Minimalist News

Iran Announces First Hormuz Toll Fees Successfully Transferred To Central Bank President Trump has repeatedly said that Iran "better not" collect tolls from ships seeking to traverse the Hormuz Strait waterway, as both warring sides have initiated their own rival blockades of different sectors of the strait. Just last week, Trump had flatly rejected the possibility of Tehran imposing fees - reportedly $2 million or perhaps even more - when a reporter asked about the prospect of restrictions or tolls managed by Iran for strait passage. "Nope. No way. No. Nope," Trump had responded. He said there can't be tolls along with restrictions,

Judge Blocks Trump Admin's Move To Halt Wind, Solar Approvals Authored by Owen Evans via The Epoch Times, A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to halt federal approvals for wind and solar projects. Chief U.S. District Judge Denise Casper in Boston issued a preliminary injunction on April 21, sought by a coalition of renewable energy groups. The injunction blocks five specified agency action measures, including Interior review rules, a wildlife permitting ban, land-use limits, an Army Corps memo, and a legal opinion that had tightened permitting and slowed wind and solar approvals. The judge said the plaintiffs were “likely to succeed

Mercuria, Goldman, JPMorgan See Major Aluminum Market Shock Analysts at Mercuria, the Geneva-based Swiss commodities trading firm, are sounding the alarm on the global aluminum market after severe disruptions in the Gulf region, adding to a growing list of trading desks and research teams warning of a deepening supply shock. "The scale of the supply shock we're seeing in the aluminum market is probably the largest single supply shock a base metals market has suffered in the post-2000 era," Mercuria commodities analyst Nick Snowdon told Reuters on the sidelines of the Financial Times Commodities Global Summit in Lausanne, Switzerland. Snowdon then told Reuters, "We

Trump Confirms Possible U.S. Takeover Of Spirit If 'Price Is Right' SUMMARY: * Trump Confirms possible U.S. Gov't takeover of Spirit  * WSJ says the Trump administration's possible $500 million rescue deal could leave the U.S. government with 90% control. * WSJ says Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is leading the effort in U.S.-Spirit talks. * BBG reported earlier on a potential $500 million rescue loan for Spirit. * News of a possible rescue loan for Spirit emerged last week. POLYMARKET:   US takes a stake in Spirit Airlines by May 31? Yes 36% · No 64% View full market & trade on Polymarket Spirit Airlines shutdown/liquidation

Breakthrough: Trump Unveils 3-Week Extended Ceasefire In Lebanon, But Says 'All The Time In The World' To End Iran War SUMMARY * Trump unveils three week extended ceasefire in Lebanon, wants country to "protect itself from Hezbollah". * Israeli media says Iran Parliament Speaker resigns from negotiating team under IRGC pressure, oil spikes. Iran rejects report as completely false. * Trump orders US Navy 'shoot & kill' small Iranian boats amid concern over mines in Hormuz. Says US now "doesn't need a deal". Says he has "all the time in the world, Iran does not" - to end the war. * Overnight, US military

CIA-Backed AQ-Linked Syrian Leader Watching Dance Performance To Missy Elliott Song Goes Viral Via Middle East Eye A video of interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (previously, Abu Mohammad al-Julani) watching a dance performance to Missy Elliott's Work It has gone viral, sparking a mix of amusement and confusion on social media. The performance took place on Monday at the recently reopened al-Feyhaa Sports Hall in Damascus, which Sharaa had inaugurated earlier that day before a Syria-Lebanon basketball match later that evening. The game marks the first time Syria and Lebanon have played against each other since the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024.  Ahead of the game, a group of dancers

PIMCO Privately Lends Over $10 Billion To Dollar-Strapped Gulf States Just days after the UAE hinted at a growing dollar shortage in the Gulf nation by requesting swap lines with the Fed, Bloomberg reports that as Iran's struggling neighbors scramble to build cash buffers to deal with any potential economic fallout from the Iran war, one large buyer has stepped in: the world's largest bond manager, Pacific Investment Management Co. Since the start of the Iran war, Pimco has lent more than $10 billion to state-backed and government borrowers in the Gulf via so-called private placements. The $2.27 trillion asset manager has been a

Air Force Extends Use Of Iran Attack Plane A-10 'Warthog' To 2030 Authored by Victoria Friedman via The Epoch Times, The U.S. Air Force said on April 20 that it would extend the life of the A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft—commonly referred to as the “Warthog”—for another four years beyond its previously stated retirement deadline of 2026. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink wrote on X that following consultation with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the Air Force “will EXTEND the A-10 ‘Warthog’ platform to 2030,” adding that this decision “preserves combat power as the Defense Industrial Base works to increase combat aircraft production.” The

Texas Instruments Jumps Most Since Dot-Com On Upgraded Outlook; Goldman Sees Analog Recovery Shares of Texas Instruments jumped the most since the Dot-Com bubble era after the chipmaker issued a stronger-than-expected second-quarter forecast, signaling that demand is rebounding across industrial markets and data centers. Goldman analysts told clients the guidance suggests the "analog recovery is continuing."  Revenue guidance of $5 billion to $5.4 billion and profit guidance of $1.77 to $2.05 a share both came in well above the Bloomberg Consensus estimate of estimate $4.85 billion, while first-quarter results also beat expectations. Here's a snapshot of first-quarter results (courtesy of Bloomberg): > EPS $1.68

12 AGs Petition Court To Defend Trump's Executive Order On Citizenship Verification In Elections Authored by Janice Hisle via The Epoch Times, Attorneys general from a dozen states on April 20 asked to intervene in two lawsuits that oppose President Donald Trump’s executive order on citizenship verification and other election integrity efforts. The coalition of attorneys general filed motions in Massachusetts and the District of Columbia, expressing support for the president’s March 31 executive order, titled “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections.” After Trump issued the order, “left-leaning activists and progressive states” immediately challenged it, Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway’s office said

Intel Shares Soar On Strong AI-Fueled Outlook, Surpassing August 2000 Peak Chipmaker Intel, which less than a year ago was trading like a distressed company, and required a capital infusion from the US government, and earlier today hit a 90x forward PE... ... soared after hours after giving a strong sales forecast for the current period, signaling that the recently struggling chipmaker is finally beginning to benefit from the giant build-out of artificial intelligence infrastructure. But before we get there, here is a quick look at what the company reported for the first quarter:  * Adjusted EPS 29c vs. 13c y/y, beating estimate

Israel Waiting For US Greenlight To Renew Iran War: New 'Targets Marked', Says Katz It should come as no surprise that the Netanyahu government is not happy with this current lull in the Iran war, as Trump's initially declared 3-5 day ceasefire extension has become more of an indefinite truce, with the Hormuz Strait blockade still on. Israel is now preparing for the possibility of a return to fighting, the country's media is on Thursday reporting. Israel's leadership has consistently stated that it wants to see regime change or else total government and societal collapse, saying that only then would Iran never more

Euthanasia Is Now 6% Of All Deaths In The Netherlands Via Remix News, Euthanasia is now responsible for 6 percent of all deaths in the Netherlands, and this figure is increasing every year. According to a report by the regional euthanasia review committee (RTE), cited by the news portal Hirado, 10,341 people died by euthanasia in 2025, and while three-quarters of the applicants were over 70 years old, one case involved someone between the age of 12 and 18. The number of those choosing to die by euthanasia due to mental illnesses decreased by almost a fifth (174 cases), but more than 85 percent suffered

"Gone In 60 Seconds": Feds Uncover DC-Area International Car Theft Ring Authored by Jill McLaughlin via The Epoch Times, Federal authorities in the Washington area have uncovered an alleged international vehicle theft ring involving six people suspected of stealing cars and shipping them to Africa, where they are sold for top dollar. Six people were charged on April 22 in connection with their roles in the alleged scheme. A 15-count federal indictment was unsealed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, charging the defendants with conspiracy to steal at least 20 vehicles in the Washington metropolitan area and Pennsylvania. The cars are transported

Beyond Cookies - How To Stop The Invisible Browser Fingerprint That Tracks You Everywhere For years, the privacy advice was simple: clear your cookies, use incognito mode, or click "Reject All" on those annoying consent banners. That advice is now outdated. A groundbreaking study published last year has delivered the first peer-reviewed proof that the $600 billion online advertising industry has moved on from cookies. The new tracking method is called browser fingerprinting, and it works even if you never log in, never accept cookies, and have legally opted out under privacy laws. Researchers from Texas A&M University and Johns Hopkins University built

39 Going On 40 (Trillion) Authored by Robert Aro via The Mises Institute, A little over two weeks ago, on April 7th, the U.S. national debt crossed $39 trillion. Since then, another $150 billion has already been added to the ledger. While major news outlets missed the milestone, every trillion is worthy of mention. House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington (R-Texas) put the figure in perspective: > America is now $39,000,000,000,000 in debt—yes, $39 trillion. It took roughly 200 years to accumulate the first $1 trillion. Now we add that in a matter of months… Compounding the problem, we now spend more than $1 trillion a year just on

MSFT Plans First Voluntary Buyout In 51-Year History; Gates Foundation To Slash 20% Of Staff SUMMARY:  * First CNBC reports MSFT's first-ever Voluntary Buyout in 51-Year Company History, * Then a report by BBG on Meta planning 10% Workforce Cut, All Within Hours * To note: Reuters First reported Meta's 10% cut late last week (report)   META LAYOFFS  First, Microsoft unveiled a voluntary buyout program, a move that could incentivize thousands of employees to leave. Now, Meta Platforms has reportedly followed with plans to cut 10% of its workforce. Taken together, today's back-to-back announcements suggest that as Big Tech continues to spend aggressively on AI infrastructure

Yet Another Dead NASA Scientist: Nuclear Propulsion Expert Was Found Charred Inside Crashed Tesla Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news, The case of yet another top NASA nuclear engineer turning up dead in a fiery crash has hit the headlines, adding to the dark and mysterious pattern of experts tied to advanced propulsion and space secrets apparently being targeted. Joshua LeBlanc, 29, a team lead on NASA’s most cutting-edge nuclear thermal propulsion projects, was found charred beyond recognition inside his burned Tesla after vanishing from his Huntsville, Alabama home. His family immediately feared abduction. He left his phone and wallet behind—an act they called completely

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei Surrounded By 24/7 Medical Team In Hideout As Generals Run Iran: NYT The NY Times in a new deep dive of what governing structures now look like inside Iran says what's already long been obvious to many in the wake of longtime Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's death: "When Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ruled Iran as the supreme leader, he exerted absolute power over all decisions about war, peace and negotiations with the United States. His son and successor does not play the same role." The publication says it was able to interview at least half-a-dozen Iranian insiders, including IRGC officials, and individuals

The US Military Is Running A Bitcoin Node, Admiral Paparo Reveals Authored by Micah Zimmerman via Bitcoin Magazine, The United States military has an active node on the Bitcoin network, according to Admiral Samuel Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM). The disclosure, made at a House Services committee hearing, marks the first known confirmation that a U.S. military combatant command is directly participating in the Bitcoin peer-to-peer network. “We have a node on the Bitcoin network,” Paparo wrote. “We’re doing a number of operational tests to secure and protect networks using the Bitcoin protocol.” The statement landed one day after Paparo made waves in Congress

Gannon Ken Van Dyke, who allegedly made more than $400,000 on Polymarket, could face up to 60 years in prison A US soldier who played a role in the January capture of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro is now in custody after allegedly cashing in over $400,000 on wagers about the politician’s removal from office, federal authorities announced on Thursday. Prosecutors say beginning in early December the soldier, Gannon Ken Van Dyke, was involved in planning for the military operation to capture and depose Maduro. Continue reading...

Prosecutors say 43 people indicted on charges including murder, kidnapping, extortion and drug trafficking More than two dozen members and associates of the Mexican mafia were arrested during an early morning crackdown in southern California, federal authorities said on Thursday. The FBI and other federal and local agencies executed search and arrest warrants at locations mostly in Orange county, south of Los Angeles, according to the US attorney’s office. Continue reading...

Bills are seeking to change section that opposition says makes Godwin Friday, a dual citizen, ineligible to be PM The St Vincent and the Grenadines government has delayed a controversial effort to amend a section of the country’s constitution that the opposition says renders the prime minister ineligible for his position in parliament. Two bills, among six listed for the parliament session on Tuesday this week, were aimed at clarifying a section of the 1979 constitution governing the citizenship eligibility of members of parliament. Continue reading...

There are now 3,110 billionaires but analysis shows ‘deep structural acceleration’ in wealth creation around world The number of billionaires in the world could reach nearly 4,000 by 2031, figures suggest, as the super-rich accumulate wealth at an accelerating rate. There are now 3,110 billionaires globally, according to analysis by the estate agent Knight Frank. This is forecast to rise by 25% over the next five years, taking the total to 3,915. Continue reading...

Human rights groups have warned that the collective prosecutions violate due process and block defendants from accessing legal counsel A Salvadoran court on Tuesday began a collective trial of 486 alleged gang members, in one of the biggest mass trials under president Nayib Bukele’s crackdown on gang violence through controversial emergency powers. Prosecutors say the charges against alleged members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang, or MS-13, span more than 47,000 crimes committed between 2012 and 2022, including a weekend that was El Salvador’s bloodiest since its civil war. Continue reading...

ICC judges say there are substantial grounds to believe Duterte guided anti-drugs crackdown that killed thousands The former president of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, will face trial at the international criminal court (ICC) after judges unanimously confirmed charges of crimes against humanity over his “war on drugs”. Pre-trial judges concluded on Thursday that there were substantial grounds to believe Duterte was responsible for the crimes against humanity of murder and attempted murder in relation to anti-drugs crackdowns that led to the killing of thousands of people. Continue reading...

One pilot ordered to repay some of the $600,000 of damage caused by collision in 2021 South Korea’s air force has apologised for a 2021 mid-air collision involving two fighter jets, a day after auditors said pilots were taking selfies and filming during the flight and held them responsible for the accident. “We sincerely apologise to the public for the concern caused by the accident that occurred in 2021,” an air force spokesperson said in a press briefing. The spokesperson said one of the pilots involved had been suspended from flying duties, received severe disciplinary action and has since left the military. Continue

Karex produces more than 5 billion condoms annually and is a supplier to leading brands like Durex and Trojan, as well as the NHS The world’s top condom producer, Malaysia’s Karex Bhd, plans to raise prices by 20% to 30% and possibly further if supply chain disruptions drag on due to the Iran war, its chief executive has said. Karex is also seeing a surge in condom demand as rising freight costs and shipping delays have left many of its customers with lower stockpiles than usual, CEO Goh Miah Kiat told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Exclusive: The Australian government has been urged to take stronger action to protect overseas students from political repression The Australian government has been urged to take stronger action to protect Chinese international students from political repression by authorities on their return after a Chinese student was allegedly sentenced to six years’ imprisonment for joining pro-democracy protests in Australia. The student, who the Guardian has chosen not to name, lost contact with his friends in Sydney after returning to China in December 2024. Continue reading...

Jose Ramos-Horta urged by opposition to explain diplomatic passport given to businessman behind resort project, who denies any involvement with organised crime Timor-Leste’s opposition has questioned how foreign investors in a proposed cryptocurrency resort obtained prime beachfront real estate in the country’s capital, and has called on the president to explain why he issued a diplomatic passport to a Chinese businessman involved in the project. Speaking in parliament in Dili on Monday, Fretilin opposition party MP Florentino Ximenes da Costa “Sinarai” raised concerns about the proposed AB Digital Technology Resort, which was the subject of a months-long investigation by the Guardian and

Follow today’s news live * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Allegra Spender says 25% gas export tax would help fix ‘faulty’ system Independent MP Allegra Spender said a 25% tax on gas exports would help rectify what she sees as “faulty” taxation arrangements that have seen an Australian resource sent overseas with minimal benefit to the country. The gas industry is a very profitable industry and pays income tax. And every company in Australia, frankly, should pay income tax on its profits and should pay the proper rate. But the gas companies are different because they also

Radio presenter arrives by Rolls-Royce for case management hearing into allegations he breached his radio contract * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Kyle Sandilands’ conduct may not be “nice” but “if you buy Kyle, you get Kyle”, the federal court has heard in a high-profile legal fight the sacked shock jock describes as “pretty ugly”. Sandilands’ barrister, Scott Robertson SC, has told the court the allegations about Sandilands’ conduct may “be regarded as serious misconduct for the purposes of employment law”, but they are not “serious

Rosemarie Milsom, who formed and runs Newcastle writers festival, will take over from Louise Adler after the literary festival imploded over invitation to Randa Abdel-Fattah * Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email In January, as the implosion of Adelaide writers’ week made headlines around Australia and the world, Rosemarie Milsom was watching closely. The Adelaide festival board, which oversees AWW, had overridden the literary festival’s director, Louise Adler, and disinvited the Palestinian Australian author Randa Abdel-Fattah over past comments she’d made about Israel and Zionism. This decision resulted not in a quieter, less-controversial festival as the board members may have hoped,

Tectonic plate movements over millions of years have lifted and tilted the layers, with records of ancient earthquakes in the rocks * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Microscopic fossils embedded in limestone have helped reveal the true age of Victoria’s Twelve Apostles as 8.6m to 14m years old. The conclave of giant golden pillars is visited by 2.8 million tourists each year, a highlight for those travelling along the Great Ocean Road south-west of Melbourne. Continue reading...

Australia’s Corporate Travel Management is ‘negotiating commercial arrangements’ to refund the money The Australian company that ran the Bibby Stockholm asylum barge has admitted it overcharged the British government by £118m. Corporate Travel Management (CTM) said its auditor had found evidence of “erroneous billing” of its UK clients, increasing its estimate of how much it owes the government by £40m. Continue reading...

Ireland and Spain will also not broadcast Eurovision after decision to boycott live event over Israel’s participation National broadcasters in Ireland, Spain and Slovenia will not air the Eurovision song contest this year, after they decided to boycott the event over Israel’s participation. Having announced it would not submit a national entry, the Slovenian broadcaster RTV confirmed on Thursday it would implement a broadcasting blackout of the world’s largest live music event and instead show a series of films about Palestine. Continue reading...

Proposal at heart of offer made during a 30-country two-day meeting jointly organised by France * Middle East crisis – live updates Britain is prepared to deploy a squadron of RAF Typhoons based in Qatar to patrol over the strait of Hormuz as part of a multinational mission to keep open the strategic waterway once the Iran war comes to an end. The UK military also offered to deploy mine-hunting drones and specialist divers to help clear the strait mined by Iran – but no decision has been made on whether HMS Dragon or another warship would also be deployed. Continue reading...

Ursula von der Leyen hails ‘good news’ after Hungary’s lifting of vetoes allows leaders to sign off on agreements EU leaders have welcomed the end of diplomatic deadlock over a long-awaited €90bn (£78bn) loan for Ukraine, after the bloc completed the agreement along with a 20th sanctions package against Russia. After weeks of delay, the EU signed off on the loan on Thursday, in time for a summit in Cyprus that began in the evening and will include talks over a dinner with the Ukrainian leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Continue reading...

Forecasting service raises alarm over data from Paris airport used to settle Polymarket wagers on temperature French police are investigating alleged tampering with national weather forecasting service equipment after a series of unusual temperature readings coincided with suspicious winning bets made on Polymarket. Data from a Météo-France weather station at Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport was used to settle bets between online gamblers on what the temperature would be in Paris for March and the first weeks of April. Continue reading...

Eurail, which sells passes, says data being ‘offered for sale on dark web’ after December breach affecting 300,000 people Holidaymakers across Europe are facing the stress and expense of getting new passports after their personal data was posted on the dark web after a hack of the Interrail company Eurail. Personal data, including passport numbers, names, phone numbers, email and home addresses and dates of birth of more than 300,000 European travellers was accessed in December. But this week Eurail revealed to customers that “data copied during the security incident has been offered for sale on the dark web and a sample

This blog is now closed. For the latest Middle East news, see our full report here The Pentagon abruptly announced that the secretary of the US navy, John Phelan, would be leaving his job yesterday. No reason was given for the unexpected departure of the navy’s top civilian official, who had addressed a large crowd of sailors and industry professionals at the navy’s annual conference in Washington just a day before the announcement. People familiar with the dynamics at the Pentagon told the Guardian Phelan was fired. Phelan had an increasingly rocky relationship with the US defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, and other

US president says Tehran hobbled by infighting as Pentagon reportedly briefs mine clearance may take six months * Middle East crisis – live updates Donald Trump has again said that the US has “total control over the strait of Hormuz”, adding that Iran’s leadership was so hobbled by infighting that it was unclear who was in charge. But the US president’s claim seemed questionable in the face of the seizure of two container ships by Iranian commandos and a US report warning it could take six months to clear the strait of mines. Continue reading...

Tensions around US negotiations may reflect mistake of assassinating more pragmatic and experienced figures * Middle East crisis – live updates Donald Trump has claimed that the infighting between moderates and hardliners in Iran’s leadership is so intense that Iranians have “no idea who their leader is”, but many experts questioned his analysis, saying, given the mass assassinations of senior commanders, the country had shown remarkable institutional cohesion. Trump’s allegations of “CRAZY” splits in the Iranian leadership – the second outing for this argument in three days – is remarkable since he has previously said either he has little knowledge of the

Battle of the blockades may still have more time to run as the US and Iran try to assert control over the strait of Hormuz Donald Trump’s decision to extend the naval blockade of Iran indefinitely may do nothing to reduce world oil prices – but it could amount to a recognition that further US military escalation in breach of the nominal ceasefire comes with greater risk against a regime disinclined to surrender. In theory, Trump’s military options are increasing. A third US carrier strike group, the George HW Bush, is due to arrive in the Middle East within days after rounding

Lebanese PM calls attack that killed Amal Khalil a ‘war crime’, with rescuers attempting to free her also targeted * Middle East crisis – live updates Israel’s killing of a prominent Lebanese journalist in a double-tap strike has been greeted with international outrage as Lebanon’s prime minister described the attack as a “war crime”. Amal Khalil, 43, who worked for al-Akhbar newspaper, was buried on Thursday. She was killed in what colleagues described as a sustained attack by Israeli forces, with rescuers attempting to dig her out of the rubble of a building also targeted and prevented from providing life-saving assistance. Continue reading...

Foreign ministry says remarks of conservative podcast host Michael Savage that were shared by US president were ‘obviously uninformed, inappropriate and in poor taste’ India on Thursday criticised as inappropriate a post by Donald Trump in which he shared comments that called the South Asian country a “hellhole”. The inflammatory post on Truth Social comes ahead of a planned visit next month to India by the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, who is seeking to ease recent tensions between the normally friendly powers. Continue reading...

Experts say Muslims and other minorities have been disproportionately deleted from the electoral roll ahead of the West Bengal elections this week Millions of people in the Indian state of West Bengal have been stripped of their vote ahead of a critical state election this week, after a controversial electoral revision described by critics as a “bloodless political genocide” and mass disenfranchisement of minorities. In West Bengal, a total of 9.1 million names have been deleted from the register, more than 10% of the electorate. While many were dead or duplicates, about 2.7 million people have challenged their expulsions, but still been

Islamabad has seized chance to act as mediator in Iran war and hopes to reap diplomatic and economic benefits As Pakistan works frantically to narrow differences between Iran and the US in its newfound role as global peacemaker, it is also seeking to recast its diplomatic standing and attract business. Pakistani officials, mediating between an unpredictable US president and hardliners in Tehran, were on Monday trying to coax both sides to put the conditions in place for a second round of talks in Islamabad this week, including easing the standoff in the strait of Hormuz. Pakistan was optimistic that the meeting would

Activists say clamp down on period products to target insurgents is gender-based violence and violates rights Myanmar’s military regime is expanding its ban on the distribution of period products, claiming they are being used to treat wounded resistance fighters, according to local activists. The south-east Asian country has been locked in civil war since 2021, when the military usurped the democratic government and launched a violent crackdown on dissidents. Artillery fire, the burning of townships and arbitrary arrests have become common in the years since then. Continue reading...

Opposition accuses Narendra Modi government of using quotas as cover for redrawing electoral map The Indian government has failed to pass a bill to increase female representation in parliament after being accused of using the plan as a guise to redraw the country’s electoral map. It was the first time in 12 years in power that a constitutional amendment proposed by Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) government was not passed by parliament. Continue reading...

US president accuses UK of thinking it can ‘make an easy buck’ from US tech companies, weeks after warning that UK–US trade deal can be changed Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on the UK if it does not drop its digital services tax on US social media firms. The digital services tax, introduced in 2020, imposes a 2% levy on the revenues of several major US tech companies. Continue reading...

Force says it is ‘confident there was no offence’ and condemns ‘shameful’ behaviour by protesters The investigation into reports of a rape outside a church in Epsom that led to widespread public disorder will close as police are “confident there was no offence”. Surrey police received a report on Saturday 11 April that a woman had been raped near a church in the early hours of the morning after leaving Labyrinth nightclub in Epsom. Continue reading...

Hope Not Hate campaign identifies election hopefuls calling for a ‘white Britain’ and complaining of ‘kowtowing to the black community’ A Reform UK candidate who called for a “white Britain” and said Keir Starmer should be shot is among a number of contenders fuelling doubts about the party’s claim to have tightened up its vetting. The past comments of Linda McFarlane and other political hopefuls have been unearthed ahead of the 7 May elections, including one who complained about “constant kowtowing to the black community” and others who endorsed the far-right activist Tommy Robinson. Continue reading...

Seven-day-old Poppy Hope Lomas died after complications during home birth encouraged by midwives at Barnet hospital A mother who lost her baby a week after an “unsafe” home birth that went against medical advice was failed by the NHS, an inquest has found. Poppy Hope Lomas was seven days old when she died at University College hospital in London on 26 October 2022 after complications during a home birth that, according to her mother, was encouraged by midwives at Barnet hospital. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Officials warn department will also lose access to database of 26,000 verified incidents due to cuts The Foreign Office unit tracking potential breaches of international law by Israel in Gaza and more recently Lebanon has been closed because of cuts within the department, the Guardian can reveal. The decision to shut the international humanitarian law cell follows a review by Olly Robbins, the permanent secretary at the Foreign Office dismissed last week by the prime minister over the Peter Mandelson scandal. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed. * DoJ inspector general to audit department’s compliance with Epstein Files Transparency Act * Sign up for the Breaking News US email You’ve likely seen that the Senate adopted the plan for the budget blueprint for ICE and border patrol after an all-night “vote-a-rama”. This is, in fact, not a congressional dance break. Continue reading...

Paramount Skydance CEO fetes administration as it weighs $110bn merger with CNN parent WarnerBros Discovery Dozens of protesters, including members of Congress, gathered along the National Mall on Thursday to protest an “intimate” dinner being held by Paramount Skydance chief executive David Ellison “in celebration of the First Amendment” and “honoring the Trump White House and CBS White House Correspondents”, and attended by Donald Trump. Paramount has faced criticism for the dinner, which has been seen by some as illustrative of the cozy relationship between the Ellisons and the White House – right as the Trump administration is weighing whether to approve

* First interview since Moore’s firing, sentencing * Shiver details alleged control, repeated contact * ABC to air full interview on Friday morning Paige Shiver said former University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore “had complete control over me” in an interview set to air Friday on Good Morning America, marking her first public appearance since Moore’s high-profile firing and sentencing, ABC said Thursday. In excerpts released by the network on Thursday, Shiver said Moore controlled “my emotions, my career … and he knew that, and he used it against me”. Continue reading...

Baton Rouge police chief says attack unfolded after argument inside food court at Mall of Louisiana * Sign up for the Breaking News US newsletter email At least one person has been killed and five people were injured and transported to the hospital Thursday when two groups exchanged gunfire inside the food court at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge, according to police. Several of the people involved ran off as a large police presence responded. Continue reading...

National Transportation Safety Board’s preliminary report further says crash prevention system didn’t generate alert A firefighter whose truck collided with an Air Canada jet last month on a runway at New York’s LaGuardia airport, killing both pilots, heard an air traffic controller warn “stop, stop, stop” but didn’t know who it was for, federal investigators said Thursday. The National Transportation Safety Board said in a preliminary report on the 22 March collision that a crash prevention system for air traffic controllers didn’t generate an audio or visual alert, and lights on the runway that act as a stop light for crossing traffic

The sad saga of a humpback whale stranded a month ago on the German coast has sparked a flood of compassion but also a media frenzy, angry disputes, conspiracy theories and death threats. As Germans have followed the travails of the sea mammal, dubbed “Timmy” by a newspaper, on their live news tickers, television screens and influencers’ social media channels, some worry about what its epic struggle says about a nation’s collective psyche. Sociologist Christian Stegbauer said the whale, a highly...

Warner Bros Discovery shareholders on ⁠Thursday backed the company’s proposed US$110 billion merger with Paramount Skydance, but cast an advisory vote against executive compensation plans tied to the deal. Under the pay packages proposed to executives, CEO David Zaslav could receive ‌up to US$887 million if the sale is completed. Proxy advisor ISS had said Zaslav’s potential payout was “extremely large”. “Management now faces a twofold challenge: securing [regulatory] approval for the deal and...

In the latest cycle of threats and concessions that have marked US President Donald Trump’s approach to the war that he and his Israeli counterpart started against Iran, the mercurial leader said on Thursday he would destroy any undersized boats attempting to lay mines in the blocked Strait of Hormuz. His focus on diminutive vessels followed his oft-repeated messaging that Iran’s larger naval vessels no longer exist as he renews his effort to muscle Tehran’s frustratingly resilient regime to...

The suggestion that Iran should be replaced by Italy at this year’s World Cup drew a mix of embarrassment and apathy from Azzurri fans on Thursday, with Italian media pointing out that the idea had a very familiar feel. Donald Trump’s US special envoy Paolo Zampolli told the Financial Times that he made the suggestion to the US President and Fifa head Gianni Infantino. “I’m an Italian native and it would be a dream to see the Azzurri ‌at a US-hosted tournament. With four titles, they have the...

Potentially millions of Americans suddenly have a much easier path to Canadian citizenship, prompting a rush of people to explore their ancestry and file paperwork seeking dual citizenship. For people like Zack Loud of Farmington, Minnesota, it was a surprise to learn that under a new law, Canada already considered him and his siblings citizens because their grandmother is Canadian. “My wife and I were already talking about potentially looking at jobs outside the country, but citizenship pushed...

The US Department of Justice is reclassifying FDA-approved and state-licensed marijuana as a less dangerous drug, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said on Thursday. The announcement does not legalise marijuana across the United States. In a post on X, Blanche said the Justice Department was “immediately rescheduling FDA-approved marijuana and state-licensed marijuana from Schedule I to ⁠Schedule III”. The department is also initiating an expedited hearing to consider the broader rescheduling...

The European Union on Thursday approved a massive loan package to help Ukraine meet its economic and military needs for the next two years, the bloc’s Cypriot presidency said, after Hungary lifted its veto. The EU also approved a new raft of sanctions against Russia over its war on Ukraine. The measures were prepared early this year and set to be announced in February to mark the fourth anniversary of the conflict, but Hungary and Slovakia opposed the move. Hungary and Slovakia have been locked...

The Iran war has delivered a systemic shock to the Gulf’s security architecture and economic miracle. Two taboos were rapidly broken. The Strait of Hormuz, which carries roughly one-fifth of global oil consumption and close to a quarter of seaborne crude, was paralysed for sustained periods. Iranian strikes reached deep into Gulf territory, hitting ports, energy terminals and airports with a frequency that exceeded attacks on Israel. War-risk insurance premiums and tanker charter rates surged...

Iran’s exiled crown prince Reza Pahlavi was splattered with red liquid on Thursday as he left a building in Berlin. Pahlavi had just departed a news briefing, during which he criticised the ceasefire between the United States and Iran, when the incident occurred outside Germany’s federal press conference building. He appeared unhurt by the liquid coating the back of his blazer and neck, and waved to his supporters before he got into a car that drove away. Police said the liquid appeared to be...

Turkish lawmakers passed a bill late on Wednesday that includes restricting access to social media platforms for children under 15, state media reported. The legislation is the latest in a global trend to protect young people from dangerous online activity. Its passage comes a week after a 14-year-old boy killed nine students and a teacher at a middle school in Kahramanmaras, southern Turkey, in a gun attack. Police are investigating the online activity of the perpetrator, who also died, in a...

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Iran had ⁠agreed not to ⁠execute eight women protesters in a ⁠sign of respect for him, while officials in Tehran denied the executions had been planned and accused the US president of spreading falsehoods. “Very good news,” Trump said in a social media post a day after granting a ‌unilateral ceasefire in the war started by the US and Israel on February 28. Trump said four of the eight women would be released immediately and four would be sentenced...

Two local trains collided head-on in Denmark on Thursday, injuring 18 people, five of them critically injured, emergency services said. Two yellow and grey trains were seen at the site, both with visible damage to the front and facing each other in a wooded area, with rescue services describing “chaotic” scenes inside the carriages. “The two trains collided ⁠head-on, causing large damage to them and sending broken glass flying ‌everywhere,” fire and rescue service leader Christoffer Buhl...

In areas of southern Lebanon it has occupied since agreeing last week to a ceasefire with Hezbollah, the Israeli army has been destroying homes it says were used as outposts by the Iran-backed militant group. But the demolitions were happening on such a wide scale that residents, Lebanese officials and UN peacekeepers were increasingly worried that large numbers of people displaced by the latest war would have nowhere to return if the fragile truce holds. From a hill overlooking Beit Lif - about...

The race to become the next leader of the United Nations moved into a higher gear with the four declared candidates facing hours of questions over two days. Top among them: can the UN be made effective again? Rafael Grossi, an Argentine diplomat who heads the International Atomic Energy Agency, struck a downbeat note about the global body’s future during his interview replace Secretary General Antonio Guterres. “This election, or selection, process is so consequential, and this is because we are...

Daniel Gros is the director of the Institute for European Policymaking at Bocconi University. Previously, he served as an adviser to the European Parliament, collaborated with the European Commission as economic adviser to the Delors Committee, which developed plans for the euro, and worked at the International Monetary Fund. In this interview, Gros examines the structural tensions shaping EU-China economic ties, draws lessons from the euro’s experience to analyse the yuan’s...

The death of US officials following an operation to dismantle a drug lab in northern Mexico is escalating tensions with Washington, as President Claudia Sheinbaum insists her government was unaware of their involvement. At a news conference, Sheinbaum said Mexican security officials involved in the operation were never told about the presence of foreigners, which she described as a clear breach of security protocols. A person familiar with the matter confirmed that the two US nationals worked...

Entrepreneur Justin Sun filed a lawsuit on Wednesday accusing a Trump family-backed cryptocurrency platform of fraud and alleging he was blocked from withdrawing his assets. In a San Francisco federal court filing reviewed by Agence France-Presse, the Chinese-born crypto billionaire and former Trump ally claims to have bought US$45 million worth of WLFI, an electronic currency launched by World Liberty Financial in October 2024. To thank him for the investment – at a time when WLFI was...

US Secretary of the Navy John Phelan is leaving his job, the Pentagon abruptly announced on Wednesday, the first head of a military service to depart during US President Donald Trump’s second term but just the latest top defence leader to step down or be ousted. No reason was given for the unexpected departure of the US Navy’s top civilian official, coming as the sea service has imposed a blockade of Iranian ports and was targeting ships linked to Tehran around the world during a tenuous...

A top envoy to ⁠US President Donald Trump has asked Fifa to replace Iran with Italy in the coming World Cup, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. The plan is an effort to repair ‌ties between Trump and Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni after the two fell out amid the American president’s attacks against Pope Leo over the Iran war, the FT reported, citing people familiar with the matter. “I confirm I have suggested to Trump and (Fifa president ⁠Gianni) Infantino that Italy replace Iran...

Few people have heard of Huangyan, a booming industrial district of Taizhou, a city in eastern China’s Zhejiang province. Yet without it, many cars would likely be heavier, more expensive and less energy efficient, while everyday household goods would probably cost more. The town specialises in plastic components and moulding equipment – unassuming products that rarely make the news, but sit at the heart of modern manufacturing. For years, Huangyan’s producers have dominated this supply chain,...

The US does not get to dictate the terms of coming trade talks, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Wednesday, following reports Washington wants an “entry fee” before agreeing to open negotiations. The United States and Canada are set to hold talks on revising a North American free trade agreement, a pact US President Donald Trump signed and praised during his first term but now dismisses as “irrelevant”. Quoting multiple Canadian sources, Canada’s public broadcaster CBC reported on...

Peru’s foreign and defence ministers resigned on Wednesday in protest over the interim president’s decision to stall a US$3.5 billion deal for the purchase of 24 US F-16 fighter jets. The ministers said the deal had already been signed and that to cast doubt on it now jeopardised Peru’s reputation as a trading partner. Despite the president’s declared wish to suspend the purchase, the Ministry of Economy announced late Wednesday that it had transferred US$462 million as part of an initial...

The United States is concerned that several African countries revoked overflight clearances for Taiwan’s leader at mainland China’s behest, the US State Department said on Wednesday, calling the incident an abuse of the international civil aviation system. Taiwan this week said the Seychelles, Mauritius ‌and Madagascar unilaterally revoked flight permits for leader William Lai Ching-te’s aircraft to cross airspace they manage on a planned trip to eSwatini, one of Taiwan’s allies. It is the first...

On the tourist-packed ⁠Rock of Gibraltar, one of the most common sights is monkeys ⁠begging for food – and sometimes stealing sweet and salty snacks from unsuspecting visitors. Scientists now have documented an unusual behaviour among these macaques that may help them ward off a bellyache from all this junk food. Researchers said the monkeys have been observed eating soil more frequently, a behaviour they said may help the macaques avoid stomach upset from consuming human snacks. They found that...

A second French soldier died on Wednesday from wounds suffered in a weekend ambush against UN peacekeepers in Lebanon blamed on Hezbollah, President Emmanuel Macron said. A first soldier, staff sergeant Florian Montorio, was shot dead in the Saturday ambush, for which Hezbollah has denied responsibility. “Corporal Anicet Girardin … brought home yesterday from Lebanon, where he was badly wounded by Hezbollah fighters, died this morning of the consequences of his wounds,” Macron posted on X. One...

Chinese battery cell manufacturers are poised to benefit from the US-Israeli war in Iran, according to Fitch Ratings, even as fierce competition, overcapacity and thin margins weigh on some downstream firms. Global demand for energy storage was set to rise, driven by high oil prices and rapidly expanding artificial intelligence (AI) data centres, said Wang Ying, a managing director at the credit rating agency. “We believe that China’s leading energy storage cell manufacturers will be the bigger...

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer insisted on Wednesday he would not resign, claiming allegations of misleading MPs over his appointment of a party loyalist as UK envoy to Washington had been “put to bed”. Starmer’s remarks in parliament came as the beleaguered premier faced fresh calls to step down over his admitted error of judgment in appointing veteran former politician Peter Mandelson to the coveted post. The premier spoke to lawmakers a day after the foreign ministry’s most senior...

Authorities have found the body of one of the six missing crew members from a cargo ship that overturned near the Northern Mariana Islands during a typhoon. US Air Force divers “used an underwater remotely operated drone to search the interior of the vessel” and recovered the body on Tuesday, the US Coast Guard said in a news release. Additional divers from the Japan Coast Guard further examined the ship. They did not find any additional crew members, the US Coast Guard said. “Coastguard...

Iran fired on three ships in the Strait of Hormuz and seized two of them on Wednesday, intensifying its assault on shipping in the key waterway. The attacks came a day after US President Donald Trump extended a ceasefire while maintaining an American blockade of Iranian ports. The stand-off between the US and Iran has effectively choked off nearly all exports through the strait – where 20 per cent of the world’s traded oil passes in peacetime – with no end in sight. Iranian media said the...

A French campaign group said on Wednesday it has sued companies selling nitrous oxide – also known as laughing gas – using what the activists alleged was “deceptive” marketing targeting young people, despite the health impacts. The Antoine Alleno Association – a road safety group headed by Michelin-starred chef Yannick Alleno, whose son was killed in 2022 by a speeding driver – said it had filed the legal action against the companies behind Cream Deluxe, which markets colourful canisters of the...

US President Donald Trump announced a last-minute indefinite extension of a ceasefire with Iran and downplayed reports about an intercepted ship carrying a “gift from China” to Tehran. The US would avoid military action against Iran “until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal”, Trump said on social media on Tuesday. He cited a request from Pakistan as a reason for reversing earlier threats to resume bombing if no deal was reached. Prospects for new...

US Federal Reserve chair nominee Kevin Warsh’s policy vision – outlined during his Senate confirmation hearing – signals an extension of “America First” into monetary policy, Chinese analysts said. “Warsh’s policy proposals … mark a shift from acting as a ‘global central bank’ supplying unlimited liquidity worldwide to a new approach focused on tightly controlling the overall monetary spigot, prioritising domestic productivity and emphasising monetary sovereignty,” analysts at China...

In the spring of 2026, amid a fragile ceasefire in the Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump continues to insist that the United States is untouched by disruptions in the Persian Gulf. “We don’t use it”, he has claimed, echoing years of “energy dominance” rhetoric. The numbers tell a different story. The United States remains a net importer of crude oil. Its refineries are engineered for the medium sour barrels that flow through the Hormuz Strait. And the global price shock triggered by the...

Mexico’s government said it was bolstering security at tourist sites after a man opened fire on tourists at pyramids outside Mexico City less than two months before the Fifa World Cup. The Monday shooting, carried out by a lone gunman on top of one of the Teotihuacan pyramids – a Unesco World Heritage Site and one of Mexico’s most frequented tourist attractions – killed one Canadian tourist and injured a dozen more. It also set off a flurry of questions the next morning by reporters to Mexican...

Florida on Tuesday announced a criminal probe into whether artificial intelligence played a role in a deadly mass shooting at a university in the US state. The decision to launch an investigation came after prosecutors reviewed exchanges between OpenAI chatbot ChatGPT and the suspected gunman, who opened fire at Florida State University last year, according to state Attorney General James Uthmeier. “If ChatGPT were a person, it would be facing charges for murder,” Uthmeier said. Florida law...

A notorious North Korean hacking group is likely behind the theft of nearly US$300 million in cryptocurrency over the weekend, an affected party has said, in the biggest known crypto heist this year. It is the latest such incident linked to North Korea, whose sophisticated cybercrime programme uses stolen cryptocurrency to help fund its nuclear weapons development, according to a United Nations panel. Digital currency news site CoinDesk said the heist on the vault of online investment tool...

Pope Leo on Tuesday used the fourth and final leg of his Africa tour in Equatorial Guinea to denounce the “colonisation” of Africa’s minerals and the “lust for power” in a country whose president has been in office since 1979. Adoring crowds in the largely Catholic country lined the road from the airport into the administrative capital, Malabo, cheering the first pope to visit since St John Paul II in 1982. Wearing his formal red mozzetta cape, Leo thrilled the flag-waving masses by arriving at...

The satirical faux-news site The Onion has signed a new, restructured deal to take over Infowars from conspiracy peddler Alex Jones. Under the new terms, the Onion would license Infowars from Gregory Milligan, the court-appointed manager of the site since August 2025, instead of buying its assets outright for US$1.75 million, as parent company Global Tetrahedron initially tried to do in a 2024 auction. Under the new agreement, submitted Monday to Texas state Judge Maya Guerra Gamble, Global...

A US appeals court ruled on Tuesday that Texas can require the Bible’s Ten Commandments to be displayed in public schools, a win for Christian conservatives who want their faith in classrooms. The 120-page decision by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals came in response to the legal battle that sprang up after a Texas law, Senate Bill 10 (SB10), required the scripture be posted in every classroom – which met legal challenges from families of diverse faiths with children in public schools. The...

Both chambers of Britain’s parliament have approved a bill that would ban children aged 17 and under from buying cigarettes during their lifetime. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill aims to stop anyone born after January 1, 2009 (now aged 17) from taking up smoking. Health minister Wes Streeting called this a “historic moment for the nation’s health” that will lead to the “first smoke-free generation, protected from a lifetime of addiction and harm”. When it gets royal assent and becomes law, it would...

Lebanese armed group Hezbollah said it fired rockets and drones into northern Israel on Tuesday, accusing the Israeli military of violating a ceasefire ahead of US-mediated talks between the Israeli and Lebanese governments this week. The Israeli military earlier said Iran-aligned Hezbollah had fired several rockets towards its troops operating in southern Lebanon, in what it described as a “blatant violation” of the ceasefire agreement. It was not immediately clear if the incidents were the...

A year ago, after more than a decade in the United Kingdom and several years in the United States – including time working for the United Nations in New York City – I returned to Asia and arrived in Hong Kong expecting it to also be a leading hub for international relations. Hong Kong is often described as a “superconnector” between China and the world. Yet in one crucial domain – the study and practice of international relations – the city remains a paradox: globally connected, intellectually...

China’s shipyards are emerging as beneficiaries from the US-Israeli war on Iran, securing new orders as crude transport bottlenecks worsen and global demand for large oil tankers rises. With the United States and Iran effectively blockading the Strait of Hormuz – a chokepoint that handles about a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil – shipping companies are racing to expand capacity, particularly in very large crude carriers (VLCCs) capable of transporting about 2 million barrels of oil per...

US President Donald Trump and many of his leading Christian supporters and top Republicans are taking part this week in a marathon reading of the Bible in an America 250-themed event billed as encouraging a “return to the spiritual foundation that has shaped our country”. The America Reads the Bible event – with each participant reading a passage aloud – is being live-streamed from the Museum of the Bible in Washington and other locations. It featured a video of Trump from the Oval Office on...

The United States House Select Committee on China recently released a report on artificial intelligence. Titled “Buy What It Can, Steal What It Must: China’s Campaign to Acquire Frontier AI Capabilities”, it captures a hardening view in Washington that Beijing’s artificial intelligence rise is closely tied to both market access and security concerns. Whether fully substantiated or not, such beliefs are increasingly shaping the policy lens through which technology competition between the two...

The president touched off a furor with his post sharing a podcast episode in which the host referred to China and India as “hellhole” places.

The newspaper’s ombudsman, Jacqueline Smith, said she had been given no reason for her dismissal.

Federal prosecutors say that Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke, who was involved in the operation to oust Nicolás Maduro from power in Venezuela, used the information to place bets on a prediction market.

A spokesman for Representative Thomas Kean Jr. said an unspecified “personal medical issue” has led the New Jersey Republican to miss House votes.

Daniel Goldman is pledging at least $1 million of his own money, and possibly millions more, in hopes of fighting off a primary challenge from Brad Lander in New York City.

The layoffs affect about 8,000 employees, with Meta also planning to close 6,000 open roles, as the company focuses on artificial intelligence.

The tech giant is offering long-serving employees early retirements as it continues to invest aggressively in artificial intelligence.

Most of the layoffs will affect tech workers as the athletic giant tries to reverse a yearslong sales slump. It’s the second round of cuts this year.

The report focuses on the lack of transponders in the fire trucks, which investigators suggested could have allowed an automatic warning system to alert the controller of an imminent collision.

The arrangement would have brought up to $200 million to the Metropolitan Opera, which has suffered a series of financial setbacks.

A decade after Mohammed bin Salman unveiled his “Vision 2030” program to transform the country’s economy, the kingdom is facing financial strains and reassessing its trajectory.

Kannon Shanmugam and Masha Hansford are the latest in a string of litigators who have left the influential New York law firm.

For a decade and a half, Prajit and Projjal Dutta have led the market for South Asian art in the United States. Now they rarely speak to each other, except through lawyers.

On his recent trip abroad, Leo XIV made some of his most forthright comments since becoming pope last year, but grew uncomfortable at how that criticism was interpreted.

He was renowned for his skill at capturing candid scenes of penguins, polar bears and other cold-weather creatures — and for his ability to tolerate extreme discomfort.

The treatment, the first of its kind, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration on Thursday. “Our baby was born deaf, and now he can hear,” said one parent.

Known best for tightly wound characters in generational hit films, the actress is a tortured pop star in “Mother Mary” and returns to playful form in “The Devil Wears Prada 2.”

Normal language is inadequate and precedents are irrelevant when it comes to appraising the senior administration officials of the president’s second term.

He made his company a juggernaut, but he did so by risking America’s economic and political security.

The tornado damaged homes and struck an Air Force base in Enid, Okla., the local sheriff said. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

The federal Department of Education said it would begin a civil rights investigation, reviewing teachings by a group known as N.Y.C. Educators for Palestine.

The new deep-sea atlas underscores Beijing’s interest in ocean mining, its military ambitions and its claims to disputed waters.

The ship, which carried fuel and natural gas, has been adrift for weeks in the Mediterranean Sea after a drone attack, alarming officials who fear an environmental disaster.