Category: Trending

The widely expected cut of a quarter percentage point comes amid economic pressures ranging inflation and tariffs to sluggish job growth. Two more cuts are expected before the end of the year.

It cut the benchmark lending rate to a range between 4.0% and 4.25%.

The Fed paused its easing cycle in January due to uncertainty over how President Donald Trump’s import tariffs might affect inflation and the overall economy.

It said Wednesday’s cut was warranted as, “downside risks to employment have risen” even as inflation has “moved up and remains somewhat elevated.”

Although inflation remains slightly above the Fed’s target rate of 2%, data shows hiring has slowed to a halt in recent months, while the unemployment rate has risen.

Lowering interest rates, and reducing borrowing costs, is tool used by central banks to boost hiring and increase consumer spending.

Tension between the White House and the Fed

The new Fed Governor, Stephen Miran, formerly an economic adviser to Trump, voted against the decision, favoring a deeper cut of 50 basis points.

Miran was sworn in earlier this week, amid criticism from Democrats that he would not separate economic decision making from political pressure.

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/us-federal-reserve-cuts-interest-rate-for-first-time-in-2025/a-74033463

The strategic defence pact between Pakistan and Saudi comes just days after an Israeli strike targeted Hamas leaders in neighbouring Qatari capital Doha.

Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday signed a new defence agreement, under which the two sides said an attack on either of them would be considered “an aggression against both”.

The deal – “Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement” – was signed by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Sharif traveled to Saudi Arabia at the invitation of the crown prince, a statement said.

The strategic defence pact comes just days after an Israeli strike targeted Hamas leaders in neighbouring Qatari capital Doha. The air strike in Doha was described by the US, on which Gulf states have long depended on for their security, as a unilateral attack that does not advance American and Israeli interests.

“This agreement… aims to develop aspects of defence cooperation between the two countries and strengthen joint deterrence against any aggression,” AFP news agency quoted a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency.

“The agreement states that any aggression against either country shall be considered an aggression against both,” it added.

The signing of the agreement also comes just months after the four-day military conflict between Pakistan and India which followed Operation Sindoor carried out by Indian armed forces in retaliation to the April 22 terror attack of Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam in which terrorists found to have links with Pakistan killed 26 people.

The military conflict ended with Pakistani DGMO reaching out to the Indian counterpart seeking a pause on the fighting.

Israel last week carried out an attempt to kill political leaders of Hamas, the Palestinian outfit that is fighting the Israel forces in Gaza. The Israel strike in Doha killed six people.

Qatar, which said one of its security forces was killed in the attack, said Israel was treacherous and engaged in “state terrorism.”

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said shortly after the air strike it was a “wholly independent Israeli operation” against top “Terreorist chieftains of Hamas”.

Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility, the PMO said.

In another parallel development, Qatar and the United States are also on the verge of finalising an enhanced defence cooperation agreement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday he was not informed by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in advance about Israel’s attack in Qatar last week.

India’s response
India said it “will study the implications” of the strategic mutual defence pact signed between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, under which an attack on either nation will be treated as “aggression against both.”

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, addressing a weekly media briefing in Delhi, noted that the government had been aware this agreement was being considered.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pakistan-saudi-arabia-sign-key-defence-deal-attack-on-one-aggression-against-both-101758155639691.html

As part of the celebrations, light shows were organised on various iconic buildings around the world in tribute to PM Modi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi turned 75 on Wednesday, 17 September 2025. From world leaders to followers and well-wishers, people across the globe extended their birthday wishes to the Prime Minister.

As part of the celebrations, light shows were organised on various iconic buildings around the world in tribute to PM Modi. In Mumbai, several landmarks, including the five-star hotel Trident, held light displays featuring images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Internationally, Piccadilly Circus in London also displayed an image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The digital screen featured the message:
“Warm birthday wishes, celebrating 75 years”, alongside a picture of the Prime Minister.

Piccadilly Circus is a road junction and public space located in London’s West End, within the City of Westminster. It was constructed in 1819 to connect Regent Street with Piccadilly. In this context, the word “circus”, derived from the Latin word meaning “circle”—refers to a round open space at a street junction.

The iconic Times Square in New York also featured a picture of Prime Minister Modi, extending birthday wishes on his 75th birthday.

Besides, a spectacular 3D drone show was organised on Wednesday at the SP College Ground in Pune on the occasion of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 75th birthday.

The show, named “Jyotine Tejachi Aarti”, lasted for 45 minutes. Around 1,000 drones showcased the achievements of the Modi government, along with Pune’s social, cultural, and historical landmarks.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/world/from-times-square-to-mumbai-everyone-wishes-pm-modi-on-his-75th-birthday-video

Robert Redford, the director, actor, and activist has died at his home in Utah. Redford rose to fame in films like “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and “All the President’s Men.”

Redford died “at his home at Sundance in the mountains of Utah, the place he loved, surrounded by those he loved,” his publicist Cindi Berger said.

He passed away in his sleep at his home in the mountains of Utah, according to his publicist Cindi Berger.

Redford rose to fame in films like “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and “All the President’s Men,” using his star power to spotlight American culture and politics.

He later became a champion of independent cinema and was a vocal advocate for environmental causes.

Sundance Kid becomes indie champion

Born on August 18, 1936, in Santa Monica, California, Redford has always been independently minded. His fame and success never drove him from one Hollywood party to the next.

Redford focused on doing his own thing, by consciously choosing roles that had meaning for him, as well as the directors he worked with.

Initially written off as “just another California blond,” Redford defied expectations with his rugged charisma and enduring appeal, becoming one of Hollywood’s most bankable leading men and a beloved global icon for over 50 years.

UK fighter jets will join a NATO operation over Poland to help defend the alliance’s eastern flank after Russian drones entered Polish airspace last week, the defence ministry said Monday (Sep 15).

“British fighter jets will fly air defence missions over Poland to counter aerial threats from Russia, including drones,” the ministry said in a statement, adding the missions by RAF Typhoons would start “in the coming days”.

NATO chief Mark Rutte said Friday the alliance would reinforce the defence of its eastern flank following a Russian drone raid into Polish airspace.

Poland and its NATO allies last week scrambled jets to shoot down Russian drones over allied airspace for the first time since the war in Ukraine started three-and-a-half years ago.

And on Saturday, Romania became the latest NATO member state to report a drone incursion, as Poland also scrambled aircraft in response to fresh Russian drone strikes just over the border in Ukraine.

“Russia’s reckless behaviour is a direct threat to European security and a violation of international law,” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement.

He said the “aircraft are not just a show of strength, they are vital in deterring aggression” as well as securing NATO airspace and protecting the UK’s national security.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/uk-says-fighter-jets-join-nato-missions-over-poland-5350771

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said a Sep 17 deadline to reach a deal could be extended by 90 days to allow the deal to be finalised.

United States and Chinese officials said on Monday (Sep 15) they have reached a framework agreement to switch short-video app TikTok to US-controlled ownership that will be confirmed in a Friday call between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The potential deal on the popular social media app, which counts 170 million US users, was a rare breakthrough in months-long talks between the world’s number one and number two economies that have sought to defuse a wide-ranging trade war that has unnerved global markets.

After a meeting with Chinese negotiators in Madrid, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said a Sep 17 deadline that could have disrupted the popular social media app in the US encouraged Chinese negotiators to reach a potential deal.

He said that the deadline could be extended by 90 days to allow the deal to be finalised, but declined to discuss specifics of the deal.

Bessent said that when commercial terms of the deal are revealed, it will preserve cultural aspects of TikTok that Chinese negotiators care about.

“They’re interested in Chinese characteristics of the app, which they think are soft power. We don’t care about Chinese characteristics. We care about national security,” Bessent told reporters at the conclusion of two days of talks.

Trump, when asked if China would hold a stake in the company, told reporters, “We haven’t decided that but it looks to me, and I’m speaking to President Xi on Friday, for confirmation of that.”

It is the second time this year that the two sides have said they were nearing a TikTok deal. The earlier announcement in March ultimately did not pan out.

Any agreement could require approval by the Republican-controlled Congress, which passed a law in 2024 requiring divestiture due to fears that TikTok’s US user data could be accessed by the Chinese government, allowing Beijing to spy on Americans or conduct influence operations through the app.

But the Trump administration has repeatedly declined to force a shutdown, which could anger the app’s millions of users and disrupt political communications. Trump has credited the app with helping him win re-election last year, and his personal account has 15 million followers. The White House launched an official TikTok account last month.

“A deal was also reached on a ‘certain’ company that young people in our Country very much wanted to save. They will be very happy! I will be speaking to President Xi on Friday. The relationship remains a very strong one!!!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Bessent did not say whether parent company ByteDance would transfer control of the app’s underlying technology to the unnamed US buyer. Wang Jingtao, an official at the Chinese cyberspace regulator, said the deal could license intellectual property rights, including algorithms.

Aside from TikTok, the US has cited national security concerns to block shipments of semiconductors and other advanced technology to China, and ban Chinese products that Washington has concluded could be used to spy on Americans or gather intelligence.

China’s top trade negotiator, Li Chenggang, told reporters that those concerns amounted to “unilateral bullying.”

“The United States cannot on the one hand ask China to take care of its concerns, and on the other hand continue to suppress Chinese companies,” Li said.

Li said the two sides had reached a “basic framework consensus” on resolving TikTok-related issues – a slight variation from the language used by the US side.

The US-China meeting at the Spanish foreign ministry’s baroque Palacio de Santa Cruz was the fourth round of talks in four months to address strained trade ties as well as TikTok’s divestiture deadline.

Delegations led by Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng have met in European cities since May to try to resolve a trade war that has seen tit-for-tat tariff hikes and a halt in the flow of rare earths to the United States.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/us-china-framework-deal-tiktok-trump-xi-speak-friday-5350091

When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered this week’s attempted assassination of Hamas leaders in Qatar, he took a major gamble in his campaign to pound the group into submission.

With signs growing that the mission failed, that gamble appears to have backfired.

Netanyahu had hoped to kill Hamas’ senior exiled leaders to get closer toward his vision of “total victory” against the militant group that attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and pressure it into surrendering after nearly two years of war in the Gaza Strip.

Instead, Hamas claims its leaders survived, and Netanyahu’s global standing, already badly damaged by the scenes of destruction and humanitarian disaster in Gaza, took another hit.

The airstrike Tuesday has enraged Qatar, an influential U.S. ally that has been a key mediator throughout the war, and drawn heavy criticism across the Arab world. It also has strained relations with the White House and thrown hopes of reaching a ceasefire into disarray, potentially endangering the 20 hostages still believed to be alive in Gaza.

But while the strike marks a setback for Netanyahu, the Israeli leader shows no sign of backing down or halting the war. And with his hard-line coalition still firmly behind him, Netanyahu faces no immediate threat to his rule.

Netanyahu’s hope for an ‘image of victory’ for his government

Five low-level Hamas members and a Qatari security guard were killed in the strike. But Hamas has said the intended target, senior exiled leaders meeting to discuss a new U.S. ceasefire proposal, all survived. The group, however, has not released any photos of the leaders, and Qatar has not commented on their conditions.

If the airstrike had killed the top leadership, the attack could have provided Netanyahu an opportunity declare Hamas’ destruction, said Harel Chorev, an expert on Arab affairs at Tel Aviv University.

“It’s all very symbolic and it’s definitely part of the thing which allows Netanyahu at a certain point to say ‘We won, we killed them all,’” he said.

Israel’s fierce 23-month offensive in Gaza has wiped out all of Hamas’ top leadership inside the territory. But Netanyahu has set out to eradicate the group as part of his goal of “total victory.”

That is now looking increasingly unlikely, making it even harder for Netanyahu to push a ceasefire through his hard-line coalition.

Far-right members of Israel’s governing coalition have cornered Netanyahu, threatening to topple his government unless Israel pushes ahead with an expanded operation in Gaza City, despite serious misgivings by many in the military leadership and widespread opposition among Israel’s public.

A successful operation in Qatar could have allowed Netanyahu to placate the hard-liners, even though it would have eliminated the very officials responsible for negotiating a possible ceasefire.

Burning the channel with Qatar

Israel has had the ability to target Hamas leaders in Doha from the start of the war but did not want to antagonize the Qataris while negotiations took place, Chorev said.

Qatar has helped negotiate two previous ceasefires that have released 148 hostages, including eight bodies, in exchange for thousands of Palestinian prisoners. Israel’s military has rescued just eight hostages alive, and retrieved the bodies of 51 hostages.

While Israel has complained that Qatar was not putting pressure on Hamas, it had continued to leave that channel open — until Tuesday.

“Israel, by the attack, notified the whole world that it gave up on the negotiations,” Chorev said. “They’ve decided to burn the channel with Qatar.”

Asked if ceasefire talks would continue, Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said that after the strike, “I don’t think there’s anything valid” in the current talks. But he did not elaborate and stopped short of saying Qatar would end its mediation efforts.

How Netanyahu hopes to win the release of the remaining hostages remains unclear.

On Thursday, Sheikh Mohammed accused Israel of abandoning the hostages.

“Extremists that rule Israel today do not care about the hostages — otherwise, how do we justify the timing of this attack?” Sheikh Mohammed told the U.N. Security Council.

Nonetheless, he said his country was ready to resume its mediation without giving any indication of next steps. On Friday, Sheikh Mohammed met in Washington with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was scheduled to visit Israel this weekend in a sign of how the Trump administration is trying to balance relations between key Middle East allies.

Straining ties with the US

Netanyahu, who has received ironclad support from the U.S. since President Donald Trump returned to office, appears to have strained ties with his most important ally.

Trump said he was “very unhappy” about the airstrike and assured the Qataris such an attack would not happen again.

Trump, however, has not said whether he would take any punitive action against Israel or indicated that he will pressure Netanyahu to halt the war.

Netanyahu, in the meantime, remains undeterred and threatened additional action if Qatar continues to host the Hamas leadership.

The message to Hamas is clear, he said Thursday: “There is no place where we cannot reach you.”

Little impact on the war in Gaza

Israel is pressing ahead with its expanded offensive aimed at conquering Gaza City. The military has urged a full evacuation of the area holding around 1 million people ahead of an expected invasion.

“Netanyahu’s government is adamant to go on with the military operation in Gaza,” said Gayil Talshir, a political scientist at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

Israel has brushed off calls to halt the war from the United Nations, the European Union and a growing number of major Western countries who plan to recognize a Palestinian state at the U.N. Security Council later this month, she said.

The only one who might be able to change this trajectory is Trump, she added, by telling Israel “enough is enough.”

Source : https://apnews.com/article/israel-qatar-doha-netanyahu-assassinations-hamas-fd6b73dc26dbf06f40e6b1f19ac5bb8b

India Today visited casinos near the India-Nepal border in cities like Dhangadhi and Kanchanpur, where the aftermath of recent violent protests is clearly visible. Several of these facilities were targeted during the unrest, and were vandalised and looted.

Nepal is slowly emerging from five days of violent protests that have left at least 50 people dead and caused widespread damage across several cities. While the protests initially targeted government offices and infrastructure, the unrest soon spread to private businesses, including one of Nepal’s most prominent and lucrative sectors: the casino industry.

Casinos in Nepal, particularly those located near the India-Nepal border in cities like Dhangadhi and Kanchanpur, catering primarily to Indian tourists and foreign nationals as local Nepali citizens are not permitted to gamble, have been vandalised and looted.

In Kanchanpur, one of the city’s biggest casinos was stormed by a large crowd during the peak of the unrest. The mob reportedly forced entry into the building, damaged slot machines and gaming tables, looted cash and valuables, and caused extensive destruction across multiple areas of the facility, including the dance floor and restaurant sections.

The remnants of broken furniture, shattered mirrors and disconnected electrical systems are visible throughout the property, which now remains sealed off.

The recent turmoil has also put a heavy economic toll. In Dhangadhi, where India Today visited the site of a major casino, the building stands locked and deserted. There is no activity inside and security guards are not letting anyone near the premises.

These establishments, often housed within or attached to large hotels, play a significant role in the tourism economy of the region. However, following the wave of unrest, many of these casinos have either been vandalised or ransacked and all have now been shut down indefinitely.

According to local sources, the casinos has been closed since the protests turned violent. Business owners and hotel operators in the area have expressed concern over safety, especially after reports emerged that a mob had attacked and set fire to the Hilton Hotel nearby, a property closely linked to one of the largest casinos in the region.

Hilton Hotel in Kathmandu, which alone reported damages exceeding Rs 8 billion, My Republica news portal reported, quoting a HAN statement.

Additionally, Nepal’s hotel industry, a key pillar of its tourism-driven economy, has incurred losses exceeding Rs 25 billion following widespread vandalism, looting and arson during the recent student-led anti-government protests, according to a media report released Friday.

Nearly two dozen hotels across major cities including Kathmandu Valley, Pokhara, Butwal, Bhairahawa, Jhapa, Biratnagar, Dhangadhi, Mahottari and Dang-Tulsipur were damaged during the unrest. Both domestic and international hotel brands were affected.

According to the Hotel Association Nepal (HAN), many of the damaged properties will remain closed until significant repairs and reconstruction are completed, putting the jobs of more than 2,000 hotel workers at risk.

Meanwhile, the appointment of Sushila Karki as Nepal’s first woman interim Prime Minister has brought some hope of political calm. However, the road to recovery for the tourism and casino sectors is expected to be long.

Normalcy is gradually returning to Kathmandu and other areas of Nepal. During a visit to the capital this morning, India Today observed vehicles, including public transport, moving freely, indicating that daily activities are slowly resuming.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/ground-report/story/nepal-genz-protests-ground-report-casinos-shut-looted-vandalised-hotels-hit-tourism-industry-billion-losses-2786816-2025-09-13

Conservative influencer Charlie Kirk’s killer remains at large after his shooting on a Utah college campus. The FBI officials on Friday released a video footage showing the suspect running and jumping from a rooftop.

The US investigators on Friday (Thursday in US time) released new photos and video footage of a person of interest in the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, saying they had recovered the rifle believed to have been used in the politically charged shooting.

At a press briefing, officials said security-camera footage showed a man climbing stairwells to reach a campus rooftop, firing the fatal shot, then running and jumping down before fleeing the area.

“Multiple leads are currently being investigated, but no suspect is in custody,” say Utah law enforcement officials.

US President Donald Trump urged supporters on Thursday (Sep 11) to respond peacefully to the killing of right-wing campaigner Charlie Kirk, as the murderer continued to evade a manhunt more than 24 hours after the shooting put an already divided US on edge.

Trump, who soon after the killing angrily pledged a wide-ranging response against the “radical left”, told reporters that Kirk had been “an advocate of nonviolence”.

“That’s the way I’d like to see people respond,” he said.

Kirk, a 31-year-old superstar on the Republican right who sparked surging youth support for Trump, was shot while addressing a large crowd at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.

A day later, authorities said the gunman remained at large.

“Multiple leads are currently being investigated, but no suspect is in custody,” Utah law enforcement officials posted, after cancelling a previously scheduled media briefing.

“We’re doing everything we can to find him, and we’re not sure how far he has gone yet,” FBI Special Agent Robert Bohls said earlier.

The FBI, which described the attack on Kirk as “targeted”, published grainy photos of a young person it called “the potential shooter”.

The pictures showed a man wearing a black baseball cap, dark sunglasses, and what appeared to be jeans, with a long-sleeved top emblazoned with a design that included an American flag.

A reward of up to US$100,000 was posted for information leading to his capture.

Police say they believe the shooter fired a single bullet from a rooftop up to 180m, hitting Kirk in the neck.

A high-powered bolt-action rifle was recovered in a wooded area.

“DARK MOMENT”
Reflecting the highly political nature of the killing, Kirk’s coffin was transported to his home city of Phoenix on JD Vance’s official plane.

Footage showed the vice president with his hands on the casket as it was carried to Air Force 2.

Kirk’s widow, Erika, held hands with Vance’s wife as they got off the plane in Arizona, the headquarters of the powerful Turning Point USA.

The right-wing mediasphere remained in a state of heightened emotion Thursday, with Fox News contributors recounting the impact Kirk had on their lives.

Conspiracy theories ricocheted around the internet, while calls for a return to civility vied with those demanding vengeance.

“THIS IS WAR” wrote the popular right-wing X account of @LibsofTikTOK

Fox News host Jesse Watters on Wednesday said the killing signified that his side of the political spectrum was under attack.

“Whether we want to accept it or not, they are at war with us. And what are we going to do about it?” he asked his audience.

“MARTYR” FOR THE RIGHT
Students at Utah Valley University on Thursday described the shock and their broader fears as political divisions deepen across the country.

Dave Sanchez told AFP that witnessing the killing made him “sick to my stomach”.

“We watch him all the time, and so it really does feel like one of your own family members, your own brother’s been killed,” said Sanchez, 26.

Kirk, who supporters have hailed as a “martyr” for conservative ideals, had an outsized influence in US politics.

He co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 to drive conservative viewpoints among young people, with his natural showmanship making him a go-to spokesman on television networks.

Kirk used his enormous audiences on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube to build support for anti-immigration policies, outspoken Christianity and gun ownership, and to spread carefully edited clips of his interactions during debates at his many college events.

Three months ago, a Minnesota man shot dead a Democratic lawmaker and her husband in their home, and Trump survived an assassination attempt during his election campaign in July 2024.

Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/charlie-kirk-killing-peaceful-response-trump-5345371

POLITICAL activist Charlie Kirk’s last words before being fatally shot during a debate event in Utah have emerged.

The Conservative activist, 31, was doing a Q&A at Utah Valley University in Orem when a single shot was fired at him on Wednesday afternoon.

Kirk, a father of two, was hosting an event for Turning Point USA, a nonprofit he founded at 18 which works with conservative youth on college campuses, when he was struck.

The event was previously described as a “high-energy evening featuring a candid conversation about conservative values.”

A video circulating on social media shows the activist speaking from a tent with “The American Comeback” written on it as gunfire rang out.

Moments before he was shot, Kirk was discussing gun violence throughout the country.

“Do you know how many mass shooters there have been in America over the last 10 years?” one audience member asked Kirk.

“Counting or not counting gang violence,” he replied before being cut off by the gunshot.

FBI director Kash Patel said in a statement on X that the person responsible for the shooting had been arrested.

However, when asked about the statement, Utah officials said that a person of interest was being interviewed.

Chilling footage showed Kirk recoil back to his left and fall into his chair.

Blood could be seen pouring down from his neck as the crowd began to panic.

Attendees screamed and chaotically fled the stage area after Kirk collapsed.

Witness Justin Higgens told NBC News that he saw the speaker get hit by the bullet.

“We heard a big loud shot, I saw a bunch of blood come out of Charlie, I saw his body kind of kick back and go limp, and everybody dropped to the ground,” Hickens said.

As people began to dash for the exit, Hickens said he felt safe as no more gunshots rang out after Kirk was hit.

“I kind of turned around and all of a sudden I saw officers walking with this very elderly gentleman with white hair,” Hickens said.

“They had him arrested, they had him on his knees and he was screaming about his rights and all that stuff.

“They cuffed him and put him away.”

Witness Tyler McGettigan also told NBC News that there was no security going into the event.

“I was expecting when I got here that I’d have to pass through some kind of security, but that just wasn’t a thing,” McGettigan said.

“No one checked the barcode or the QR code. There was no checkpoint to get in. It was literally, anyone could walk in if they wanted.”

DECLARED DEAD

Donald Trump confirmed the death of his longtime friend on social media.

“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie,” he posted.

“He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”

Kirk leaves behind his wife Erika and their two young children, a one-year-old son and a daughter who turned three just weeks ago.

Initial statements reported that Kirk was in critical condition as he was being treated at a local hospital.

“[Kirk] is in the hospital, and we are praying for him at this time,” Turning Point USA initially confirmed to NBC News.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox posted on X immediately after the shooting, declaring that he will hold those responsible “fully accountable.”

“I am being briefed by law enforcement following the violence directed at Charlie Kirk during his visit to Utah Valley University today. We will continue to share updates,” the governor posted.

“Those responsible will be held fully accountable. Violence has no place in our public life.

“Americans of every political persuasion must unite in condemning this act. Our prayers are with Charlie, his family, and all those affected.”

‘DISGUSTING’ ATTACK

Politicians and fellow political activists were quick to condemn the shooting of Charlie Kirk.

“The attack on Charlie Kirk is disgusting, vile, and reprehensible,” Democratic California governor Gavin Newsom posted on X.

“In the United States of America, we must reject political violence in EVERY form.”

Trump also begged for prayers as Kirk fought for his life.

Kirk rose to fame after being an early supporter of Trump’s bid for president in 2012, when he was just 18 years old.

The two came together for presidential rallies and events hosted by Kirk’s organization.

In January, the day before he was sworn into office, Trump spoke about Kirk, who was in attendance at an event.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/15160563/charlie-kirk-shooting-killed-last-words/

Recent protests in Nepal, driven by Gen-Z, erupted in response to the government’s ban on 26 social media apps and widespread corruption. Initially peaceful, the movement escalated into violence, resulting in tragic deaths and destruction of public property, including government buildings.

Nepal in the past few days witnessed events unfolding at turbulent speeds that have shocked the world and its own people. In what is being termed a Gen-Z protest, the world saw a surge of thousands and lakhs of young people angry over the government’s decision to ban as many as 26 social media apps, including global platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and X.
The youth’s agitation was not just against the government’s ban on social media apps, but also against corruption, as citizens had been witnessing how politicians and their families were living luxurious lives while common people struggled. Many reports say the government banned social media because a youth-driven movement was in the making to expose the lavish lifestyles of politicians and their children.
Social media posts—before the ban—were exposing the ultra-luxurious lives of netas and their families like studying in foreign universities, vacationing in global destinations, rich, powerful, and full of privileges, at the expense of taxpayers who were struggling for basic needs.

The agitation turned violent when several protesters were allegedly killed by the security forces in an attempt to thwart and control them. What followed after this was an unprecedented mess as agitators, in a fit of rage, set fire to their own Parliament, the President’s House, the Prime Minister’s residence, and other ministers’ homes—forgetting that all of this was funded by taxpayers and that they were burning down their own infrastructure.

Disturbing scenes emerged on Tuesday evening when the violent mob lost full control and went full throttle against politicians. Their houses were targeted, and families were seen running for lives.
The angry mob chased them, thrashed them, brutally beat them, and even attempted attacks with the intent to kill. One particularly horrifying event unfolded on August 9, when the wife of a former Prime Minister was reportedly burned alive. While some reports suggested that she succumbed to injuries, many claimed she’s alive, undergoing treatment and recovering.
While this was one case that was seen and recorded on camera, it’s enough to hint to the world what was happening on the ground.
While the youth may have started their agitation with pure intentions—to punish a corrupt government—the scenes also show that even the protesters crossed many red lines. Yet, they are still being praised instead of being held accountable for the destruction they caused, which affected many businesses with no connection to politics.

The incident took place at their home in Dallu area in the state capital Kathmandu.

Rajyalaxmi Chitrakar, the wife of Nepal’s ex-prime minister Jhalanath Khanal, died on Tuesday, say media reports, after protesters, led by Gen Z, trapped her in their home and set the house on fire.

The incident took place at their home in Dallu area in the state capital Kathmandu.

Ms Chitrakar was rushed to Kirtipur Burn Hospital but died during the treatment, say family sources.

Nepal’s prime minister KP Sharma Oli, whose own house was set on fire, resigned Tuesday as protests against a short-lived ban on social media grew increasingly violent and expanded into broader criticism of his government and accusations of corruption among the Himalayan country’s political elite.

Mr Oli’s finance minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel, 65, was chased through the streets of the capital, showed a disturbing video. The minister, showed the video, was kicked and thrashed brutally.

Demonstrations led by young people angry about the blocking of several social media sites gripped the country’s capital a day earlier, and police opened fired on the crowds, killing 19 people.

The ban was lifted Monday night, but the protests continued, with demonstrators setting fire to the homes of some of Nepal’s top leaders and the parliament building. The airport in the capital of Katmandu was shut, and army helicopters ferried some ministers to safe places.

As the protests intensified, Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli said he was stepping down immediately.

The demonstrations – called the protest of Gen Z – began after the government blocked platforms, including Facebook, X and YouTube, saying the companies had failed to register and submit to government oversight.

But even after the sites came back online, the rallies continued, fueled by anger over the deaths of protesters at the hands of police and against alleged corruption by the government.

In particular, many young people are angry that the children of political leaders – so-called Nepo Kids – seem to enjoy luxurious lifestyles and numerous advantages while most youth struggle to find work.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/ex-nepal-pms-wife-burnt-alive-as-protesters-set-his-house-on-fire-9244838?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

“I am pleased to announce that India, and the United States of America, are continuing negotiations to address the Trade Barriers between our two Nations,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that the US and India will resume negotiations to address “trade barriers” between the two countries.

In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump wrote, “I am pleased to announce that India and the United States of America are continuing negotiations to address the Trade Barriers between our two Nations. I look forward to speaking with my very good friend, Prime Minister Modi, in the upcoming weeks. I feel certain that there will be no difficulty in coming to a successful conclusion for both of our Great Countries!”

The announcement comes weeks after the US imposed a 50 per cent tariff on Indian goods, including an additional 25 per cent penalty on purchases of Russian oil.

Earlier this week, President Trump, while making an announcement in the White House, called the India-US ties a “very special relationship” and affirmed that he and PM Modi would always be friends, asserting that there is “nothing to worry about”.

However, he expressed displeasure over what “he (PM Modi) is doing” in contemporary times.

When asked by ANI, “Are you ready to reset relations with India at this point?”, US President Trump said, “I always will. I’ll always be friends with (PM) Modi. He’s a great Prime Minister. I’ll always be friends, but I just don’t like what he is doing at this particular moment. But India and the United States have a very special relationship. There is nothing to worry about. We just have moments on occasion.”

The US President also responded to his post on Truth Social, where he called out losing ‘India and Russia to China’, saying that he does not think that has happened.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday also responded warmly to Trump’s affirmation of the India-US ties, saying he “deeply appreciates and fully reciprocates” the US President’s sentiments and positive assessment of the bilateral relations.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/donald-trump-says-will-speak-to-pm-modi-in-upcoming-weeks-amid-tariff-row-9248063?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

As per sources, Lekhak submitted his resignation to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli during the emergency cabinet meeting held at the official residence this evening.

Nepal Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak on Monday evening stepped down from the post following deadly violence in two decades, which has so far claimed 19 lives.

As per sources, Lekhak submitted his resignation to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli during the emergency cabinet meeting held at the official residence this evening.

“The Home Minister had made it clear in the Nepali Congress meeting that he will be stepping down from the post on moral grounds. He tendered his resignation to the Prime Minister during the cabinet meeting this evening,” a source confirmed ANI.

The resignation of the Home Minister comes after the bloodiest day in two decades, which claimed the lives of at least 19 people across Nepal in protests against corruption and the social media ban.

The nation-wide protest resulted in 17 deaths in Kathmandu alone, with two deaths in Itahari City of Sunsari district. Curfew has been imposed in various locations of Kathmandu along with other districts where the protests were violent.

The Rupandehi District Administration Office, about 270 kilometres from Kathmandu, has imposed curfew in Butwal and Bhairahawa from 4 pm to 10 pm on Monday following similar protests in Kathmandu.

Chief District Officer Tokraj Pandey said the curfew has been enforced within designated zones, prohibiting any gatherings, rallies, protests, meetings, or sit-ins.

In Butwal, the curfew covers the area from Dhago Karkhana Bridge in the east to Belbas Chowk in the west, from Chidiyakhola in the north to Mangalpur in the south.

In Bhairahawa, it extends from Rohinikhola Bridge in the east to Bethari Bridge in the west, from Buddha Chowk in the north to Meudihawa in the south.

Source : https://www.freepressjournal.in/world/nepal-home-minister-ramesh-lekhak-resigns-after-deadly-violence-claims-19-lives

A resurfaced 2003 birthday letter allegedly signed by President Donald Trump for Jeffrey Epstein has sparked controversy. The provocative note, released by the House Oversight Committee, includes Trump’s signature, which critics claim matches verified samples. Trump denies authenticity, calling it fake, while the Wall Street Journal stands by its reporting.

A resurfaced birthday letter allegedly signed by President Donald Trump for disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s 50th birthday has reignited controversy following its public release by the Wall Street Journal on Monday. The letter features provocative imagery and a dialogue-style message between “Donald” and “Jeffrey,” with Trump’s name appearing where pubic hair would be in an outline of a naked woman.
The letter, reportedly part of a birthday book gifted to Epstein in 2003, was recently handed over by Epstein’s estate in response to a subpoena from the House Oversight Committee. The document includes messages from other high-profile individuals like former President Bill Clinton and attorney Alan Dershowitz.

Trump has long denied the letter’s authenticity, calling it “fake” and “nonexistent” in a defamation lawsuit filed against the Wall Street Journal, Rupert Murdoch, and others at News Corp. The lawsuit followed the WSJ’s reporting last summer. A spokesperson for Dow Jones, the Journal’s parent company, stated at the time: “We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit.”

Norway’s Minority Labour Party government won a second term in power on Monday while the populist right achieved its best-ever election result, official results showed, in a ballot dominated by concerns over rising living costs and wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

Incumbent Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere’s Labour and four smaller, left-leaning parties won 87 seats, above the 85 needed for a majority, with 99% of ballots counted.

Stoere, 65, will remain heavily reliant on his smaller allies, however, to pass major legislation such as fiscal budgets. To get their backing, he will likely face tough discussions over issues such as tax hikes for the wealthy, future oil exploration, and divestments by Norway’s $2 trillion sovereign wealth fund from Israeli companies.

“Stoere will continue as prime minister, but with a much more difficult parliamentary situation, in which he is dependent on five parties to govern,” Jonas Stein, an associate professor in political science at the University of Tromsoe, told Reuters.

Despite the left’s victory, Monday’s ballot showed a shift further to the right among conservative voters, with the populist, anti-immigration Progress Party of Sylvi Listhaug, 47, making its best-ever showing in an election.

Progress secured 48 seats in the 169-seat parliament, more than double its allocation from four years ago, as the party’s promise of large tax cuts appeared to have resonated with many voters.

Listhaug, a onetime firebrand who cites Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher as her role models, campaigned on what she said was wasteful public spending on areas such as international aid and subsidies to green energy.

“Young people today are much more right-wing than earlier. I think the Progress Party has won a huge part of the youth vote, especially among young men,” said Eirik Loekke, a fellow at Civitas, an Oslo-based liberal think-tank.

None of the right-wing parties that won seats, including former Prime Minister Erna Solberg’s Conservatives, have sought the backing of U.S. President Donald Trump, unlike some of their counterparts elsewhere in Europe.

SAFE HANDS

Stoere welcomed the results, playing down any shift to the right. “This is a signal to outside Norway that social democracy can also win despite a right-wing wave,” he told a jubilant crowd of Labour supporters chanting “four more years”.

Voter concerns over the conflict in Ukraine and an aggressive Russia, which shares a border with Norway in the Arctic, have given a boost to the left in recent months after former NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, 66, joined Stoere’s cabinet.

Many Norwegians saw the decision as a safeguard in case of a new armed conflict, given Stoltenberg’s decade-long tenure – until October of last year – as head of the western military alliance.

Some 59% of Norwegians believe a new war in Europe is likely within the next decade, up from 55% last year, according to a survey by the Peace Research Institute Oslo.

Also looming large in the final weeks of the election was the war in Gaza, with Stoere’s smaller allies calling for Norway’s $2 trillion sovereign fund, the world’s largest and a major source of the country’s wealth, to divest further from Israeli companies.

Since June 30, the fund has divested from more than two dozen Israeli companies, following media reports that it had built a stake in a jet engine company that provides maintenance for Israeli fighter jets.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/norway-ruling-labour-party-wins-reelection-while-populists-score-gains-2025-09-08/

By beating Jannik Sinner in four sets, Carlos Alcaraz once again becomes the world’s number one tennis player. The US Open final was delayed due to tightened security measures owing to the presence of Donald Trump.

Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz sealed his second US Open title after a four-set win over Italy’s Jannik Sinner in New York.

Alcaraz broke the Sinner serve in the first game of the match, as he raced away with the first set 6-2 in a little over half an hour.

But Sinner wasn’t going to take defeat lying down, and fought back to take the second set 6-3.

Much like the first set, the third part of the match saw Alcaraz dominate, with his serve, almost impreganable over the last two weeks, again firing.

The fourth set proved to be much more cagey, and Sinner had his chances, but erred when the opportunities were presented to him, as Alcaraz broke in the fifth game of what turned out to be the final set.

By beating last year’s US Open champion, Alcaraz usurps the Italian as the world number one tennis player atop the ATP rankings.

How did the crowd react to the presence of Donald Trump?

Sunday’s final had a delayed start, after tightened security due to the attendance of US President Donald Trump meant streams of people were held up entering the Arthur Ashe stadium.

Trump was met with boos by some sections of the crowd.

Sealed with an ace

But the players received a much warmer welcome, particularly during some epic points that defied belief.

And it was ultimately Alcaraz that took the spoils, winning the title with an ace on his third championship point.

Alcaraz’s victory ends Sinner’s 27-match winning run at hard-court Grand Slams.

“I tried my best today. I couldn’t do more,” said Sinner.

The contest between Alcaraz and Sinner marked the first time the same two players had met in three major finals in a row in a calendar year. Alcaraz won an epic final against Sinner in the French Open, saving three championship points en route to a five-set victory. Sinner exacted revenge a few weeks later, in winning the Wimbledon final against the Spaniard in four sets.

“I’m seeing you more than my family,” Alcaraz joked, eliciting a grin from Sinner. “It’s great to share the court, to share the locker rooms, everything.”

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/carlos-alcaraz-beats-jannik-sinner-to-win-second-us-open-title/a-73912412

In an interview, Zelensky was asked whether he thinks the US sanctions on Russia have backfired, given the recent Modi-Putin bonhomie seen at the SCO Summit.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has backed US tariffs on countries like India, even as New Delhi has stepped up its diplomatic efforts to help broker an end to the Ukraine war. “I think the idea to put tariffs on the country…continuing to make deals with Russia is the right idea,” said Zelensky in an interview with ABC News.

Zelensky was asked about his views on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China for a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), where he was pictured alongside the leaders of China and Russia. His statement came as the Trump administration prepares to expand sanctions against Russia. Trump’s summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska last month failed to achieve a diplomatic breakthrough.

On Sunday, Trump said that he is ready to expand sanctions against Russia. National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett also hinted at new sanctions that will be levelled against Moscow, citing India as a particular example. “At the National Economic Council, we are responsible for making sure that sanctions get enforced and that people who are helping Russia with their war against Ukraine…for example, what India has been doing by buying Russian oil…that we’re ready to respond to them economically,” said Hassett after the latest Russian military strikes on Ukraine. “I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of talk today and tomorrow about the level of sanctions and the timing of sanctions.”

In recent weeks, India has stepped up its advocacy to end the Ukraine war. Modi spoke to Zelensky twice last month over it. Modi said he was glad to speak with Zelenskyy and hear his perspectives on recent developments. “I conveyed India’s consistent position on the need for an early and peaceful resolution of the conflict. India remains committed to making every possible contribution in this regard, as well as to further strengthening bilateral ties with Ukraine,” Modi said on X.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/ukraines-zelensky-reacts-to-modi-putin-sco-summit-bonhomie-i-think-us-tariff-is-right-idea-101757302419310.html

At least one person was killed and several others injured in an explosion while a cricket match was being played in Pakistan’s northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Saturday, police said.

The blast occurred at Kausar Cricket Ground in Khar tehsil of Bajaur district. Bajaur District Police Officer Waqas Rafique confirmed that the blast was carried out through an improvised explosive device, the Dawn newspaper reported.

A man was killed while several others, including children, sustained injuries, police said. The injured were shifted to a nearby hospital.

Source: https://www.telegraphindia.com/world/blast-during-cricket-match-in-pakistans-khyber-pakhtunkhwa-kills-one-injures-several/cid/2121665

Former US President Joe Biden recently underwent skin cancer surgery, his spokeswoman said.

Biden had Mohs surgery, she told the BBC’s US partner CBS News, but did not immediately provide further details.

The procedure is used to cut away skin until no evidence of cancer remains.

The 82-year-old had been spotted with a wound on the right side of his head in recent days.

In 2023, Biden had a cancerous skin lesion removed from his chest during a routine health screening.

In May, he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones.

“Cancer touches us all,” Biden wrote on social media at the time. “Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places.”

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c80grled59do

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order to change the name of the Department of Defense to the “Department of War.” This move revives a name that was abandoned over seven decades ago.

United States President Donald Trump signed on Friday an executive order renaming the Department of Defense as the “Department of War,” the White House said.

The order authorized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Defense Department to use “secondary titles” such as “Secretary of War” and “Deputy Secretary of War” in official correspondence and public communications.

The US president cannot change the name without legislation. Renaming of departments needs congressional assent.

According to a document published earlier by the White House, the US president’s order instructs Hegseth to recommend legislative and executive actions to “permanently rename” the department.

On Friday, the Pentagon posted the text “WE ARE THE WAR DEPARTMENT” on the social media platform X.

Why does Trump want to rename the Department of Defense?
Trump has repeatedly insisted that the change in the name of the Department of Defense — which is the US government’s largest organization — would project a more powerful image, deeming its current title too “defensive.”

The renaming “conveys a stronger message of readiness and resolve,” the White House document said.

The Republican president has sought to put his stamp on a range of places and institutions by changing their names.

The US Department of Defense was called the War Department until 1947, when Congress consolidated the Army, Navy and Air Force after World War Two.

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/us-trump-signs-order-renaming-pentagon-department-of-war/a-73887300

Nepal’s government said it would block access to several social media platforms which had so far failed to register with authorities as part of a crackdown on misuse. The law has been met with some protests and dissent.

Nepal said on Thursday that it would ask its telecommunications agency to block access to several social media platforms including Facebook, Youtube, X and LinkedIn, after a deadline for them to register with authorities had passed the previous day.

Companies had been given until Wednesday to register with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and to name a local contact, grievance handler and person responsible for self-regulation.

It’s part of a social media crackdown on what the government describes as users with fake IDs spreading hate and rumors, committing cyber crime, and disturbing social harmony.

A government notice issued on Thursday instructed the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) regulator to obstruct access to unregistered social media platforms but gave no details of which companies would be affected.

Prominent Nepalese social media accounts like Everest Today issued warnings of disruptions to service, while some users noticed that, at least for the moment, they could still access sites set to face deactivation.

Which major sites face deactivation, and which do not?

Communications ministry officials told both the French AFP and Reuters news agencies that only five sites had registered in time; TikTok, Viber, WeTalk, Nimbuzz and Poppo Live. Two others were in the process of meeting the requirements.

Facebook, boasting by far the most members in Nepal of any such site, was among those facing suspension, along with YouTube, X and LinkedIn. In total, 26 platforms were affected.

An estimated 90% of Nepal’s population of almost 30 million use the internet.

“We gave them enough time to register and repeatedly requested them to comply with our request,” Communications and IT Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung said of the platforms facing at least temporary shutdown. “But they ignored [the request] and we had to shut [down] their operations in Nepal.”

The ministry’s information officer Rabindra Prasad Poudel said that the companies had been given several notices to comply with a directive that dates back to 2023 originally and survived a Supreme Court Challenge in September 2024. It has faced challenges and protests, including from students in the capital Kathmandu.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/nepal-to-block-facebook-youtube-x-linkedin-others/a-73882480

DONALD Trump will rename the US Department of Defense to the Department of War in a push for a “warrior ethos” in America.

The President is poised to sign an executive order that would bring back the agency’s former name.

Both Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have previously indicated that they want to see the original name restored.

The commander-in-chief will formally reinstate the Department of War as the agency’s name on Friday, a source told Fox News Digital.

This order would roll it out as a secondary title for the Department of Defense.

It would also see former Fox host Pete Hegseth referred to as the Secretary of War – who will be instructed to propose actions to make the change permanent.

The shift would require changes to public-facing websites and signs at the Pentagon.

Its public affairs briefing room will also be renamed to the “Pentagon War Annex”, a White House official said.

Trump had already hinted a change of branding at the Pentagon might be on the horizon.

“Everybody likes that we had an unbelievable history of victory when it was Department of War,” he said on August 25.

“Then we changed it to Department of Defense.”

For much of US history, the country’s main defense wing was known as the Department of War.

Under sweeping reforms following World War Two, it became known as the Department of Defense in 1949.

Trump has hinted he plans to force through the change with or without the approval of lawmakers.

“We’re just going to do it,” he said last month.

“I’m sure Congress will go along if we need that. I don’t think we even need that.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has also voiced his approval, suggesting it could mark a cultural shift in the Pentagon.

“We won WWI and we won WWII, not with the Department of Defense, but with a War Department, with the Department of War,” he told Fox & Friends.

“As the president has said, we’re not just defense, we’re offense.

“We’re reestablished at the Department the warrior ethos.

“We want warriors, folks that understand how to exact lethality on the enemy.

“We don’t want endless contingencies and just playing defense. We think words and names and titles matter.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/15119980/trump-change-defense-dept-name/

Known as “Re Giorgio” or King Giorgio, Armani, 91, was known for his modern Italian style and elegance. His funeral chamber will be set up on September 6 and 7 in Milan.

Giorgio Armani, a stalwart of Milan ready-to-wear who revolutionised fashion with unstructured looks, has died at 91 due to an age-related illness, the company said on Thursday. Armani had been unwell for some time.

“With infinite sorrow, the Armani Group announces the passing of its creator, founder and tireless driving force: Giorgio Armani,” the fashion house said in a statement.

Known as “Re Giorgio” or King Giorgio, Armani was known for his modern Italian style and elegance. He combined the flair of the designer with the acumen of a businessman, running a company that turned over some 2.3 billion euros a year.

Armani’s funeral chamber will be set up on September 6 and 7 in Milan, the group said, followed by a private funeral at an unspecified date.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/italian-fashion-designer-giorgio-armani-dies-at-91-due-to-age-related-illness-2782065-2025-09-04

The Israeli military moved deeper into Gaza City on Wednesday, with soldiers and tanks pushing into Sheikh Radwan, one of the urban centre’s largest and most crowded neighbourhoods.
In recent weeks, Israeli forces have advanced through Gaza City’s outer suburbs and are now just a few kilometres from the city centre despite international calls to halt the offensive.

Gaza City residents said the military had destroyed homes and tent encampments that had housed Palestinians displaced by nearly two years of war. At least 24 Palestinians, some of them children, were killed by the military across Gaza on Wednesday, most of them in Gaza City, according to local health officials.

“Sheikh Radwan is being burnt upside-down. The occupation destroyed houses, burnt tents, and drones played audio messages ordering people to leave the area,” said Zakeya Sami, 60, a mother of five, referring to the Israeli military.
“If the takeover of Gaza City isn’t stopped, we might die, and we are not going to forgive anyone who stands and watches without doing anything to prevent our death,” she told Reuters.
The military dropped grenades on three schools in the Sheikh Radwan area that had been used to shelter displaced Palestinians, setting tents ablaze, according to residents, who said the Palestinians fled before the bombing.

The military also detonated armoured vehicles laden with explosives to destroy homes in Sheikh Radwan’s east and bombed a medical clinic, destroying two ambulances, according to witnesses.
The Israeli military said in a statement on Wednesday it would continue to operate against “terrorists organizations” in Gaza and to “remove any threat” posed to the State of Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered the military to take the city, which he describes as the last stronghold of Hamas, whose October 2023 attack on Israel ignited the war.
Netanyahu insists that Hamas, which has ruled Gaza for nearly two decades but now only controls parts of the territory, must be defeated if it will not lay down its arms and surrender.
Israel’s military has urged the country’s political leadership to instead reach a ceasefire agreement, warning that the assault would endanger hostages held in Gaza and soldiers carrying out the offensive, Israeli officials previously said.

In Israel, public sentiment is largely in favour of ending the war in a deal that would see the release of the remaining hostages. In Jerusalem on Wednesday, protesters climbed the roof of Israel’s national library, displaying a banner that read ‘You have abandoned and also killed’.

MASS DISPLACEMENT

“We need our soldiers back home. We need our hostages back home now. It’s been too long for them to stay there. Stop the war now,” said Ravid Vexelbaum, 50, from Tel Aviv.
Tens of thousands of reservists reported for duty on Tuesday to support the offensive, forces that a military official told reporters last month were mostly expected to take on non-combat roles, such as in intelligence, or take over from combat soldiers in places like the West Bank who could then be deployed to Gaza.
The attack on Gaza City threatens to displace one million Palestinians, almost half the population of Gaza. The Israeli military in recent weeks has ordered the civilian population to leave their homes, although there are reports that many families who have already been displaced are refusing.

Over 63,000 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli military since the war started in October 2023, according to local health officials. The war has caused a humanitarian crisis across the territory, with health officials in Gaza reporting that 367 people, including 131 children, have so far died of malnutrition and starvation caused by acute food shortages.
Israeli officials acknowledge there is hunger in parts of Gaza but reject assertions of famine or starvation.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-military-pushes-further-into-gaza-city-forcing-more-displacement-2025-09-03/

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called his Belgian counterpart a “weak leader” on Wednesday (Sep 3), slamming his decision to recognise Palestine as a state.

“Belgian Prime Minister (Bart) de Wever is a weak leader who seeks to appease Islamic terrorism by sacrificing Israel. He wants to feed the terrorist crocodile before it devours Belgium,” Netanyahu’s office said in a post on its official X account.

Belgium on Tuesday became the latest Western country to say it will recognise the State of Palestine at the UN General Assembly this month, following similar announcements by Australia, Canada and France.

In a post on X, Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said that the decision came “in view of the humanitarian tragedy” unfolding in Gaza, adding that “firm sanctions are being imposed against the Israeli government”.

Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called on Wednesday for the annexation of swathes of the occupied West Bank following the international moves to recognise a Palestinian state.

Despite mounting pressure at home and abroad to end its nearly two-year campaign in Gaza, Israel has recently been stepping up operations as it lays the groundwork for seizing Gaza City, where the UN has declared a famine.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/netanyahu-slams-belgium-pm-weak-after-recognition-palestinian-state-5331466

The explosion hit as crowds left a rally marking Baloch leader Ataullah Mengal’s death anniversary. His son, politician Akhtar Mengal, escaped the attack safely.

A suicide bomber struck a political rally in southwestern Pakistan on Tuesday, killing at least 14 people and injuring several others.

According to AFP, at least 18 people were wounded in the explosion, which took place in the parking lot of a stadium in the provincial capital, Quetta where hundreds of members of the Balochistan National Party (BNP) had gathered, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Government official Hamza Shafaat said the rally was held to commemorate the anniversary of the death of Sardar Ataullah Mengal, a nationalist leader and former provincial chief minister.

Shafaat’s son Sardar Akhtar Mengal, who was in attendance, is safe, Shafaat said, adding that another 30 people were injured.

“The reports we have say that the bomb went off in a parking area as the people were leaving the rally,” he said.

Police were investigating the blast, which appeared to be a suicide bombing, police official Athar Rasheed said.

SIMILAR ATTACK BY A SUICIDE BOMBER IN NORTHWEST PAKISTAN

A similar instance of attack by a suicide bomber killed twelve people, including six security personnel and six terrorists in a coordinated attack on a paramilitary base in northwest Pakistan on Tuesday, authorities confirmed.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/11-killed-in-pakistans-balochistan-after-suicide-bomber-blows-himself-up-at-political-rally-news-agency-afp-2781009-2025-09-03

The US President also claimed that unfair tariff structures were pushing companies to set up production outside America. However, he argued that his administration’s trade policies, including the imposition of steep reciprocal tariffs, were beginning to reverse the trend.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday sharpened his attack on India’s trade policies, accusing New Delhi of imposing some of the steepest tariffs in the world and calling the long-standing economic relationship between the two countries “one-sided.”

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump said, “We get along with India very well, but for many years, it was a one-sided relationship. Only now, since I came along and because of the power that we have with us, India was charging us tremendous tariffs, about the highest in the world, and we therefore weren’t doing much business with India, but they were doing business with us because we weren’t charging them foolishly. We weren’t charging them.”

The US president claimed that India’s trade practices had cost American manufacturers heavily.

“So they would send in massive, you know, everything they made, they’d send it in, it poured into our country. Therefore, it wouldn’t be made here, you know, which is a negative. But we would not send in anything because they were charging us 100 percent tariffs,” Trump said.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON HIT BY INDIA’S DUTIES

Citing an example, Trump pointed to the struggles of Harley-Davidson, one of America’s most recognised motorcycle brands, in selling its products in India.

“Harley-Davidson couldn’t sell into India. There was a 200 percent tariff on a motorcycle. So what happens? Harley-Davidson went to India and built a motorcycle plant. And now they don’t have to pay tariffs. Same thing as us,” Trump remarked.

The president also claimed that unfair tariff structures were pushing companies to set up production outside the US. However, he argued that his administration’s trade policies, including the imposition of steep reciprocal tariffs, were beginning to reverse the trend.

COMPANIES TURNING TO THE US

A 6.0 quake, the strongest, struck the Jalalabad area at around midnight local time – with tremors felt as far as Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, nearly 200 miles away.

Towns in the province of Kunar, near Jalalabad and the Pakistani border, were close to the epicentre.

Entire villages are reported to have been destroyed.

Filippo Grandi of the UN told Sky News that the quake has added to the “perfect storm” of problems plaguing Afghanistan.

A Taliban spokesperson said that at least 800 people have been killed and more than 1,500 injured.

Some 610 of the deaths were reported in the Kunar region, and 12 from the Nangarhar province.

Urgent rescue efforts are underway across several districts – amid fears many locals are trapped beneath rubble.

Officials have said they expect the death toll to rise as they get to more affected areas.

Rescuers are contending with difficult, rocky terrain to reach the injured, many of whom are in isolated areas.

A spokesperson for the Taliban government said the quake has caused “loss of life and property damage in some of our eastern provinces”.

They added: “Local officials and residents are currently engaged in rescue efforts for the affected people.

“Support teams from the centre and nearby provinces are also on their way.”

Many of the buildings in the area are made of mud bricks and wood, making them vulnerable to natural disasters.

Jeremy Smith, British Red Cross Country Manager for Afghanistan said: “The location of this earthquake is very remote and mountainous, which makes rescue efforts particularly challenging.

“There have been repeated aftershocks and more are feared in the coming days.

“Floods and landslides over the weekend have also affected rescue efforts.

“Sadly, people will be displaced for a long period into the winter as homes have been destroyed.”

“The Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is delivering vital aid and will continue to do so for as long as people need us.”

The 6.0 magnitude quake struck at 11:47pm, 17 miles northeast of Jalalabad, according to the US Geological Survey,

Its epicentre was 5 miles below ground.

There was a second earthquake in the same province about 20 minutes later, with a magnitude of 4.5 and a depth of 6.2 miles.

This was later followed by a 5.2 earthquake at the same depth.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/15087007/dead-injured-multiple-earthquakes-rock-afghanistan/

Israel launched strikes across the Gaza Strip on Monday, killing at least 31 people as it presses ahead with a major offensive in the territory’s largest city, according to health officials. Leading genocide scholars, meanwhile, accused Israel of genocide, allegations the government vehemently rejects.

Airstrikes and artillery shelling have echoed through Gaza City since Israel declared it a combat zone last week. On the city’s outskirts and in the Jabaliya refugee camp, residents have observed explosive-laden robots demolishing buildings.

“Another merciless night in Gaza City,” said Saeed Abu Elaish, a Jabaliya-born medic sheltering in the northwestern side of the city.

Hospitals in Gaza said at least 31 people were killed by Israeli fire Monday, more than half of them women and children. At least 13 people were killed in Gaza City, where Israel has carried out several previous large-scale raids since Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel to ignite the war on Oct. 7, 2023.

Israel says it only targets militants and blames Hamas for civilian casualties because the militant group — now largely reduced to a guerrilla organization — operates in densely-populated areas.

Double threat of war and starvation

Gaza City residents, many displaced by war multiple times, now face the twin threats of combat and hunger. The world’s leading authority on food crises said last month that it was in the throes of famine — a crisis driven by ongoing fighting and Israel’s blockade, magnified by repeated mass displacement and the collapse of food production.

A total of 63,557 Palestinians have been killed in the war, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which says another 160,660 people have been wounded. The ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count, but says women and children make up around half the dead.

The ministry is part of the Hamas-run government but staffed by medical professionals. U.N. agencies and many independent experts consider its figures to be the most reliable estimate of war casualties. Israel disputes them, but hasn’t provided its own toll.

Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in the Oct. 7 attack and took 251 people hostage. Forty-eight hostages are still inside Gaza, around 20 of them believed by Israel to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefires or other deals.

Scholars accuse Israel of genocide

The largest professional organization of scholars studying genocide said Monday that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.

Israel, which was established in the wake of the Holocaust, in which 6 million European Jews and others were killed, vehemently rejects the allegation. It says it takes every measure to avoid harming civilians and is fighting a war of self-defense after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, which Israel says was itself a genocidal act.

A resolution from the International Association of Genocide Scholars — which has around 500 members worldwide, including a number of Holocaust experts — said that “Israel’s policies and actions in Gaza meet the legal definition of genocide,” as well as crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The resolution was supported by 86% of those who voted. The organization didn’t release the specifics of the voting.

“People who are experts in the study of genocide can see this situation for what it is,” Melanie O’Brien, the organization’s president and a professor of international law at the University of Western Australia, told The Associated Press.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry called it “an embarrassment to the legal profession and to any academic standard.” It said the determination was “entirely based on Hamas’ campaign of lies.”

In July, two prominent Israeli rights groups — B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights-Israel — said that their country is committing genocide in Gaza. The organizations don’t reflect mainstream thinking in Israel, but it marked the first time that local Jewish-led organizations have made such accusations.

International human rights groups have also leveled the allegation.

Mourners vent anger at hostage

funeral

Thousands of Israelis gathered for the funeral of Idan Shtivi, one of two hostages whose remains were recovered in a military operation last week. A private funeral was held for Ilan Weiss, the other captive.

Some mourners expressed anger at the government for not reaching a deal with Hamas to end the fighting and return the remaining captives.

“It is very, very infuriating that no one, no one from this government stands up and says enough,” said Ami Dagan, a mourner from Rishon Letzion.

“It’s a horror, it’s profound sadness and grief beyond words to describe the anger, the insult to the hostages, the insult to the fallen, the insult to the soldiers sent once again to Gaza,” said Ruti Taro, another mourner. “No one knows why, except for the power-hungry ruler.”

Many Israelis accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of prolonging the war for political purposes, and mass protests calling for a ceasefire and hostage release have swelled in recent weeks.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-09-01-2025-0c5b9244186e42ac4673d9bfcd807052

Abu Obeida, the spokesman for Hamas’s armed wing, has been killed in an aerial attack in Gaza City, Israel has said.

Israel’s Defence Minister Israel Katz congratulated the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel’s security agency, Shin Bet, for the “flawless execution” in a post on X.

Hamas has not confirmed his death. The Palestinian armed group earlier said dozens of civilians were killed and injured in the Israeli air strikes on a residential building in the district.

Local journalists reported that at least seven people had been killed and 20 injured in the strikes on the densely populated al-Rimal neighbourhood of Gaza City, with children among the casualties.

Saturday’s attack comes amid ongoing aerial strikes on Gaza City ahead of a planned Israeli offensive.

Katz warned on Sunday that many more of Obeida’s “criminal partners” would be targeted with “the intensification of the campaign in Gaza” – a reference to a recently approved Israeli plan to seize control of Gaza City.

Separately, the IDF and Shin Bet offered more details about Saturday’s strikes that targeted the Hamas spokesman.

They said in a joint statement that the operation had been “made possible due to prior intelligence gathered by [Shin Bet] and the IDF’s Intelligence Directorate” that had identified his hiding place.

Obeida was among the few remaining senior members of Hamas’s military wing from before its deadly 7 October 2023 attack on southern Israel.

Five missiles struck the second and third floor of the six-storey apartment in the al-Rimal neighbourhood building simultaneously from two different directions.

The flat that was targeted had been used as a dentist’s surgery. Witnesses reported seeing hundreds of thousands of dollars flying in the air after the strikes, with large sums stolen by locals but later recovered by Hamas.

The joint statement said Obeida “served as the public face of the Hamas terrorist organization” and “disseminated Hamas’ propaganda”.

Over the past few years, Obeida – believed to be about 40 years old – delivered a number of long diatribes against Israel on behalf of Hamas’s military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades.

Always masked in a Palestinian scarf, he became an idol to Hamas supporters throughout the Middle East.

In what may have been his final speech on Friday, Obeida said the fate of remaining Israeli hostages would be the same as that of Hamas fighters, warning Israel against its planned invasion of Gaza City.

Mohammed Emad, who runs a barbershop just 100m (328ft) from the hit building in al-Rimal, told the BBC that “the blasts were terrifying – I couldn’t move for more than an hour”.

He added: “I can’t believe I’m still alive. I saw injured children with blood covering their faces, and people were running in every direction as if the world had ended.”

Footage verified by the BBC of the aftermath of the strikes shows terrified residents fleeing into the streets.

Blood can be seen flowing from a body covered by fabric, while an injured child is carried away by a man.

The IDF said that prior to the attack “many steps were taken to reduce the chance of harming civilians, including the use of precision weapons, aerial observations, and additional intelligence information”.

BBC News has been unable to independently verify the claims of either the IDF or Hamas.

In early August, Israel’s security cabinet approved a plan to seize control of Gaza City in a fresh offensive, with the stated aim of bringing the 22-month-long war to an end.

The UN has repeatedly warned that a complete military takeover would risk “catastrophic consequences” for Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages held in Gaza. The UK’s ambassador to Israel has said it would be “a huge mistake”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to defeat Hamas and defied international criticism of his plans to expand the war.

Israel’s military operation in Gaza began in response to the Hamas-led 7 October attack, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage. Since then, more than 63,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.

While the operation to capture Gaza City has yet to begin in earnest, Israeli attacks on the city – where nearly a million people live – have been ongoing.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm214r5rd29o

The Iran-backed militants said Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi was killed on Thursday in Sanaa. Israel’s military said it “precisely struck” a Houthi target in Yemen. Follow DW.

Israel identifies remains of second recovered hostage

The remains of a second hostage recovered from Gaza this week have been identified as those of student Idan Shtivi.

A statement from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said: “A special operation … in the Gaza Strip resulted in the return of the body of the late Idan Shtivi.”

On Friday, the Israeli military had said it recovered the body of Ilan Weiss and a second hostage, without initially identifying him.

“After completing the identification process at the Institute of Forensic Medicine, permission was granted this evening to announce his return to Israel,” the prime minister’s office added.

Shtivi was killed on October 7, 2023, at the Nova music festival at the age of 28.

He had been attending as a photographer and tried to flee with two friends, when the festival was attacked by Hamas-led militants.

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum campaign group said the return of Idan Shtivi’s body represented “the closing of a circle and fulfils the State of Israel’s fundamental obligation to its citizens.”

Polish and other Allied warplanes took to the skies around Ukraine’s border – owing to the ferocity of the Russian onslaught.

The aerial bombardment included Putin’s nuclear-capable strategic Tu-95MS and Tu-160 bombers.

Russia unleashed dozens of Iskander-M, Iskander-K, Kalibr, Kh-59 and Kh-101 missiles – as well as hundreds of killer Shahed drones.

In total, there were 537 strike drones and 45 missiles – one of the heaviest bombardments of the war.

Ukrainian defences took out 548 of the 582 incoming strikes, but still suffered major damage in some areas.

A statement from Warsaw’s armed forces operational command said: “In connection with another attack by the Russian Federation striking objects on the territory of Ukraine, Polish and allied aviation has begun operating in our airspace.”

One person was killed on the ground in Ukraine, with at least 22 injured – including three children.

Fires broke out, and power outages recorded.

Residential buildings were ablaze in Dnipro city, and gas systems were struck in Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovsk region.

Some ten rockets hit Dnipro in 15 minutes, according to reports.

The attacks come at the end of a week which has seen dozens slaughtered in what Volodymyr Zelensky described as “vile” strikes.

On one night, 25 civilians were killed in Kyiv, and the British Council building was hit in the capital.

The Ukrainian president said the ongoing bloodbath is “demonstrating Putin’s true intentions – to continue killings, not to take steps towards peace”.

Zelensky also reminded the world of Trump’s deadline for deciding on new measures against Russia if Putin fails to commit to a one-on-one meeting with the Ukrainian leader.

He said: “Two weeks will be on Monday. And we will remind everybody.”

He said that Moscow had used time when they were supposed to be preparing for a meeting between leaders of the two countries to launch new massive attacks.

The president wrote on X on Saturday: “The only way to reopen a window of opportunity for diplomacy is through tough measures against all those bankrolling the Russian army and effective sanctions against Moscow itself banking and energy sanctions.”

A date for a bilateral meeting between Zelensky and Putin is still yet to be set.

Ukraine for its part struck two key Russian oil refineries – crucial parts of Putin’s military machine – with both seen ablaze on Saturday.

Ukraine also launched a “massive attack” with air and sea drones on occupied Crimea.

Britain’s Foreign Office summoned the Russian ambassador, Andrei Kelin, this week over the strikes in Kyiv.

Kelin said: “For my part, I will remind the British that the military carries out carefully calibrated and highly accurate strikes only on military targets and facilities that are associated with them.”

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/15079347/nato-jets-scrambled-putin-pounds-ukraine-overnight-blitz

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit to China in seven years is a sign of a thaw in the relations between the neighbors. The two-day summit will bring together leaders from more than 20 nations.

China welcomed world leaders as they arrived for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit Sunday in Tianjin.

The two-day gathering will bring together leaders from more than 20 nations, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The SCO comprises China, India, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus, with 16 more countries affiliated as observers or “dialogue partners”.

On Saturday, Chinese President Xi Jinping began receiving foreign leaders, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly.

Others in attendance include Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian.

Modi in China after seven years

This is Modi’s first visit to China since 2018. His talks with Xi come as relations between the neighbors show tentative signs of thawing after a 2020 border clash.

Recent tariff spats with the United States have served to bring the two rivals together.

Meanwhile, Modi on Saturday had a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in which the pair discussed restoring peace and stability in the region ahead of his key meeting with Putin.

Multiple bilateral meetings are expected to be held on the sidelines of the SCO summit.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/sco-summit-world-leaders-including-modi-and-putin-arrive-in-china/a-73823580

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has been blocked from attending the UN General Assembly session in New York next month after he and 80 other Palestinian officials had their visas revoked, the US State Department has said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio blamed them for undermining peace efforts and for seeking “the unilateral recognition of a conjectural Palestinian state”.

The decision, welcomed by Israel, is unusual as the US is expected to facilitate travel for officials of all countries wishing to visit the UN headquarters.

The ban comes as France leads international efforts to recognise a state of Palestine at the session – a move Donald Trump’s administration has opposed.

The Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, had earlier said that as head of its delegation, Abbas would be attending the meeting of heads of state and government in New York.

But a State Department official later said Abbas and about 80 other Palestinians would be affected by the decision to deny and revoke visas from members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Rubio said Palestinian representatives at the UN mission in New York could attend the meetings in accordance with the UN Headquarters Agreement – the document that regulates issues regarding the operations of the UN in the US.

It is unclear, however, if the US move to deny or revoke visas complies with that document, which outlines that foreign officials’ attendance in New York shall not be impeded by the US, “irrespective of the relations” between their respective governments and the US.

Abbas’ office said it was astonished by the visa decision, which “stands in clear contradiction to international law and the UN Headquarters Agreement, particularly since the State of Palestine is an observer member of the United Nations”. It urged the US to reverse the move.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar welcomed the State Department’s decision.

Hamas has been running the Gaza Strip for years, with its rival Fatah in charge in the West Bank. But even in the West Bank the PA led by Abbas has struggled to govern, faced with rival groups and Jewish settlement expansion.

Abbas is also in charge of the PLO – the umbrella organisation which represents Palestinians at international fora.

In 1974, the UN voted to recognise the PLO as the “sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people” and it was given observer status at the UN General Assembly, but not as a state.

In 2012, the General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to upgrade this, recognising Palestine as a non-member permanent observer state.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has constantly rejected the idea of a two-state solution – the long-time international formula to resolve the decades-old Israel-Palestinian conflict. It envisages an independent Palestinian state being created alongside Israel in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Netanyahu says recognition of a Palestinian state would amount to rewarding “Hamas’s monstrous terrorism”.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

More than 63,000 people have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjdym32z9v7o

US President Donald Trump has moved to cut nearly US$5 billion of congressionally-approved foreign aid, the White House said Friday (Aug 29), raising the likelihood of a federal shutdown as Democrats oppose the policy.

The US$4.9 billion in cuts target programmes of the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Trump wrote in a letter to the House of Representatives.

The president “will always put AMERICA FIRST”, the White House Office of Management and Budget said on social media, releasing a copy of the letter.

Democrats have warned that any attempt to reverse funding already approved by Congress would doom negotiations to avoid budgetary paralysis, the so-called shutdown, later this year.

Chuck Schumer, who leads the Democratic minority in the US Senate, described Trump’s little-known legislative tactic, technically known as a pocket rescission, as illegal.

“It’s clear neither Trump nor Congressional Republicans have any plan to avoid a painful and entirely unnecessary shutdown,” he said.

Some moderate Republicans also expressed opposition to Trump’s effort to stop spending already approved by lawmakers.

A White House official told reporters the administration has a “solid legal basis” for Trump’s manoeuvre – and that any challenge in court would fail.

USAID DISMANTLED
Trump has effectively dismantled USAID, the world’s largest humanitarian aid agency, since taking office.

Founded in 1961 as John F Kennedy sought to leverage aid to win over the developing world in the Cold War, USAID has been incorporated into the State Department after Secretary of State Marco Rubio slashed 85 per cent of its programming.

Rubio welcomed Trump’s latest move as part of “rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse from the US government, saving American workers billions of dollars”.

The vast majority of the new cuts – US$3.2 billion – would be to USAID funding, according to court documents seen by AFP, confirming an earlier report in the New York Post.

Research published in The Lancet journal in June estimated that the previous round of USAID cuts could result in the preventable deaths of more than 14 million vulnerable people worldwide – a third of them small children.

Also targeted by the new cuts was US$838 million for peacekeeping missions.

“This is going to make our budget situation or liquidity situation that much more challenging,” United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric told a press conference.

Trump, after taking office for the second time in January, launched a sweeping campaign to downsize or dismantle swaths of the US government.

Republicans control both chambers of Congress, but need Democrat support in the Senate to pass new spending laws.

Trump, who is pushing to extend presidential powers, aims to claw back the US$4.9 billion late in the fiscal year so that Congress may not have time to vote before the funding expires next month.

Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/us-foreign-aid-funding-trump-cancels-billions-congress-5323396

Large-scale music festivals are facing headwinds elsewhere but finding a new base in Thailand, as the country tries to boost its tourism sector in a region ready to party and spend.

It was a Monday night, but the British deejay Fred Again sure made Bangkok feel like it was still the weekend.

Last month (Jul 21), thousands in the Thai capital packed into UOB LIVE, a new entertainment venue, as he put on one of his characteristically energetic shows complete with world-class lighting and sound.

The crowd included “gig trippers” – music fans who plan their travel around concerts and festivals – from Southeast Asia and countries like China, India and Pakistan.

Fred Again was the type of trendy headliner that Bangkok residents might have sat back and watched only tour Japan, Singapore or Australia in years gone by.

But as he jumped off the stage, bassline thumping, and ran through a dense crowd lit up by shimmering neon, it was clear that Thailand had found its place as an emerging player in the live music scene.

Even as large-scale music festivals face headwinds in mature markets like the United States and Australia, where multiple events have been shut down this year, Thailand has been packing its gig calendar.

This month, Thailand’s Cabinet approved an agreement to host the Belgian electronic dance music festival Tomorrowland for five years from 2026, a headline-grabbing deal for an event that could draw a million people by 2030.

Tomorrowland, known for its fantastical design and creative themes, joins a raft of some of the biggest music festivals in the world being hosted by the kingdom.

Super Sonic Bangkok, held last weekend, was the most recent and boasted a line-up of top global artists including Black Eyed Peas and Camila Cabello.

More is to come. In November, international hip-hop festival Rolling Loud is set to hold its third annual edition in Pattaya. Electronic music events 808 Festival and UK-based Creamfields are taking place in Bangkok in December, while Phuket will host the Electric Daisy Carnival Thailand in January.

Over the next year, Mariah Carey, BLACKPINK, Jackson Wang, Doja Cat and Guns N’ Roses will play standalone concerts in Bangkok.

“The music festival scene in Thailand is currently on the rise. The region is cementing its place as a new hub in the global festival landscape,” a spokesperson for Live Nation Tero, the local promoter of Creamfields Asia, told CNA in a statement.

Thailand has bet on mega-music festivals and high-profile live entertainment events to help cement its place as Asia’s new global stage and reap the tourism and economic benefits that could follow, according to Gary Bowerman, a tourism policy and consumer trends analyst.

“Thailand is serious about investing significant sums into its live performance economy, and is capable of securing major global franchise events,” he said.

The Thai government will spend over 2 billion baht (US$61.5 million) to host Tomorrowland, according to Sorawong Thienthong, the minister of tourism and sports.

“The challenge now is to leverage that investment to boost both domestic and inbound tourism – and expenditure,” Bowerman said.

The country’s tourism industry remains lacklustre. It is set to miss its target of 39 million foreign arrivals in 2025, a number just shy of the 2019 peak of 39.8m. The country recorded 19.3 million foreign tourist arrivals in the first seven months of 2025, 6 per cent below the same period last year.

With its international tourism industry dipping, Thailand is doubling down on a “quality over quantity” gameplan with a focus on higher-spending visitors, the likes of whom might see music festivals as a reason to visit the kingdom.

“It has publicly supported the growth of the festival industry as part of its ‘soft power’ strategy, aiming to boost tourism revenue and the local economy,” said Live Nation Tero’s spokesperson.

“This supportive environment creates a stable and favourable climate for large international events,” the spokesperson said.

CHECKING BOXES AND BUCKET LISTS

The global live music market is projected to grow from US$28.1 billion in 2023 to US$79.7 billion by 2030, based on data from Research and Markets, a market insights and analysis group.

One of the main drivers is the rising consumer preference for live, in-person experiences over material goods, which has led to a surge in ticket sales for concerts, music festivals and exclusive performances, the report said.

Consumers, especially millennials and Gen Z, are prioritising shared experiences “that provide personal enrichment and social connection”, it found.

Beyond the projected growth of the live music market, global events tourism is also set to increase by 4.6 per cent per year over the next decade, according to a report by Market Research Future.

Governments and tourism organisations are central to that growth, the research firm found.

Thailand, too, has focused on seizing those opportunities. The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) umbrella campaign called “Amazing Thailand Grand Tourism & Sports Year”, for example, prioritises high-profile events like Tomorrowland and Formula One.

“These events provide unparalleled global marketing exposure, showcasing Thailand’s sophisticated infrastructure and hospitality capabilities,” said Nithee Seeprae, TAT’s deputy governor for marketing communications.

It has looked to package its natural attractions and other drawcards as a tourist destination with incentives and intangibles like lower production costs, the lack of an entertainment tax, strong fan culture and visa-free travel.

“Thailand checks so many boxes when selecting an international location – it’s a sought-after travel destination with amazing energy, nightlife and culture that’s easily accessible to fans across Asia and beyond,” said Matt Zingler, the co-founder of Rolling Loud.

Craig Grossarth, the general manager of UOB LIVE, added that a multitude of factors, like strong purchasing power, hospitality infrastructure and an increasing number of high-quality venues, are making Thailand a “key stop in Asia” for touring artists and music lovers alike.

“Fans can combine a bucket-list concert with a holiday — something that’s hard to resist,” he said.

Rising disposable income in Asia is also making the region more lucrative for promoters to bring in big-name international acts, the Live Nation Tero spokesperson said.

Thailand stands out in the region with a policy focus, reputation and infrastructure that most of its neighbours cannot realistically compete with, Bowerman said.

Only three countries in the region would be in the market – in terms of political will and financing – for such festivals: Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam, he said. That is aside from the broader region where live music tourism is scaling up with China, Japan and South Korea enjoying growth in their festival economies.

“Whether these festivals can help differentiate Thailand’s visitor base depends very much on the festival line-ups, and how the TAT can promote differentiation for its live events,” he said.

The success of Singapore wooing Taylor Swift to play six exclusive shows last year – a move that the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) indicated could have generated tourism receipts of up to S$450 million – was a clear impetus for the Thai government to follow this path, he said.

“Thailand securing Tomorrowland is a direct outcome of missing out on Taylor Swift. The disappointed, and very public, response of then-Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin signalled that competition to attract A-list stadium concerts and festivals would accelerate,” Bowerman said.

Given the taxpayer dollars used for events like Tomorrowland, the government will be heavily leveraging its private sector partners like hotels, airlines, travel agencies, consumer brands and banks to spread the marketing load and incentivise as many potential visitors as possible, Bowerman added.

“As the Asia-Pacific concert calendar becomes more crowded, travellers will have more choices and will be selective about which ones they attend,” he said.

It plays into fears that local players in the festival business already have about Thailand hosting too many events, and levels of demand that are too low to accommodate them all.

A BUBBLE READY TO BURST?

Music festivals are not a sure bet. Mature markets especially are enduring a festival crisis of sorts – at least 95 events have been cancelled this year across the world, many of them in the US, Europe and Australia, based on tracking by the website Music Festival Wizard.

The cancellations have been blamed on rising costs, slowing ticket sales and consumers showing more discernment about which events to attend.

But Thailand – and international event promoters – seems to be wagering that where others stumble, it can succeed.

Thailand is seeing more events being held than ever, but demand may not be keeping up, said Sarun Pinyarat, the founder and chief executive of music promoter Fungjai, based in Bangkok.

Thailand cannot expect to be an exception, he argued.

It has him questioning whether Thailand is actually building a viable regional or global capital of music festivals or setting itself up for a bubble. Behind the business are serious concerns about sustainability, competition and whether local festivals can survive.

“We are in a state of bubbling in terms of live events. There is a lot happening right now,” he said, explaining that there are about 300 music events, big and small, held in Thailand annually right now.

In the wake of COVID-19, new festival promoters from a range of industries, even from outside the music business, emerged in Thailand. This coincided with more young people going to music events regularly, especially in Bangkok, after years of pandemic lockdowns and restrictions.

But according to Sarun, demand does not match supply right now and it has already spelled trouble for many in the business. Those without strong customer bases will struggle in the years to come, he predicts, as more international promoters eye Thailand as well.

“There will be a lot of people losing money, and they’ll start to realise that, ‘Okay, we shouldn’t be entering this arena to begin with’, and it’s going to slow down a little bit,” he said.

“We have already started to see some festivals that happened once and never happened again,” he said, citing ⁠Waterbomb Festival and River Fest Music Festival as examples.

Inflation in production and artist fees are already limiting the types of line-ups smaller festivals can offer. Sarun says those costs have doubled in many cases since before the pandemic, but ticket prices have barely budged due to competition for sales.

This year, the music festival he co-founded – Maho Rasop festival – which has attracted international bands like Interpol, Air, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard and the Vaccines since its inception in 2018, will not be held.

Rising costs have forced them to take a step back to try and make sense of the industry landscape, said Pimporn Metchanun, co-founder of the festival.

“It’s difficult for us to compete. And … if we were a new festival or would like to start something this year or next year, I think it would be very difficult,” said Pimporn, who is also co-founder of HAVE YOU HEARD?, a music management and promotion company in Bangkok.

“It was really intense these past few years, really.”

The saturated local scene is not putting off the international competition, however.

“At present, we believe Thailand is in a sweet spot where supply and demand are well-balanced,” said Grossarth.

For Creamfields’ organisers, the trend is a positive sign of the country’s rising status as a music hub, which in turn will drive better experiences for festival-goers, offer exposure to local and regional performers and improve production quality.

“More festivals mean more economic opportunities and a stronger cultural scene. We see it as healthy competition,” the spokesperson said.

For an emerging market, more chances for people to experience high-quality live music will increase the size of the bucket for everyone, said Tariq Cherif, co-founder of Rolling Loud.

It has had its troubles in Thailand, with a group of more than 10 event contractors filing a police complaint against the organisers of Rolling Loud Thailand 2024 for defaulting on 20 million baht (US$615,000) in wages.

Cherif, as co-CEO of the company, said he is confident in the long-term growth of Rolling Loud Thailand.

The same faith in the fast-moving industry is not shared by the likes of Sarun and Pimporn, who see government money being channelled to foreign promoters while locals, who are designing grassroots experiences for Thais, are left behind to wallow.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/thailand-music-festivals-tomorrowland-creamfields-tourism-5319606

German authorities have said they investigated more human trafficking and exploitation cases in 2024 than in any year since 2000. Weak online safeguards are a major driver with many minors among the victims.

Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) on Thursday announced that it had completed 576 investigations into incidents of human trafficking in 2024 — a 13% percent jump from 2023 and the highest level since the BKA began compiling such data in 2000.

The largest share of cases (364) involved sexual exploitation, the highest level recorded by Germany’s BKA in a decade.

Such exploitation is increasingly taking place in private homes, say authorities, a setting that is difficult to monitor. This leads the BKA to conclude that the actual number of crimes taking place is far greater than they have the capacity to know.

Victims and suspects often come from other European countries, with notable increases among Chinese and Colombian victims.

Weak online safeguards endanger children

Many victims are women, young people and minors according to the BKA, which says contact is often established online using the so-called “lover-boy method.”

With this common tactic, men lure women into false relationships in order to create dependency before financially exploiting them through forced prostitution. “Increasingly, psychological and physical violence plays a role,” the BKA said.

Minors are particularly at risk say police, with more than 200 cases involving children and adolescents, almost all in the context of commercial sexual exploitation.

“One reason for the increasing numbers here is, among other things, that various online platforms have too few protective mechanisms, which facilitates the exploitation of minors using the internet as a tool,” said the BKA in Wiesbaden on Thursday. “In two cases, children were offered for sale online.”

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/germany-police-raise-alarm-over-spike-in-child-trafficking/a-73800323

The White House says it has fired the director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Susan Monarez, after she refused to resign on Wednesday.

In a statement, it said she was “not aligned with the president’s agenda” and she had been removed from her position at the health agency.

The US health department earlier announced her departure, which prompted a statement from Dr Monarez’s lawyers who said she had not been told of her removal and she would not resign.

They said she was being targeted for refusing “to rubber-stamp unscientific, reckless directives and fire dedicated health experts” and accused Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr of “weaponising public health”.

“As her attorney’s statement makes abundantly clear, Susan Monarez is not aligned with the president’s agenda,” the White House said later on Wednesday, adding that she had been terminated from her position as director.

A long-time federal government scientist, Dr Monarez was nominated by President Donald Trump to lead the CDC and was confirmed in a Senate vote along party lines in July.

Her nomination followed Trump withdrawing his first pick, former Republican Congressman Dave Weldon, who had come under fire for his views on vaccines and autism.

Almost immediately after Dr Monarez’s departure was first announced by the health department, at least three senior CDC leaders resigned from the agency.

Among them was Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry, who warned about the “rise of misinformation” about vaccines in a letter seen by the BBC’s US partner CBS News. She also argued against planned cuts to the agency’s budget.

Daniel Jernigan, who led the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, also quit citing “the current context in the department”.

Head of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Demetre Daskalakis, also said he was no longer able to serve “because of the ongoing weaponising of public health”.

There are also reports, including by NBC News, that Dr Jennifer Layden, director of the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance and Technology, has also resigned.

The exodus comes as health experts voice concern over the agency’s approach to immunisations under the leadership of Kennedy, a vaccine sceptic.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved new Covid vaccines while limiting who could receive them.

The vaccines will be available for all seniors, but younger adults and children without underlying health conditions will be excluded.

“The emergency use authorizations for Covid vaccines, once used to justify broad mandates on the general public during the Biden administration, are now rescinded,” Kennedy wrote on X.

Dr Monarez was the first CDC director in 50 years to not hold a medical degree. Her background is in infectious disease research.

In her month as the CDC leader, she helped comfort agency employees after the CDC’s headquarters in Atlanta was attacked by a gunman who believed he had been harmed by Covid vaccines.

The attack, in which hundreds of bullets struck the building, killed one police officer.

Earlier this month, current and former employees of the agency wrote an open letter accusing Kennedy of fuelling violence towards healthcare workers with his anti-vaccine rhetoric.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy3zjxy3dwo

Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook will file a lawsuit challenging her removal by President Donald Trump, setting up a potential standoff between the president and the US central bank.

“President Trump has no authority to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook,” her lawyer Abbe David Lowell said in a statement.

The president has said there was “sufficient reason” to believe Cook had made false statements on her mortgage, and cited constitutional powers which he said allowed him to remove her.

The unprecedented move comes as Trump has put increasing pressure on the Fed – especially its chair Jerome Powell – over what he sees as an unwillingness to lower interest rates.

Long-term US government bonds were sold off on Tuesday, suggesting that investors are concerned about the Federal Reserve’s independence after Trump’s attempt to fire one of the central bank’s governors.

If investors start to doubt the Fed’s credibility, borrowing costs for the US government could rise – and that would have knock-on effects around the world since they are used to set the price of assets.

Cook is one of seven members of the Fed’s board of governors, and in this position sits on the 12-member committee which is responsible for setting interest rates in the US.

“His attempt to fire her, based solely on a referral letter, lacks any factual or legal basis,” Cook’s lawyer said on Tuesday. “We will be filing a lawsuit challenging this illegal action.”

The Federal Reserve weighed in too.

“Congress, through the Federal Reserve Act, directs that governors serve in long, fixed terms and may be removed by the president only ‘for cause’,” the central bank said in a statement. “Long tenures and removal protections for governors serve as a vital safeguard, ensuring that monetary policy decisions are based on data, economic analysis, and the long-term interests of the American people.”

On Cook’s planned lawsuit against Trump, the bank said it would abide by an court decision.

On Tuesday, President Trump said he had several “good people” in mind to replace Cook.

“We need people that are 100% above board and it doesn’t seem like she was,” Trump told reporters at a cabinet meeting.

The US president nominates candidates for the role, so removing Ms Cook would mean she could be replaced by someone more favourable to lower interest rates and to the Trump economic agenda.

The Fed’s decision affects the rate at which Americans can borrow money as well as the savings rates on their bank accounts. US interest rates are also closely watched by central banks who set monetary policy in other countries.

Cook voted alongside Powell and most other members of the committee to maintain US interest rates at the Fed’s last rate-setting meeting at the end of July.

She was appointed by Trump’s predecessor, Democrat Joe Biden, in 2022 and is the first African American woman to serve in the role.

Trump’s decision to remove her will likely raise legal questions, with experts suggesting the White House will need to demonstrate – potentially in court – that it had sufficient reason to fire her.

Cook said in a statement that Trump “purported to fire me ‘for cause’ when no cause exists under the law, and he has no authority to do so”.

“I will not resign. I will continue to carry out my duties to help the American economy as I have been doing since 2022,” she added.

The president had called for Cook’s resignation last week over the allegation of mortgage fraud, which was first made in a public letter from housing finance regulator, Bill Pulte, a Trump ally, to Attorney General Pam Bondi.

The housing finance regulator called the letter a “criminal referral” and urged the justice department to investigate. It is not clear whether an investigation has been opened.

On Monday, Trump followed-up with another message on his social media platform Truth Social, saying Cook signed one document attesting that a property in Michigan would be her primary residence for the next year.

“Two weeks later, you signed another document for a property in Georgia stating that it would be your primary residence for the next year,” the president said.

“It is inconceivable that you were not aware of your first commitment when making the second,” he wrote.

Cook told the BBC last week that she learned of the allegations from the media, and the matter stemmed from a mortgage loan application she made four years ago, before she joined the central bank.

“I have no intention of being bullied to step down from my position because of some questions raised in a tweet,” she said, adding that she was “gathering the accurate information to answer any legitimate questions and provide the facts”.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx275n8gx0ro

The genetically modified pig lung remained functional for nine days inside a brain-dead human patient. Scientists believe xenotransplantation – cross-species transplants – could alleviate the organ shortage crisis.

Surgeons in China have conducted a successful pig-to-human lung transplant which they say demonstrated the feasibility of the procedure – even if substantial further tests are still required.

According to scientists at the National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, the pig lung, which was transplanted into a brain-dead human recipient, “maintained viability and functionality” for 216 hours (nine days) without becoming infected or being rejected by its host.

What is xenotransplantation?

The transplantation of organs across species is known as xenotransplantation and has been touted as a potential solution to the global organ shortage crisis.

According to the Guangzhou study, advancements have recently been made in heart and kidney xenotransplantation from pigs to humans, but lungs present “distinct challenges” due to their “anatomical and physiological complexity.”

Among other things, the direct contact of the lung with the outside air naturally increases the risk of infection.

But the genetically altered lung transplanted from the 22-month-old, 70-kilogram, male, Chinese Bama Xiang pig to the 39-year-old male human patient survived and functioned for over a week of monitoring.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/china-surgeons-conduct-pig-to-human-lung-transplant/a-73764713

In August this year, Trump slapped an additional 25 per cent tariff, raising the overall levy to 50 per cent on goods coming from India, as a penalty for New Delhi’s continued purchase of Russian oil.

The United States has officially issued a public notice imposing additional 25 per cent tariffs on imports from India, with the new duties set to take effect at 12:01 am (EST) on August 27.

The notice, issued by the Department of Homeland Security through US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), said the tariffs implement President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14329, signed August 6.

The order directed US agencies to respond to “threats to the United States by the Government of the Russian Federation,” with India being targeted for new duties as part of that policy.

The tariffs will apply to a broad range of Indian products listed in the annex to the notice. The tariffs will apply to any goods that arrive for use or are taken out of warehouses after the deadline.

TRUMP TARGETS MOSCOW’S TRADING PARTNERS

US President Donald Trump also signalled that he could impose additional tariffs on countries trading with Russia or impose additional sanctions on Moscow if a deal fails to materialise.

He warned of “very big consequences” in the coming weeks if no progress is made.

So far, the US has avoided imposing similar measures on other major purchasers of Russian oil, including China.

INDIA’S STERN RESPONSE TO TRUMP TARIFF

JD Vance said President Donald Trump used “aggressive economic leverage,” including secondary tariffs on India, to pressure Russia to end the Ukraine war. India defends its Russian oil imports as national interest as tensions rise in US-India trade ties.

US Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday that President Donald Trump had applied “aggressive economic leverage,” including secondary tariffs on India, in an attempt to pressure Russia to end the war in Ukraine.

In an exclusive interview with NBC News’ Meet the Press, Vance said that the measures were part of Washington’s push to cut Moscow’s revenues from its oil trade.

“Trump has applied aggressive economic leverage, for example secondary tariffs on India, to try to make it harder for the Russians to get rich from their oil economy,” Vance said.

WASHINGTON TARGETS NEW DELHI OVER RUSSIAN CRUDE

The Pentagon is working on plans to deploy the U.S. military to Chicago as President Donald Trump says he is cracking down on crime, homelessness and undocumented immigration, the Washington Post reported on Saturday.
The Defense Department planning, in the works for weeks, involves several options, including mobilizing at least a few thousand members of the National Guard as soon as September, the Post reported, citing officials familiar with the matter.

“Chicago is a mess,” Trump, a Republican, told reporters on Friday, deriding its mayor as he continued his attacks on cities run by Democratic politicians. “And we’ll straighten that one out probably next.”
The Pentagon said in a statement late on Saturday: “We won’t speculate on further operations. The department is a planning organization and is continuously working with other agency partners on plans to protect federal assets and personnel.”
Asked for comment, the White House referred to Trump’s statement on Friday.
JB Pritzker, the Democratic governor of Illinois, which includes Chicago, said in a statement the state had received no outreach from the federal government on whether it needed assistance. He said there was no emergency warranting a National Guard or other military deployment.

“Donald Trump is attempting to manufacture a crisis, politicize Americans who serve in uniform and continue abusing his power to distract from the pain he is causing working families,” Pritzker said.
A spokesperson for Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. On Friday Johnson said the city had grave concerns about the impact of any unlawful deployment of National Guard troops.
“The problem with the President’s approach is that it is uncoordinated, uncalled for and unsound,” the mayor said, adding that over the past year, homicides in Chicago have fallen by more than 30%, robberies by 35% and shootings by almost 40%.
At Trump’s request last weekend, the Republican governors of three states said they were sending hundreds of National Guard troops hundreds of miles to Washington, D.C.

The president has portrayed the nation’s capital as a city awash in crime, although Justice Department data shows violent crime hit a 30-year low last year in Washington, a self-governing federal district under the jurisdiction of Congress.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/us/pentagon-working-plans-military-deployment-chicago-washington-post-reports-2025-08-24/

A fire has been put out at a nuclear power plant in Russia’s western Kursk region and air defences have shot down a Ukrainian drone, Russian officials have said.

The drone detonated when it fell and damaged a transformer, but radiation levels were normal and there were no casualties, a post from the plant’s account on messaging app Telegram said.

It comes as Ukraine is celebrating its independence day on Sunday, which marks the country’s declaration of independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

The United Nations’ International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has repeatedly called on both Russia and Ukraine to show maximum restraint around nuclear facilities in the war.

Ukraine has not commented on the Russian accusation regarding the nuclear site in Kursk, a region where Ukrainian troops briefly invaded in an unexpected military counteroffensive against the Russians last year.

The UK government has announced that Ukrainian flags will appear above Downing Street on Sunday in recognition of the anniversary.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey has said Britain is “ramping up” its support for Ukraine “on this special day for the freedom and democracy of the Ukrainian people”.

The Ministry of Defence has announced that British military experts will continue to train Ukrainian soldiers until at least the end of 2026, with an extension to Operation Interflex.

Operation Interflex is the codename given to the UK Armed Forces’ training programme, which has been created to develop and prepare Ukrainian recruits to fight their country’s Russian invaders.

On Saturday, Russia said its forces in eastern Ukraine seized two villages in the Donetsk region.

Russian forces have been advancing very slowly, and at great cost, in eastern Ukraine and they now control about 20% of Ukraine’s territory.

A full-scale invasion of Ukraine was launched by Russia in 2022.

There has been intense diplomacy over the war this month, with US President Donald Trump meeting his Russian counterpart President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on 15 August.

The summit was billed as a vital step towards peace in Ukraine. However, despite both leaders claiming the talks were a success, Trump has since shown growing frustration publicly over the lack of a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.

Trump has said he is considering either hitting Russia with further economic sanctions or walking away from peace talks.

“I’m going to make a decision as to what we do and it’s going to be, it’s going to be a very important decision, and that’s whether or not it’s massive sanctions or massive tariffs or both, or we do nothing and say it’s your fight,” Trump said on Friday.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czxy2v9dzgxo

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar defended India’s oil trade and strategic autonomy amid US tariffs, rejecting mediation with Pakistan and criticising accusations of profiteering from Russian oil purchases.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar took a jibe at the United States and Europe over the imposition of tariffs on Indian goods, firmly stating that no one was compelled to purchase refined oil or related products from India.

While speaking at a media event, Jaishankar said, “It’s funny to have people who work for a pro-business American administration accusing other people of doing business. If you have a problem buying oil or refined products from India, don’t buy it. Nobody forces you to buy it. Europe buys, America buys, so you don’t like it, don’t buy it.”

In response to US President Donald Trump’s claim that he had brokered a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, Jaishankar emphasised the national consensus within India against allowing any third-party mediation on bilateral matters with its neighbour.

He further outlined the Indian government’s consistent stance on trade, the protection of farmers’ interests, and strategic autonomy. “When it comes to the trade, the interests of farmers, when it comes to our strategic autonomy, when it comes to opposition to mediation, this government is very clear” Jaishankar said.

He went on to challenge critics by saying, “If anybody disagrees with us, please tell the people of India that you are not prepared to defend the interests of farmers. Please tell the people of India you don’t value strategic autonomy. We do. We will do whatever we have to do to maintain it.”

Jaishankar’s remarks come amid rising tensions in the relationship between the US and India, following Trump’s decision to impose 50 per cent tariffs on Indian goods. An additional 25 per cent tariff was also levied as a punitive measure in response to India’s increased imports of Russian oil. Notably, no equivalent tariffs have been applied to Chinese imports, despite China being the largest buyer of Russian oil.

The Indian government condemned the move as “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable,” and declared that it would “take all actions” necessary to safeguard its national interests. The Ministry of External Affairs also highlighted that other countries are similarly buying Russian oil for strategic reasons and expressed disappointment at India being singled out.

Previously, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused India of “profiteering” from its significantly increased purchases of Russian oil amid the Ukraine conflict. He described the US position on the matter as one of strong disapproval.

In an interview with CNBC, Bessent revealed that Russian oil now constituted 42 per cent of India’s total oil imports, a sharp increase from less than 1 per cent prior to the war. Meanwhile, China, the top importer of Russian oil, had raised its share modestly from 13 per cent to 16 per cent.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/you-dont-like-it-you-dont-buy-jaishankars-jibe-at-us-over-russian-oil-purchase-glbs-2775860-2025-08-24

JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N), will pay the Malaysian government $330 million to settle matters related to its role in the multibillion-dollar scandal at state fund 1MDB, both parties said on Friday.
The settlement was announced as Swiss authorities separately found the U.S. bank guilty and fined it for failing to prevent money laundering in its dealings related to 1Malaysia Development Berhad.

Malaysian and U.S. investigators say at least $4.5 billion was stolen from 1MDB in a globe-spanning scheme between 2009 and 2014.

In 2021, 1MDB sued a unit of JPMorgan, along with those of Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE), and Coutts & Co, to recover losses from the fund, citing alleged “negligence, breach of contract, conspiracy to defraud/injure and/or dishonest assistance” on the part of the firms.
It had sought $800 million from J.P. Morgan (Switzerland) Ltd, court documents had shown.
A joint statement from JPMorgan and Malaysia on Friday said that the company, without any admission of liability, would contribute the settlement payment to the government’s 1MDB Assets Recovery Trust Account.
“The settlement agreement resolves all existing and potential claims and binds both parties from any future claims or litigations related to 1MDB,” the joint statement said.

Each party will also withdraw all pending appeals connected with the lawsuit previously filed by 1MDB against the JPMorgan unit at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, it said.
The Swiss Attorney General’s Office said on Friday it had found JPMorgan’s Swiss unit guilty of “failing to take all reasonable and necessary organisational measures” to prevent acts of aggravated money laundering in its 1MDB-related dealings, and ordered it to pay a fine of 3 million francs ($3.71 million).
The fine was issued as part of the Swiss federal prosecutor’s investigation into JPMorgan’s dealings with two executives at an oil exploration company, who were convicted by a Swiss court last year of embezzling more than $1.8 billion from 1MDB, the office said in a statement.
JP Morgan said it was pleased to have resolved matters including working with the Malaysian government on past issues related to 1MDB.

“Since then, we’ve enhanced our controls, earning the trust of regulators in Switzerland and beyond,” the bank said in a statement.
The 1MDB scandal has implicated high-level officials, banks, and financial institutions around the world. Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was jailed in 2022 after being found guilty of 1MDB-linked corruption and money laundering.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/markets/emerging/jpmorgan-agrees-pay-malaysia-330-million-settle-1mdb-claims-2025-08-22/

Dar’s remarks come as a renewed signal of Pakistan’s willingness to re-engage with India, following a similar statement he made in July

Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Friday said that Islamabad is open to holding talks with India covering all pending issues, including Kashmir.

“Talks, whenever held, will be not just about Kashmir but on all issues,” Dar said.

The Pakistani leader made these remarks while speaking to reporters outside Pakistan’s Parliament in Islamabad, India Today reported.

Dar’s remarks come as a renewed signal of Pakistan’s willingness to re-engage with India, following a similar statement he made in July.

Back in July, during an interaction with the Atlantic Council think tank, Dar had said Pakistan was ready to engage on a wide range of subjects. “Pakistan is ready to work and cooperate with India on all fronts—from trade to counter-terrorism,” he had stated.

Dar also had stressed that the “ball is now in India’s court,” and Islamabad was still waiting for a formal response from New Delhi.

At that time, Dar had also called for a resumption of the composite dialogue process, which previously served as a structured framework for bilateral talks. This included discussions on Kashmir, cross-border terrorism, people-to-people ties, trade, and cultural exchanges.

However, India has remained firm in its stance. In response to Dar’s remarks, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had stated in Parliament that India will not hold talks with countries that support terrorism.

He had criticised Pakistan for giving military funerals to terrorists, calling such acts a glorification of terrorism.

Singh had added that “dialogue is possible only with democratic and civilised nations, not those driven by hatred and religious extremism.”

“The language of terrorism is fear, blood, and hate, not dialogue,” he said, adding that “the voice of dialogue is suppressed under the firing of bullets,” the Defence Minister had remarked.

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/ishaq-dar-says-pakistan-is-ready-for-talks-with-india-on-all-issues-including-kashmir-ws-kl-9522513.html

A global hunger monitor has confirmed famine in parts of the Gaza Strip for the first time. The UN rights chief said starving Gaza could be a war crime, while Israel’s PM called the report “an outright lie.” DW has more.

The U.S. is seeking to procure cobalt worth up to $500 million for defense stockpiles amid the country’s move to boost its critical mineral supplies.
Companies have been scrambling to source rare earths after China imposed restrictions, leading to a 75% drop in rare earth magnet exports from the country in June and causing some auto companies to suspend production.

U.S. President Donald Trump in March invoked emergency powers to boost domestic production of critical minerals as part of a broad effort to offset China’s near-total control of the sector.

In July, Reuters reported that the White House tapped a former mining executive, David Copley, to head an office at the National Security Council focused on strengthening supply chains.
According to the tender document published by the U.S. Department of Defense and the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) on Wednesday, they are looking for offers for alloy-grade cobalt of about 7,480 tonnes over the next five years.
Cobalt, mostly imported by the U.S., is used in batteries, a component in nickel superalloys for high temperature sections of jet engines and industrial gas turbines, among others.
However, the defense department was seeking offers from only three companies – units of Vale SA in Canada, Japan’s Sumitomo Metal Mining and Norway’s Glencore Nikkelverk.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-defense-department-buy-cobalt-up-500-million-2025-08-21/

The longtime Trump aide said Indian refiners are cashing in while fuelling the war. “They don’t need oil — it’s a refining profiteering scheme,” he argued. Navarro mixed criticism with praise for India’s leadership, but pressed New Delhi to change course.

White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro turned up the heat on India’s role in the Ukraine war, accusing New Delhi of refinery profiteering and dubbing it a “laundromat” (self-service laundry) for Russian oil.

“It’s nonsense that India needs Russian oil,” Navarro told reporters, warning that President Donald Trump is unlikely to extend the August 27 deadline for doubling tariffs on India as punishment for buying crude from Moscow.

NO EXTENSION FOR 50% TARIFFS ON INDIA

“Just six days from now, you see — I see that (the imposition of secondary tariffs on August 27) taking place. India doesn’t appear to want to recognise its role in the bloodshed. It simply doesn’t. It’s cosying up to Xi Jinping, that’s what it’s doing,” Navarro said.

The longtime Trump aide said Indian refiners are cashing in while fuelling the war. “They don’t need oil — it’s a refining profiteering scheme,” he argued.

“India uses the money that they get from us when they sell us stuff to buy Russian oil, which then is processed by refiners, and they make a bunch of money there. But then the Russians use the money to build more arms and kill Ukrainians, and so American taxpayers have to provide more aid, military style, to the Ukrainians. So that’s insane,” he added.

Navarro mixed criticism with praise for India’s leadership, but pressed New Delhi to change course. “I love India. Look, (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi is a great leader. But please, please India, like, look at what your role here is in the global economy. What you’re doing right now is not creating peace, it’s perpetuating the war.”

“When you think about the tariffs we are putting in place 25% because they cheat us on trade, 25% because of the Russian oil, I ask you what is the net impact on Americans?” Navarro said.

INDIA IS ‘MAHARAJA’ IN TARIFFS, SAYS NAVARRO

“They have higher tariffs, Maharaja tariffs, higher non-tariff barriers. We run a massive trade deficit with them, so that hurts American workers, hurts American businesses. Then they use the money they get from us when they sell us stuff to buy Russian oil, which is processed by refiners, and they make a bunch of money there,” he added.

Navarro quipped that the “road to peace runs through New Delhi” — urging the country to stop giving Moscow an economic lifeline.

The sharp remarks stressed Trump’s hard line on India’s energy trade with Russia, with Navarro insisting: “President Trump sees that chessboard beautifully. And you guys need to write about that.”

Navarro’s comments come as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar responded to criticism of India by American officials for its energy ties with Russia, and said the US itself had asked New Delhi to help stabilise global energy markets by buying Russian oil.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/world/us-news/story/road-peace-runs-through-new-delhi-russian-oil-laundering-trump-aide-navarro-glbs-2774974-2025-08-22

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that with this project, Israel is finally delivering on the promise of a Palestinian state “being erased from the table, not with slogans but with actions”.

A widely condemned Israeli settlement plan that would cut across land which the Palestinians seek for a state received final approval on Wednesday (Aug 20), according to a statement from Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

Israel has long had ambitions to build on the roughly 12 sq km parcel known as E1 just east of Jerusalem, but the plan had been stalled for years amid international opposition.

The approval of the E1 project, which would bisect the occupied West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem, was announced last week by Smotrich and received final go-ahead from a defence ministry planning commission on Wednesday, he said.

Restarting the project could further isolate Israel, which has watched some Western allies frustrated by its continuation and planned escalation of the Gaza war, announce they may recognise a Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly in September.

“With E1 we are delivering finally on what has been promised for years,” Smotrich, an ultra-nationalist in the ruling right-wing coalition, said in a statement. “The Palestinian state is being erased from the table, not with slogans but with actions.”

The latest announcement also drew condemnation, with UN chief Antonio Guterres saying the settlement would effectively cleave the West Bank in two and pose an “existential threat” to a contiguous Palestinian state.

The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned the announcement on Wednesday, saying that the E1 settlement would isolate Palestinian communities living in the area and undermine the possibility of a two-state solution.

The Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA) added that the move would entrench “division of the occupied West Bank into isolated areas and cantons that are disconnected from one another, turning them into something akin to real prisons, where movement is only possible through Israeli checkpoints and under the terror of armed settler militias”.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not commented on the E1 announcement.

However on Sunday, during a visit to Ofra, another West Bank settlement established a quarter of a century ago, he made broader comments, saying: “I said 25 years ago that we will do everything to secure our grip on the Land of Israel, to prevent the establishment of a Palestinian state, to prevent the attempts to uproot us from here. Thank God, what I promised, we have delivered.”

The two-state solution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict envisages a Palestinian state in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza, existing side by side with Israel.

Western capitals and campaign groups have opposed the settlement project due to concerns that it could undermine a future peace deal with the Palestinians.

The plan for E1, located adjacent to Maale Adumim and frozen in 2012 and 2020 amid objections from the US and European governments, involves the construction of about 3,400 new housing units.

Infrastructure work could begin within a few months, and house building in about a year, according to Israeli advocacy group Peace Now, which tracks settlement activity in the West Bank.

Most of the international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law.

Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the area and saying the settlements provide strategic depth and security.

All of Israel’s settlements in the West Bank, occupied since 1967, are considered illegal under international law, regardless of whether they have Israeli planning permission.

Israel heavily restricts the movement of West Bank Palestinians, who must obtain permits from authorities to travel through checkpoints to cross into east Jerusalem or Israel.

Guterres repeated a call for Israel to “immediately halt all settlement activity”, warning that the E1 project would be “an existential threat to the two-State solution”, his spokesperson said.

A German government spokesperson commenting on the announcement told reporters on Wednesday that settlement construction violates international law and “hinders a negotiated two-state solution and an end to the Israeli occupation of the West Bank”.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy also rejected the plans, saying it would “divide a Palestinian state in two (and) mark a flagrant breach of international law”.

Jordan’s King Abdullah II denounced the project as well, adding that “the two-state solution is the only way to achieve a just and comprehensive peace”.

Israel is attempting to divide up major Palestinian cities through plans like E1 and turn them into “what could be termed reservations”, said Ryan Bohl, senior Middle East and North Africa analyst from global risk intelligence firm RANE Network.

“(These are) areas that would be autonomous. They would be run by Palestinian civil and police authorities, but they would have no foreign policy. They would have no real economic or trade policies,” he told CNA’s Asia First.

“They’d be completely reliant on the Israelis for their well-being, and in between would be Israeli settlements that would be a permanent fact of life there.”

What is happening in the West Bank is similar to what the Israeli government’s plan for the Gaza Strip is – putting as much military pressure on Gazans before finding host countries to reduce Gaza’s population, Bohl said.

“We’ve seen this in South Sudan, Uganda, Indonesia, Somaliland. They’re all contenders, with American pressure, to bring in a limited number of Gaza refugees. It’s very likely those Gazans would never go home. The Israeli government would then partially resettle the Gaza Strip with Jewish settlers,” he added.

“BURY” PALESTINIAN STATEHOOD

Violence in the West Bank has soared since the Oct 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war.

Since then, Israeli troops and settlers have killed at least 971 Palestinians in the West Bank, including many militants, according to health ministry figures.

Over the same period, at least 36 Israelis, including security forces, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations, according to official figures.

Aviv Tatarsky, a researcher at Ir Amim, an Israeli NGO focusing on Jerusalem within the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, condemned the greenlighting of the E1 project.

“Today’s approval demonstrates how determined Israel is in pursuing what Minister Smotrich has described as a strategic programme to bury the possibility of a Palestinian state and to effectively annex the West Bank,” he said.

“This is a conscious Israeli choice to implement an apartheid regime,” he added, calling on the international community to take urgent and effective measures against the move.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/israel-approves-west-bank-settlement-project-palestine-two-state-solution-5305106

One of the major drivers has been its popularity with celebrity fans, who include Lisa of K-pop group Blackpink, singer Rihanna and ex-football star David Beckham.

China’s Pop Mart, which has taken the world by storm with its ugly-cute Labubu doll, reported a nearly 400 per cent first-half net profit on Tuesday (Aug 19) on high demand for the toys and a shift towards higher-margin overseas markets.

Net profit of 396.5 per cent and a 204.4 per cent jump in revenues exceeded numbers flagged in an earnings preview last month, forecasting revenue growth of 200 per cent in the first half of 2025 and a recurring net profit increase of at least 350 per cent on the year.

Shares in Pop Mart have risen more than 200 per cent year-to-date, making the Chinese toy company more valuable than traditional industry giants like Barbie-maker Mattel and Hello Kitty parent company Sanrio.

Pop Mart often sells its collectable figurines in so-called “blind boxes” with buyers not knowing the exact design they will receive until they open the packaging.

One of the major drivers of the toothy-grinned Labubu’s success has been its popularity with celebrity fans, who include Lisa of K-pop group Blackpink, singer Rihanna and ex-football star David Beckham.

Pop Mart is pledging to increase the supply of the dolls, which have sold out in stores around the world.

Its CEO, Wang Ning, in an interview with Chinese state media last month, said sales of Labubu will surpass 10 million units per day from September this year.

Pop Mart classifies Labubu under its The Monsters intellectual property (IP) characters. It said on Tuesday that The Monsters raked in 4.81 billion yuan (US$669.88 million) in the first half, accounting for 34.7 per cent of total revenue.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/east-asia/china-pop-mart-labubu-doll-marker-400-cent-5302331

DONALD Trump today ruled out American troops patrolling Ukraine — but said he was looking at air cover for European boots on the ground.

The US President publicly confirmed that Britain, France and Germany had committed manpower to police any deal with Russia but insisted his forces would play a back-seat role underwriting the peace.

His comments came as the White House confirmed Mr Trump’s team was negotiating a one-on-one showdown between Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin.

But dashing Ukraine ambitions, Mr Trump warned the country “is not going to be a part of Nato”.

He said instead: “We’ve got the European nations, and they’ll front-load it. When it comes to security, the Europeans are willing to put people on the ground.

“We’re willing to help them with things — especially, probably, talk about by air, because there’s nobody who has the kind of stuff we have. I don’t think it’s going to be a problem.”

The White House released a remarkable series of behind the scenes photographs of world leaders, including PM Sir Keir Starmer, negotiating plans for the so-called Coalition of the Willing of 30 nations signed up to protect Ukraine.

Mr Trump was snapped showing them a collection of MAGA caps, while, hours after the meeting a new portrait of the President, unsmiling and striding between lines of US flags was also unveiled.

The candid snaps of Monday’s summit also showed leaders studying a map of Ukraine in the Oval Office as they discussed Ukraine ceding territory to bring about an end to the war with Russia.

It was claimed the leaders used the talks to convince Mr Trump to take a stand against Putin demands for Kyiv to turn over all of its Donbas region — comparing it to the US losing his beloved Florida.

And it was reported by the Wall Street Journal that they talked the President into supporting Ukraine keeping heavily fortified parts of the eastern region by describing it as a “bastion against the Huns”.

Speaking about the chances of a deal, Mr Trump said: “I think Putin is tired of it. I think they’re all tired of it.

“But you never know. We’re going to find out about President Putin in the next couple of weeks.

“It’s possible he does not want to make a deal.”

He added: “I hope that President Putin will be good, and if he is not, it is going to be a rough situation and I hope President Zelensky is going to show flexibility as well.”

The Sun told how Mr Zelensky won concessions from Mr Trump after turning up for a White House summit in a suit — as opposed to the combat fatigues he wore when they rowed six months ago.

The White House did not deny claims Putin had suggested Moscow as a venue for face-to-face talks with Mr Zelensky.

But the Kremlin would not publicly confirm they had even agreed to sit down with the Ukrainians.

Russian Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow was “not rejecting any forms of work, neither bilateral nor trilateral” but said any talks would have to be “prepared extremely carefully”.

He did suggest that they were open to meeting the Ukraine leader if it was prepared with the “utmost thoroughness”.

Mr Zelensky has reportedly rebuffed the offer from Putin to hold the meeting in Moscow.

However, Mr Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted Putin was signed up for a meeting — and that the US was actively involved in the organisation of it.

Geneva was being talked up as a more suitable location for the showdown.

Switzerland, which remained neutral during both World Wars, has promised immunity to the Russian despot despite an International Criminal Court warrant out for his arrest.

Although it is a signatory to the court, the Alpine nation said it could get around its obligations to handcuff Putin because of Geneva’s role as the UN’s European HQ.

Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said: “We have always signalled our willingness, but it naturally depends on the will of the major powers.”

Both France and Italy have signalled their enthusiasm for Geneva as a host country.

Sir Keir Starmer chaired a virtual call of the pro-Ukraine Coalition of the Willing countries from Scotland, where he is on holiday.

Britain, France and Germany are all prepared to deploy peacekeeping troops in Ukraine in the event of a deal to end the war.

A No10 spokesman said: “The PM began by reflecting on the constructive meeting, saying it was clear there was a real sense of unity and shared goal of securing a just and lasting peace for Ukraine.”

At one awkward moment the PM was forced to tell other world leaders to “mute themselves” so he could speak.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/15005469/trump-rules-out-us-troops-ukraine/

A gold rush brought settlers to South Dakota’s Black Hills roughly 150 years ago, chasing the dream of wealth and displacing Native Americans in the process.

Now, a new crop of miners driven by gold prices at more than $3,000 an ounce are seeking to return to the treasured landscape, promising an economic boost while raising fears of how modern gold extraction could forever change the region.

“These impacts can be long term and make it so that tourism and outdoor recreation is negatively impacted,” said Lilias Jarding, executive director of the Black Hills Clean Water Alliance. “Our enjoyment of the Black Hills as a peaceful place, a sacred place, is disturbed.”

The Black Hills encompass over 1.2 million acres (485,622 hectares), rising up from the Great Plains in southwest South Dakota and extending into Wyoming. The jagged peaks are smaller than those of the Rocky Mountains, but the lush pine-covered hills are sacred to the Lakota Sioux people and serve as a destination for millions of tourists who visit Mount Rushmore and state parks.

Dramatic landscape changes come with modern mining

One gold mine now operates in the Black Hills, but companies have proposals before state and federal agencies for another one, plus exploratory drilling sites that they hope will lead to full-fledged mines. That has prompted opposition by Native American tribes and environmentalists who argue the projects are close to sacred sites, will contaminate waterways and permanently scar the landscape.

Gold extraction has changed dramatically in the decades since prospectors first began panning for gold in the Black Hills. The industry now typically relies on massive trucks and diggers that create deep, multitiered pits and use chemicals like cyanide to extract the gold.

The land can never return to its original state. The Homestake mine, once the largest and deepest gold mine in the Western Hemisphere, now sits barren in Lead, South Dakota, and is used for scientific research.

Interest in Black Hills gold mining has soared along with the price of the metal. When the Homestake mine closed in 2002, gold sold for about $300 an ounce. Now it goes for about 10 times as much.

Joseph Cavatoni, senior market strategist at the World Gold Council, attributes the price spike to global economic uncertainty.

“Gold tends to be a stable asset,” he said. “That actually performs well in inflationary times, and holds its value in recessionary times. That’s why gold as an asset in investment.”

President Donald Trump also boosted the industry by issuing an executive order in March to increase American mineral production, calling for expedited permitting and reviews.

Colin Paterson, professor emeritus of geological engineering at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, notes that Black Hills gold is encased in rock. To extract it, the rock is crushed and then a chemical like cyanide is used to dissolve the mineral and remove it.

Mining brings revenue, but renews Black Hills fight

AT LEAST three people have been killed and eight injured in a shooting at a New York City restaurant.

Emergency services swarmed the Crown Heights area in Brooklyn shortly before 3:30am as police search for multiple gunmen.

Several reports of gunfire were made around closing time at the Taste of the City Lounge on 903 Franklin Ave.

Police found three deceased male victims inside with two being identified as 27 and 35, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.

The age of the third is yet to be confirmed.

Another eight people were urgently transported to local hospitals with their conditions remaining unknown.

They are all believed to be between the ages of 27 and 61 and are made up of five men and three women.

Footage from the scene shows police lights flashing as ambulances rush down the street.

Witnesses said on social media a police cordon has been put in place with “crime tape stretched for blocks”.

A 39-year-old man who wanted to remain anonymous said he saw one of the victims get shot.

He told the New York Post: “He’s a regular, he wasn’t doing nothing.

“Nothing to do with it. He’s just outside the bathroom, hitting a hookah, dead.”

Cops also recovered 36 shell casings from the scene with officials investigating the possibility of multiple shooters.

Detectives later recovered a firearm near to Bedford Avenue and Eastern Parkway.

They are still investigating whether the weapon has any connection to the shooting.

No arrests have been made yet as police continue to hunt down multiple suspects, Tisch said.

She added: “It’s a terrible thing that happened this morning and we’re going to investigate to determine what went down.”

The NYPD have urged residents to avoid the area while investigations are ongoing.

Officers have been reviewing CCTV footage from the area and are interviewing witnesses to try and piece together the shooting.

Investigators are urging anyone with any information to come forward.

Taste of the City Lounge is a popular American and Caribbean diner with a full bar, hookah, and DJs.

It follows another horror shooting in Times Square last week which left three people injured.

A teenage gunman opened fire in the popular tourist hotspot as footage showed panicked crowds fleeing as cops swarmed a vehicle.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14988840/brooklyn-shooting-injured/

VOLODYMYR Zelensky will be flanked by European leaders at the White House today as he again meets US President Donald Trump to talk peace in Ukraine.

The landmark moment comes as America finally confirmed it will step in if Vladimir Putin strikes again in future.

Mr Trump’s peace envoy Steve Witkoff said those protections would come “not from Nato, but directly from the United States, and other European countries”.

Six months after his disastrous Oval Office shouting match with the US President, Ukraine’s hero leader Mr Zelensky will travel to Washington DC today alongside more than half a dozen allies.

PM Sir Keir Starmer will join the leaders of France, Germany and Italy alongside the heads of Nato and the EU in a firm show of solidarity against the Russians.

Following Mr Trump’s historic Alaska summit with Putin last week, swathes of eastern Ukraine are on the negotiating table.

Ukraine is also set to be forced to abandon its dream of formally joining Nato, but is desperately seeking future guarantees for its remaining territory.

But Mr Zelensky yesterday said territory haggling could only be discussed “by the leaders of Ukraine and Russia” at his expected showdown with Putin.

Last night, European leaders including Sir Keir held a video conference ahead of the White House meeting where they warned the Kremlin’s barbarous invasion must not see “borders redrawn by force”.

After her own meeting on Sunday with Mr Zelensky, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said: “These are decisions to be made by Ukraine and Ukraine alone, and these decisions cannot be taken without Ukraine at the table.”

But last night US officials insisted it was Mr Trump who invited all of the key players as the time had come to finally work out how to police any peace deal with Russia.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters the key issue was, “How do we stop this from happening again?” as he opened the door for a major role for the US in the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” that has vowed to protect Ukraine’s future sovereignty.

He said: “They’re not coming here tomorrow to keep Zelensky from being bullied. They’re coming here tomorrow because we’ve been working with the Europeans. We invited them to come.”

He added Mr Trump may finally be ready to make the “big move” to have the US play an active role in underwriting Ukraine’s security despite months of refusing to make that pledge.

Mr Witkoff told CNN that following Mr Trump’s talks with Putin: “We were able to win the following concession — that the United States could offer Article 5-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in Nato.”

Nato’s Article 5 states an attack on one member is considered an attack on all — and allies must come to its defence.

Mr Witkoff said the move would be “game changing” as it was the “first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that”.

He added: “We didn’t think we were anywhere close to agreeing to Article 5 protection from the US in legislative enshrinement within the Russian Federation, not to go after any other territory when the peace deal is codified.”

Mr Rubio insisted no final decision had been made on US involvement.

Last night, Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform: “Big progress on Russia. Stay tuned!”

Earlier yesterday, Sir Keir told coalition members that the military planning for such a scenario was now at an “advanced stage” and was bolstered by America’s pledge.

However, Mr Rubio warned that breakthrough would come at a cost to Ukraine, which must give up at least parts of the Donbas territory.

Russia has been meddling in the border region since 2014, but does not control the mineral-rich region despite a full-scale invasion in 2022.

A heroic 3½-year stand by the Western-backed Ukrainian Armed Forces has seen the Donetsk and Luhansk regions split by bloody stalemate, with Russia attempting to grind its way through inch by inch.

In the Alaska talks, it is understood Putin insisted a peace deal would mean Ukraine surrendering these two key regions in full despite remaining in control of some parts.

But Mr Zelensky rejected those terms yesterday, telling reporters in Brussels: “We need real negotiations, which means they can start where the front line is now — the contact line is the best line for talking.”

It was not clear what Russia had offered in concessions beyond some other slivers of land currently occupied in the south-east of Ukraine.

The Kremlin also rejected an immediate ceasefire to allow for talks to take place, with Mr Trump siding with that demand during his three-hour, face-to-face showdown with his Russian counterpart.

The US President said it was more important to seek a lasting peace accord than a mere pause that could be quickly broken.

But last night the Trump administration insisted there would need to be concessions on both sides, as the Europeans vowed to keep their boot on Putin’s throat through punishing economic sanctions.

Mr Rubio said: “We may not like it, it may not be pleasant, it may be distasteful, but in order for there to be an end of the war, there are things Russia wants that it cannot get, and there are things Ukraine wants it’s not going to get.”

On how long talks could take, he added: “I’m not saying we’re on the verge of a peace deal, but I am saying we saw enough movement to justify a follow-up with Zelensky and the Europeans.”

He warned of further sanctions for Russia if the peace talks collapse over future security guarantees for Ukraine.

Putin insists that Ukraine cannot join Nato, but allies are working on a plan to give Kyiv legally binding guarantees Russian aggression would be matched by force.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14978353/trump-putin-meeting-alaska-news-latest/

Melania Trump may not have attended the big summit between President Donald Trump and Vladamir Putin Friday — but she sure as Hell made her presence known in the form of a poignant personal letter.

The United States’ first lady penned a message to the Russian president that was reportedly hand-delivered to him during his meeting with 47 in Anchorage, Alaska.

The letter, which Melania shared on Instagram Saturday, raises concern for the children abducted during the war in Ukraine. She pleads with Putin to protect “the innocence” of the children, who she says deserve the right to the dream of “love, possibility, and safety from danger.”

She implores … “As leaders, the responsibility to sustain our children extends beyond the comfort of a few. Undeniably, we must strive to paint a dignity-filled world for all — so that every soul may wake to peace, and so that the future itself is perfectly guarded.”

Melania aims right at Putin’s ego, telling him he can not only benefit the children of Russia, but “serve humanity itself.”

She concludes … “Such a bold idea transcends all human division, and you, Mr. Putin, are fit to implement this vision with a stroke of a pen today. It is time.”

Now talk about a mic drop moment.

Trump went into his monumental meeting with Putin at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson with the goal of not just reaching a ceasefire … but a peace deal to put an end to the 3-year war with Ukraine.

A peace deal was not reached, but Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he plans to meet with Trump in Washington, D.C. on Monday … and Trump announced on Truth Social Saturday that “it was determined by all that the best way to end the horrific war between Russia and Ukraine is to go directly to a Peace Agreement.”

Source: https://www.tmz.com/2025/08/16/melania-trump-wrote-letter-to-vladamir-putin-fighting-for-abducted-children/

In the world of technology, engineers are not just cogs in a machine; they are the builders, the dreamers, and the ones who solve the problems they see in the world. And sometimes, those solutions turn into billion-dollar businesses. This is the story of the “Palantir Mafia,” a group of former Palantir employees who have left the data analytics giant to found their own startups, just like the famed “PayPal Mafia” that produced companies like SpaceX, YouTube, LinkedIn, Palantir Technologies, Affirm, Slide, Kiva, and Yelp.

1. Introducing the Amazing People from Palantir
The “Palantir Mafia,” akin to the renowned “PayPal Mafia,” comprises former Palantir engineers and executives who left to tackle meaningful problems with technological innovation, creating substantial impact and wealth. Unlike ex-consultants from firms like McKinsey, BCG, or Bain, these tech leaders leverage their deep technical expertise to solve complex issues directly, resulting in profound advancements and successful ventures.

Key Figures and Their Ventures

1. Alex Karp – Palantir Technologies
   • Former Role: Co-Founder and CEO
   • Company: Palantir Technologies
   • Focus: Data analytics
   • Market Penetration: Widely used across government and commercial sectors
   • Revenue: $1.5 billion annually
   • Capital Raised: $3 billion​​
2. Max Levchin – Affirm
   • Former Role: Co-Founder (PayPal, associated with Palantir founders)
   • Company: Affirm
   • Focus: Buy now, pay later financial services
   • Market Penetration: Significant presence in the consumer finance market
   • Revenue: $870 million in fiscal 2021
   • Capital Raised: $1.5 billion
3. Joe Lonsdale – 8VC
   • Former Role: Co-Founder
   • Company: 8VC
   • Focus: Venture capital firm
   • Market Penetration: Diverse portfolio, influential in tech sectors
   • Assets Under Management: $3.6 billion
4. Palmer Luckey – Anduril Industries ( could be the blue blooded Musk of 2020-2030s)
   • Former Role: Founder of Oculus VR, associated with Palantir through ventures
   • Company: Anduril Industries
   • Focus: Defense technology
   • Innovation: Developed the Lattice AI platform for autonomous border surveillance and defense applications
   • Market Penetration: Contracts with U.S. Department of Defense and border security agencies
   • Revenue: $200 million annually
   • Capital Raised: $700 million
5. Garrett Smallwood – Wag!
   • Former Role: Executive roles at other startups before Wag!
   • Company: Wag!
   • Focus: On-demand pet care services
   • Market Penetration: Operates in over 100 cities
   • Revenue: $100 million annually
   • Capital Raised: $361.5 million
6. Nima Ghamsari – Blend
   • Former Role: Product Manager at Palantir
   • Company: Blend
   • Focus: Mortgage and lending software
   • Market Penetration: Partners with major financial institutions
   • Revenue: Estimated $100 million+ annually
   • Capital Raised: $665 million
7. Stephen Cohen – Quantifind
   • Former Role: Co-Founder of Palantir
   • Company: Quantifind
   • Focus: Risk and fraud detection using data science
   • Market Penetration: Used by financial services and government sectors
   • Capital Raised: $8.7 million
8. Vibhu Norby – B8ta
   • Former Role: Engineer at Palantir
   • Company: B8ta
   • Focus: Retail-as-a-service platform
   • Market Penetration: Transforming in-store retail experiences
   • Capital Raised: $113 million
9. Joe Lonsdale – Addepar
   • Former Role: Co-Founder of Palantir
   • Company: Addepar
   • Focus: Wealth management technology
   • Market Penetration: Manages over $2 trillion in assets
   • Capital Raised: $325 million
10. Raman Narayanan – SigOpt
    • Former Role: Data Scientist at Palantir
    • Company: SigOpt (acquired by Intel)
    • Focus: Machine learning optimization
    • Market Penetration: Utilized by top tech companies
    • Capital Raised: $8.7 million (before acquisition)

2. Engineers Make Better Founders in the Tech Industry

Unlike ex-consultants from big 3 who may excel in strategy and communication but often lack the technical depth to truly understand the intricacies of building a tech product, these ex-Palantir engineers come armed with both the vision and the technical chops to bring their ideas to life. They’ve spent years wrestling with complex data problems at Palantir, and they’re now taking those hard-won lessons to solve new challenges across a wide range of industries.

Engineers bring a problem-solving mindset that focuses on creating practical, scalable solutions. This technical acumen has allowed former Palantir employees to launch transformative companies that push the boundaries of what’s possible in various industries.

3. Market Penetration and Success of Palantir Alumni

The success of these Palantir alumni is evident through their market penetration and revenue. For instance, Palantir Technologies itself is a major player in the data analytics field, with a revenue of $1.5 billion annually. Affirm, led by Max Levchin, has made significant inroads in the consumer finance market, generating $870 million in revenue in fiscal 2021. Anduril Industries, founded by Palmer Luckey, has secured substantial contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense, contributing to its $200 million annual revenue.

Other successful ventures include Blend, with its deep partnerships with major financial institutions, and Addepar, managing over $2 trillion in assets. These companies not only showcase the technical expertise of their founders but also highlight their ability to penetrate markets and achieve substantial financial success.

4. Engineers vs. Consultants: A Compelling Argument

The technical depth and problem-solving mindset of engineers make them particularly suited for founding and leading tech startups. Their ability to directly tackle complex problems contrasts with the approach of ex-consultants from firms like McKinsey, BCG, or Bain, who often focus more on financial and operational efficiencies.

While consultants excel in operations-heavy startups, where strategic planning, financial management, and operational efficiency are paramount, engineers thrive in tech startups that require innovative solutions and deep technical expertise. The success stories of the Palantir alumni underscore this distinction, demonstrating how their engineering backgrounds have enabled them to drive significant technological advancements and build successful companies.

Source: https://nocturnalknight.co/inside-the-palantir-mafia-secrets-to-succeeding-in-the-tech-industry/

A red carpet for Vladimir Putin and no results for Ukraine. The Alaska summit, which many had pinned high hopes on, turned out to be a complete disappointment from the perspective of many Ukrainians.

During Saturday night, many Ukrainians stayed up and anxiously waited for news from the Alaska summit between US President Donald Trump and Russia’s head of state Vladimir Putin. For some, there was hope the talks could lead to some sort of end of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Many Ukrainians though feared the price for this might be territorial concessions Kyiv would be pressured into making. But it soon became clear that the summit in Alaska had brought no fundamental changes.

No deal, just a photo op
“There were no concrete results for Ukraine,” Oleksandr Kraiev of the Ukrainian Prism think tank told DW.

“Thank God nothing was signed and no radical decisions were made,” the North America expert said. “The summit was an extremely successful information operation for Russia. The war criminal Putin came to the US and shook hands with the leader of the free world.”

According to Kraiev, apart from “Trump’s deference toward Putin, there were no final answers to the most important questions.” He believes that Putin dealt with Trump “with surgical precision” and told him everything Trump wanted to hear. This way, Putin got everything he wanted out of the summit.

According to Ivan Us from Ukraine’s Center for Foreign Policy of the National Institute for Strategic Studies, the Russian president never wanted the summit to lead to an end to the war. Instead, Putin’s goal was to legitimize himself and end his international isolation.

“For Putin, having a joint photo with Trump was the goal of this summit. To show in Russia that the isolation is over, that there won’t be new sanctions, and that everything is fine, so that there’d be positive impulses for the markets. And for Trump, it was a moment where he wanted to demonstrate strength. He was walking next to Putin while a US bomber flew above them, the same bomber that recently attacked Iran. This was a signal to everyone not to forget who the most important country in the world is,” Us told DW.

As if to confirm this, Dmitry Medvedev, chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said after the Alaska summit that a “full-fledged mechanism for meetings” between Russia and the US at the highest level had been restored.

“Important: The meeting proved that negotiations without preconditions and simultaneously with the continuation of the Special Military Operation are possible. Both sides directly put the responsibility for future negotiation results on Kyiv and Europe,” Medvedev wrote on social networks. The term Special Military Operation is how Russia refers to its war against Ukraine.

More uncertainty following Alaska summit

Ivan Us thinks that the summit did not get Ukraine closer to peace. Instead, it intensified the chaos, as the US and Russia are making contradictory statements about continuing possible trilateral dialogue involving Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. For example, Moscow says that Trump and Putin did not discuss a trilateral summit with Zelensky, while Washington says the opposite.

Zelenskyy himself spoke of receiving an invitation to a trilateral meeting.

“We support President Trump’s proposal for a trilateral meeting between Ukraine, the US, and Russia. Ukraine emphasizes: Important issues can be discussed at the level of heads of state, and a trilateral format is suitable for this,” he wrote on social media after a phone call with Donald Trump.

Zelenskyy shared that he would meet with Donald Trump in Washington on August 18.

“Ukraine confirms once again that it is ready to work toward peace as productively as possible. President Trump informed me about his meeting with the Russian president and about the key points of the discussion. It is important that US power influences the development of the situation,” the Ukrainian president said.

Moscow doesn’t change its goals

There are fears in Ukraine that Zelenskyy’s trip to Washington could result in new pressure from the US on Ukraine.

“Any ‘no’ from the Ukrainian side could be portrayed as [a] lack of willingness to end the war. Trump essentially admitted that it’s about an ‘exchange of territories for security guarantees,’ and he confirmed that agreement was reached on certain points and spoke of a ‘chance for success,'” Iryna Herashchenko, Ukrainian MP and co-chair of the opposition party “European Solidarity,” wrote on social media.

She believes that such formulations allow Moscow to present this as legitimization of its demands.

“Putin repeated during the brief briefing once again that the actual causes of the conflict must be eliminated. This means that Moscow will not change its goals – because the existence of an independent Ukraine is seen as the actual cause,” warns Herashchenko.

Ukrainian political scientist Vadym Denisenko, however, believes that Russia’s idea of “doing business with the US in exchange for Ukrainian territory” didn’t work. Putin managed to gain time, though.

“At Alaska, they agreed to negotiate,” Denisenko wrote on social media.

Nevertheless, he argues that Putin “lost what was most important: his maneuverability. He drastically restricted his scope for action and is actually rapidly falling into China’s arms.”

Denisenko believes that if no results regarding the end of the war are achieved within two months, the issue will become part of Chinese-American negotiations.

“In other words: A new window for negotiations will open earliest at the end of the year, realistically only in spring 2026,” he predicted.

More than 500 humanoid robots in 280 teams from 16 countries are competing in 26 events ranging from soccer and boxing to sorting medicine and cleaning up at the first World Humanoid Robot Games.

Three days of competitions began in Beijing, China, on Thursday evening as the country steps up efforts to develop robots powered by artificial intelligence.

Winning isn’t everything

“We come here to play and to win. But we are also interested in research,” said Max Polter, a member of the HTWK Robots football team from Germany, affiliated with Leipzig University of Applied Sciences, told Reuters news agency.

“You can test a lot of interesting, new and exciting approaches in this contest. If we try something and it doesn’t work, we lose the game,” Polter said. “That’s sad, but it is better than investing a lot of money into a product that fails.”

Not approaching human record … yet?

The robots crashed into each other and toppled over repeatedly during football matches, while another fell over mid-sprint during running events. The AFP news agency reported that one of the fastest robots finished a 1,500-meter race in 6:29:37 — well off the current human record of 3:26:00.

At the kung fu competition, a child-sized robot resembling one from the popular Transformer series tried a complicated move only to fall on its face and spin on the floor in an attempt to get back up. The crowd, however, cheered happily.

China’s focus on robotics and AI

Chinese officials made humanoids the “center of their national strategy,” the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) wrote in a paper published Thursday.

“The government wants to showcase its competence and global competitiveness in this field of technology,” it added.

In March, China announced plans for a one-trillion-yuan fund (€119 billion, $139 billion) to support technology startups, including those in robotics and AI.

Joost Weerheim, part of the Dutch five-a-side robot football team, told AFP he was impressed by the skill of China’s teams.

“I think right now if they are not already the world leader, they are very, very quickly becoming it,” he said.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/worlds-first-humanoid-robot-games-begin-in-china/a-73652714