Minimalist News

Trump Moves To "Terminate" All Of Biden's Autopen'd Orders Discussions about the topic of former President Biden's increasing use of autopen during his demantia-ridden term have grown louder in recent months amid whistleblowers, reports, and legal challenges. May - Biden Autopen Use Increased As Cognitive Decline Deepened, Analysis Finds Sep - Top Biden Aide Releases Kraken On Autopen, Hunter's Role In Pardongate, And Joe's Malfunctioning Brain Oct - House Oversight Committee Says Biden Autopen Pardons Are Null And Void and most recently: Nov - Timeline: The Autopen Debate And it appears that all of this has finally triggered President Trump into action, writing on TruthSocial that: > "Any document signed by

Sanctioned Russia-Bound Oil Tanker At Risk Of Sinking After Mine Strike Two tankers which were traversing waters north of Turkey's Black Sea coast are believed to have suffered damaged from sea mines placed in regional waters related to the Ukraine war. A suezmax and an aframax tanker sanctioned by the West for trading in Russia both caught fire nearly simultaneously on Friday, according to Bloomberg and regional outlets.  Smoke is seen near the Russia-bound tanker off the coast of Turkey, via DHA/Daily Sabah At least one of the tankers is on fire after the apparent blasts occurred about 30 nautical miles north of Turkey’s

Wall Street Warns Of A Deepening Oil Glut In 2026 Authored by Charles Kennedy via OilPrice.com, * Reuters’ monthly poll shows analysts expect WTI to average $59 in 2026 and Brent $62.23 amid persistent oversupply. * Executives warn U.S. shale will stagnate or decline if WTI stays in the $50–$60 range. * Goldman Sachs forecasts even lower prices and says the oil market won’t rebalance until 2027 after a final major supply wave. Oversupplied markets will keep oil prices under pressure next year, and the U.S. benchmark will average below $60 per barrel, the monthly Reuters poll of analysts and economists showed on Friday. The

Coup-Coup Birds: The DC Blob Is Cornered Authored by James Howard Kunstler, > “Literally everything the left did, every line they crossed and rule they broke, all came back to slap them in the face.” > > - Insurrection Barbie on “X” Indeed, you have a lot to be thankful for this week of humble national gratitude — for instance, the explosive new revelations as to just exactly how US elections have been rigged, and how, it now appears, Mr. Trump and his people, are prepared to go mad-dog on the sinister forces behind it. It all unspooled this Thanksgiving week, which is always a

Zelensky's Closest, Most-Powerful Aide Resigns After Office Raided By Anti-Corruption Agents Zelensky's chief of staff, Andrii Yermak, has submitted his resignation - the highest level official to fall amid the massive graft probe which has brought rare international embarrassment on the Zelensky government. As a reminder, Andrew Korybko recently opined that Yermak's removal could prompt some progress in peace talks: > He’s Zelensky’s powerbroker so his downfall could undo the already shaky alliance between the armed forces, the oligarchs, the secret police, and parliament that keeps Zelensky in power, thus pressuring him into peace, especially if his warmongering grey cardinal is no longer

What Is Going On With The Economy? Authored by Ben Shapiro via The Epoch Times, The fate of the Trump administration - and perhaps Republicans in Congress - is tethered to how Americans feel about the economy. And right now, it’s hard to find anyone who can say with confidence what the hell is going on. Nov. 20 offered a fresh reminder of the chaos. As The Wall Street Journal noted, “Stocks surrendered gains and closed sharply lower after a whirlwind day of trading that began after Nvidia posted strong results. The Nasdaq composite led indexes lower after being up on the day more

Holiday Spending To Hit Record High Despite Economic Doubts In The US While the holiday season just started with Thanksgiving this Thursday, American consumer spending for the end of the year is set to reach a record high. As Statista's Tristan Gaudiat reports, according to data from the National Retail Federation, the average per capita budget for the 2025 winter holidays (Nov. 1 - Dec. 31) is expected to exceed $1,000, a 4 percent increase from 2024 ($976). As the infographic shows, consumer spending during other major seasonal events was also on the rise this year, from a 2 percent increase (Mother's Day, Valentine's

AI Gospel Ghost Tops Charts: 'Solomon Ray' Unmasked As Another Fake Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news, A “Mississippi-made soul singer” named Solomon Ray has stormed to No. 1 on gospel charts—only to be quickly exposed as a fully AI-generated phantom, sparking outrage from Christian artists who decry the “spiritless” impostor as a crutch robbing music of divine inspiration.  Ray’s ascent—hitting No. 1 on iTunes and Billboard gospel charts—prompted swift backlash from flesh-and-blood artists.  Christian music artist Forrest Frank lamented, “At minimum, AI does not have the Holy Spirit inside of it. So I think that’s really weird to be opening up your spirit

Trump And House GOP Are Headed For A Clash Over Obamacare Subsidies Obamacare subsidies expire at the end of December, and it now looks like the big battle over their future won’t be between Democrats and the GOP, but between the White House and House Republicans. Trump has said that while he doesn’t want to make the subsidies permanent, that "some kind of an extension may be necessary to get something else done because the unaffordable care act has been a disaster. It's a disaster." The White House proposal caps eligibility at 700% of the federal poverty line and kills off zero-premium plans

"Oh!...K" By Michael Every of Rabobank As Bloomberg puts it, the latest Fed Beige Book underlined a ‘deepening K-shaped split’. The very wealthy are still spending; everyone else is struggling. That split is now evident all over. AI firms are booming; most aren’t. Moreover, a day after the Financial Times spoke of people looking for “crumbs” in parts of the US, it happily reports ‘Megadeals hit new record as Wall Street’s animal spirits roar back.’ That will please the crumb-seekers. It’s there in budgets too. Brussels just rebuked Finland for breaching EU budget rules: if even the Scandies are naughty, as they rearm

Fentanyl Trafficking Rings Run By Illegal Immigrants Dismantled Across Washington In his Nov. 24 op-ed, Seattle conservative commentator Jason Rantz puts a sharp spotlight on what he frames as the overlooked reality of Washington’s fentanyl pipeline: that major trafficking networks are increasingly being run or staffed by illegal immigrants. Rantz reports that federal agents dismantled two international drug rings in October—one tied to Ecuador, the other to Mexico—resulting in more than 18 arrests and the seizure of millions of lethal fentanyl doses, narcotics, illegal firearms, and even an improvised explosive device. Rantz writes that the central revelation is that “many of the suspects…

Harvard Report Warns Of 'Damaging' Grade Inflation, 60% Of Grades Are A's Authored by Cecilia Jones via TheCollegeFix.com, Harvard University’s Office of Undergraduate Education is raising concerns about mounting grade inflation, reporting that the school’s grading system is “damaging the academic culture of the College.” The office sent a 25-page report to faculty and students, stating that 60 percent of all undergraduate grades are now A’s. This is a 35 percent increase compared to 20 years ago, according to The Harvard Crimson. Veronica Bryant, academic affairs fellow at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, told The Fix that if Harvard allows grade inflation to skyrocket, the problem will

UPS Indefinitely Grounds All Its MD-11's - 9% Of Firm's Fleet Out For Peak Delivery Season UPS will have to manage the peak package delivery season of the year with 9% of its air fleet sitting idle, after the firm announced it will indefinitely ground all its McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo jets in the wake of a spectacular disaster in Louisville on Nov. 4 that took 14 lives.  This photo published by the National Transportation Safety Board shows a UPS MD-11 losing its left engine upon taking off in Louisville on Nov 4 “Regarding the MD-11 fleet, Boeing’s ongoing evaluation shows that inspections

Putin Says US Plan Could Be 'Basis' For Ukraine Deal Authored by Dave DeCamp via Antiwar.com, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday spoke favorably about the US’s initial 28-point draft for a potential peace deal in Ukraine, saying it could serve as the “basis” for a future agreement, though he said work still needs to be done to turn it into a concrete plan. > “In general, we agree that this could be the basis for future agreements,” Putin told reporters during a visit to Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. > > “However, it would be inappropriate for me to speak now of any final versions, as these do not exist.” The initial US

"Are You Stupid?": Watch Trump Blast Leftist Media Over Biden Immigration Debacle Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news, President Trump refused to play the games of the leftist media Thursday, at one point going off on a reporter, labelling them a “stupid person.” The reporter asked Trump “Why are you blaming Biden?! [for the DC National Guard attack]” TRUMP responded, “Are you a STUPID PERSON?” adding, “Because they LET HIM IN,” referring to the Afghan national suspect. “Are you STUPID? They came on a plane with thousands who shouldn’t be here,” Trump continued, adding “And you’re just asking questions ’cause you’re a stupid person!” “And there’s

Trump Says South Africa Won't Be Invited To 2026 Miami G20 Summit U.S. President Donald Trump said South Africa won’t be invited to the 2026 G20 summit in Florida, after the United States boycotted this year’s gathering in Johannesburg. “At the conclusion of the G20, South Africa refused to hand off the G20 Presidency to a Senior Representative from our U.S. Embassy, who attended the Closing Ceremony,” Trump said in a Nov. 26 post on Truth Social. “Therefore, at my direction, South Africa will NOT be receiving an invitation to the 2026 G20, which will be hosted in the Great City of Miami,

Nearly 200 Million Shoppers Expected To Hit Stores Thanksgiving Weekend Authored by Jill McLaughlin via The Epoch Times, Retail experts predict that 187 million people will shop between Thanksgiving Day and Cyber Monday, based on a consumer survey released on Nov. 20. The survey by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights and Analytics showed this year’s prediction topping last year’s, when 183.4 million people were expected. Federation data from December 2024 show that 197 million actually turned out. “The holidays are an important part of many consumers’ budgets, and that trend is especially true this season,” Katherine Cullen, the federation’s vice president of

CME Reopens After Chicago Data Center "Cooling Issue" Update (0830ET): CME Globex Futures & Options markets have officially reopened after their overnight 'cooling issue'. For now, Nasdaq futs are rallying... *  *  * Update (0820ET): Headlines crossing over the Terminal show that CME Globex Futures & Options Markets will open at 08:30 ET after hours of being offline due to a "cooling issue" at data centers operated by CyrusOne in Chicago. Here are the headlines: * CME GLOBEX FUTURES & OPTIONS MARKETS TO OPEN 7:30 CENTRAL TIME * CME: ALL GTCS THAT HAVE BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED WILL REMAIN WORKING * CME GLOBEX FUTURES & OPTIONS MARKETS TO

Global Chaos As CME Outage Halts Futures Trading, Markets Set For Monthly Loss Normally, this is where we would tell you where US index futures are trading early in the morning, we can't because at 9:45pm ET on Thursday, the CME experienced a catastrophic "glitch" and all equities, treasuries, FX and commodities futures went dark as a result of a what the Chicago Merc Exchange said was a cooling system malfunction at its Chicago data center operated by CyrusOne. While the CME since restarted its EBS market, a platform used in foreign exchange, at noon London time, its major global futures markets

Trump Pushes 'Reverse Migration' As National Guard Member Dies Following Potential DC 'Terrorist' Attack The Thanksgiving-week attack down the street from the White House - perpetrated by an Afghan national with prior ties to the U.S. military and intelligence community, such as the CIA - has heightened national-security concerns following the fatality of one West Virginia Guardsman and the critical wounding of another, driving renewed scrutiny of the Biden-Harris regime's post-2021 Afghan intake policies (with minimal vetting) amid growing concerns that nation-killing open-border policies flooded the country with pre-trained terrorists. > 🇺🇸 #Washington, D.C. New footage has been released of the Afghan

Hernández was convicted in 2024 of accepting millions in bribes to protect cocaine shipments Donald Trump has said he will grand a pardon to Juan Orlando Hernández, the former president of Honduras who is serving a 45-year prison sentence in the US on drug trafficking and weapons charges. “I will be granting a Full and Complete Pardon to Former President Juan Orlando Hernandez who has been, according to many people that I greatly respect, treated very harshly and unfairly,” Trump said Friday in a post on Truth Social. Continue reading...

Student ‘heartbroken’ after being sent to Honduras while trying to travel from Boston to Texas, attorney says A college freshman trying to fly from Boston to Texas to surprise her family for Thanksgiving was instead deported to Honduras in violation of a court order, according to her attorney. Any Lucia Lopez Belloza, 19, had already passed through security at Boston Logan international airport on 20 November when she was told there was an issue with her boarding pass, said attorney Todd Pomerleau. The Babson College student was then detained by immigration officials and within two days sent to Texas and then Honduras,

Bill 9 would outlaw prayer and face coverings in public institutions, sparking fears it targets Muslims in Canada Quebec says it will intensify its crackdown on public displays of religion in a sweeping new law that critics say pushes Canadian provinces into private spaces and disproportionately affects Muslims. Bill 9, introduced by the governing Coalition Avenir Québec on Thursday, bans prayer in public institutions, including in colleges and universities. It also bans communal prayer on public roads and in parks, with the threat of fines of C$1,125 for groups in contravention of the prohibition. Short public events with prior approval are exempt. Continue

The Canadian PM’s breakthrough oil deal with Alberta cost him a cabinet minister and will still face stiff opposition When the people of the Haida nation won a decades-long battle for recognition that an archipelago off the coast of British Columbia in Canada was rightfully theirs, it was a long overdue victory. The unprecedented deal with the provincial and the federal governments meant the Haida no longer had to prove that they had Aboriginal title to the land of Xhaaidlagha Gwaayaai, “the islands at the boundary of the world.” Continue reading...

New Democratic party victory is crushing defeat for Unity Labour, which has held power since 2001 The New Democratic party (NDP) in the Caribbean country of St Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is celebrating a historic landslide victory, taking 14 of 15 seats, according to preliminary results. The decisive vote was a crushing defeat for the Unity Labour party (ULP), which has been in power since 2001. Continue reading...

About 200 people still unaccounted for, say officials, as fire chief confirms no alarms went off in any of the eight towers * Anger swells in Hong Kong over deadliest fire in more than 70 years * How the Hong Kong fire unfolded – visual guide The death toll from the Hong Kong apartment complex fire that began on Wednesday has risen to 128 with as many as 200 missing, officials have said, as rescue operations were declared over. Firefighters had been combing through the high-rises on Friday, attempting to find anyone alive after the massive fire that spread to seven of

Volunteers that emerged during the pro-democracy protests regroup to help those affected by the blaze Hong Kong’s grassroots community groups have sprung into action to help coordinate and deliver aid to the survivors of the Wang Fuk Court fire, a catastrophic blaze that is confirmed to have killed at least 128 people, with hundreds still missing. Restaurants, churches and gyms in the Tai Po area, where the Wang Fuk Court housing estate is located, have been turned into temporary shelters for people in need of clothes, food and information as a result of the tragedy. Continue reading...

Incident north of Tokyo comes after a record 13 deaths from bear attacks in Japan since the start of April A man has been attacked by a bear in a public toilet in Japan, local media reported on Friday – the latest in a record-breaking wave of attacks this autumn, including those in populated areas. The victim, a 69-year-old security guard, told police he had noticed the bear, which was 1-1.5 metres long, peering inside as he was about to leave the building in Gunma prefecture, north of Tokyo, in the early hours of Friday, Kyodo news agency and broadcaster NHK reported. Continue

Amid troubled economic times, many in China are shifting back towards the certainty of a career in the public sector A record number of people are set to take China’s notoriously gruelling national civil service exam this weekend, reflecting the increasing desire of Chinese workers to find employment in the public rather than private sector. Around 3.7 million people have registered for the tests on Saturday and Sunday, which will be the first since the government increased the age limit for certain positions. The age limit for general candidates has increased from 35 to 38, while the age limit for those with

Monsoon rains cause devastation on Indonesian island, sparking landslides and flash flooding Flash floods and landslides on Indonesia’s Sumatra island have killed 69 people, with 59 missing as emergency workers search in rivers and the rubble of villages for bodies and possible survivors. Monsoon rains over the past week caused rivers to burst their banks in North Sumatra province on Tuesday. The deluge tore through mountainside villages, swept away people and submerged more than 2,000 houses and buildings, the National Disaster Management Agency said. Nearly 5,000 residents fled to government shelters. Continue reading...

Immediate software upgrade ordered by Airbus after US mid-air incident threatens airport disruption across Australia and New Zealand * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Jetstar has grounded some of its Airbus fleet and cancelled domestic flights across Australia after the aerospace manufacturer issued a global recall of A320 planes. Airbus said on Friday it was ordering an immediate software change on a “significant number” of its bestselling A320 family of aircraft, a narrow-body plane which is also used by Virgin Australia and Qantas. Continue reading...

After Jeffrey Epstein abuse victim died intestate, sons reject claim that documents presented by her lawyer and carer represent her final intentions * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast An unsigned will has emerged as the crux of the battle over the estate of Virginia Giuffre, one of the most prominent victims of disgraced US financier Jeffrey Epstein. Details of the document surfaced on Friday as hearings began in Western Australia’s supreme court, where her sons, her longtime lawyer and her former carer are all vying for control of the assets. Continue reading...

Liberal MP has declared conflict of interest with Port Bouvard Pistol and Small Bore Rifle Club, of which he is a patron * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast An exclusive gun club with links to the Liberal MP Andrew Hastie was awarded three government grants worth a total of almost $20,000 after being nominated by his office. Hastie has declared a conflict of interest with the Port Bouvard Pistol and Small Bore Rifle Club. He is a patron, and has competed there at least twice. Continue reading...

Exclusive: UNSW researchers found protection in products usually marketed as ‘natural’ is also contained in cheaper alternatives * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Australian consumers are paying a premium for “mineral” sunscreens that contain almost identical chemicals to cheaper varieties, new testing has revealed. The University of New South Wales’ school of chemistry tested 10 sunscreens, including Invisible Zinc children’s sunscreen and a Naked Sundays skin tint that retails for $58 – both marketed as mineral sunscreens. Continue reading...

Families of those killed ‘angered’ that Scentre Group and Glad security did not accept control room operator was not competent to be in the position she was that day * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Had new mother Ashlee Good been given “even 1o seconds’ warning” when Joel Cauchi began his stabbing spree at Westfield Bondi Junction, she might have been able to take evasive action to save her life, a court has heard. Schizophrenic man Cauchi, 40, killed Good, 38, Jade Young, 47, Yixuan Cheng,

Ukrainian president announces departure of Andriy Yermak, who was leading peace talks with US Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s powerful chief of staff and closest ally, Andriy Yermak, has resigned after Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies conducted searches at his apartment earlier today. The abrupt departure of the aide, who had been leading the latest round of the delicate peace negotiations with the US, was announced by the Ukrainian president in a late-afternoon social media video on Friday. Continue reading...

‘I want there to be no rumours and speculation,’ Zelenskyy says as Andriy Yermak resigns The Commission also totally rejected dismissed Russia’s criticism of Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “illegitimate” leader of Ukraine, after Vladimir Putin suggested yesterday that was a technical reason he couldn’t agree a peace deal with Zelenskyy. “President Zelensky is the democratically elected president, by the Ukrainian people, of Ukraine,” a commission spokesperson said in response, somewhat mockingly adding that Putin seems to have “some difficulties in recognising the democratically elected president of his neighbour country, Ukraine.” “Let me stress the fight against corruption is a key element for a country

Trio given leave to stay in their abandoned convent near Salzburg until further notice, church officials say Three octogenarian nuns who gained a global following after breaking out of their care home and moving back to their abandoned convent near Salzburg have been given leave to stay in the nunnery “until further notice” – on condition they stay off social media, church officials have said. The rebel sisters – Bernadette, 88, Regina, 86, and Rita, 82, all former teachers at the school adjacent to their convent – broke back into their old home of Goldenstein Castle in Elsbethen in September in defiance

UK had been pushing to join €150bn Safe fund, a loan scheme that is part of bloc’s drive to rearm Europe Keir Starmer’s attempt to reset relations with the EU have suffered a major blow, after negotiations for the UK to join the EU’s flagship €150bn (£131bn) defence fund collapsed. The UK had been pushing to join the EU’s Security Action for Europe (Safe) fund, a low-interest loan scheme that is part of the EU’s drive to boost defence spending by €800bn and rearm the continent, in response to the growing threat from Russia and cooling relations between Donald Trump’s US and

Frank-Walter Steinmeier travels to Basque town for remembrance ceremony marking ‘terrible crimes’ of 1937 Eighty-eight years after Luftwaffe pilots took part in the most infamous atrocity of the Spanish civil war, Germany’s president has visited the Basque town of Guernica to honour the victims of the Nazi bombing and to urge that the “terrible crimes” committed there are never forgotten. Hundreds of civilians were killed and hundreds more injured on 26 April 1937 when planes from the German Condor Legion, operating alongside aircraft from fascist Italy, spent hours bombing Guernica on market day. Adolf Hitler had loaned the Luftwaffe unit to Gen

Far-right minister defends killing of two men who appeared to have given themselves up, saying ‘terrorists must die’ Video of an Israeli military raid in the West Bank shows soldiers summarily executing two Palestinians they had detained seconds earlier. The shooting on Thursday evening, which was also witnessed by journalists close to the scene, is under justice ministry review, but has already been defended by Israel’s far-right minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who declared that “terrorists must die”. Continue reading...

The NGO’s chief says last month’s ceasefire ‘risks creating a dangerous illusion that life in Gaza is returning to normal’ Amnesty International has said Israel is “still committing genocide” against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, despite the ceasefire agreed last month. The fragile, US-brokered truce between Israel and Hamas came into effect on 10 October, after two years of war. Continue reading...

Leo welcomed by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as he begins six-day itinerary that will also include visit to Lebanon A new world war is being fought “piecemeal” and is endangering the future of humanity, Pope Leo has warned, as he arrived in Turkey for his first foreign trip since becoming head of the Catholic church. Speaking in Ankara, where he was welcomed on Thursday by the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Leo said the world was experiencing “a heightened level of conflict on the global level, fuelled by prevailing strategies of economic and military power”. Continue reading...

Rahmeh Aladwan barred from practising for 15 months pending inquiry amid claims she ‘celebrated terrorist acts’ An NHS doctor accused of antisemitism has been suspended for 15 months pending an investigation, the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) in the UK has ruled. The General Medical Council (GMC) is investigating Dr Rahmeh Aladwan over posts and comments made across various social media platforms after several complaints, including from the Jewish Medical Association UK and the Campaign Against Antisemitism. Continue reading...

Israeli military and security service say ‘broad counter-terrorism operation’ in Tubas to continue for several days Hundreds of Israeli soldiers supported by armoured vehicles have conducted raids in the Palestinian town of Tubas near Nablus in the biggest such military deployment by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank since the ceasefire came into effect in Gaza last month. Palestinian media reported that a curfew was imposed on Tuesday night on Tubas and some neighbouring communities, roads were closed by earthen barriers and families forced from their homes to allow Israeli forces to use the buildings. Continue reading...

Heavy rain from Cyclone Ditwah has left people stranded, with more than 18,000 evacuated to temporary shelters Troops in Sri Lanka were racing to rescue hundreds of people marooned by rising flood waters on Friday as weather-related deaths rose to 69, with another 34 people declared missing. Helicopters and navy boats carried out rescue operations, plucking people from treetops, roofs and villages cut off by flood waters. Continue reading...

Temperatures dip to -8.5C in Poland and 250mm of rain falls in 24-hour period across Sri Lanka Temperatures plummeted this week across the eastern half of Europe, with the Alps dipping as low as -20C and to -8.5°C in the Polish town of Zakopane in the Tatras Mountains. Heavy snow also affected other parts of Poland with 15-20cm (about 6-8in) of snow falling in much of the central swathe of the country and more than 40cm in the south towards the mountains. Continue reading...

Human rights monitors say it is not safe to return, citing reports of ‘serious crimes in the run-up to elections’ Myanmar’s junta applauded the Trump administration on Wednesday for halting a scheme that protected its citizens from deportation from the US back to their war-racked homeland. About 4,000 Myanmar citizens are living in the US with temporary protected status (TPS), which shields foreign nationals from deportation to disaster zones and allows them the right to work. Continue reading...

The strikes come a day after a suicide attack on a security compound in Pakistan’s Peshawar city Pakistan strikes on neighbouring Afghanistan have killed 10 people – among them nine children – a Taliban government spokesperson has said, a day after a suicide attack on a security compound in Pakistan’s Peshawar city. “The Pakistani invading forces bombed the house of a local civilian resident ... As a result, nine children (five boys and four girls) and one woman were martyred” in Khost province, Zabihullah Mujahid said on X. Continue reading...

India’s prime minister among those paying tribute to celebrated actor whose career spanned six decades Dharmendra, one of the most enduring stars of India’s Bollywood cinema, has died at the age of 89. Born Dharam Singh Deol, but later known as Dharmendra, he rose to fame in the 1960s and became one of the most celebrated and popular stars of Indian cinema in a career that spanned six decades. Continue reading...

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea says it is checking whether data taken contained residents’ details A London council has urged thousands of residents to be “extra vigilant” when receiving calls, emails or text messages after confirming that data had been taken in a cyber-attack. The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC), which has 147,500 residents, said some data had been copied from its systems in an attack this week. Continue reading...

Leftwing party asks members to pick between Your Party, Our Party, Popular Alliance and For The Many The leftwing party formed by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana has revealed a shortlist of names for its members to pick from: Your Party, Our Party, Popular Alliance and For The Many. Ahead of its first conference in Liverpool this weekend, the party is asking its 50,000 members to choose what it should be called, with the result to be announced by Corbyn on Sunday. Continue reading...

David Coburn, who was leader of Ukip in Scotland, denies involvement after Nathan Gill jailed for taking bribes A former leading member of the group of MEPs headed by Nigel Farage has denied taking money as part of a campaign to promote Russian interests. David Coburn, who was leader of Ukip in Scotland for four years, was responding after the jailing of his former colleague, Nathan Gill, on charges of being bribed by an alleged pro-Russian asset. Continue reading...

Tracey Smith sent the government minister and MP Ellie Reeves 22 emails and 10 voicemails A woman who tried to summon her MP, the solicitor general Ellie Reeves, to court has been jailed for harassment in London. Tracey Smith sent Reeves 22 emails and 10 voicemails calling her “transphobic” and accusing her older sister – the chancellor, Rachel Reeves – of physically assaulting her at a buffet bar. Continue reading...

Clarification creates prospect of two-tier system for retirees solely on new state pension and those on private schemes People who rely only on their state pension for their income will not have to pay tax on it, the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has said, creating the prospect of a two-tier system for those in retirement. The new state pension is poised to rise to £241.30 a week next April, putting the annual income for someone receiving the standard payment at £12,547 – just below the personal tax allowance of £12,570 a year. Continue reading...

In social media post Trump claims baselessly that Biden did not sign off on the orders himself, escalating longstanding campaign against his predecessor * Trump says he plans to cancel most of Biden’s executive orders West Virginia governor Patrick Morrisey reaffirmed his support for the state’s National Guard members deployed in Washington, DC. “When you have these terrorists, when you have these evildoers, you’re not going to back down when they go after our servicemen and women,” Morrisey, a Republican, told CNN. I’m devastated to learn of the passing of Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, a member of the West Virginia National Guard. She was

Move marks shift in how the guard are used in the US capital, days after two members were shot National guard troops are to be paired with local law enforcement on patrols in Washington DC, according to a report in the Washington Post on Friday, 48 hours after two guard members were shot. “Officers will conduct high-visibility patrols with the national guard and provide assistance as needed,” according to an email to the district’s leadership obtained by the Post. Continue reading...

Trump baselessly claims his predecessor didn’t sign off on directives himself due to use of autopen machine * US politics – live updates Donald Trump has declared he intends to cancel most of the executive orders signed by Joe Biden, his predecessor as president of the United States. In a post on social media, Trump claimed baselessly that Biden had not signed off on the orders himself, saying that “the radical left lunatics circling Biden around the beautiful Resolute Desk in the Oval Office took the Presidency away from him” by signing his name using an autopen – a signature machine that

Elaine Miles of Northern Exposure was stopped by four masked men in Seattle while walking to bus stop A Native American actor known for her role in Northern Exposure has said she was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in Seattle, Washington, who told her that her tribal identification “looked fake”. Elaine Miles, an Indigenous actor, alleges that she was stopped by four masked men while she was walking to a bus stop in Redmond. She offered them her ID card from the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation in Oregon but was told by an ICE agent that

Applicants reportedly cited Nazi theorists and other extremists as inspiration for Trump administration roles Hacked materials from the powerful rightwing thinktank the Heritage Foundation show that applicants to a Project 2025-branded effort to create a talent pool for the Trump administration cited the influence of Nazi political theorists and other far-right thinkers on their political views. Not all applicants revealed in the hack ended up with Trump administration jobs, but some current appointees did make applications. Continue reading...

China has halted imports of soybeans from five Brazilian exporters after inspectors found pesticide-treated wheat mixed into a cargo bound for Beijing, officials from both countries said on Thursday. The suspension by China’s General Administration of Customs was communicated to Brazil’s agriculture ministry on Wednesday and made public on Thursday. The ban covers two Cargill facilities and one plant each run by Louis Dreyfus Co., CHS Agronegocios and 3Tentos Agroindustrial. Four of the plants...

France on Friday charged the fourth alleged member of a four-person gang arrested over last month’s spectacular jewel heist at the Louvre, prosecutors said. On October 19, the gang raided the world’s most visited art museum in broad daylight, taking just seven minutes to steal jewellery worth an estimated US$102 million before fleeing on scooters. Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau described the fourth suspect as a 39-year-old man born in the working-class Paris suburb of Seine-Saint-Denis. “Already...

Charges against the man accused of shooting two National Guard members have been upgraded to first-degree murder after one of the soldiers died, the US attorney for the District of Columbia announced on Friday, while investigators continue to seek a motive. Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24 were hospitalised in critical condition after the Wednesday afternoon shooting near the White House. Trump announced on Thursday evening that Beckstrom had died. US Attorney...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday removed his powerful chief of staff and top negotiator, Andriy Yermak, after detectives raided his house as part of a sweeping corruption probe. Yermak’s removal deals a serious blow to Zelensky, who is facing a mounting Russian offensive in the east just as the United States, a crucial ally, proposed a surprise plan to end the war that heavily favoured Moscow. Just last week, Zelensky had named Yermak, 54, as Ukraine’s top negotiator in...

The Cop30 UN climate change conference in Belem, Brazil, concluded with a package of decisions that champions implementation and finance, yet its success is nuanced, marked by both institutional progress and political compromises over the core issue of fossil fuels. The conference, framed as the “implementation Cop” by the Brazilian presidency, turned attention away from purely text negotiations to implementing action. The world is grappling with the complex realities of executing a systemic...

A daughter of South Africa’s ex-president Jacob Zuma has resigned from parliament after claims she was involved in recruiting men to join Russian mercenaries in the Ukraine war, her party said on Friday. Police last week said they were investigating allegations that Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, an MP in her father’s Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party, had lured 17 South African men to Russia “to fight in the Ukrainian war without their knowledge or consent”. The presidency said in early November it had...

US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he would suspend migration from what he called “third world countries”, a day after an Afghan national allegedly shot two National Guard soldiers in Washington, killing one. His social media post, which also threatened to reverse “millions” of admissions granted under his predecessor Joe Biden, marked a new escalation in the anti-migration stance of a second term that has been dominated by Trump’s mass deportation campaign. Trump said earlier that Sarah...

The bird flu virus that has been spreading among wild birds, poultry and mammals could lead to a pandemic worse than Covid-19 if it mutates to transmit between humans, the head of France’s Institut Pasteur respiratory infections centre has said. The highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly called bird flu, has led to the culling of hundreds of millions of birds in the past few years, disrupting food supplies and driving up prices, though human infections remain rare. “What we fear is the...

Peru’s Supreme Court on Thursday sentenced leftist ex-president Pedro Castillo to more than 11 years in jail for trying to dissolve Congress and rule by decree to avoid impeachment. Dubbed Peru’s first poor president, the former rural teacher, who had never held elected office before winning the presidency, was impeached by Congress and jailed following his attempted power grab in December 2022. He had repeatedly clashed with an opposition-dominated Congress during his 16 months in power,...

Take a walk through some of Hong Kong’s most iconic streets and you might notice a puzzling sight: prime retail spaces in Causeway Bay, Wan Chai, Tsim Sha Tsui and other areas are papered over with all types of rental advertisements where there used to be a buzz. Out-of-reach rental prices are often a result of a simple human instinct: the desire to hold out for yesterday’s peak prices. For many property owners, accepting a lower rent can feel like a step back, potentially affecting bank...

Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embalo has left the country for Senegal after being detained during a military coup, the government in Dakar said on Thursday, as a lead opponent accused him of arranging the uprising. The military in volatile Guinea-Bissau earlier appointed a general as the country’s new leader, a day after seizing power and derailing the announcement of election results. Opposition candidate Fernando Dias da Costa told Agence France-Presse he believed he had won Sunday’s...

The Trump administration announced on Thursday that it would review the immigration status of every permanent resident or “green card” holder from Afghanistan and 18 other countries following the attack on National Guard troops in Washington. The announcement came as US President Donald Trump said that one of the National Guard members, 20-year-old Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, had died of her wounds, while the other, Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, was ‘fighting for his life’. US officials have...

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney signed an agreement with Alberta’s premier on Thursday that rolls back certain climate rules to spur investment in energy production, while encouraging construction of a new oil pipeline to the West Coast. Under the agreement, the federal government will scrap a planned emissions cap on the oil and gas sector and drop rules on clean electricity, in exchange for a commitment by Canada’s top oil-producing province to strengthen industrial carbon pricing and...

Israeli forces on Thursday killed a pair of Palestinian men in the occupied West Bank after they appeared to surrender to troops, drawing Palestinian accusations that the men were executed “in cold blood”. The Israeli military said it was investigating. The killings, captured in videos shown on two Arab TV stations, came as Israel pressed ahead with its latest offensive in the West Bank, where the army has stepped up its activities over the past two years. Israel has said it was cracking down on...

Italy’s defence and aerospace group Leonardo on Thursday presented plans for a new multilayered air defence system, as European countries stepped up military capabilities to bolster defences against Russia and other threats. The “Michelangelo Dome” is an integrated defence system that uses artificial intelligence to neutralise a range of threats, from hypersonic weapons to drone swarms and naval attacks, in a bid to strengthen its role in European multi-domain security. Named for the Renaissance...

US President Donald Trump said that one of the two West Virginia National Guard members shot by an Afghan national near the White House had died, calling the shooter who had worked with the CIA in his native country a “savage monster”. As part of his Thanksgiving call to US troops, Trump said that he had just learned that Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, had died, while Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, was “fighting for his life”. “She’s just passed away,” Trump said. “She’s no longer with us....

France on Friday caught one of two detainees who used bedsheets to escape from prison a day earlier after sawing through the bars of their cell, a prosecutor said. The man was arrested south of Dijon, where the jailbreak occurred, said the eastern city’s prosecutor, Olivier Caracotch. He said the person caught was thought to be the older of the pair, a 32-year-old man accused of violence against a partner. That would mean a 19-year-old suspected of attempted murder was still on the run. Interior...

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that he would end his Ukraine offensive if Kyiv withdrew from territory Moscow claims at its own - otherwise his army would take it by force. The Russian army has been slowly but steadily grinding through eastern Ukraine in costly battles against outnumbered and outgunned Ukrainian forces. Washington has meanwhile renewed its push to end the nearly four-year war, putting forward a surprise plan that it hoped to finalise through upcoming talks...

Pope Leo lamented that the world was seeing an unusual number of bloody conflicts during his first trip outside Italy as Catholic leader on Thursday, and he warned that a third world war was being “fought piecemeal”, with humanity’s future at risk. In his first speech given overseas since his election in May to lead the 1.4 billion-member Church, Leo, the first US pope, said “ambitions and choices that trample on justice and peace” were destabilising the world. He told political leaders in...

Three Chinese workers in Tajikistan were killed in an attack launched from Afghanistan near the border, Tajik authorities said on Thursday. Tajikistan has strained relations with the Taliban in Afghanistan, and several border clashes have broken out in recent months. The foreign ministry said a drone and firearm attack hit workers of a Chinese company in the country’s south. “The attack, carried out with firearms and a drone loaded with grenades, claimed the lives of three employees of Chinese...

Two Swiss lawmakers have asked prosecutors to examine whether gifts reportedly given to US President Donald Trump – including a Rolex watch and a gold bar - by Swiss business leaders may have violated Switzerland’s anti-bribery laws. Switzerland this month struck a framework agreement with the US to cut a 39 per cent tariff on Swiss goods to 15 per cent. The deal came 10 days after a delegation of Swiss business leaders visited Trump in the Oval Office, bearing the gifts, according to Swiss...

In nuclear war, the long-held assumption of mutual assured destruction no longer exists. Welcome to the age of permanent strategic instability, where superpowers mix fast and accurate nuclear and non-nuclear missiles in the same arsenal. The risk of war is greater than many realise. The scale of catastrophe is also significant. A potential nuclear winter is estimated to amount to billions of deaths from starvation after years of global crop failures. Such risks and consequences are disastrously...

French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled a new national military service plan on Thursday as France seeks to bolster its armed forces to address growing concerns over Russia’s threat to European nations beyond the war in Ukraine. Macron announced that volunteers aged 18 and 19 will start serving next year in a 10-month new military service programme. “A new national service is set to be gradually established, starting from next summer,” Macron said in a speech at the Varces military base, in...

Food giant Campbell’s said on Wednesday it has fired an executive who was recorded making racist comments and mocking the company’s products and customers. Martin Bally, a vice-president in Campbell’s information security department, was named in a lawsuit filed last week by Robert Garza, a former Campbell’s employee who said he was fired January 30 after he reported Bally’s comments to a supervisor. The lawsuit was filed in Michigan, where both Garza and Bally live. Campbell’s is based in...

On the 32nd anniversary of New Oriental, a private Beijing-based education services provider, the company’s founder, Yu Minhong, wrote an internal letter to his staff about his trip to the South Pole. “I am standing in the icy world of Antarctica, surrounded by vast expanses of pure white, emerald-like icebergs and boundless tranquillity,” he wrote. “The glaciers shimmer with a captivating glow under the sunlight, as if to silently declare the power of time and the meaning of perseverance.” He...

Scientists have detected what they believe to be lightning on Mars by eavesdropping on the whirling wind recorded by Nasa’s Perseverance rover. The crackling of electrical discharges was captured by a microphone on the rover, a French-led team reported on Wednesday. The researchers documented 55 instances of what they call “mini lightning” over two Martian years, primarily during dust storms and dust devils. Almost all occurred on the windiest Martian sols, or days, during dust storms and dust...

Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday declared a “nationwide security emergency” as the country scrambled to respond to a wave of mass kidnappings that have seen hundreds of people, mostly children, captured in a week. “This is a national emergency, and we are responding by deploying more boots on the ground, especially in security-challenged areas,” Tinubu said in a statement. Within days, assailants across the country kidnapped two dozen Muslim schoolgirls, 38 worshippers, more than 300...

A Massachusetts woman who was once engaged to the brother of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt remains in ICE custody two weeks after being arrested on her way to pick up the son she shares with her former fiancé. Bruna Ferreira, 33, was driving to her son’s school in New Hampshire on November 12 when she was pulled over in Revere, Massachusetts, her lawyer, Todd Pomerleau, said on Wednesday. “She wasn’t told why she was detained,” he said. “She was bounced from Massachusetts, to New...

Investigators led by the FBI’s joint terrorism task force sought clues on Thursday to what drove an Afghan immigrant to open fire on two National Guard soldiers mere blocks from the White House in what officials called an “ambush” attack on Thanksgiving eve. The two soldiers, part of a militarised law enforcement mission ordered by US President Donald Trump months ago and challenged in court by officials of the District of Columbia, were hospitalised in critical condition. The suspect, who was...

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he is barring South Africa from participating in the Group of 20 summit next year at his Miami-area club and will stop all payments and subsidies to the country over its treatment of a US government representative at this year’s global meeting. Trump chose not to have an American government delegation attend last weekend’s summit hosted by South Africa, saying he did so because its white Afrikaners were being violently persecuted. It is a claim that...

A bipartisan group of US lawmakers is urging Donald Trump’s administration to reject Myanmar’s “sham” elections next month, days after the administration cited the country’s electoral progress as grounds to remove legal protections for Myanmar nationals in the US. “Burma’s planned elections this December are proving to be a sham,” said Representatives Brian Mast and Gregory Meeks and Senators Jim Risch and Jeanne Shaheen on Wednesday, using the former name for the war-torn country. “Orchestrated...

French President Emmanuel Macron will visit China next week and meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Elysee Palace said in a statement on Wednesday. The three-day visit is scheduled to begin on December 3, with two stops in Beijing and Chengdu, according to the statement. “On this occasion, major issues relating to the strategic partnership between France and China will be addressed, as well as several major international matters and areas of cooperation aimed at tackling the global...

The Guinea-Bissau military appointed a general as the country’s new leader on Thursday for one year, a day after seizing power and arresting the president of the coup-prone west African nation. “I have just been sworn in to lead the High Command,” General Horta N’Tam declared after taking the oath of office in a ceremony at the military’s headquarters. Dozens of heavily armed soldiers were deployed at the scene. On Wednesday, a group of army officers seized power, a day before the planned...

A judge on Wednesday dismissed the Georgia election interference case against US President Donald Trump and others after the prosecutor who recently took over the case said he would not pursue the charges. Pete Skandalakis, the executive director of the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia, took over the case last month from Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who was removed over an “appearance of impropriety” created by a romantic relationship with the special prosecutor she...

US President Donald Trump raged on Wednesday at a New York Times report that focused on his age and growing signs of fatigue, insisting that he is full of energy and calling the woman author of the article “ugly”. “I have never worked so hard in my life. Yet despite all of this, the Radical Left Lunatics in the soon to fold Times did a hit piece on me that I am perhaps losing my Energy, despite facts that show the exact opposite,” the 79-year-old Republican posted on social media. Trump is the...

France’s top court on Wednesday upheld Nicolas Sarkozy’s conviction for illegal campaign financing of his re-election bid in 2012 in another blow to France’s former president’s legacy and reputation. The decision by the Court of Cassation makes definitive Sarkozy’s conviction to a year in prison, half of it suspended, for fraudulently overspending on the failed campaign. Under French law, the sentence can be served at home, monitored with an electronic bracelet or other requirements set by a...

Britain’s unpopular centre-left Labour government sought to seize the political narrative on Wednesday with a tax-raising budget that it hopes will boost economic growth by fostering a stable debt outlook, reduce child poverty and ease cost-of-living pressures. But the entire contents of the budget were leaked half an hour before Treasury chief Rachel Reeves delivered the budget statement in the House of Commons, in a sign of the chaos that has engulfed the government during weeks of mixed...

The growing influence of stablecoins is beginning to reshape how some Chinese firms conduct cross-border settlements. In this explainer, the Post outlines four roles that US dollar-backed stablecoins play in China’s overseas trade, based on a recent analysis by Zou Chuanwei, the president of the Jiangsu Jinke Research Institute on Digital and Technology Finance, published in Tsinghua Financial Review. How are Chinese traders using US dollar-backed stablecoins? First, some overseas importers face...

As China’s tourists scrap plans to visit Japan en masse amid an ongoing diplomatic feud, many appear to be pivoting to an alternative destination: Russia. Chinese travel firms have reported a surge in Russia-related flight and hotel bookings in recent weeks compared with the same period last year, with analysts saying the country’s winter scenery made it a natural replacement for Japanese hotspots like the northern island of Hokkaido. Russia hotel bookings made by Chinese travellers in the two...

The United States and the Philippines are preparing to hardwire advanced cyber operations into the heart of their annual war games, signalling a shift from merely talking about digital threats to practising how to fight through them. Jennifer Schmidt, head of the US embassy’s information and communications technology unit, said specialised training ranges and sophisticated threat-emulation software would be incorporated into next year’s Balikatan drills so troops could rehearse defending...

The US-backed 28-point peace plan to end the war in Ukraine, which became public last week, drew from a Russian-authored paper submitted to the Trump administration in October, according to three sources familiar with the matter. The Russians shared the paper, which outlined Moscow’s conditions for ending the war, with senior US officials in mid-October, following a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington, the sources said. The paper, a...

On the face of it, the United States appears closer than ever to mounting a military campaign to remove President Nicolas Maduro from power in Venezuela. US President Donald Trump says he has authorised the CIA to conduct covert operations inside the Caribbean nation, and has massed troops, fighter jets and warships just off its coastline. US service members in the region have been barred from taking Thanksgiving leave. Airlines have cancelled flights to Venezuela after the Federal Aviation...

US President Donald Trump has denied a report that he was considering removing FBI Director Kash Patel amid a string of controversies. “No, he’s doing a great job, I think,” Trump told reporters on Tuesday aboard Air Force One. MS NOW reported earlier Tuesday that Trump was considering replacing Patel with FBI co-Deputy Director Andrew Bailey, as concerns swirled over the director’s social media posts during high-profile investigations and the use of a government jet to visit his...

Well, thank God we don’t live in a computer simulation after all. At least that’s according to a new paper by University of British Columbia physicist Mir Faizal and his team of international researchers, including cosmologist and science writer Lawrence Krauss. Or rather, there is no God to thank because if our universe is not a computer simulation, there is no supreme programmer in the first place. The team targets an influential simulation argument proposed by Swedish philosopher Nick...

The FBI has requested interviews with six Democratic members of the US Congress who in a video message told members of the military they can legally refuse to carry out unlawful orders, a Justice Department official said on Tuesday. The Pentagon on Monday threatened to recall Senator Mark Kelly, a US Navy veteran and one of the six lawmakers, to active duty potentially to face military charges over what Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth described on social media as “seditious” acts. US President...

Hope of finding survivors has dwindled, with many residents of the Wang Fuk Court towers still unaccounted for. Eight more people were arrested Friday over the blaze.

Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff and top peace negotiator, became the highest-ranking casualty of an investigation into a vast kickback scheme.

The chief of staff to President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine was seen as the second-most powerful person in Ukraine. He was dismissed on Friday.

On its own, LATE dementia is less severe than Alzheimer’s, but in combination, it makes Alzheimer’s symptoms worse, scientists say.

The resurgence of “Roundball Rock,” the N.B.A. theme song he composed, has made the musician more visible than he’s been in over 20 years. He hasn’t been idle.

Before skiers and riders and hit the slopes, a team works from dusk to dawn to prepare the mountain. We went behind the scenes to see how they do it.

For years, architects and design experts have resisted safety changes at Seattle’s Gas Works Park, but after a teenager died there this summer, his parents want it declared a public nuisance.

A midmonth stumble, driven by worries about the frenzy around artificial intelligence, was reversed as investors inched back into stocks this week.

Prices are higher, and the job market is weakening, but many people plan to spend heartily this season.

With the help of A.I., a historian has identified the killer in a 1941 image that defined the savagery of the Nazi regime.

More localized bands of squalls were expected to form, with up to two feet of snow possible in some areas, according to Canada’s forecast agency.

Forecasters say a winter storm could disrupt travel, bringing up to two feet of snow across parts of the Midwest through the holiday weekend.

Our love of his plays have led to a centuries-long fascination with the writer. So why does each new fictional iteration get his life so wrong?

Shopping has always been a game. And now it’s being rigged against you.

The Israeli authorities said they were investigating the shooting, which came amid days of extensive military operations in the West Bank.

After the octogenarian nuns refused to return to their senior center, the abbot has finally folded. But he has some conditions.