’s unconditional surrender as a “dream”, while issuing a rare apology for Iranian strikes that had targeted sites in neighbouring Gulf states. In a prerecorded address broadcast on state television on Saturday, Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said the country would never capitulate, responding to remarks by the US president, who said on Friday that only Iran’s total submission could bring the war to an end. Continue reading...

Iran’s targeting of commercial datacentres in the UAE and Bahrain signals a new frontier in asymmetric warfare It is believed to be a first: the deliberate targeting of a commercial datacentre by the armed forces of a country at war. At 4.30am on Sunday morning, an Iranian Shahed 136 drone struck an Amazon Web Services datacentre in the United Arab Emirates, setting off a devastating fire and forcing a shutdown of the power supply. Further damage was inflicted as attempts were made to suppress the flames with water. Continue reading...

In reality, US president’s opposition to foreign entanglements had only ever been partial * Middle East crisis live: latest news updates Donald Trump ordered the launch of the war on Iran last Friday afternoon while on board Air Force One, as the presidential plane made its descent towards Corpus Christi, Texas. Trump was on his way to the port city to give a speech titled American Energy Dominance and had spent the three-hour flight chatting to Texas Republican politicians including the state’s two hawkish senators, John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, about his options in Iran. Continue reading...

Urgent request to dock is submitted by vessel after US submarine sank Iranian warship in same area on Tuesday * Middle East crisis – live updates Sri Lanka has evacuated 208 crew members from an Iranian navy vessel that made an emergency request to dock, a day after a US submarine strike sank another Iranian frigate, killing more than 80 people on board. Sri Lanka’s president, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, on Thursday confirmed that the country’s navy would take over Iranian military support ship IRIS Bushehr and allow it to dock at the north-eastern port of Trincomalee. Continue reading...

Early results may be released from Friday after first election since gen z protests forced Nepal’s then-PM to quit Nearly six months after a wave of unprecedented gen Z-led protests forced Nepal’s then prime minister to quit, people have voted in a general election that is shaping up to be a high-stakes showdown between the entrenched old guard and a powerful youth movement. “The voting process has been concluded peacefully and enthusiastically,” said the chief election commissioner, Ram Prasad Bhandari. It appeared the turnout was only about 60%, according to initial estimates, the lowest in more than two decades. Continue reading...

Frigate goes down off Sri Lanka as Washington and Israel step up their offensive and promise to hit ‘deeper’ targets in Iran * Middle East crisis – live updates A torpedo fired by a US submarine sank an Iranian warship off the south coast of Sri Lanka as the Trump administration followed through on its threats to destroy Tehran’s military and political leadership. At least 87 Iranian sailors were killed in the attack on the Iris Dena. The frigate was sailing in international waters as it returned from a naval exercise organised by India in the Bay of Bengal. The torpedo strike

With 46% of Nepal’s population under the age of 24, the election will be a test of whether their hopes and frustrations are being taken seriously In the unassuming, dusty lanes of the Nepali city of Damak, an unprecedented political showdown is unfolding. Pitting an old political heavyweight against a rapper-turned-politician with a penchant for dark sunglasses and sharp suits, the battle is one that could completely reshape the country’s politics. As Nepal heads into its most gripping election in years, at the forefront stands Balendra Shah, the 35-year-old known simply as Balen. He rose to fame as a popular rapper whose

Sporadic clashes reported in several provinces in Afghanistan as both sides give conflicting death tolls Afghanistan has said it had thwarted Pakistan’s attempted airstrikes on Bagram airbase, the former US military base north of Kabul, as cross-border fighting between the two countries stretched into a fourth day. Months of clashes have flared up again since Thursday, when Afghanistan launched attacks along the frontier and Pakistani forces hit back on the border and from the skies. Pakistan has declared it is in “open war” with Afghanistan. Continue reading...

Charities warn estates of victims who died before the scheme began are losing hundreds of thousands in financial loss payments Families of victims of the infected blood scandal have criticised the government for imposing a “penalty for dying” in its compensation scheme, which has seen them lose out on hundreds of thousands of pounds. The scheme awards payouts to living victims and the families of those who have died after being infected with HIV or hepatitis as a result of being given contaminated blood products by the NHS. Continue reading...

B-1 Lancer, which can carry 24 cruise missiles, arrived at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on Friday evening * Middle East crisis – live updates A US bomber has landed at an RAF base in Britain after Washington warned that strikes on Iran would “surge dramatically”. The 146ft B-1 Lancer, which is capable of carrying 24 cruise missiles, arrived at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire on Friday evening after Keir Starmer had granted permission for “defensive” US action against Iranian missile sites from UK bases. Continue reading...

School caretaker who killed 10-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman in 2002 was reportedly assaulted with metal bar * August 2002: the summer we watched a senseless tragedy unfold in Soham The child killer Ian Huntley has died in hospital, just over a week after being attacked at a maximum security prison. The former school caretaker killed Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman, both aged 10, in Soham, Cambridgeshire on 4 August 2002. The girls had left a family barbecue to buy sweets. Continue reading...

Billy Bragg, Sarah Lucas and Kojo Koram among those encouraging people to share cultural artefacts For some people it’s a Morris Minor, for others, a beach windbreak, chicken tikka masala or Magna Carta. A new campaign is aiming to collect 50 objects that sum up Englishness in an effort to move the conversation away from reductive arguments over whether to hang a St George’s flag or not. Continue reading...

Bank criticised for tone of spending summaries, with one user complaining to ombudsman over ‘humiliating’ use of data When does lighthearted banter become inappropriate and humiliating? The digital bank Monzo has been accused of overstepping the mark by using the data it holds to tell one customer with a past eating disorder that she eats a lot of fast food, spends “more than most” on Just Eat takeaways, and had banished her life goals thanks to her spending choices. Continue reading...

As some elected leaders choose to play nice with the president, Democratic AGs have done the opposite – to impressive effect * Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Four Democratic attorneys general, sitting in their offices from New York to California with state flags and books behind them, announced a new lawsuit on Thursday, alleging the president, yet again, had broken the law by attempting to create new tariffs without congressional approval. It’s a now familiar scene for the group of top law-enforcement officials who have collectively filed more than 50 lawsuits against

White House wages online propaganda campaign with aggressive and tasteless videos seemingly designed for young rightwing American men Rap and EDM. Clips from action movies. Heads-up displays from video games. As the war with Iran approaches its second week, the White House has leaned into an online propaganda campaign that seems less about intimidating Iran or projecting US strength abroad than it is about reaching a rather niche domestic audience: young rightwing American men who spend a lot of time online. Continue reading...

Mickey says his stint as a handyman transformed into a lucrative sex business due to the region’s ‘self-denial’ A western Texas fracker starring in a podcast about how his attempted moonlighting as a handyman turned into lucrative sex work largely solicited by distracted oil industry professionals’ housewives says he believes his region’s repressive sexual attitudes gave his side gig an opening to flourish. “There’s an inherent kind of self-denial,” the subject of The Handyman of West Texas, identified only as Mickey, said in a recent interview. “We all have these thoughts. But we lie to ourselves and try to conform to …

Asif Merchant accused of trying to recruit people in 2024 plan to target Trump, Biden and other politicians in retaliation for killing of Qassem Suleimani A Pakistani man has been convicted of planning to kill Donald Trump and other prominent US politicians two years ago at the behest of Iran. Asif Merchant was accused of trying to recruit people in the US in a plan targeting Trump and others in retaliation for the killing of Iranian military commander Qassem Suleimani in 2020, during Trump’s first term as president. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed. * Trump news at a glance: president marks first week of Iran attacks with call for nation’s ‘unconditional surrender’ * US lost 92,000 jobs in February just before Trump joined Iran conflict * Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox Military investigators believe it is likely that US forces were responsible for an apparent strike on an Iranian girls’ school that killed scores of children on Saturday but have not yet reached a final conclusion, two US officials tell Reuters. Reuters was unable to determine further details about

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has called for former British prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to be removed from the royal line of succession over his “deplorable” links to Jeffrey Epstein. The former duke was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office following allegations he shared sensitive information with the paedophile financier while serving as the UK’s trade envoy. Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, Carney said: “I certainly think his actions are deplorable and...

Alyssa Ramos’ evacuation from Kuwait took 48 hours and carried her across four continents. The US government did not help with any part of it, the travel blogger said. “They keep going on the news and saying they’re doing everything they can to get Americans out,” Ramos said after landing in Miami on Thursday. “I know for a fact they’re not.” She said she repeatedly messaged the US embassy in Kuwait before being directed to the consular section, which told her it could not help her leave the...

Russia has provided Iran with information that could help Tehran strike American warships, aircraft and other assets in the region, according to two officials familiar with US intelligence on the matter. The officials, who were not authorised to comment publicly on the sensitive matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity, cautioned that US intelligence has not uncovered that Russia is directing Iran on what to do with the information as the US and Israel continue their bombardment and Iran...

The US ⁠customs agency is readying a system within 45 days to process refunds on President Donald Trump’s tariffs that were struck down as illegal, a customs official said in a court filing on Friday. The declaration by Customs and Border Protection official Brandon Lord came just before government lawyers met with a federal trade judge to try to hammer out a broad settlement process for returning US$166 billion in tariff ‌payments to around 330,000 importers. Last month, the US Supreme Court...

I am a sucker for all kinds of humour, including tasteless jokes. But I draw the line at sick jokes being reported as serious news. As far as those jokes go, the Monday appearance of US first lady Melania Trump as chair of a United Nations Security Council meeting takes the cake. The topic of her speech? Children, technology and education in conflict. She declared that the US “stands with all of the children throughout the world”. Seriously, you can’t make this stuff up. The cynicism and...

The US unexpectedly lost jobs in February while unemployment edged up, government data showed Friday, piling pressure on President Donald Trump’s economic agenda as key midterm elections approach. The world’s biggest economy shed 92,000 jobs last month, in a sharp reversal from the job growth of 126,000 in January, the Labour Department said. The unemployment rate, meanwhile, crept up to 4.4 per cent from 4.3 per cent. White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett insisted Friday that the US...

US President Donald Trump said Friday Cuba was next on his agenda after Iran, predicting that the communist-run island, crippled by a US energy blockade, is “gonna fall pretty soon”. “They want to make a deal so badly,” Trump told CNN in a phone interview, a day after suggesting that he would turn to an unspecified project for Cuba after the war against Iran. “We’re really focused on this one right now. We’ve got plenty of time, but Cuba’s ready – after 50 years,” he added, explaining that...

US President Donald Trump has demanded Iran’s “unconditional surrender”, a dramatic escalation of his demands a week into the war he launched alongside Israel, which said on Friday that it had struck and destroyed the underground military bunker of Iran’s slain supreme leader Ali Khamenei. Trump made the remarks on social media just hours after Iran’s president announced that unspecified countries had begun mediation efforts, one of the first signals of any diplomatic initiative to end the...

Beijing has pledged to expand imports and use its vast market to help other countries boost exports to the world’s second-largest economy – a move that could help balance global trade at a time when China’s export machine faces growing scrutiny. Beijing also planned to diversify markets and nurture new trade drivers such as artificial intelligence, seeking to stabilise trade as global supply chains come under mounting pressure from geopolitical conflicts, officials said. Commerce Minister Wang...

The United Nations on Friday demanded swift investigations into fatal Israeli strikes across Lebanon to decide if they followed international law. “The devastating impact of this renewed conflict is already before our eyes, with civilians paying a painfully heavy price,” UN rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva. “We urge the parties to step back from the brink of a major escalation of this conflict in Lebanon.” Her comments came as fresh Israeli strikes battered...

Two tankers loaded with fuel from Reliance Industries in India ⁠that were headed to Europe ⁠made U-turns and are now bound for ⁠Asia, according to two trade sources and ship-tracking data, as the refiner capitalises on firm Asian margins with the Iran war squeezing supply. The Advantage Life, which loaded around 100,000 metric tons (745,000 barrels) of diesel at Reliance’s Jamnagar refinery on February 28, is currently bound for Singapore, ‌according to Kpler, LSEG data and two trade...

Sri Lanka began transferring more than 200 sailors from an Iranian vessel to shore on Friday after the ship sought help while anchored outside the country’s waters, as tensions mounted in the Indian Ocean following the sinking of an Iranian warship by a US submarine. Sri Lanka navy spokesman Commander Buddhika Sampath said the sailors of the IRIS Bushehr were being brought first to the port of Colombo and the ship will later be moved to an eastern port on the island. “The disembarkation is in...

Four men were arrested in Britain on Friday on suspicion of assisting Iran’s intelligence service by spying on locations and people linked to London’s Jewish community, police said. The men – one Iranian national and three dual British-Iranians – were arrested by counterterrorism police at three separate addresses in the UK capital, the Metropolitan Police said in a statement. The force’s head of counterterrorism policing, Helen Flanagan, said the arrests were “part of a long-running...

As the world’s largest oil and gas importer, China undoubtedly faces a significant disruption, what with the US-Israeli war on Iran and its cascading impact across the Gulf. But it could have been worse. Beijing has worked unstintingly for well over a decade to build energy self-reliance and reduce the role of fossil fuels in powering the country’s manufacturing economy. For leaders gathered in Beijing for the annual parliamentary “two sessions” meetings, which will endorse China’s 15th...

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What began as a US-Israeli assault on Iran is rapidly evolving into a conflict with the potential to spread far beyond the Middle East. Iranian missiles and drones have already struck or reached Turkey and Azerbaijan, while European powers are rushing additional warships, fighter jets and air defences to the eastern Mediterranean and Gulf to contain the fallout. Analysts warn the longer the war continues, the greater the risk that long-simmering regional fault lines – from Kurdish militancy to...

Spain’s Pedro Sanchez has once again emerged as Europe’s most consistently vocal critic of US President Donald Trump, drawing his ire for refusing to allow the American military to stage operations for its attacks on Iran from Spanish military bases. Trump lashed out at the Spanish prime minister on Tuesday, saying he would “cut off all trade with Spain” in retaliation for the affront. The spat intensified the next day when Spain’s foreign minister contradicted a claim by the White House press...

London’s child population is collapsing faster than anywhere in Britain as unaffordable housing and childcare costs drive young families away, a report by the London Assembly found. In the decade through 2023 the number of residents under ten years of age fell by 99,100 as families moved out and fertility rates crashed - even while the capital’s overall population increased by 506,000. Falling pupil numbers have prompted 100 of London’s 2,500 schools to close since 2018; mostly in inner London....

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. ‘We couldn’t reach them’: Chinese firms’ Iran business in limbo after strikes Rising tensions in the Middle East following attacks on Iran are having an impact on the trade corridors and investment plans of Chinese exporters and...

The US Justice Department on Thursday released additional Jeffrey Epstein files involving uncorroborated accusations made by a woman against US President Donald Trump that the department said had been mistakenly withheld during an earlier review. The department said last week that it was working to determine if any records were improperly withheld after several news organisations reported that the massive tranche of records that had been made public did not include some files documenting a...

US military investigators believe it is likely that US forces were responsible ⁠for an apparent strike on an Iranian ⁠girls’ school that killed scores of children on Saturday ⁠but have not yet reached a final conclusion or completed their investigation, two US officials told Reuters. Reuters was unable to determine more details about the investigation, including what evidence contributed to the tentative assessment, what type of munition was used, who was responsible or why the US might have...

The US and Israel are striking a much wider array of targets in Iran than they did during 12 days of war last summer, when their focus was on the country’s nuclear enrichment sites. Now, the aim appears to be destroying Iran’s military and weakening the grip of its theocratic rulers, experts say. US Central Command alone says it has hit more than 2,000 targets in less than a week, a far heavier barrage than any American bombing campaign in the Middle East in more than a decade, according to...

Donald Trump and his attorney general were sued on Thursday by retail investors in two social media rivals of TikTok seeking to reverse the US president’s approval of a deal by the company’s Chinese owner ByteDance to form a majority American-owned joint venture. The lawsuit, the ‌first legal challenge to the deal, argues that Trump’s approval last year violated requirements set out in a 2024 divestiture law. Two California residents who hold shares in Alphabet and Meta Platforms sued, backed by...

Chinese cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun reached a US$10 million settlement to resolve a US Securities and Exchange Commission civil fraud case over his trading activity. Thursday’s settlement requires court approval, with the payment ‌made by one of Sun’s companies. It came as President Donald Trump, a Republican, pushes to make the US a global hub for the cryptocurrency industry. Sun and his companies did not admit or deny wrongdoing, the SEC said in a letter to US District Judge Edgardo...

A group of 24 US states sued President Donald Trump’s administration on Thursday in the first legal challenge to his newly imposed 10 per cent global tariffs, alleging that the president cannot sidestep a recent US Supreme Court ruling that invalidated most of his previous tariffs on imported goods by citing new legal authority, according to ‌the states. The Democratic-led states, including New York, California and Oregon, argued that the new tariffs, which Trump announced immediately after the...

US President Donald Trump ⁠fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday after months of controversy, including the fatal ⁠shootings of two US citizens by federal officers in Minneapolis and lawmakers’ questions over a US$220 million advertising contract. The Republican president will tap Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin to replace her by the end of the month, he said on his Truth Social platform on Thursday. The appointment would require US Senate confirmation. “Kristi Noem, who...

Ukrainian military personnel are expected to arrive in the Gulf soon to help countries there fend off Iranian drone attacks, a senior Ukrainian official said on Friday. President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday that the United States had appealed for help from Kyiv downing Iranian drones that have been pummelling Israel and the Gulf over recent days. Those Iranian strikes across the region have come in response to US and Israeli attacks against Tehran that killed its supreme leader Ayatollah...

The US will not give India the same kind of economic advantages it gave China, which allowed that country to emerge as a major competitor, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said on Thursday, signalling Washington’s cautiousness in negotiations over a trade deal. While the US wants to work with India to unlock its “limitless potential,” India should understand that “we are not going to make the same mistakes with India that we made with China 20 years ago”, Landau said at the Raisina...

US President Donald Trump called on Iran’s armed forces on Thursday to surrender or face the consequences and urged the nation’s diplomats to request asylum at their postings around the world. “I’m once again calling on all members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the military and the police, to lay down their arms,” Trump said. “So you’ll be perfectly safe with total immunity, or you’ll face absolutely guaranteed death, and I don’t want to see that.” Speaking at the White House at a sports...

Azerbaijan warned on Thursday that it was preparing unspecified response measures after a pair of Iranian drones flew across its border and injured four people in the Nakhchivan exclave, raising concern about further spillover of the ‌conflict in the Middle East. “These attacks will not remain unanswered,” the Azerbaijani Defence Ministry said in a statement. It added that it was investigating the types of drones used in the attack, and “preparing the necessary response measures to protect the...

European powers said ⁠on Thursday they would work together to safeguard shipping in the Red Sea and send naval and other assets to protect Cyprus as the expanding US-Iran war entered its sixth day. The conflict – which has widened beyond Gulf states to the Mediterranean, where a drone strike hit a British airbase on Cyprus on Monday, and as far afield as Asia – has convulsed global markets and sent oil and gas prices soaring. Italy, ‌Spain, France and the Netherlands will send naval assets to...

The sinking of an Iranian warship by a US submarine off Sri Lanka’s coast has raised concerns across South and Southeast Asia that the Middle East conflict may be expanding into the Indian Ocean, while also intensifying political pressure in India for a stronger response. Analysts said the strike’s location near key sea lanes linking Asia with the Gulf had heightened fears the conflict could spill into waters vital to regional trade while also raising doubts in New Delhi over its cautious...

A Berlin court on Thursday jailed a Syrian man for 13 years for a jihadist-inspired knife attack on a Spanish tourist at the German capital’s Holocaust memorial. The 20-year-old suspect, named only as Wassim Al M., was convicted of attempted murder, grievous bodily harm and attempted membership of a terrorist organisation, the court said. The stabbing in February 2025 inflamed an already heated debate on migration just a few days before a general election in Germany. Presiding judge Doris Husch...

Professor Pan Guang has spent decades focused on Jewish studies, the Middle East and its ties with China. Among his many roles, Pan is founding director of a research centre on the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. This interview first appeared in SCMP Plus. For other interviews in the Open Questions series, click here. Amid recent events in Iran, how do you assess the impact on China? Will China’s “petroyuan” settlement encounter problems, and what of the risks to the Belt and Road...

For sheer escalatory potential, look no further than the speed at which the six-day-old war in Iran has drawn in countries across the Middle East, causing the biggest energy shock since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. While the long-term consequences of military action by the United States and Israel against Iran are unpredictable, worst-case scenarios for the global economy and markets have begun to unfold. Although the least important thing about any war is how it affects...

James Talarico barely mentioned Donald Trump when he finally got to give his victory speech on Wednesday night as Democrats’ nominee for US Senate in Texas. But the 36-year-old state lawmaker is now a frontman for the left’s opposition to Trump, not just in his own state but around the country. With his victory over US congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, the state lawmaker from Austin will test whether a smiling message of unity and change is enough to answer voters’ frustrations amid discord at...

A mine collapse on Tuesday at a major coltan mining site in eastern DR Congo left at least 200 dead, according to Congolese authorities, a number disputed by the rebel group that controls the mine. The collapse took place on Tuesday at the Rubaya mines, which are controlled by the M23 rebels, according to a press release from the Ministry of Mines on Wednesday. Fanny Kaj, a senior official in the M23 rebel group, which controls the mines, disputed the figure and said that the collapse was caused...

The Iranian warship IRIS Dena was in the Indian Ocean when a Los Angeles-class US attack submarine fired an MK-48 torpedo, setting off a massive explosion that lifted the ship’s stern out of the water before sinking the vessel. The US Defence Department highlighted the attack – releasing black-and-white video footage that showed the USS Charlotte’s strike – to draw attention to a key element of its campaign against Iran: eliminating the country’s navy to keep the country from impeding the flow...

The unfolding Iran war has ricocheted across the region and beyond, with nearly every country in the Middle East sustaining damage from missile hits, drone strikes or shrapnel, many reporting casualties, and key embassies, economic engines and passageways closing down. Off the coast of Sri Lanka, a US submarine sank an Iranian warship as the war intensified and its footprint grew. Foreign governments have for days urged their citizens to leave Middle East countries on any available commercial...

The bombs falling on Iran have extinguished any remaining doubt. The US-Israeli military campaign has ignited a major regional war. This explosion of violence is the ultimate rebuke to a central promise of US President Donald Trump’s second term: that America could disengage from distant quagmires to focus on confronting China. Over a year into this administration, the strategic picture affirms the conclusion I reached last summer: America’s hoped-for single-minded containment of China lies in...

Beijing says more than 470 Chinese nationals have been safely evacuated from Iran as the conflict with the US and Israel escalates. The Chinese embassy is helping citizens leave via designated land routes and border crossings. Meanwhile, Chinese officials are urging all remaining citizens in Iran to step up safety precautions, register with the embassy and leave the country “as soon as possible”.

The House Oversight Committee voted on Wednesday to subpoena US Attorney General Pam Bondi to answer questions over the Justice Department’s handling of files regarding the Jeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking investigation. Five Republicans joined Democrats to support the subpoena proposed by Republican congresswoman Nancy Mace in a sign of continued frustration among conservatives with the department’s review and release of a tranche of documents related to the disgraced financier. The move...

The head of the Federal Communications Commission is taking aim at foreign-based call centres with a proposed English proficiency requirement for overseas employees and limits on the volume of calls they can handle. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said on Wednesday the proposed rules will encourage communications providers regulated by the agency to bring call centre jobs back to the US and place guard rails on the operations that remain abroad. “Americans get frustrated when they call a US business...

When German Chancellor Friedrich Merz arrived in Beijing for his first visit to China last week, it came at a moment of heightened geopolitical attention. With US President Donald Trump expected to visit Beijing in late March or early April, European leaders are watching closely for possible shifts in transatlantic relations and trade policy. Against this anxious backdrop, Merz’s meetings with President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang in Beijing offered something the global stage has been deeply...

Russia could halt gas supplies to Europe right now amid a spike in energy prices triggered by the Iran crisis, President Vladimir Putin warned on Wednesday, linking the possible decision to the European Union wanting to ban purchases of Russian gas and liquefied natural gas. Oil and gas prices have soared following the ‌US and Israeli attack on Iran and Tehran’s strikes on Gulf Arab neighbours. The conflict has paralysed shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and forced the shutdown of Qatar’s...

The Trump administration had signaled earlier this week that it was ready to abandon four executive orders seeking to punish law firms, but abruptly reversed course the next day.

A fight over Pentagon contracts shows how the leaders of Silicon Valley’s two most important A.I. start-ups are feuding over the future of the tech industry.

Negotiations, threats and amended contracts have left plenty of questions. Here are some answers.

All across America, congressional candidates are finding creative — and critics say cynical — ways to signal support for two deep-pocketed industries, A.I. and crypto.

A carefully disciplined campaign that capitalized on viral media, months of organizing and strong outreach to Latino voters helped propel James Talarico to the center of Texas politics.

With employers cutting jobs and gas prices rising amid the war in Iran, Democrats see an opportunity to press their advantage.

What had been a safe G.O.P. seat was looking more attainable for Democrats after Representative Tony Gonzales bowed out in favor of a hard-right candidate.

Alberto Carvalho was seen as a catch for the nation’s second largest school district. Then his home and office were raided by the F.B.I.

The U.S. and Israel have no good options to address an unavoidable problem.

A week into Trump’s war in Iran, his strategy is still a mystery.

If decreasing dependence on our phones feels impossible, we might benefit from considering what we’d want to fill the space that they occupy.

Tornadoes damaged buildings, cut power and injured more than a dozen people in the two states as severe weather swept across the central United States.

At least eight people were killed when a Russian missile hit a five-story apartment building in the city of Kharkiv, and Kyiv and several other regions also came under attack.

Some residents in the Manhattan neighborhood are fighting the construction of two apartment towers, which could rise up to 19 stories on the site of a parking lot.

Rama Duwaji, Mr. Mamdani’s wife, had liked Instagram posts related to the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.