Category: World

Morocco is currently building what will be the globe’s largest football stadium in preparation for co-hosting the 2030 World Cup.

But for the demonstrators who have taken to the streets each night across the country since last Saturday, this 115,000-capacity showpiece and all the other football infrastructure in development, costing a reported $5bn (£3.7bn), are an affront – an example of a government that has got its priorities wrong.

“I am protesting because I want my country to be better. I don’t want to leave Morocco, and I don’t want to resent my country for choosing to stay,” says Hajar Belhassan, a 25-year-old communications manager from Settat, 80km (50 miles) south of Casablanca.

A group called Gen Z 212 – the number is a reference to the country’s international dialling code – has been coordinating the demonstrations through the gaming and streaming platform Discord, as well as TikTok and Instagram.

Apparently taking inspiration from Nepal’s recent Gen Z protests, the young Moroccans want the authorities to act with the same urgency and passion when it comes to addressing these issues as with hosting one of the world’s premier sporting events.

Starting on 27 September with protests across 10 cities, the crowds have been building through the week, chanting slogans such as: “No World Cup, health comes first” and “We want hospitals not football stadiums”.

The police have responded with seemingly arbitrary mass arrests and in certain places things have turned violent, leading to the death of three protesters.

Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch said on Thursday that he was open to dialogue, but the leaderless movement has vowed to keep going until there is concrete change.

A list of their demands has been shared on social media. They include:

• Free and quality education for all
• Accessible public healthcare for everyone
• Decent and affordable housing
• Better public transport
• Lower prices and subsidise basic goods
• Improve wages and pensions
• Provide job opportunities for youth and reduce unemployment
• Adopt English as the second language instead of French (after Arabic)

Anger had been growing, but what galvanised the movement was the death over a number of days in mid-September of eight women in a maternity ward of a hospital in the southern city of Agadir. There were some reports that the deaths could have been prevented if there had been better care, proper equipment and enough medical staff.

In 2023, it was estimated that there were 7.8 doctors per 10,000 Moroccans, way below the World Health Organization recommendation of 23 per 10,000.

Having read about the protests on social media and inspired by a friend, Ms Belhassan decided to join on Monday.

The day before, that friend had been sending her videos from a demonstration in Casablanca that she was taking part in and Ms Belhassan was immediately uploading them onto her social media accounts.

Then, her friend called to say her brother had been arrested. He was not released until the early hours of the following morning. This, Ms Belhassan says, is what pushed her to go out on to the streets.

“We are making reasonable, basic demands. Health and education are necessities that should already be prioritised,” she tells the BBC in a passionate voice.

“It breaks my heart to see young, educated and peaceful people faced with arbitrary arrests.”

When Ms Belhassan went out she noticed that the police were trying to stop people gathering and were making arrests.

She says she was scared of making eye contact with officers in case she attracted their attention.

“I was afraid for my safety but I still went out,” she says.

On Wednesday, interior ministry spokesman Rachid El Khalfi said that 409 people had been detained up to that point.

He also announced in a press release that 260 police officers and 20 protesters had been injured and 40 police vehicles and 20 private cars were torched in violent clashes.

Twenty-three-year-old Hakim (not his real name) was one of those arrested.

He says he went out onto the streets of Casablanca to protest peacefully but ended up in a police cell with around 40 people.

“This government has been abusing their power too much,” Hakim says. “My father had a stroke a little while ago. If we didn’t have some savings to get him treated in a private hospital he would’ve died. What am I gaining from a country that is not providing healthcare for my ageing parents or educating me?”

He describes the state-funded education system as being “far behind” what is available in the private sector.

“We deserve a dignified life,” says Hakim. “We want to host the Fifa World Cup, but we want to do that with our heads up high, not while hiding behind a façade.”

The police response has been heavily criticised by several Moroccan human rights organisations, protesters and the opposition.

The Gen Z 212 protests are not the first time that young Moroccans have taken to the streets.

Many commenters online have been drawing parallels with the country’s violent 1981 riots, where those who died became known as the Bread Martyrs as they were protesting against the soaring price of basic foods. A 2004 commission appointed by the king to investigate the country’s past human rights abuses verified 114 deaths but did not disclose how exactly they died. Reparations were then made to victims of human rights abuses and families of deceased ones.

The country has seen other youth-led movements, notably in 2011 and 2016.

The events of 2011 were part of the larger Arab Spring and led to reform of the constitution through a national referendum called by King Mohamed VI.

For the first time in Moroccan history, the monarch strengthened the role of the government by ceding executive power to the prime minister and parliament. The king remains the legitimate head of state, military and religious affairs, holding the power to appoint and remove ministers if necessary.

What makes Gen Z 212 different is that those demonstrating say they are not tied to a political party and do not appear to have a formal structure.

“We are not a political movement. We have no leader,” Ms Belhassan says.

“Maybe that’s why the police were arresting people, and why the government kept silent – because, in their eyes, we didn’t follow the traditional path of organisations and political parties.”

But there is some disquiet about the violence.

On the night of 1 October, three protesters died in the town of Lqliaa after people attempted to storm a police station. The local authorities said security forces opened fire after protesters tried to start a fire and steal weapons from the station, then subsequently released supporting CCTV footage to disprove emerging false narratives online.

Protesters have condemned the rioting and looting that have happened in certain areas and have organised clean-up groups. They have also repeatedly called for peace and dialogue, but it seems they are not convinced by the prime minister’s apparent willingness to talk.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8rv2l3me40o

As multinationals stampede for the exits, Pakistan has discovered it can’t sell itself as a market anymore. Only its soil is worth buying, and Trump just became the biggest landlord of all.

Pakistan is for sale, but nobody wants what it’s offering. Procter & Gamble has shut its doors after three decades. Microsoft closed after 25 years. Shell sold out. Telenor, Uber, Careem and pharmaceutical giants like Pfizer, Bayer and Sanofi have all walked away. The exodus is unprecedented, and the message is brutal: Pakistan is not worth the trouble.

Yet whilst multinationals flee the collapsing market, Pakistan is hawking its land like a desperate landlord. Over 2,000 acres of Balochistan, including Gwadar Port, have been leased to China for more than 40 years under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor deal. Tax exemptions and operational control have been handed over wholesale. Sovereignty traded for survival.

Now Donald Trump has entered the game. In 2025, Pakistan courted Trump with samples of rare earth minerals from Balochistan. A 500 million dollar memorandum was signed between Pakistan’s military controlled Frontier Works Organisation and Missouri based US Strategic Metals. Trump walked in with a pen, and Pakistan handed him the keys to its mineral wealth. He has outplayed China, becoming the biggest land grabber of them all.

The reasons for the corporate exodus are chronic. Political instability rewrites the rulebook with every government change. Currency controls trap profits in depreciating rupees. Thirty different corporate taxes create bureaucratic nightmares. Energy crises, security risks and infrastructure decay pile on the misery. But the killer blow is shrinking consumer demand. With 42 per cent of the population below the poverty line, Pakistan has become a market that simply cannot consume.

Compare this to the neighbours. Vietnam attracts 23 billion dollars in foreign direct investment. India pulls in 70 billion. Bangladesh secures 3.4 billion. Pakistan manages a humiliating 683 million dollars. With 216 million people, it should be an investment magnet. Instead, it’s a cautionary tale.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/pakistan-sells-its-soul-as-trump-grabs-the-land-2797467-2025-10-03

The death toll after violent clashes between security forces and demonstrators in Pakistan-administered Kashmir rose to nine on Thursday as Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif sent a delegation to the region’s capital for talks with the protest leaders, officials said.

In a statement, Sharif appealed for calm and asked the police to exercise restraint. He also said his government was committed to addressing public grievances in Kashmir.

Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, a minister in Sharif’s Cabinet, wrote on X that talks with representatives of the Awami Action Committee were underway in Muzaffarabad.

At the same time local authorities reported a convoy of buses and cars was seen moving toward Muzaffarabad, the regional capital, for another mass protest.

The developments came a day after thousands of demonstrators armed with sticks and guns attacked police officers deployed in various parts of the region to keep roads open and guard government buildings.

Video footage posted online showed violent clashes between protesters belonging to the Awami Action Committee and the police.

The violence began earlier this week after an alliance of several groups launched protests demanding subsidies on food, electricity and other services.

Chaudhry Anwarul Haq, the region’s prime minister, said Wednesday that his administration had agreed to accept 36 of the alliance’s 38 demands — including cheaper wheat, reduced electricity tariffs, and local governance reforms — but he said the group had refused to call off its agitation and instead continued violent demonstrations.

According to a government statement, at least nine people, including three police officers, have been killed in the clashes. More than 150, mostly policemen, have also been injured, it said, as authorities transported some of the critically wounded officers to Islamabad hospitals.

Source: https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-kashmir-protest-death-toll-rises-talks-3bd4fd8a72bcb7d3bbff7cc45032e926

A set of early draft designs for a commemorative $1 coin has stirred debate in Washington. The coin, prepared by the United States Mint for America’s 250th Independence anniversary in 2026, shows former President Donald Trump’s portrait — something federal law may not allow.

Images of the proposed coin designs were sha

red online this week and later confirmed by the US Treasury.

US Treasurer Brandon Beach wrote on X, “No fake news here. These first drafts honouring America’s 250th Birthday and @POTUS are real. Looking forward to sharing more soon, once the obstructionist shutdown of the United States government is over.”

The drafts reveal Trump’s profile on the coin’s front, with the word “Liberty” placed above, “In God We Trust” below, and the dates “1776″ and “2026″ flanking the sides. The reverse side carries a more dramatic image: Trump raising his fist after the Butler, Pennsylvania, assassination attempt earlier this year, with an American flag behind him and the words “FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT” printed across the top.

However, placing Trump on the coin could violate long-standing US law. Federal code clearly states: “No coin issued under this subsection may bear the image of a living former or current President, or of any deceased former President during the 2-year period following the date of the death of that President.”

Congress had earlier passed the Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act, which allows the Treasury to issue special $1 coins during 2026 to mark the semiquincentennial. The law also bars the use of portraits or busts of living people on the reverse side of coins.

The draft design technically avoids that restriction on the obverse by showing Trump’s profile, but the Butler image on the reverse leaves the legality unclear.

When asked about the controversy, a Treasury spokesperson told CNN that the design is not final. “While a final $1 dollar coin design has not yet been selected to commemorate the United States’ semiquincentennial, this first draft reflects well the enduring spirit of our country and democracy, even in the face of immense obstacles,” the spokesperson said.

Source: https://www.news18.com/world/trump-1-coin-for-real-us-treasury-confirms-plans-to-celebrate-americas-250th-anniversary-9613050.html

It has been reported that Pakistan will honour Mohsin Naqvi for his firm and proud stance during the Asia Cup 2025 final.

Mohsin Naqvi made headlines for stealing the Asia Cup 2025 Trophy in Dubai on Sunday, September 28. The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) president left the Dubai International Cricket Stadium with the Asia Cup trophy after India refused to take the trophy from him following their 5-wicket win over Pakistan in the final. Amid drama over the Asia Cup 2025 final, Pakistan is reportedly set to honour Naqvi.

It has been reported that Naqvi will be given a special gold medal for his strong stance during the trophy handover controversy with India.

As per the available information, Naqvi is all set to be awarded the Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Excellence Gold Medal in Karachi. The award is being given to him for his “firm and principled stance” against Indian demands during the Asia Cup final.

As per The Nation, Karachi Basketball Association president Advocate Ghulam Abbas Jamal has announced the award for Naqvi. According to The Nation, the medal will be presented to Naqvi at a grand ceremony in Karachi, where PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is expected to be the chief guest.

This will be the first high-level visit from Kabul to New Delhi since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021, marking a new chapter in India-Taliban engagement.

In a landmark development that could reshape regional geopolitics, Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi of the Taliban government is all set to visit India on October 9. This will be the first high-level visit from Kabul to New Delhi since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021, marking a new chapter in India-Taliban engagement.

The United Nations Security Council has confirmed that Muttaqi has been granted a temporary exemption from international travel restrictions, allowing him to visit New Delhi between October 9 and 16. The exemption underlines the significance attached to the visit, both by the Taliban administration and by regional powers seeking to recalibrate ties.

Indian diplomatic circles have been preparing for this moment for months. Since January, Indian officials, including Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and senior IFS officer J.P. Singh, have held multiple rounds of dialogue with Muttaqi and other Taliban leaders, often meeting in neutral venues like Dubai. India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in Dubai, where discussions centred on New Delhi’s ongoing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, particularly in strengthening the health sector and supporting refugee rehabilitation.

The turning point came on May 15 immediately after India’s successful Operation Sindoor against Pakistan, when External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held a phone conversation with Muttaqi – the first ministerial-level contact since 2021. During that discussion, Jaishankar expressed appreciation for the Taliban’s condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack and reaffirmed India’s “traditional friendship with the Afghan people”.

Earlier in April, the Taliban had condemned the Pahalgam terror attack in India’s Kashmir during a high-level meeting with Indian officials in Kabul, where India shared specific details of the terror attack. This significant statement indicated how India and Afghanistan were on the same page on Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in the region.

India has since expanded direct humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, providing food grains, medical supplies, and development assistance. Sources say the Taliban administration has also formally conveyed several requirements to India, ranging from energy support to infrastructure cooperation.

Following the devastating earthquake in September, India emerged as one of the first responders, swiftly dispatching 1,000 family tents and 15 tonnes of food supplies to the worst-affected provinces. This was soon followed by an additional 21 tonnes of relief material, including essential medicines, hygiene kits, blankets, and generators, underscoring India’s commitment to aiding the Afghan people in times of crisis.

Since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, India has supplied Afghanistan with nearly 50,000 tonnes of wheat, more than 330 tonnes of medicines and vaccines, and 40,000 litres of pesticides, along with a range of other essential items. These sustained efforts have provided critical help to millions of Afghans grappling with food insecurity, health challenges, and humanitarian distress.

The visit is being widely interpreted as a setback for Pakistan, which has long sought to maintain influence over Kabul. Islamabad’s decision earlier this year to repatriate more than 80,000 Afghan refugees strained ties with the Taliban, opening diplomatic space for India to step in more assertively. Analysts note that Muttaqi’s presence in New Delhi signals Kabul’s willingness to diversify its foreign relations and reduce dependency on Pakistan.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/talibans-foreign-minister-to-visit-india-in-historic-diplomatic-breakthrough-9385931?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

Putin referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as his friend, calling him a “balanced, wise” and “nationally oriented” leader, and said he feels comfortable in their trustworthy interactions.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has hit out at the United States over its efforts to pressure India to stop its Russian crude trade, saying New Delhi would never bow to such demands and let itself get humiliated in front of anyone. Speaking at the plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club in Sochi, the Russian President praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “balanced and wise leader”, as he stressed that Moscow and New Delhi share a “special” relationship.

He said India’s import of Russian crude oil is “purely an economic calculation”. “There is no political aspect here… If India refuses our energy supplies, it will suffer certain losses. Estimates vary; some say it could be around $9-10 billion. But if it doesn’t refuse, sanctions will be imposed, and the loss will be the same. So why refuse if it also carries domestic political costs?” Putin asked.

“Of course, the people of a country like India, believe me, will closely monitor the decisions made by the political leadership and will never allow any humiliation in front of anyone. And then, I know Prime Minister Modi; he himself would never take any steps of this kind… The losses faced by India due to punitive US tariffs would be balanced by crude imports from Russia, plus it will gain prestige as a sovereign nation.”

The Russian leader’s remarks come two weeks after US President Donald Trump, during his address in the United Nations General Assembly, called China and India the “primary funders” of the Ukraine war, accusing them of financing it by continuing to buy Russian oil. The US has imposed an additional 25 per cent tariff on India as a punishment for buying Russian oil, raising the total tax on Indian exports to 50 per cent in August.

Putin noted that higher tariffs on trading partners could drive up global prices and force the US Federal Reserve to keep interest rates high.

He then highlighted the “special” nature of Russia-India relations since the days of the Soviet Union, when India was fighting for its independence. “In India, they remember this, they know it, and they value it. We appreciate that India has not forgotten it… We have never had any problems or interstate tensions with India. Never,” he stressed.

He referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as his friend, noting that he feels comfortable in their trustworthy interactions, and called PM Modi a “balanced, wise” and “nationally oriented” leader.

Putin acknowledged the trade imbalance between New Delhi and Moscow and said that to reduce it, Russia may buy more agricultural products and medicines from India.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/vladimir-putin-big-praise-for-pm-narendra-modi-amid-us-tariffs-india-wont-allow-humiliation-9387123?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

Lori Loughlin was seen grabbing dinner with Anne Heche’s ex James Tupper one day before news of her split from Mossimo Giannulli broke.

The “Full House” alum was pictured in deep conversation with Tupper after dining together at The Bird Streets Club in West Hollywood on Wednesday evening. At one point, the pair leaned in for an affectionate hug while waiting for their vehicles at the valet.

Loughlin, 61, rocked a casual-chic vibe in a pair of wide-legged jeans with a classic black blazer and pointy-toed pumps. She accessorized with a matching black handbag and wore her light brown hair straight around her shoulders.

Tupper, 60, donned a pair of dark jeans with a matching jacket and a white button down shirt, and was seen walking Loughlin to the door of a vehicle before she stepped in.

“Lori and James have worked together and are old friends,” a rep for Loughlin told Page Six of the sighting. A rep for Tupper did not immediately return Page Six’s request for comment.

Loughlin and Tupper recently co-starred in the 2023 movies “A Christmas Blessing” and “Fall Into Winter.”

Their outing came hours before it was confirmed that the sitcom actress and her husband of nearly 28 years had parted ways.

“Lori and Mossimo are living apart now,” a rep for Loughlin confirmed to Page Six Thursday. “There are no legal proceedings underway.”

The former couple shares daughters Isabella Rose, 27, and Olivia Jade, 26 — whose own high-profile romance with “Euphoria” star Jacob Elordi reportedly ended in August.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/10/02/celebrity-news/lori-loughlin-seen-embracing-james-tupper-before-split-news/

A notice calls the people the U.S. military recently killed on suspicion of drug smuggling in the Caribbean Sea “unlawful combatants.”

President Trump has decided that the United States is engaged in a formal “armed conflict” with drug cartels his team has labeled terrorist organizations and that suspected smugglers for such groups are “unlawful combatants,” the administration said in a confidential notice to Congress this week.

The notice was sent to several congressional committees and obtained by The New York Times. It adds new detail to the administration’s thinly articulated legal rationale for why three U.S. military strikes the president ordered on boats in the Caribbean Sea last month, killing all 17 people aboard them, should be seen as lawful rather than murder.

Mr. Trump’s move to formally deem his campaign against drug cartels as an active armed conflict means he is cementing his claim to extraordinary wartime powers, legal specialists said. In an armed conflict, as defined by international law, a country can lawfully kill enemy fighters even when they pose no threat, detain them indefinitely without trials and prosecute them in military courts.

Geoffrey S. Corn, a retired judge advocate general lawyer who was formerly the Army’s senior adviser for law-of-war issues, said drug cartels were not engaged in “hostilities” — the standard for when there is an armed conflict for legal purposes — against the United States because selling a dangerous product is different from an armed attack.

Noting that it is illegal for the military to deliberately target civilians who are not directly participating in hostilities — even suspected criminals — Mr. Corn called the president’s move an “abuse” that crossed a major legal line.

“This is not stretching the envelope,” he said. “This is shredding it. This is tearing it apart.”

Anna Kelly, a White House spokeswoman, said in an email that “the president acted in line with the law of armed conflict to protect our country from those trying to bring deadly poison to our shores, and he is delivering on his promise to take on the cartels and eliminate these national security threats from murdering more Americans.”

The Trump administration has called the strikes “self-defense” and asserted that the laws of war permitted it to kill, rather than arrest, the people on the boats because it said the targets were smuggling drugs for cartels it has designated as terrorists. The administration has also stressed that tens of thousands of Americans die annually from overdoses.

However, the focus of the administration’s attacks has been boats from Venezuela. The surge of overdose deaths in recent years has been driven by fentanyl, which drug trafficking experts say comes from Mexico, not South America. Beyond factual issues, the bare-bones argument has been broadly criticized on legal grounds by specialists in armed-conflict law.

The notice to Congress, which was deemed controlled but unclassified information, cites a statute requiring reports to lawmakers about hostilities involving U.S. armed forces. It repeats the administration’s earlier arguments but also goes further with new claims, including portraying the U.S. military’s attacks on boats to be part of a sustained, active conflict rather than isolated acts of claimed self-defense.

Specifically, it says that Mr. Trump has “determined” that cartels engaged in smuggling drugs are “nonstate armed groups” whose actions “constitute an armed attack against the United States.” And it cites a term from international law — a “noninternational armed conflict” — that refers to a war with a nonstate actor.

“Based upon the cumulative effects of these hostile acts against the citizens and interests of the United States and friendly foreign nations, the president determined that the United States is in a noninternational armed conflict with these designated terrorist organizations,” the notice said.

There are different kinds of wars, and the concept of a “noninternational armed conflict” developed in 20th-century law to mean a civil war in one country, as opposed to a war between two or more nation-states.

After the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, when the United States went to war against Al Qaeda — a nonstate actor operating across multiple countries — some legal scholars objected that the Bush administration was stretching the rules to justify using wartime powers against a group they likened more to a criminal band of pirates.

But the Supreme Court found that the conflict with Al Qaeda was a real war. It blessed as lawful the Bush administration’s use of the wartime power to hold captured Qaeda members in indefinite detention without trial, while also saying the government was bound by the Geneva Conventions to treat such prisoners humanely and not torture them.

The court’s reasoning, however, turned on the fact that Al Qaeda had attacked the United States using hijacked airplanes as weapons to intentionally kill people, and that Congress had authorized the use of armed force against it. Indeed, in a 2006 ruling, the court also rejected the Bush administration’s first attempt to use military commissions, saying that lawmakers needed to explicitly authorize them.

In this case, the Trump administration is conflating the trafficking of an illicit consumer product and associated crime with an armed attack, asserting in the notice that cartels “illegally and directly cause the deaths of tens of thousands of American citizens each year.” But it has not explained how selling a dangerous substance constitutes a use of force, and Congress has not authorized the use of any type of military force against cartels.

The U.S. government has routinely said it is engaged in a metaphorical “war on drugs,” meaning aggressive law enforcement. Mr. Trump’s claim that he can and has put the country into a literal state of war against drug cartels is important for legal reasons. Police arrest suspected drug dealers; it would be a crime to instead summarily gun them down. But in an armed conflict, it is lawful to kill combatants for the opposing force on sight.

The notice to Congress also justified the most recent publicly disclosed attack on a boat — in which U.S. Special Operations forces killed all three people about the vessel on Sept. 15 — by calling the crew “unlawful combatants,” as if they were soldiers on a battlefield.

“The vessel was assessed by the U.S. intelligence community to be affiliated with a designated terrorist organization and, at the time, engaged in trafficking illicit drugs, which could ultimately be used to kill Americans,” the notice said. “This strike resulted in the destruction of the vessel, the illicit narcotics, and the death of approximately three unlawful combatants.”

The notice to Congress did not specifically name any of the drug cartels with which Mr. Trump claims the United States is engaged in an armed conflict. It also did not specify any standards the administration is using to determine whether particular suspects have sufficient links to such groups for the military to kill them.

Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, accused Mr. Trump of deciding that he could wage “secret wars against anyone he calls an enemy.” The president “offered no credible legal justification, evidence or intelligence” for the strikes, Mr. Reed said.

“Drug cartels are despicable and must be dealt with by law enforcement,” he said. “But now, by the president’s own words, the U.S. military is engaged in armed conflict with undefined enemies he has unilaterally labeled ‘unlawful combatants,’ and he has deployed thousands of troops, ships and aircraft against them. Yet he has refused to inform Congress or the public.”

But Sean Parnell, the chief Pentagon spokesman, said the Defense Department was “successfully prosecuting this critical mission in compliance with both domestic and international law, and in accordance with the law of armed conflict. The department has provided the required notifications to Congress.”

Source : https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/us/politics/trump-drug-cartels-war.html?unlocked_article_code=1.qU8.Vevz.JAIF-HDhKU9T&smid=url-share

After almost a week of regular demonstrations, protests in Morocco turned violent, resulting in hundreds injured and two deaths. Who’s behind the protests, what are they demanding, and where might this end?

Since last week, the streets of the Moroccan capital Rabat have been unusually quiet. This is because in the early evening, the city center turns into an arena for demonstrations led by an anonymous collective known as GenZ 212.

The name Gen Z indicates the age of the protesters, who are mostly in their teens or twenties, and the numbers 212 are Morocco’s dialing prefix.

The protests started small on September 27, but gradually grew to include working-class neighborhoods throughout Rabat. It then spread to Morocco’s biggest cities, including Casablanca and Agadir, and then to smaller towns, too.

Recently, they have become violent. Morocco’s Interior Ministry reported that as a result of violence earlier this week, over 400 people had been arrested, 263 security officers injured, and 142 of their vehicles damaged. A further 20 privately-owned cars were also damaged and 23 civilians injured, the ministry said.

Two people were killed on October 1, after police fired at protesters in the southern town of Lqliaa, reportedly in self-defense, Morocco’s state news agency reported.

How did protests start?

The group GenZ 212 first called for protests around a month ago, on its eponymous server on the social platform Discord. It called for young people to protest on September 27 and 28, to demand their right to better health services and education, and to denounce what have been described as misplaced political priorities.

Huge amounts of public money have been invested into football stadiums in Morocco that will be used for various tournaments, including the 2026 Africa Cup of Nations in December and the FIFA World Cup in 2030. But at the same time, local schools and hospitals remain underfunded.

In mid-September, around the time as the original GenZ 212 group founded its Discord server, rights groups and locals staged protests in front of a regional hospital in Agadir following the deaths of up to eight women — including several who were pregnant — under questionable circumstances.

At first it wasn’t clear whether GenZ 212’s calls to demonstrate would be heeded. But small demonstrations did occur on September 27, and then continued to grow. The group then decided to organize daily protests. This has resulted in some of the largest anti-government protests in Morocco in years.

Moroccans aged between 15 and 34 make up around 30% of the whole population. Although GenZ 212 has not made jobs a major demand, the Gen Z age group is overrepresented in unemployment statistics, with around 37% of Moroccans aged between 15 and 24 currently without a job. In cities, the unemployment rate for this age group goes up to around 48%.

On Tuesday, October 1, the protests became violent for the first time, with demonstrators seen confronting Moroccan security services, setting cars and shops on fire, smashing windows, and throwing rocks.

Who are GenZ 212?

The group is “purely a product of the internet,” Moroccan political analyst Rachid Belghiti told DW Arabic. “It has no traditional organizational structure, and no known leadership.”

That makes it different from previous anti-government protests in Morocco, Belghiti noted, including the so-called February 20 Movement, a pro-democrary protest movement that was part of the Arab Spring demonstrations of 2011. The breakout of those protests in 2011 led Morocco’s King Mohammed VI to announce a referendum on a new constitution.

“The February 20 movement had a primary political demand: reform of state structures, a complete separation of powers, and the establishment of a parliament that would exercise real powers,” Belghiti explained. “Whereas the current demands of the Gen Z movement are more general and are characterized by a kind of political romanticism.”

How has the Moroccan government responded?

At first, government-affiliated media outlets didn’t pay the youth protests much attention. Some officials uploaded messages to Facebook or YouTube in which they defended the government, criticized the protesters — there were even suggestions that the protests were driven by “foreign actors” — or urged restraint.

However, since then, official statements have become much more conciliatory.

On Tuesday, September 30, the government issued a statement: “After reviewing various developments related to youthful expressions in electronic and public spaces, the government emphasizes it is listening and it understands these social demands,” the statement said, before emphasizing that the way forward must be based on dialogue.

The statement also said that the government was aware of problems within the local health system, and that it was working on other reforms that would empower local youth.

Fatima-Zahra Mansouri, Morocco’s housing minister and the mayor of Marrakesh, described the protests as a form of “democratic vitality.”

“We are not afraid of our youth,” she said at a meeting earlier this week. “Protesting is legitimate, but we want it to remain within the law so that dialogue is possible.”

During a live broadcast from inside parliament, Morocco’s health minister, Amin Tehraoui, acknowledged chronic shortages within the national health system. He had previously dismissed the director of the Agadir hospital that had been the subject of protests earlier in September.

Opposition parties have also said that the government should respond to the protesters’ demands. Some members of opposition parties even suggested that the government should step down over this.

One notable absence among official sources responding to the protests is the country’s billionaire Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch. As a result, Akhannouch has been the subject of much ridicule and criticism on social media platforms.

On social media, there are increasing calls for Morocco’s King Mohammed VI to intervene in the face of what is perceived as the government’s inefficacy.

Morocco has an elected parliament and is a constitutional monarchy. But in reality, it is the king, who’s been on the throne for over 22 years now, who wields most political and economic power.

The GenZ 212 activists insist they’re not targeting this system. “Our problem does not extend beyond the current government and its policies,” one statement said. “Do not confuse criticism of the situation with rejection of the nation.”

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/moroccos-gen-z-protests-what-you-need-to-know/a-74220115

TAYLOR Swift looks stunning ahead of her The Life of A Showgirl album release as she films for the Graham Norton Show.

The stunning star, 35, is gearing up for the launch of her new album in style.

She was simply dazzling as she sat on the famous red couch for the Graham Norton show taping, which will air on Friday night at 10:40pm on BBC One in the UK.

Sitting down with a host of famous faces, Taylor looked stunning as she donned a black minidress with silver detailing.

She could be seen beaming beside the likes of Cillian Murphy, Greta Lee, Jodie Turner-Smith, Domhnall Gleeson and Lewis Capaldi during filming for the hit talk show.

Taylor was glowing as she smiled on the sofa, with her blonde locks cascading over her shoulder.

The dress that the hitmaker wore was a sleek black minidress which had a halterneck-style neckline.

Bejewelled and glimmering beneath the studio lights, the neck of the dress was adorned in huge gems, reminiscent of her engagement ring given to her by husband-to-be Travis Kelce.

Fans have been quick to react to the snaps of the future Mrs Kelce.

“STUNNING AS ALWAYS,” swooned one person on X.

“SHE LOOKS GORGEOUSSSS. AND HER RING AHHHHHHHHH,” said a second.

A third person wrote: “OUR SHOWGIRL.”

While a fourth said: “SOOOO PRETTYYYY.”

But some others thought she looked a little different from how she usually does.

“Wait why does she look different?” asked one.

While another questioned her muted look, writing: “Why isn’t she dressed like a showgirl????

“Something like this would’ve made more sense right???”

These photos have dropped just mere hours before the world is graced with Taylor’s 12th studio album.

The Life Of A Showgirl was announced back in the summer on her then-boyfriend’s podcast, New Heights.

The album announcement came shortly before Taylor revealed she was engaged to be married to hunky NFL player Travis Kelce.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/15284410/taylor-swift-stunning-showgirl-graham-norton-show/

A new regulation issued in June aims to legalise these wells so long that they meet “good engineering practices” within four years.

From a distance, the rolling hills and valleys of Wonocolo resemble the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic film.

As far as the eye can see, the trees that once blanketed these slopes have been replaced by three-legged towers – wooden logs lashed together with hemp rope, like skeletal sentinels jutting out of the ground.

Up close, the scene is even more surreal in this small East Javan village. The ground is dark and slick, streams are choked with iridescent oil and the air is thick with the smell of petroleum, the fossil fuel that is both Wonocolo’s economic lifeline and its undoing.

Oil wells have been a feature in the village for more than a century, first operated by Dutch colonial rulers followed by a succession of private and state-owned companies. Since the 1970s, they have been operated by locals with little training and rudimentary equipment.

Wonocolo is far from unique. Indonesia’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources estimates there are at least 30,000 of these so-called community-run oil wells scattered across the country.

“They conduct drilling activities with little to no safety precautions or regard for the environment,” said Putra Adhiguna, managing director of the think tank Energy Shift Institute. “As a result, blowouts and oil spills are rampant.”

These wells operate without permits, he added, but the government has long turned a blind eye because of their role in sustaining local economies.

That stance is now shifting. On Jun 3, the Energy Ministry issued a regulation allowing artisanal oil wells to operate legally provided that they meet yet-to-be-determined safety and environmental standards in four years’ time.

“(The Indonesian government) is trying to find a middle ground. By legalising the activity, the government hopes these wells can be better monitored and regulated,” Putra said.

“But oil extraction is not like other forms of mining. Even licensed oil and gas operations run by official companies … carry major risks. If such operations are run by ordinary people without sufficient resources, it’s bound to become chaotic.”

In August, a fire at an oil well in Central Java’s Blora regency killed four people, injured two and forced the evacuation of about 800 people.

Firefighters struggled to put it out for seven days. The burning well was “unusually wide” and it was difficult to “shut off the source of the fire”, Blora’s disaster mitigation agency head Muhammad Chomsul reportedly said.

OIL RUSH GOING STRONG

Oil was first discovered in the area in 1870 by Dutch engineers, who found oil about 10km southwest of Wonocolo, in the village of Ledok in Blora regency.

By the early 20th century, dozens of oil wells had been set up in what is now known as the Cepu oil block, which straddles the border of Central and East Java.

“If the Dutch found oil on your property, they would certainly grab your land and leave you homeless. If you keep the oil for yourself, you will be accused of stealing, sent to jail or shot,” said 64-year-old Ledok resident Tarmadi, recalling tales from the colonial era he had heard from his late father.

When Japan invaded Indonesia in 1942, the wells were plugged, ransacked or set on fire by retreating Dutch troops who did not want them to fall into enemy hands.

After Indonesia gained independence, several private companies and state-owned enterprises tried to manage a number of these wells.

“Not all (wells) were profitable enough for big companies,” Tarmadi told CNA, adding that the wells ignored by corporations ended up in the hands of locals.

Villagers with some experience in the oil industry began restoring these abandoned wells. Rusted pipes were replaced with new ones while wooden towers were raised over the shafts.

At the top of each tower, a pulley was hung to lower and raise a steel plunger that collects the oil. In the early days, these pulleys were powered by sheer muscle. Later, villagers repurposed old truck engines to do the heavy lifting.

Wonocolo resident and oil driller Laman told CNA that at first, there were only a handful of community-run operations in his village. But the 1997-1998 Asian financial crisis changed everything.

As factories shut down and millions lost their jobs, many returned to their hometowns to try their luck in the oil fields.

“People weren’t just restoring old dormant wells, they were digging new ones too,” said Laman, 72, as he watched his workers scramble to fix a leak in his well’s ageing shaft pipes.

Today, there are 425 wells in Wonocolo, a village of just 2,000 people spread over 11 square kilometres. Each well produces around 500 litres of crude oil a day, according to Laman.

Most of the crude is sold to a refinery operated by state oil company Pertamina, which buys at about 30 per cent below market price.

Even so, well owners can earn between 2 million and 4 million rupiah (US$130 to US$260) in revenue per day, a huge sum in a regency where the minimum salary is 2.5 million rupiah per month.

“But you spend a lot of money to keep these wells running. The older they get, the more expensive to maintain them,” Laman said.

From as low as a few hundred dollars, the cost of running the wells can balloon to tens of thousands of dollars if there is a major leak which requires entire shaft pipes to be replaced.

Meanwhile in Blora, a regency of 2,000 square kilometres, there are some 4,000 wells spread across dozens of villages.

“These wells are providing our residents with jobs and economic growth. Every year, our economy grows by upwards of 7 per cent,” Blora regent Arief Rohman told CNA.

By comparison, Indonesia’s economy expanded by 5.12 per cent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2025.

NEW POLICY AIMS TO RAISE SAFETY STANDARDS

The new regulation provides a legal umbrella for communities to operate their own oil wells.

The rules, however, specify that only existing wells – those originally drilled by large corporations but later left idle or abandoned – qualify. In addition, well owners must join a cooperative or register as a small or medium-sized enterprise.

Communities are also required to follow what the government calls “good engineering practices”.

“For years, there have been many accidents. They carried out drilling activities without regard for the environment. What the Minister (Bahlil Lahadalia) wants is to regulate these practices so such incidents can be avoided,” energy ministry spokeswoman Dwi Anggia told CNA.

Statistics on community-run oil well accidents are hard to come by because they existed in a legal grey area and often operated in secret. The latest blowout occurred on Sep 12 in Banyuasin regency, South Sumatra, killing five people. Police are still investigating the cause of the blowout.

The worst incident occurred on Apr 25, 2018 when a well in Aceh exploded as dozens of workers were extracting oil from it. Twenty-eight people were killed and dozens more suffered severe burns.

Legalising the practice, Dwi said, will allow major oil contractors and companies to formally work with traditional miners – training them in safety procedures, environmental protection, and introducing modern technology to support their operations.

The regulation comes as Indonesia seeks to boost its oil production to one million barrels per day by 2030.

Oil output peaked in the 1990s at about 1.6 million barrels per day. Since then, production has declined so sharply that Indonesia became a net oil importer in 2003. The current national output is about 580,000 barrels per day.

Dwi said the government is still defining what “good engineering practices” will entail, while also formulating programmes to help communities meet them.

“There will certainly be technical guidelines issued to regulate all of this,” she said, adding that the government is giving artisanal oil miners four years to comply.

“If during those four years they fail to comply with good engineering practices, then their wells will be shut down. And if there is evidence of criminal violations, law enforcement action will be taken.”

Some miners welcomed the new regulation. “We no longer have to worry about breaking the law. It puts us in a better position to negotiate prices with refineries, and we can even apply for loans. Everything will finally be above board,” said Wonocolo resident Laman.

But others remain cautious as many questions remain unanswered.

“What exactly will the requirements be? Will they be realistic for small miners like us, or only accessible to those with huge capital?” asked Tarmadi of Ledok, Blora.

NEW WELLS BEING DUG IN HOPES THEY WILL BE ALLOWED

Regional governments across Indonesia are currently racing to catalogue old and idle wells – no simple task in a landscape where some lie hidden deep in forests or perched on remote hills, reachable only by miles of bumpy dirt tracks.

But as officials vet these old wells, new ones are being dug in the hope they, too, will be recognised as “existing”.

The deadly inferno that broke out in Blora’s Gandu village on Aug 17, Indonesia’s Independence Day, was reportedly drilled earlier this year and had been operating for only a week.

“It was like a bomb went off,” recalled 44-year-old Supriyati, a mother of two who lived just metres from the site.

At the time, she could feel the ground shaking beneath her feet. Shockwaves ripped through her home, collapsing walls and leaving half the house in ruins.

She vividly remembers neighbours screaming and running in every direction as flames clawed at the sky.

Government officials have since plugged the well and ordered all villagers to return to their homes. But Supriyati still refuses to sleep in what remains of her house, choosing instead to live with relatives more than a kilometre away.

“I’m still worried … it could erupt again without warning,” she said.

Energy ministry spokeswoman Dwi Anggia said the regulation only applies to existing wells drilled in the past, before the new rules came into effect.

“If there are new wells dug after this regulation was issued in June 2025, then law enforcement action will be taken,” she told CNA.

Blora regent Arief Rohman said there are at least three more wells in Gandu that officials suspect were dug after the regulation was enacted.

Like the one which blew up, these wells were dangerously close to people’s homes and authorities have since shut them and arrested those operating them.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/indonesia-oil-wells-community-untrained-blowouts-fires-regulation-5381641

Chances are you know someone coughing and spluttering – hopefully not directly on you – right now.

There are lots of coughs and colds doing the rounds as autumn draws in.

But why now, how do you know if it’s more than just a cold and how can you avoid the worst.

Medical doctor Dr Oscar Duke, who is also a regular TV presenter including on the BBC’s Morning Live, shares his top tips.

The school district superintendent arrested by ICE this week lied about attending MIT and was the subject of two sex discrimination lawsuits, The Post has learned.

Snappy-dresser Ian Andre Roberts, 51, was fired by Des Moines Public Schools after it emerged he was working illegally and had been avoiding a deportation order.

Roberts spent over twenty years bouncing around the nation’s education system, holding top posts from coast-to-coast, but also proved controversial.

“He ruined our district for three years,” a former colleague in the state told The Post. “He was very smooth, affable, but the overarching feeling you got from him was smoke and mirrors, mystique.”

He is also rumored to have been caught having sex with a female coworker on school property at his previous role as a superintendent in rural Pennsylvania, a post he held from 2020 to 2023.

Former colleagues claimed to The Post Roberts was a sketchy figure and pathological liar. They said they felt he was hired because of his Diversity, Equity and Inclusion bona fides — and claimed once on the job he did little work.

“He was a player. He liked the women,” a source who knew Roberts, who asked not to be named, told The Post.

Another source expressed concern to the school board in Pennsylvania Roberts might not be a legal resident based on casual comments he had made — but their concern was ignored, they said.

Reports indicate Roberts has not been legally allowed to work in the US since at least 2020, when his employment authorization expired.

Originally from Guyana, Roberts had been ordered to be deported during the Biden administration. He was arrested by ICE on Sept. 26 after attempting to flee officers and was found hiding in brush. The school-owned vehicle he was driving contained a fixed-blade hunting knife, a loaded Glock 19 firearm, and $3,000 in cash.

Since then it has emerged he has faked many of his credentials.

According to the Des Moines School District website, the slick supervisor earned an MBA at MIT’s Sloan School of Management. However, a spokesperson for the elite school told The Post they have no record of it.

He also claimed to have attended Harvard and Georgetown. Those schools did not respond to requests for verification from The Post.

For years, Roberts also falsely claimed he had a doctorate degree from Baltimore’s Morgan State University. A school official told the Des Moines Register he did not obtain a degree from that school, either.

Roberts was superintendent of Millcreek Township schools near Erie, Penn., for three years.

During that time the school district was inundated by lawsuits — and forced to pay out over $400,000 in sex discrimination settlements — claiming Roberts promoted less qualified women over more deserving men.

Town gossip claimed Roberts ran out of Millcreek after he was caught having sex with a female coworker on school property — although this could not be verified by The Post.

“There were rumors flying around about his, let’s say, extracurricular activities,” a former colleague in that district said.

A lawyer for Roberts did not immediately return The Post’s request for comment.

At the time of Roberts’ abrupt resignation, however, Millcreek schools was also in the process of negotiating a $250,000 a settlement with former HR chief Melody Ellington. She was threatening to sue the district for “constructive discharge” following her own resignation in 2022 after only one year on the job.

“Constructive discharge,” according to the Labor Dept., applies to situations when a resignation is involuntary due to a hostile or intolerable work environment.

Other than Ellington, Roberts is the only school district official identified by name in the settlement, according to the Erie Times-News.

One source told The Post that Ellington was Roberts’ girlfriend, but this could not be confirmed. Ellington, moved out of state after her resignation, and did not return calls for comment.

According to Ellington’s LinkedIn profile, she worked at St. Louis public schools as Director of Budget from 2015-2020, the same time Roberts was superintendent of St. Louis public schools.

A former colleague told The Post that Roberts “brought Ellington with him” to Millcreek when he accepted the job.

Former colleagues and Millcreek community members said some members of the school board were very “attracted to” notions of DEI and equity, which drew them toward Roberts as a candidate despite his “glaring red flags.”

Among those red flags, a 2020 firearms violation, which is at the root of him now being detained for removal.

Once he started the job, coworkers, parents, and members of the community noticed something was off.

“It seemed like he was more about the persona of being the superintendent and not necessarily fulfilling all the responsibilities to the district and parents and students,” a former colleague, who didn’t want to be named, told The Post.

“But those in the community who were pleased with his hire, from a DEI perspective, were reluctant to address it, or didn’t see it.”

Others noticed Roberts seemed more preoccupied with running a side-hustle, giving speeches about racial equity and tending to various BLM-themed projects, than doing the work of a school superintendent.

Former colleagues also said he was a pathological deceiver, telling lies about ordinary, conversational things that weren’t consistent from person to person — such as how many children he had.

Even still, while Roberts publicly claims to have a wife, his former co-worker told The Post they had never met or seen her and wouldn’t be surprised if she didn’t exist. Another person who knew Roberts said Roberts didn’t hide the fact he was actively on the wife-hunt for immigration reasons.

In his role at Des Moines schools, the largest district in the state, Roberts raked in a fat $287,000 annual base salary. He officially resigned on Wednesday, while detained.

The district insists it didn’t break any laws and received all the appropriate paperwork to verify his employment eligibility.

Millcreek hired him following a vetting and search process by Minneapolis-based recruitment firm Ray and Associates, a representative for Millcreek told The Post. The recruitment company did not respond to a request for comment.

“The School District received all required clearances, including an FBI background check, prior to Roberts serving as Superintendent. No disqualifying events were identified,” the school district said in a statement.

More shocking, it was revealed this week Roberts has an active Democrat voter registration in Maryland, prompting congressional Republicans to demand answers from the Maryland State Board of Elections about “gaping holes” in the state’s election integrity systems, according to Fox News.

Source : https://nypost.com/2025/10/02/us-news/illegal-migrant-school-chief-ian-andre-roberts-trail-of-lies-revealed/

The protestors marched in the French capital on Tuesday afternoon from Place d’Italie in protest against the spending cuts and demanding higher taxes on rich.

The protests in France resumed on Thursday as thousands of people took to the streets against the government’s sharp spending cuts in over 200 towns and cities, and leading to the closure of Eiffel Tower in Paris.

The protestors, including workers, retirees and students, marched in the French capital on Tuesday afternoon from Place d’Italie in protest against the spending cuts and demanding higher taxes on rich. The Eiffel Tower issued a statement informing visitors that it was closed due to the strikes.

The strikes are the latest of a series of protests that started in France last month amid a political turmoil and heated budget talks, Associated Press reported.

The French Interior Ministry said that 195,000 protesters have taken to the street across the country, including 24,000 in Paris.

The protests have affected regional train services and healthcare. While the metro traffic was functioning close to normal in Paris, but the trains were running at reduced capacity. Several teachers and health care workers also joined the strikes.

All about the French strikes

Several thousand protesters have marched across France demanding action against the government’s plans for sharp spending cuts in next year’s budget.

The trade unions are trying to keep the pressure on President Emmanuel Macron and his new prime minister, Sebastien Lecornu, who is trying to break an impasse in budget negotiations with political rivals.

Lecornu, who was appointed last month, has not yet unveiled the details of his budget plans and has yet to appoint his government ministers. The deeply divided parliament is to debate the budget bill by the end of the year.

The union leaders have been demanding more spending on public services, reversal of government’s decision to increase the retirement age and higher taxes on wealthy.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/protests-resume-in-france-as-thousands-take-to-streets-against-spending-cuts-eiffel-tower-closed-in-paris-101759436638142.html

Vladimir Putin’s remarks followed JD Vance’s statement that Ukraine was seeking the Tomahawk missiles and that Washington was considering the request.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that the country’s relationship with the US would take a hit if Tomahawk missiles are supplied to Ukraine, adding that the situation on the battleground would still not change.

Pointing out that the use of Tomahawk missiles would be dangerous and would pose a risk, Putin said, “This will mean a completely new, qualitatively new stage of escalation, including in relations between Russia and the United States.” He also said that it would be “impossible” to use such arms without the direct deployment of American military personnel.

The Russian President’s remarks followed US Vice President JD Vance’s statement that Ukraine was seeking the long-range Tomahawk missiles and that Washington was considering the request.

However, the supply of these missiles may not be viable as most of the stock is already reserved for the US Navy and other needs, news agency Reuters reported, quoting sources.

It was also reported earlier that the US will provide Ukraine with intel on long-range energy infrastructure targets in Russia. According to Wall Street Journal, this would make it easier for Ukraine to hit key infrastructure in Russia, depriving the country of revenue and oil.

Reacting to questions on the US’s potential plans for Ukraine, Putin asserted that while the Tomahawk missiles will inflict damage on Russia, the Kremlin’s air defences would soon adapt to the threat. “It will certainly not change the balance of force on the battlefield,” he added.

Putin made these remarks even as he heaped praise on his last meeting with Donald Trump in Alaska, where the leaders met to negotiate peace talks amid the Russia-Ukraine war. “It was good that we made an attempt to search for and find possible ways to settle the Ukrainian crisis,” Putin said, adding that he felt “comfortable” talking to Trump.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/russias-putin-praises-donald-trump-then-warns-us-over-tomahawk-missiles-supply-to-ukraine-101759451182530.html

Erika Kirk, the new CEO of Turning Point USA, has come under scrutiny over her handling of late husband Charlie Kirk’s death, with US commentator Nick Fuentes calling her “very fake”.

Erika Kirk, who recently took over as CEO of Turning Point USA following the assassination of her husband Charlie Kirk on September 10, is already facing criticism. Far-right commentator Nick Fuentes on Wednesday openly questioned her actions and the organisation’s handling of Charlie’s death.
“I really don’t like how (Turning Point USA) has been handling his death. It’s gratuitous,” Fuentes said during a stream on Rumble.
Fuentes added that he ‘got a really bad feeling’ about Erika and the organisation since the shooting at Utah Valley University.

“I am getting this vibe from her that she’s very fake,” he said on Saturday. Speaking about Erika’s public displays of grief, he remarked ‘something’s not right there’. “She looks like she’s over the moon. She’s happy as a clam,” he added.

Erika’s appearances after Charlie’s death have sparked debate, including her dramatic entry with fireworks at a memorial event.
“Everyone says ‘Oh everybody grieves differently.’ I don’t know how much mileage we can get out of that one,” Fuentes said. “I think they were pushing it when she filmed his dead body. I think they were pushing it when she took control of the organization 72 hours later. I think they were pushing it with the fireworks and the WWE Batista entrance when she gave the eulogy at his funeral.”

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/world/us/us-news/erika-kirk-charlie-kirk-nick-fuentes-criticism-article-152928324

Investigations into the cause of the collapse are ongoing, but initial signs point to substandard construction, said experts.

About 59 people remain trapped under the ruins of a collapsed school on Indonesia’s main island of Java, a rescue service official said Thursday (Oct 2).

“Data updated Wednesday at 11pm indicates that 59 people are still trapped under the rubble,” Abdul Muhari, spokesman for the National Disaster and Mitigation Agency, said in a statement, adding that the data was evolving as some people who survived the incident have not yet come forward.

Muhari said the figure was based on an attendance list released by the multi-storey boarding school, which gave way suddenly on Monday as students gathered for afternoon prayers, killing at least five people.

Rescuers pulled five survivors from the rubble on Wednesday as frantic parents demanded stronger efforts to find dozens of children believed to still be trapped.

Investigations into the cause of the collapse are ongoing, but initial signs point to substandard construction, experts have said.

THE RESCUE OPERATION

The rescue operation is complex, said Mohammad Syafii, head of the National Search and Rescue Agency on Wednesday.

“If vibration happens in one spot, it could affect other places. So now, to reach the spot where the victims are, we have to dig an underground tunnel,” he told reporters.

Digging itself poses challenges, including possible landslides. And any tunnel will only provide an access route around 60cm wide because of the structure’s concrete columns.

Technology including thermal-sensing drones is being used to locate survivors and the deceased as the 72-hour “golden period” for best survival chances nears its end.

So far, signs of life have been detected in seven areas, said rescue official Emi Freezer of the National Search and Rescue Agency.

Water and food was being sent in, but access was through a single point, he said. “The main structure has totally collapsed.”

Complicating the operation, an earthquake struck offshore overnight, briefly halting the search.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/indonesia-school-collapse-dead-trapped-rescue-5380936

Authorities said two Germans and one Lebanese national had procured weapons to be used in violent acts targeting Israeli or Jewish institutions in Germany.

Prosecutors in Berlin said they have arrested three suspected Hamas operatives. The suspects were preparing attacks on Israeli and Jewish institutions in Germany, authorities said.

Hamas has been designated a a terrorist organization by Germany, the EU, the US and several governments.

The three men, two Germans and one Lebanese national, were identified by authorities as Abed Al G., Wael F. M. and Ahmad I. Their last names were not disclosed, in line with German privacy rules.

The men are suspected of being involved in gathering firearms and ammunition to be used for acts of violence.

“The weapons were to be used by Hamas for assassinations targeting Israeli or Jewish institutions in Germany,” according to the Office of the Federal Public Prosecutor General.

Security forces found various weapons during the arrest, “including an AK-47 assault rifle, several pistols and a considerable amount of ammunition.”

Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said in a statement that the incident represented “a threat of terrorism” and that the suspects had been under authorities’ surveillance.

Federal Minister of Justice Stefanie Hubig said it was clear that “Jewish life in Germany is under threat.”

Hubig said the state must act against these threats: “We all have a duty to protect Jewish life. That also means zero tolerance for antisemitism, under any circumstances.”

How were they caught?

Interior Minister Dobrindt said they had been monitoring the threat all along.

“A few months ago, a terrorist suspect known to us with Hamas contacts entered Germany,” Dobrindt said, adding that since then, authorities began monitoring him. Dobrindt said the suspects were apprehended “at the right time.”

The Federal Prosecutor’s Office said the men were intercepted by anti-terrorism investigators, who monitored the suspects during a meeting in Berlin for a weapons exchange.

As operational forces intervened, they discovered functional weapons, including a Glock pistol.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/germany-arrests-3-suspected-hamas-members/a-74207438

Afghans have taken to the streets to rejoice in the restoration of internet and telecom services after the Taliban government shut them down, provoking widespread condemnation.

Local reporters said communications were resuming, while internet monitor Netblocks said network data showed a “partial restoration” of connectivity.

A source close to the government confirmed to BBC Afghan that the internet was back by order of the Taliban prime minister.

The 48-hour blackout disrupted businesses and flights, limited access to emergency services and raised fears about further isolating women and girls whose rights have been severely eroded since the hardline Islamist group swept back to power in 2021.

On Wednesday evening hundreds of Afghans took the streets in the capital city Kabul to spread the word that the internet was back.

One man told BBC Afghan: “Everyone is happy, holding their cell phones and talking to their relatives.

“From women, to men and Talibs [a member of the Taliban], each was talking on phones after services were restored. There are more crowds now in the city.”

Suhail Shaheen, a senior Taliban spokesman in Qatar, said “all communications” were restored by Wednesday afternoon.

The Taliban government has not given an official explanation for the shutdown.

However, last month, a spokesperson for the Taliban governor in the northern province of Balkh said internet access was being blocked “for the prevention of vices”.

Since returning to power, the Taliban have imposed numerous restrictions in accordance with their interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.

Afghan women have told the BBC that the internet was a lifeline to the outside world since the Taliban banned girls over the age of 12 from receiving an education.

Women’s job options have also been severely restricted and in September, books written by women were removed from universities.

Following the internet shutdown on Monday, the UN said it left Afghanistan almost completely cut off from the outside world.

It added that the blackout risked “inflicting significant harm on the Afghan people, including by threatening economic stability and exacerbating one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises”.

During the blackout, the BBC was told that the centre of Kabul was noticeably quieter, with banks closed and shopping centres near empty.

In the money exchange market, all international transfers had been stopped – meaning vital money, often from family members abroad, could not enter Afghanistan.

Afghans living outside the country phoned in to a BBC Afghan radio show in the hopes their messages reached family members still there.

Travel agents were either closed or only partially open to provide customers with information. Flights in and out of the country were cancelled.

“This is the gradual death,” one shopkeeper told us. “When there is no hope, no chances of progress, no freedom of speech, no optimism for the future of your child, no stability for your business, where you can’t benefit from your studies.”

But on Wednesday, the mood lifted when people could use the internet and call each other again.

Delivery driver Sohrab Ahmadi said: “It’s like Eid al-Adha; it’s like preparing to go for prayer.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0jq2q5jnw3o

Conservationist Dame Jane Goodall, a world-leading expert on chimpanzees, has died aged 91.

Former US president Barack Obama was among those who paid tribute to Dr Goodall, who he said, “opened doors for generations of women in science”.

Actor and environmental campaigner Leonardo DiCaprio said that she “inspired millions to care, to act, and to hope”, and called her a “a true hero for the planet”.

Dr Goodall died of natural causes while in California on a speaking tour of the US, according to a statement from the Jane Goodall Institute.

It said her discoveries “revolutionised science” and that she was “a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world”.

The United Nations said it mourned the loss of Dr Goodall, saying that she “worked tirelessly for our planet and all its inhabitants, leaving an extraordinary legacy for humanity and nature”.

Greenpeace said it was “heartbroken” by her death, calling her “one of the true conservation giants of our time”.

Its co-executive director in the UK, Will McCallum, said: “Dr Goodall’s legacy is not only in science but in the global movement she helped spark to protect nature and give hope for a better world.”

Naturalist Chris Packham told the BBC that he counted her among his heroes, calling her “revolutionary” and “remarkable”.

“To have lost a hero at a time when we need all of them on the frontline fighting for life on earth is a tragedy.”

Born in 1934 and raised in London, Dr Goodall said she became fascinated by animals after reading books like The Story of Dr Doolittle and Tarzan.

She met leading primatologist Prof Louis Leakey while staying on a friend’s farm in Kenya in her mid-twenties. Although she had no qualifications, Mr Leakey saw her potential and helped arrange her first research trip to the jungles of Tanzania in 1960.

That year, she became the first person to record witnessing an animal using a tool – a large male chimpanzee, who she had named David Greybeard, digging termites out of a mound with a stick.

Until then, it was thought only humans were intelligent enough to do so. Her observations challenged years of conventional scientific thinking and shaped the future of evolutionary science.

Her work was published in leading journals, and in 1965 she made the front cover of National Geographic, introducing the world to the emotional and social lives of the primates.

She revealed that the animals form strong family bonds and even engage in warfare over territory. She featured in a television documentary narrated by Orson Welles, which saw her playing and wrestling with baby chimps.

Her approach – associating so closely with the animals she studied, naming them and even referring to them as “my friends” – was scoffed at by some, mostly male, scientists at the time. She undertook a PhD based on her findings, despite not having an undergraduate degree or any prior scientific training.

After her experiences in the field she became an activist, working to free chimpanzees kept in zoos or in captivity for medical research, and later urged action on climate change in the face of widespread habitat devastation.

She told the BBC in 2024: “We’re in the midst of the sixth great extinction… the more we can do to restore nature and protect existing forests, the better.”

Asked what kept her motivated late in life, she said: “Surely people want a future for their children.”

Her Jane Goodall Institute, founded in 1977, works to protect chimpanzees and supports projects aimed at benefiting animals and the environment.

Dr Goodall was appointed a Dame in 2003 and received the US Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2025.

She was known for travelling constantly for her work, telling the Times newspaper in 2022 that she had not slept in the same bed for more than three weeks since 1986.

Dr Goodall worked right up until her death, being interviewed on stage in New York a week ago. She was due to speak again at a sold-out event on 3 October in California.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex joined the many honouring the legacy of Dr Goodall, describing her as a “tireless advocate” for the protection of nature.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czrp24myrl7o

Women who served in the US military are pushing back against Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s announcement that the requirements for combat roles will “return to the highest male standard”, saying the standards have always been the same for men and women.

“None of us have ever asked for special treatment,” Elisa Cardnell, who served in the US Navy for eleven years, told the BBC.

Speaking to hundreds of generals on Tuesday, Hegseth reiterated his beliefs that the military had lowered standards to accommodate women and put service members at risk. His new directives would bring them back to a higher level, he said.

“If it means no women qualify for combat jobs, then so be it,” he said.

He maintained that women would not be excluded from the armed forces outright.

In January, the former Fox News commentator barely won approval in the Senate to head the Pentagon. Vice-President JD Vance had to break the tie vote, as many lawmakers struggled with his views about women in the military and about diversity.

On Tuesday he told the generals that he had emailed them 10 directives that included the “male standard”.

Some female veterans were outraged.

“I am sick and tired of Pete Hegseth lying about women in the military and standards,” former US Marine fighter pilot Amy McGarth said in a video on Instagram.

“There has always been one standard for those jobs,” she said. “There was never a man’s standard or a woman’s standard for flying a jet.”

Ms Cardnell, too, said gender and age were not part of assessments given for combat roles.

Combat standards are set differently depending on the unit a person is serving in, whether they are in special operations, infantry, armour or pararescue, she said. But all personnel in those roles have to pass the same test.

“These standards have always been gender neutral, and they have always been set at a high standard,” she said. “Of course, not all women are going to make those, but not all men do either.”

This is not the same for the annual physical tests given to all service members, which include routine exercises like push-ups. There, the standards and scores differ based on age and gender, and the tests vary by unit.

Ms Cardnell said it remains unclear if Hegseth will actually bring sweeping changes to how military personnel are assessed. The BBC asked the Pentagon for clarification on Hegseth’s plans.

In his speech, Hegseth said: “Any place where tried-and-true physical standards were altered, especially since 2015, when combat arms standards were changed to ensure females could qualify, must be returned to their original standard.”

He appeared to refer to a directive in 2015 by then-Defence Secretary Ash Carter that all military jobs be open to women and that any person, regardless of gender, who meets the standards should be able to serve.

“When it comes to any job that requires physical power to perform in combat, those physical standards must be high and gender neutral,” Hegseth said. “If women can make it, excellent. If not, it is what it is.”

Broadly, Hegseth said he was changing requirements throughout the military to “fix decades of decay” and that the armed forces have “promoted too many uniformed leaders for the wrong reasons,” like race, gender and “historic so-called firsts”.

Senator Tammy Duckworth, an Army veteran who was severely injured while serving as a combat pilot in Iraq, told the BBC after the speech: “For a guy who’s not qualified for his own job, it’s pretty discriminatory to talk about women who are qualified to do their jobs.”

She added that his remarks could hurt recruitment.

Women in the US military were first allowed to fly combat aircraft in the Navy and Air Force in 1993, although they were excluded from ground combat. That changed in 2013 when the Combat Exclusion Policy was lifted and by 2016 combat roles were open to all.

Because of how recently women were included in all ranks, many are now still in the middle of their careers, Ms Cardnell said.

“It takes time to see those women break that brass ceiling, and we haven’t had a chance to see that,” she said.

Now active and veteran female soldiers are concerned that Hegseth is building a military culture where women will be undermined and unable to advance, she said.

“Leadership sets the tone,” she said.

Not all female soldiers opposed Hegseth’s comments.

Republican House Representative Sheri Biggs, who served as a lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard, said that she supported the defence secretary’s efforts to end “woke” policies from the military.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy8525w2v5wo

TWO sick church leaders have been arrested for allegedly running a de facto slavery empire out of their Florida mansion.

For 11 years, the leaders abused dozens of people, including children, forcing them to work for free in squalid conditions under the constant threat of violence, police say.

Church leaders Michelle Brannon, 56, and David Taylor, 53, are suspected of being the leaders of the operation that enslaved 57 people.

Taylor, who refers to himself as an “apostle,” founded the church, formerly known as Joshua Media Ministries, and Brannon served as the executive director, according to the Department of Justice.

The dozens of laborers were forced to operate the church’s call center for free in nightmare conditions.

Newly released court documents give an inside look at the shocking operation they allegedly conducted in the basement of a Tampa mansion.

The victims were subjected to food and sleep deprivation, threats, and physical abuse, Fox affiliate WTVT reported.

They slept on floors and lived in either the garage or small rooms with barely any access to bathrooms, court documents state.

During the workday, victims were required to solicit donations for the church, resulting in a total of $50 million in donations, according to court documents.

The duo was arrested on August 27 after the FBI raided the mansion.

The FBI did not state whether they are looking at any additional suspects.

HORROR WITNESS ACCOUNTS

Former church employees have come out to describe the alleged abuse the workers suffered under the reign of Brannon and Taylor.

“I did see David Taylor get aggressive with the staff,” said Leslie Portillo, who lived at the church ministry in Detroit, told WTVT.

“They’re not using the money for good; they’re using it to fund their very lavish lifestyle.”

Portillo separated from the church after she claimed to see other disturbing sights, but her friend continued to work for Taylor.

“They’re not getting paid for anything,” Portillo added.

The former church employee claimed that her friend died of cancer and never got to see her family, as she was restricted from talking to the outside world.

“The family members have been waiting for so many years for their family member, for their loved one to come back,” Portillo said.

“Unfortunately, too many people were hurt in the midst of all of this.

“I know it’s going to be a process, but I know we are going to find out the truth.”

DAMNING EVIDENCE

Court documents reported that an “estimated $500,000 in gold bars; $60,000 in cash; valuable jewelry from a locked safe in a closet; designer clothing and purses; and foreign currency” were found in Brannon’s bedroom.

Investigators also found multiple stone statues and decorative pillars on the ground.

Several expensive cars, including seven Mercedes-Benz and two Bentley sedans, were also found on the property, authorities reported.

Investigators also found a text allegedly sent by Brannon to church employees in which she ordered harsh consequences for those who don’t meet call quotas.

“Did you rebuke him for this,” she allegedly wrote.

“He needs to be raked over the coals for this?? He can die for this.”

Taylor and Brannon now face a 10-count indictment on forced labor and money laundering charges in Michigan, where the church’s headquarters is located.

The duo faces decades in prison and over $1 million in fines if convicted.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/15277807/church-leaders-forced-labor-slaves-tampa-mansion/

Speaking in Pakistan’s Parliament, Aimal Wali Khan accused Asim Munir of behaving “like a salesman” while Shehbaz Sharif looked on “like a manager”.

Pakistani senator Aimal Wali Khan has lashed out at Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir for allegedly presenting rare earth minerals to former US President Donald Trump during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Washington visit, calling it a “mockery” and questioning under what authority the military chief was showcasing the country’s strategic resources.

Speaking in Pakistan’s Parliament, Aimal Wali Khan accused Asim Munir of behaving “like a salesman” while Shehbaz Sharif looked on “like a manager watching the drama”.

Last week, Shehbaz Sharif and Asim Munir met Donald Trump in the White House.

“Our chief of army staff is roaming around with a briefcase containing rare earth minerals. What a joke! It was absolute mockery. Whoever saw that photo thought, ‘Which chief of the army staff would go around carrying a briefcase with rare earth minerals?’ To me, it looked like a big, branded store – a manager watched on happily as a shopkeeper tells a customer to purchase a big, glittery thing from him.”

He added, “In what capacity? Under which law? This is dictatorship. I am sorry to say this is not democracy…is this not contempt of parliament?” he added.

Earlier, Khan equated Munir presenting rare earth minerals to Trump to an “elite designer shop”, highlighting his skepticism over the field marshal’s involvement in matters relating to strategic resources.

A White House photograph from Pakistan Sharif’s recent US visit showed Munir handing over a wooden box filled with rare earth minerals to Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

The trip marked Munir’s third to Washington since the May Pakistan-India conflict, which Trump has repeatedly claimed to have mediated.

Pakistan has even nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize for his alleged role in brokering peace. India, however, has rejected the claim, insisting the ceasefire talks were strictly bilateral.

Islamabad had sought a truce on May 10, four days after cross-border clashes erupted following India’s Operation Sindoor, launched in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam attack that killed 26 people.

On Tuesday, Trump repeated his claim that he ended the “very big” conflict between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan.

Trump said the prime minister of Pakistan “was here along with the field marshal, who’s a very important guy in Pakistan, and he was here three days ago. And I didn’t even realise it, as beautiful as he said it, but he said that to a group of people that were with us, two generals, but a group, he said, ‘This man saved millions of lives because he saved the war from going on, and that war was going to get very bad, very, very bad. President Trump saved millions and millions of lives. That was a bad war’.”

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/pakistan-army-chief-asim-munir-mocked-for-showcasing-rare-earth-minerals-to-trump-what-a-joke-101759368202063.html

The flotilla had earlier vowed to press on with its bid to deliver aid to the devastated coastal territory despite what it called “intimidation” tactics by the Israeli military.

Israeli naval forces on Wednesday intercepted a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza, ending its latest bid to break an Israeli blockade of the war-battered Palestinian territory.

The Israeli military operation was announced by both the flotilla itself and the Israeli foreign ministry.

The Global Sumud Flotilla — involving around 45 vessels carrying politicians and activists including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg — left Spain last month, aiming to break Israel’s blockade of the Palestinian territory, where the UN says famine has set in.

“Around 8:30 pm Gaza time (1730 GMT), several vessels of the Global Sumud Flotilla, including the Alma, Sirius and Adara, were illegally intercepted and boarded by Israeli occupation forces in international waters,” the flotilla said.

“Beyond the confirmed interceptions, live streams and communications with several other vessels have been lost,” the statement added.

The Israeli foreign ministry posted on X that “several vessels of the… flotilla have been safely stopped and their passengers are being transferred to an Israeli port”.

“Greta and her friends are safe and healthy,” it said, alongside a video of Thunberg retrieving her belongings.

Earlier, the Israeli navy warned the flotilla against entering waters under its blockade.

Spain and Italy, which both sent naval escorts, had urged the ships to halt before entering Israel’s declared exclusion zone off Gaza.

After a 10-day stop in Tunisia, where organisers reported two drone attacks, the flotilla resumed its journey on September 15.

One of its main ships, the Alma, was “aggressively circled by an Israeli warship”, the group said, before another vessel, the Sirius, was subjected to “similar harassing manoeuvres”.

-‘Stop now’-

The flotilla had earlier vowed to press on with its bid to deliver aid to the devastated coastal territory despite what it called “intimidation” tactics by the Israeli military.

It said on X it remained “vigilant as we enter the area where the previous flotillas were intercepted and/or attacked”.

Turkey’s foreign minister said Wednesday’s interception was “an act of terrorism that constitutes the most serious violation of international law and endangers the lives of innocent civilians”.

Israel blocked similar attempts in June and July.

At around 1500 GMT on Wednesday, the flotilla said it was less than 90 nautical miles (about 170 kilometres) from the Gaza Strip.

“We sail on undeterred by Israeli threats and tactics of intimidation,” said the flotilla, which is also carrying Nelson Mandela’s grandson Mandla Mandela and Rima Hassan, a French-Palestinian European Parliament member.

Spain’s digital transformation minister, Oscar Lopez, had urged the flotilla not to cross into Israel’s declared exclusion zone, extending 150 nautical miles off Gaza.

“Our message to the flotilla has been clear: do not enter that zone,” he told Spanish public television, adding that Spain’s naval escort would not cross into the exclusion area.

Italy, too, urged the activists to “stop now” after its frigate also halted at the 150-nautical-mile limit, broadcasting radio messages to the activists’ vessels asking them to abandon their mission.

The activists said Spain and Italy’s decision was an attempt to “sabotage” their endeavours.

South Africa called for “utmost restraint and caution against any unilateral actions that could escalate the situation or endanger human life”.

It said the “safety, security, and physical integrity of all unarmed participants aboard the flotilla, including South African citizens, are of paramount importance”.

In a joint statement, Italy and Greece appealed to the Israeli authorities to “guarantee the safety and integrity of the flotilla’s participants”.

Rome and Athens also urged the flotilla to “refrain from any initiative that could be exploited by those who still reject peace”.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the activists “do not represent a danger or a threat to Israel”, and hoped that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin “Netanyahu’s government will not represent a threat to this flotilla either”.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/gaza-aid-flotilla-says-israeli-warships-intercepted-boats-9381579?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 struck Leyte island in the Philippines on Tuesday, the Philippine seismology agency Phivolcs said.

The death toll from a magnitude 6.9 earthquake in the central Philippines has risen to 22, DZMM radio reported on Wednesday, citing reports from the Cebu provincial information office.

Source : https://www.deccanherald.com/world/at-least-22-people-killed-in-philippines-earthquake-3748982

The U.S. lurched toward a government shutdown on Tuesday as a vote to extend funding past a midnight deadline failed in the U.S. Senate and President Donald Trump threatened to extend his purge of the federal workforce.
The 55-to-45 vote in the Senate, falling short of the 60 votes needed to advance the legislation, all but ensured that U.S. government agencies will have to discontinue all but “essential” activities such as law enforcement starting on Wednesday, potentially disrupting everything from air travel to the monthly jobs report.

A last-minute fix seemed all but impossible, as Republicans and Democrats have shown no sign that they can bridge their divides. Any agreement also would have to be approved by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, which is not in session.
Senate Republican Leader John Thune said the chamber would vote again on the House-passed measure on Wednesday.
U.S. budget stand-offs have become routine as the nation’s politics have grown more dysfunctional. This time around, Democrats have insisted that any spending bill must include additional healthcare subsidies, while Republicans have insisted that the two issues should be dealt with separately.

Trump has added fuel to the fire. Ahead of Tuesday’s vote, he threatened to cancel programs favored by Democrats and fire more federal workers if the government shuts down.
“We’ll be laying off a lot of people,” he told reporters. “They’re going to be Democrats.”
Such layoffs would lead to a further brain drain for the government. More than 150,000 workers are due to leave federal payrolls this week after taking a buyout, the biggest exodus in 80 years. Tens of thousands more have already been fired this year. Trump has also refused to spend billions of dollars approved by Congress, prompting some Democrats to question why they should vote for any spending bills at all.
In memos to soon-to-be-furloughed employees, several agencies, including the Justice Department and the Social Security Administration, blamed Democrats for the impending shutdown, violating long-standing norms that aim to shield government workers from partisan pressure.

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, who was one of three Democrats to break with her party and vote for the Republican funding bill on Tuesday, said in a statement that the “costly shutdown” would “hand even more power to this reckless administration.”

‘NONESSENTIAL’ WORK TO BE HALTED

Agencies also issued detailed shutdown plans that would close offices conducting scientific research, customer service and other “nonessential” activities and send tens of thousands of workers home without pay. Military troops, border guards and others doing work deemed “essential” would stay on the job, but would not get paid until Congress resolves the standoff.

The government last shut down in 2018 and 2019, for 35 days, during Trump’s first term, due to a dispute over immigration. That cost the U.S. economy $3 billion, or 0.02% of gross domestic product, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.
At issue now is $1.7 trillion that funds agency operations, which amounts to roughly one-quarter of the government’s total $7 trillion budget. Much of the remainder goes to health and retirement programs and interest payments on the growing $37.5 trillion debt.
Airlines warned that a shutdown could slow flights, while the Labor Department said it would not issue its monthly unemployment report, a closely watched barometer of economic health. The Small Business Administration said it would stop issuing loans, and the Environmental Protection Agency said it would suspend some pollution-cleanup efforts.
Two labor unions representing federal employees filed a lawsuit to block agencies from enacting mass layoffs. Federal appeals courts considering similar lawsuits have allowed Trump to proceed with his firings while the cases play out.

NEXT STEPS?

With no sign of compromise on Capitol Hill, it was unclear how long a shutdown would play out. Congress has shut down the government 15 times since 1981, with most lasting a day or two. The most recent, during Trump’s first term, was also the longest.
This time, health care is the sticking point. Democrats say any spending bill must also make permanent Affordable Care Act subsidies that are due to expire at the end of the year. Without a fix, healthcare costs for 24 million Americans will rise sharply, with a disproportionate impact in Republican-controlled states like Florida and Texas that have refused to enact other aspects of the law that provide coverage to low-income people. Democrats have also sought to ensure that Trump will not be able to undo those changes if they are signed into law.
“Our guarantee is to the American people that we’re going to fight as hard as we can for their healthcare, plain and simple,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said after the vote.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/us/government-shutdown-nears-with-no-deal-washington-2025-09-30/

Nicole Kidman is “devastated” by her split from husband Keith Urban after 19 years of marriage, a source told Page Six.

The 58-year-old Oscar winner — who we can confirm filed for divorce from Urban, 57, in Nashville, TN. Tuesday, citing “irreconcilable differences” — tried her best to save the union and protect her family.

“She feels betrayed,” the source told Page Six of the marriage ending. “She feels really upset.”

Kidman shares two teenage daughters with the country music star: Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14.

And even though she is an award-winning actress, her family has remained her priority, the source told us, pointing out that Kidman had been the epitome of a supportive wife.

She went to the opening night of Urban’s High and Alive World Tour on May 22, 2025, at The Wharf Amphitheater in Orange Beach, Ala.

She also joined her husband at the ACM awards in May in Frisco, Texas, where they held hands and posed together on the red carpet.

“So much fun with my Triple Crown winner!!” she posted after Urban won the honor by scooping the rare feat of three major ACM awards: Top New Male Vocalist (2001), Male Vocalist of the Year (2005, 2006), and Entertainer of the Year (2019).

Kidman, who was also left reeling by the loss of her beloved mom Janelle Kidman in September 2024, worked to bring production to Nashville so that she could stay close to home.

As a producer on her new Amazon Prime show, “Scarpetta,” based on the Patricia Cornwell novels, Kidman asked that shooting could be in her home state.

Her latest thriller movie, “Holland,” was also filmed in Nashville.

“Nicole is a homebody and just wants to be home with her family,” said the same source.

Urban, meanwhile, has been on tour most of the year to promote his album, “High,” which is his lowest performing album in 25 years — only debuting at number 38 in the Billboard 200 chart in October. Forbes reported that he hasn’t seen any of his efforts stall lower than No. 38 in more than two decades,

He also fired his band of 25 years back in January. The group included three longtime members: bass player Jerry Flowers, keyboard player Nathan Barlowe and drummer Terence F. Clark. Fan were upset by the veterans’ departure.

“Nicole’s been holding the family down and looking after the girls and trying to make it work,” said the source, “She has always been there for Keith.”

Urban, however, was not there for her “Babygirl” promo tour last year, nor did he join his wife when she was honored in January at the Palm Springs film awards with the International Star Award. Jamie Lee Curtis, with whom she co-produces and stars in “Scarpetta,” presented the award to her.

“Love is the center of my life,” said Kidman at the ceremony.

Urban also failed to join his wife at Venice Film Festival last year and although he joined her at the Golden Globes in January, when she was nominated for “Babygirl”, he didn’t walk the red carpet with her.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/09/30/celebrity-news/nicole-kidman-devastated-by-keith-urban-split/

Trump has on and off taken credit for the ceasefire claiming that he should get the noble prize for preventing wars.

Reiterating his claim on brokering a truce between India and Pakistan, US President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that Pakistan army chief Asim Munir credited him for ending a potential war.

Referring to his recent meeting with the Pak Army chief and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Trump said: “He (Munir) said to a group of people that were with us… that this man (Trump) saved millions of lives because he saved the war from going on. That war was going to get very bad… I loved the way he said it”.

Military conflict escalated between India and Pakistan in May this year after the launch of Operation Sindoor, as part of which India struck terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The military action was to avenge the killing of 26 civilians in the Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22.

At the height of the military conflict, a ceasefire was announced on May 10. Trump has on and off taken credit for the ceasefire claiming that he should get the noble prize for preventing wars.

“India and Pakistan were going at it. I called them both… They had just shot down seven planes… I said, if you do this, there’s not going to be any trade, and I stopped the war. It was raging for four days,” Trump said in his latest claim from the White House.

He further said that the Prime Minister and army chief were in the US, as he termed Munir as “a very important guy in Pakistan”. “I didn’t even realise it was as beautiful as he said it. He said to a group of people that were with us… that this man saved millions of lives because he saved the war from going on. That war was going to get very bad…” he said.

The statement comes as Trump noted his success with the Gaza peace plan. “Yesterday, we might have settled the biggest of them all. Although I’m not sure… Hamas has to agree. If they don’t, it will be very tough on them… All of the Arab nations, Muslim nations, have agreed. Israel has agreed. It’s an amazing thing,” he said.

Earlier on Monday, while announcing the Gaza peace plan with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said, “The Prime Minister and the Field Marshal of Pakistan were with us right from the beginning. Incredible. In fact, they have just issued a statement affirming their full commitment to this pact… They back this 100%.”

Trump compared the potential peace settlement in Gaza to his previous claims of diplomatic interventions, including India-Pakistan, noting, “I’ve settled so many wars… Pakistan and India were very big. Both nuclear powers. I settled that. But yesterday could be the settlement in the Middle East. That hasn’t happened for 3,000 years.”

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/donald-trump-praises-asim-munir-for-acknowledging-role-in-india-pak-ceasefire-shehbaz-sharif-101759276374744.html

Leading military chiefs have lashed out at Pete Hegseth’s plan to overhaul the country’s defense strategy, according to a report.

Multiple Pentagon leaders, including Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have raised concerns about the proposals set out by the self-styled “secretary of war.” The plans could be confirmed at an unprecedented meeting in Virginia on Tuesday to which former Fox News host Hegseth has summoned hundreds of generals and admirals, according to a report in The Washington Post.

The issue stems from Hegseth’s plans to rewrite the National Defense Strategy (NDS) to list homeland defense as the nation’s top priority—rather than continuing to focus on global security threats from China, as it has for years—and to reduce the U.S. military presence in Europe and Africa.

Sources close to the rewriting of the NDS, which lays out U.S. military planning and strategy, told the Post that there are growing concerns within the military that Hegseth’s proposals are short-sighted and “potentially irrelevant” given Donald Trump’s often unpredictable and sometimes contradictory approach to foreign policy.

Caine has openly raised his objections to the plans with other Pentagon leaders, including policy chief Elbridge Colby, according to unnamed sources.

“He gave Hegseth very frank feedback,” one source told the Post. “I don’t know if Hegseth even understands the magnitude of the NDS, which is why I think Caine tried so hard.”

Caine is said to have wanted the NDS to remain focused on deterring and potentially defeating China in a conflict. Hegseth’s draft strategy does still mention China, but primarily in the context of its aggression toward Taiwan, according to the Post. Colby has also long feared that the U.S. is underprepared if China were to attack the country.

“There’s a concern that it’s just not very well thought out,” one former official told the newspaper about Hegseth’s China strategy.

Hegseth is also signalling that the Pentagon will move U.S. forces out of Europe, a move that could frustrate allies given Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Moscow’s incursions into NATO airspace.

The fallout from the NDS and chaos surrounding the Virginia meeting is the latest headache that Hegseth has caused during his tenure as Pentagon chief.

It was revealed that the former Fox News host is crumbling under the pressure of leading the Department of Defense, with insiders now complaining about his behavior. This includes being “obsessed” with his own security and appearing uncomfortable and fidgety during meetings.

“There’s a manic quality about him. Or let me rephrase, an even more manic quality, which is really saying something,” a source told the Daily Mail. “Dude is crawling out of his skin,” a second insider added.

“Secretary Hegseth has tasked the development of a National Defense Strategy that is laser focused on advancing President Trump’s commonsense America First, Peace Through Strength agenda,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told the Post. “This process is still ongoing.”

The NDS plans are expected to be discussed during an unusual meeting on Tuesday called by Hegseth, which he demanded top officers from American bases around the world attend in person.

Source : https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/top-military-brass-clash-hegseth-100021272.html?guccounter=1

Qatar said Tuesday that further talks were needed over details of U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace plan aimed at ending the nearly two-year war in Gaza, as Hamas weighed its reply. In Gaza, Israeli forces killed at least 36 Palestinians, local hospitals said.

The comments by Qatar, a key mediator, appeared to reflect Arab countries’ discontent over the text of the 20-point plan that the White House put out after Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced they had agreed on it Monday.

Three Arab officials told The Associated Press that changes had been made in the original proposal that Arab and Muslim countries had worked out with Trump – changes in favor of Israel. The officials, who came from regional powers involved in the talks, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the behind-the-scenes diplomacy.

The depth of the Arab countries’ discontent was not clear, and they have continued to express broad support for the plan. But Qatar’s comments indicated they could seek further negotiation over some of its terms — even as Trump told reporters Tuesday that Hamas has “three or four days” to respond.

Arab mediators and Turkish officials are to meet with Hamas representatives Tuesday in Doha to discuss the plan, said Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari.

The plan requires Hamas to release hostages, leave power in Gaza and disarm in return for the release of Palestinian prisoners and an end to fighting. The plan guarantees the flow of humanitarian aid and promises reconstruction. But it sets no path to Palestinian statehood. For the foreseeable future, Gaza and its more than 2 million Palestinians would be under international governance through a so-called “Board of Peace,” headed by Trump and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Qatar says more discussion needed

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said the 20 points announced by the U.S. “are principles … that require detailed discussion and how to work through them.”

Speaking to the Qatar-based TV network Al Jazeera, he pointed to the issue of the Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza, saying it “requires clarification.”

The plan’s text said Israeli troops would withdraw only as a planned international security force is able to replace them. It also indicated Israel would keep control of a band of territory around Gaza’s perimeter.

In a statement Monday night, Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other countries backing the plan said they wanted to work out a final version that includes a “full Israeli withdrawal,” as well as a clear path to a Palestinian state that integrates the Gaza Strip and West Bank — something Netanyahu’s government fiercely opposes.

The Arab officials who spoke to the AP expressed frustration with the White House’s 20 points. “This is not what we agreed on,” said one. “This is the Netanyahu plan.”

Palestinians are skeptical

Many Palestinians in the decimated coastal enclave are wary of the proposal. To some, the international governance smacked of the colonial British Mandate that ruled Palestine from 1920 to 1948.

“They want to impose their own peace,” Umm Mohammed, a history teacher who sheltered with her family in Gaza City, said. “In fact, this is not a peace plan. It’s a surrender plan. It returns us to times of colonialism.”

Mahmoud Abu Baker, a displaced Palestinian from Rafah, said the proposal favors Israel and implements all its demands without giving concessions.

“(The proposal) tells that we, as Palestinians, as Arabs, are not qualified to rule ourselves and that they, the white people, will rule us,” he said.

Families of Israeli hostages see hope

With the peace proposal, families of Israeli hostages still held by Hamas were torn between heightened hopes and a realism that past signs of progress have fallen apart. Hamas is thought to be holding 48 hostages, 20 of whom are believed by Israel to be alive – and under the plan, they would be freed within 72 hours of both sides’ accepting the deal.

“For two years now, I have been waiting for Elkana, my husband, in endless pain,” said Rivka Bohbot, wife of hostage Elkana Bohbot, in a statement released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

“Now I demand that these impressive words be turned into even greater and more impressive actions — actions that bring the hostages home,” she said.

Israelis visiting a memorial for the music festival where 364 people were killed during the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, expressed skepticism.

“Everyone pins their hopes on (Trump),” said Amit Zander, whose daughter, Noa Zander, was killed at the festival. “It’s up to Hamas. Israel wants it, and beyond that, it’s no longer in our hands.”

More than 30 Palestinians killed

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli troops opened fire, killing 17 Palestinians and wounding 33 others while they were attempting to access humanitarian aid in central Gaza, according to nearby Al-Awda Hospital, where the casualties were taken. The Israeli military said troops fired when individuals approached their position “in a manner that endangered them.”

Israeli strikes in central and southern Gaza killed 19 others, according to local hospitals.

One of the strikes hit a tent housing a family that had fled Gaza City earlier this month, killing seven people, including four women and a child. Another killed a man, his 7-months-pregnant wife and their young child, Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis said.

The Israeli military said in a statement that over the past 24 hours, its troops killed several armed militants and struck more than 160 targets of Hamas infrastructure, including weapons storage facilities and observation posts.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-09-30-2025-68afb24376d63fd0ff8fe8e1010ca178

As Singapore pushes towards an entirely cleaner-energy vehicle population by 2040, what will happen to petrol stations and will there be enough EV chargers?

Car enthusiast Leong Yi Chong bought an internal combustion engine (ICE) car in February and hopes to extend its Certificate of Entitlement beyond the 10 years, and past 2040.

He thinks that being behind the wheel of an ICE car is a “raw, visceral” experience that driving an electric vehicle (EV) cannot replicate.

But while the 31-year-old is enjoying his ride on his second-hand 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX, he is concerned that his time with the vehicle may be cut short.

This is because plans have been made by the authorities for a total transition to cleaner-energy vehicles, such as EVs and hybrids, and a phasing out of all ICE vehicles, such as Mr Leong’s.

To this end, the commercial recruiter thinks there may be several hurdles standing in the way of these plans, and is hoping against hope that he can still drive his car post-2040.

For one, he thinks that car enthusiasts like himself will be resistant to the push towards EVs.

“Classic and performance cars form part of car culture, and EVs don’t replace that emotional connection,” he said.

And he believes there is good reason ICE cars will still be sought beyond 2030, when all new car registrations will have to be of cleaner-energy models.

He thinks that charging infrastructure may not expand quickly enough, and that certain vehicles – particularly emergency vehicles – may need to remain as ICE variants because of their superior range, faster refuelling and greater durability.

“I feel like there will always be a need for ICE vehicles, even in a cleaner environment with EVs.”

But regardless of the sentiment towards petrol cars, the numbers show that EVs are becoming more popular among Singapore motorists.

The number of EVs in Singapore has grown from 26,200 at the end of last year to 39,800 so far this year – a 52 per cent jump.

So far this year, EVs have made up about 41 per cent of new car registrations.

But amid Singapore’s strong push for a cleaner-energy vehicle population by 2040, some motorists like Mr Leong have questions on how infrastructure will change.

What will happen to petrol stations as ICE vehicles are phased out? Can EV charging infrastructure keep up with the growing demand as the EV population grows?

There is also the existential issue of car mechanics and workshops, most of whom service and repair ICE vehicles. Has this become a sunset industry as well, given the push for electrification?

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO PETROL STATIONS?

With the shift to a cleaner-energy fleet, petrol stations in Singapore – at least in their current form – will see a decline in the next 15 years, said experts.

Professor Lawrence Loh from the National University of Singapore (NUS) said that the over 180 petrol stations in Singapore are “at a crossroads now”.

According to an article published last year by the Boston Consulting Group, up to one quarter of petrol station sites may become unprofitable and need to close by 2035, in places where “EVs dominate”.

And while enhanced convenience store offerings at petrol stations could draw customers who are not visiting to refuel, the consulting firm still expects total profits for the stations to decline by 30 per cent by 2035 in EV-prevalent places.

“If one day, many (petrol station sites) are given up by the (petrol) companies, there might be certain thinking about putting them to more optimal use, the same way we are looking at converting land like golf courses to better use,” said Prof Loh, who is director at the Centre for Governance and Sustainability of NUS Business School.

But petrol stations are certainly not going to be a thing of the past anytime soon.

CNA previously reported that petrol stations have been evolving over the years to offer a more diverse range of non-fuel retail services to enhance convenience and attract more customers amid Singapore’s EV push.

The next natural question would then be – could the petrol stations be converted to fast-charging stations instead?

The expectation that all of them can be converted is unrealistic, said Prof Loh.

For one, there will be a change in how people charge their vehicles.

“Slowly, we will see a decentralisation of charging (where) progressively more sites are made available in residences, including public and private housing and work places,” he said.

This would, in turn, moderate demand for centralised charging facilities, he said.

Transport economist Walter Theseira said that the fast charging “petrol station” model is unlikely to “ever make much sense in Singapore”.

This is because it is cheaper for users to have the vast majority of their charging done using slow charging, which is supplied at the EV owner’s home car park and malls, among other places.

“Thus, with widespread slow charging, fast charging ‘petrol stations’ will simply be uneconomical for most users,” said Assoc Prof Theseira, who is from the Singapore University of Social Sciences’ School of Business.

Instead, it will be more applicable to commercial operators, such as private-hire drivers, who need to charge during the day because they may drive more than their battery capacity each day.

The conversion of the petrol station sites to other uses will also be challenging, according to one environmental expert.

Conservation ecologist Rachel Oh said that the process of decommissioning a petrol station involves a site assessment and pollution survey, followed by the removal of underground tanks and pipes, excavation of contaminated soil, and the soil’s subsequent treatment.

An incomplete decontamination of the land will eventually have “significantly adverse impacts on our health and economy”, said Dr Oh, who is a research assistant professor at the NUS Department of Geography.

For instance, toxic compounds can leach onto the soil and groundwater or even into the air in vapour form, and long-term exposure can lead to increased risk of chronic health conditions, such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.

If residual fuels are not properly managed, they can also become fire or explosion hazards.

“Contaminated sites (can) become costly and time-intensive barriers to redevelopment, as complex remediation is required before land can be safely repurposed for housing, community facilities or other uses,” said Dr Oh.

Responding to queries from CNA, an Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) spokesperson said factors such as the growing adoption of EVs are taken into consideration when studying the adaptation of petrol station sites for alternative use.

“For example, many petrol station operators have proactively responded to EV trends and deployed EV chargers to provide charging services to EVs,” said the spokesperson.

URA added that relevant agencies will provide guidance on the necessary measures to ensure that petrol station sites are fit for their intended use.

CAN THE POWER GRID COPE?

With the target of 60,000 charging points deployed islandwide by 2030, Singapore is nearly halfway there, with 24,000 charging points installed as of September, according to the Land Transport Authority (LTA).

But with the 60,000 target being over two times the latest figure, how will Singapore’s energy grid hold up?

Responding to CNA’s queries, LTA and the Energy Market Authority (EMA) said that studies are currently underway to determine the impact of increased EV adoption and the installation of more chargers on Singapore’s energy infrastructure.

An “infrastructure augmentation” will be phased over the next 20 years and take into account EV charger technology improvements, and insights on charging behaviour gathered through early EV deployment.

Professor Dipti Srinivasan, who heads the Centre for Green Energy Management and Smart Grid at NUS, said that the 60,000 target will likely not be the final target, and there would be even more demand for chargers heading into 2040 as all cars become cleaner-energy variants.

“The full electrification of transportation will inevitably raise electricity demand, with the biggest challenge being the surge in peak load if many EV owners plug in simultaneously after work,” she said.

She added that addressing this issue requires more than just expanding the generation of energy.

“It calls for smart charging technologies that stagger charging rates and times through intelligent algorithms, allowing the grid to safely oversubscribe infrastructure while flattening demand peaks,” said Prof Srinivasan.

To that end, LTA and EMA stated that the possibility of smart charging is also being explored.

Possible solutions include the use of smart controllers, switches and algorithms to vary EV charging schedules, volumes and speeds, which reduces the impact on the power grid.

“Passive and active EV charger provisions” have been mandated for specified building and electrical works, to lower the cost of future retrofits associated with EV charging provision, LTA and EMA said.

Passive provisions refer to installing infrastructure, such as wiring, so chargers can be added later, while active provisions mean installing the EV charging points immediately.

And while the push to deploy more chargers is underway, EV charging companies said that they have an eye on future developments as well.

Charge+ chief executive officer Goh Chee Kiong said the firm takes a “future-ready approach” by continually evaluating new technologies and software innovations, while keeping its infrastructure flexible and scalable.

“This ensures we can integrate emerging solutions such as smart energy management without disruption,” said Mr Goh, whose firm has 4,000 charging points across Singapore.

Likewise, Mr Freddie Chew, general manager of ComfortDelGro ENGIE, said that the firm is “right-sizing” charger deployments to match the current and forecasted demand.

Doing so helps ensure charger efficiency and readiness to adopt the latest technologies as the firm, which currently has over 1,600 charging points in Singapore, scales.

“Over-deployment, on the other hand, can result in idle infrastructure that unnecessarily burdens the power grid,” said Mr Chew.

An LTA spokesperson said that it is “closely monitoring emerging clean energy solutions and remains open to facilitating other forms of charging technologies”.

“As these technologies become more commercially viable, we will work with industry and stakeholders to pilot and evaluate their potential for wider adoption.”

WHAT ABOUT CAR WORKSHOPS?

With the electrification of Singapore’s vehicle population, car workshops – most of which focus on ICE repairs – face the same uncertain future as gas stations.

Even as workshops look to pivot to EV repair, it was previously reported that there has been a shortage of skilled mechanics who understand the basics of EVs.

Associate Professor Raymond Ong said that the repairs for EVs are different from those of ICE vehicles, as each EV model requires a different set of skills to repair.

This means that EV distributors have direct partnerships with car workshops to get their technicians and engineers trained in repairing the specific vehicle models.

“This is going to render current workshop owners obsolete if they do not try to upskill or upgrade themselves or even get into a partnership with EV manufacturers,” said Assoc Prof Ong, who is the deputy head of research in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at NUS.

Echoing these concerns, Mr Joey Lim, president of the Singapore Motor Workshop Association (SMWA), said that work is underway to retrain the workforce to handle EVs.

However, the progress has been slow as there is a skills mismatch.

“Electrical engineering needs a lot more mathematics and physics calculations,” said Mr Lim.

He added that in general, EVs also have about 60 to 70 per cent fewer repair and maintenance tasks than ICE vehicles.

“So, if all the vehicles were to change to EV, then 60 to 70 per cent of the mechanical shops that handle engine, transmission and undercarriage repairs will have to close,” he said.

The upskilling of technicians to cater to the growing EV population is an important step in the technological transition, said the LTA spokesperson.

“We have been encouraging industry partners to prepare and equip a pool of technicians with the necessary skills to maintain this growing population of EVs,” the spokesperson said.

LTA said that existing automotive technicians can tap training programmes such as the National EV Specialist Safety certification that are recognised under the Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications national credential system to “equip themselves with the fundamental knowledge on EV safety”.

“LTA will continue to work closely with our partners to grow the EV ecosystem and build a forward-looking land transport sector for Singapore.”

Not all workshop operations will be impacted, said Assoc Prof Theseira.

While the system that generates power to the car is new, he noted that mechanical repairs are largely the same between EVs and non-EVs.

“Thus, a significant part of the business, dealing with matters like suspensions, steering, brakes, lights, etc, is repairable with conventional existing skills,” he said.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/electric-vehicles-singapore-infrastructure-charging-petrol-stations-workshops-5376971

A Russian woman who made global headlines after being found living in a cave in India with her two young daughters has flown back to her country, an official told the BBC.

Nina Kutina, 40, and her daughters – aged six and five – were rescued on 9 July by policemen on a routine patrol in a forest in the southern state of Karnataka.

The woman, who did not have valid documents to stay in India, had been sent to a foreigners’ detention centre along with her daughters.

Last week, the Karnataka high court asked the federal government to issue documents to Ms Kutina and her daughters to return home.

They left for Russia on 28 September, an official at the Foreigners’ Regional Registration Office (FRRO), who wanted to stay anonymous, told BBC Hindi. Ms Kutina’s minor son from another relationship, who was later found living in Goa state, also went with them.

The high court had been hearing a petition filed by Dror Shlomo Goldstein, an Israeli businessman living in Goa, who said he was the father of the two minor girls. He had asked the court to stop the children from being sent back to Russia and appealed for their custody.

Mr Goldstein hasn’t commented on the court order yet. He has the option to appeal against it, but it’s not clear whether a judgment in his favour could compel the children to be sent back to India.

Mr Goldstein had earlier told a TV channel that Ms Kutina had left Goa without informing him and that he had filed a police complaint. He also said that he had been “providing for their [the woman and the two minor girls] well-being for a long time”.

In the order, the court however said that despite Mr Goldstein’s claims, the mum and the children had “rather inexplicably” been “found in an isolated cave”.

The court also said that Mr Goldstein could not explain why they had been living in the cave “until they were found there and the authorities began [taking] action for their rehabilitation”.

The police team that found the three had earlier said they were on a routine patrol near Ramteertha hills in the Gokarna forest, which borders the tourist paradise of Goa, when they spotted brightly coloured clothes hung near a cave.

When they got closer – the entrance to the cave had been curtained off with brightly coloured saris – they saw a “little blonde girl” running out. When the shocked policemen followed her inside, they found Ms Kutina and the other child.

The three of them had meagre possessions – plastic mats, clothes, packets of instant noodles and some other grocery items – and the cave was leaking.

The police told the BBC in July that they had a tough time convincing the mother that it was dangerous to stay in the isolated location with snakes and wild animals in the forest. The police quoted her as saying: “Animals and snakes are our friends. Humans are dangerous.”

Police said she told them that they had been living in the cave for a week when they were found. She also told the police that she came to Karnataka from Goa where she also claimed to have lived in a cave. She said that her youngest daughter was born in a Goa cave.

Ms Kutina had defended her lifestyle in video interviews to Indian news agency ANI, saying she and her children were happy living like that and that “nature gives good health”.

The police, however, said that they could not take any chances as the area was prone to landslides during the monsoon season.

Ms Kutina and her daughters were taken for a medical examination and then shifted to a detention centre.

Mr Goldstein’s lawyer, Beena PK, argued in court that deportation would not be in the interests of the children, citing India being a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and provisions of the Goa Children Act, 2003.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjed4np5q38o

A sunscreen scandal in Australia is continuing to grow, with 18 products now pulled from shelves in the skin cancer hotspot over safety concerns.

Analysis by a consumer advocacy group in June found several popular and expensive sunscreens did not provide the protection claimed by their makers.

One product, Ultra Violette’s Lean Screen Skinscreen, is supposed to offer a skin protection factor (SPF) of 50+ but instead returned a result of SPF 4 and was voluntarily recalled in August.

An investigation by the medicines regulator has now warned about 20 more sunscreens from other brands, which share the same base formula, and raised “significant concerns” about a testing laboratory.

“The preliminary testing indicates that this base formulation is unlikely to have an SPF greater than 21,” the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) said in an update, adding that for some of the goods the SPF rating may be as low as four.

Of the 21 products it named, eight have been recalled or manufacture stopped completely. The sale of another 10 products have been paused, and two more are being reviewed. One product named by the TGA is made in Australia but is not sold in the country.

Australia has the highest rate of skin cancers in the world – it is estimated that two out of three Australians will have at least one cut out in their lifetime – and it has some of the strictest sunscreen regulations globally.

The scandal has caused a massive backlash from customers in the nation, but experts have warned it may also have global implications. Problems have been identified with both the manufacture of some sunscreens and the integrity of lab testing relied upon to prove their SPF claims.

The manufacturer of the base formula in question, Wild Child Laboratories Pty Ltd, has stopped making it as a result, the TGA said.

In a statement, Wild Child Laboratories boss Tom Curnow said the TGA had found no manufacturing issues at its facility.

“The discrepancies reported in recent testing are part of a broader, industry-wide issue,” he said.

The TGA has previously said it is looking into “reviewing existing SPF testing requirements” which can be “highly subjective”, but in the update on Tuesday said it had significant concerns about testing undertaken by Princeton Consumer Research Corp (PCR Corp), a US lab.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62qdje2ll4o

A striking element of the settlement is the allocation of $22 million to the Trust for the National Mall.

Google-owned YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit brought by US President Donald Trump over the suspension of his account in 2021. The ban was imposed in the aftermath of the Capitol riots, when major social media platforms, citing the risk of incitement, removed Trump from their services. The settlement closes a years-long legal battle that tested the boundaries of political speech, platform accountability, and the rights of private companies to moderate content.

John Coale, Trump’s lawyer in the social media cases, as quoted by Bloomberg, said, “I’m happy, the President is happy to get this resolved.” Google, YouTube’s parent company, declined to comment.

$22 million for White House ballroom project

A particularly striking element of the agreement is that $22 million of the payout will be directed to the Trust for the National Mall. The funds are earmarked for the construction of a new ballroom at the White House, designed in the style of the grand reception halls at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

This echoes earlier settlements where Trump channelled large portions of compensation into legacy projects. In January, Meta Platforms agreed to pay $25 million, of which $22 million went towards a Trump presidential library.

Trump’s past settlements with other social media platforms

Since regaining the presidency last November, Trump has secured favourable outcomes with several major technology and media companies he accused of mistreating him. In February, he ended his legal fight with Twitter, now known as X, with reports suggesting a settlement worth around $10 million.

Trump had originally sued Google, Facebook, and Twitter jointly, seeking damages not only for himself but also to establish legal limits on platforms’ ability to ban or flag users. Though courts consistently ruled that social media companies retain broad First Amendment rights to regulate content, Trump continued to press his claims until settlements were reached.

Google’s legal landscape

The settlement comes at a sensitive moment for Google, which is fighting a series of antitrust cases brought by the US Department of Justice. Regulators have accused the company of monopolising key areas of online advertising and search. Earlier this month, however, a Washington federal judge declined to order Google to divest its Chrome browser, handing the company a significant victory.

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/googles-youtube-to-pay-24-5m-to-trump-in-account-suspension-settlement-9604804.html

One student died and dozens were injured in the building collapse of the school, located in Indonesia’s main island of Java.

At least 65 students were presumed to be buried under rubble after the under-construction building of an Islamic school in Indonesia collapsed. the Associated Press reported.

One student died and dozens were injured in the building collapse of the school, located in Indonesia’s main island of Java, AFP quoted a police official as saying.

The multi-storeyed building of the Al Khoziny Islamic boarding school in the town of Sidoarjo collapsed when more than 100 students had assembled for afternoon prayers, state news agency Antara reported citing a witness.

Following the incident, more than 79 students were evacuated by rescuers, AFP quoted East Java police spokesman Jules Abraham Abast as saying.

The spokesman said that one victim had died, while citing information from the hospital. However, Jules did not disclose further details, saying the authorities were trying to determine how many victims were at the spot of the incident, according to AFP.

Jules said that the police was “actively communicating with relevant parties”, including the school authorities, to establish the exact number of victims “who are still or may still be trapped in the rubble.”

The school, which was under construction, already had three floors. “The plan was to have four floors with a flat roof,” Abdus Salam Mujib, one of the heads of the school, said.

He said that the building had collapsed after workers poured concrete for the third floor. Mujib added that while the upper levels of the school was being used for classrooms and student activities, the lower floor was the prayer room.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/at-least-65-students-presumed-buried-under-rubble-as-islamic-school-building-collapses-in-indonesia-101759200015363.html

The notification is another positive step forward in repairing India-Canada ties after an all-out diplomatic war in the final months of Justin Trudeau’s prime ministership.

Mob boss Lawrence Bishnoi and his gang – linked to murder, extortion, and arms and drugs trafficking in India and abroad – has been declared a ‘terrorist entity’ by Canada under its Criminal Code, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said Monday evening.

This means any Bishnoi gang asset in that country, from cash to vehicles and property, can be frozen or seized, giving Canadian law enforcement more (and sharper) teeth to prosecute gang members for various offences, including those related to financing of terrorist activities.

It also means immigration officials can deny suspected gang members entry into Canada.

“Acts of violence and terror have no place in Canada, especially those that target specific communities to create a climate of fear and intimidation,” a government statement said.

Under Canadian law, it is now a criminal offence for a Canadian citizen, and those abroad, to knowingly deal with property owned or controlled by the Bishnoi gang. It is also a criminal offence to directly or indirectly provide property knowing it will be used by or benefit the gang.

The notification – another step forward in repairing India-Canada ties after an all-out diplomatic war in the final months of Justin Trudeau’s prime ministership – comes a month after a Canadian MP, Frank Caputo, urged Anandasangaree to slap the ‘terrorist’ tag on Bishnoi.

Caputo, the shadow Public Safety Minister, wrote to Anandasangaree to highlight Bishnoi’s vast criminal empire and said it was guilty of assassinations and the extortion of Canadian citizens, and engaged in such illegal activities for “political, religious, and ideological reasons”.

“The Bishnoi gang’s activities lay the groundwork for listing it as a terrorist entity. As you know, they have taken credit for vast violence in Canada and abroad,” he said in the letter shared on X.

He also pointed to appeals by four other Canadian politicians, including Patrick Brown, the Mayor of Brampton, which is home to about 20 per cent of Canada’s Sikh population.

British Columbia Premier David Eby and his Alberta counterpart, Danielle Smith, as well as Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke, have also called for the Lawrence Bishnoi gang to be taken down.

The Canadian government has frequently named the Bishnoi gang as one of the more nefarious criminal syndicates in that country, and has also linked it to arms and drugs trafficking.

Lawrence Bishnoi – who split from Goldy Brar, an associate who ran his Canada ops, in June – and his gang of criminals and assassins have been linked to various murders since the headline-grabbing killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala in May 2022.

That list includes the December 2023 murder of Rajput leader Sukhdev Gogamedi and the October 2024 killing of Maharashtra politician Baba Siddique, as well as firing outside the home of Bollywood star Salman Khan – targeted over the 1999 blackbuck case – in April 2025.

But it was the killing of Hardeep Nijjar, a pro-Khalistani figure, in June 2023 that cemented the gang’s international ‘credentials’. Nijjar was a Canadian citizen, and his killing sparked a diplomatic row; Trudeau had claimed – without proof – the Indian government was involved.

Source : https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/canada-declares-lawrence-bishnoi-gang-terror-group-amid-reset-in-india-ties-9365833?pfrom=home-ndtv_topscroll

President Donald Trump’s administration started detailing its plans on Monday for which services it will pause if the federal government shuts down this week, with the U.S. health department slated to furlough 41% of its workforce.
The impending shutdown will be different from past government closures because the administration has threatened mass firings, of federal staff, adding that it could use the lapse in funding to downsize the federal government.

The Office of Personnel Management in a Monday memo said while training and onboarding of new federal employees is not allowed under the law dictating the parameters of a shutdown, the employees who oversee any firings are to continue their work. Unlike in past shutdowns, furloughed federal employees will also be allowed to use their government-issued computers to check for layoff notices in their email, according to OPM.
“This outrageous plan threatens to cause lasting damage to the country and the safety of the American people by mass firing nonpartisan, expert civil servants and potentially even eliminating government agencies,” Senator Gary Peters of Michigan, the top Democrat on the Senate committee that oversees shutdown operations, said in a letter to the administration.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it will not admit new patients to its clinical research studies and limit health-related communications to the public if the government shuts down. The U.S. Labor Department said, it would suspend economic data releases in a shutdown, including the closely watched monthly employment report for September.
Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress, and the minority Democrats have not reached an agreement on a stopgap funding bill to avert a Wednesday shutdown. Congressional leaders are set to meet with Trump on Monday.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

FIRING ALLOWED, TRAINING PROHIBITED

Shutdown operations are dictated by a 19th-century law that prohibits federal government operations in areas of the government where there is not approved federal funding from Congress. There are certain exceptions, as is the case for national security purposes and to protect life and property.

Crucial government benefits paid for by mandatory spending, like Social Security payments for senior citizens and healthcare access through Medicare and Medicaid, are not hit. Federal student loans and Pell grants for students in financial need also continue.
In previous years, the plans for how federal agencies would respond to a shutdown were made available to the public and to Congress weeks before a lapse of government funding, but many departments this year released their plans within the last 24 hours.
The Department of Labor said in its plan the Bureau of Labor Statistics “will suspend all operations” and that economic data scheduled during a funding lapse will not be released.
Some of the other publicly available plans are similar to previous shutdown plans from other administrations, however, the staffing data included shows the impact of the Trump administration’s layoffs, firings, and early retirement offerings. There are about 12,000 fewer full-time employees at the Health and Human Services Department compared with last year and about 1,700 fewer employees at the Education Department than in 2024, according to the plans.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/trump-administrations-shutdown-plans-trickle-deadline-nears-2025-09-29/

The Taliban government in Afghanistan has imposed a nationwide shutdown of telecommunications, weeks after it began severing fibre-optic internet connections.

The country is currently experiencing a “total internet blackout”, internet watchdog Netblocks reports.

International news agencies say they have lost contact with offices in the capital Kabul. Mobile internet and satellite TV have also been severely disrupted across Afghanistan.

The Taliban have yet to give an official reason for the shutdown. Since seizing power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed numerous restrictions in accordance with their interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.

A Taliban official said the telecom shutdown would last until further notice.

Tolo News, a privately owned Afghan news channel, told people to follow its social media pages for updates as it expected disruptions to its television and radio networks.

Flights from Kabul airport have also been disrupted, local media reported.

According to Flight tracking service Flightradar24, at least eight flights scheduled to depart from or arrive at Kabul International Airport on Tuesday have been cancelled.

Diplomatic officials have told the BBC that the internet cuts could affect banking and e-commerce systems nationwide.

Several people in Kabul have told the BBC that their fibre-optic internet stopped working towards the end of the working day, around 17:00 local time (12:30 GMT)

Because of this, it is understood many people will not notice the impact until Tuesday morning, when banking services and other businesses are due to resume.

Fibre-optic cables transfer data super fast, and are used for much of the world’s internet.

The BBC understands that a committee in Kabul has been tasked to examine potentially “filtering” fibre-optic internet in order to “prevent immoralities”. The committee would also determine whether the fibre-optic ban would be enforced across the country, they said.

In a post on social network Mastodon.social, Netblocks said:

“Afghanistan is now in the midst of a total internet blackout as Taliban authorities move to implement morality measures, with multiple networks disconnected through the morning in a stepwise manner; telephone services are currently also impacted”.

For weeks internet users in several Afghan provinces have been complaining about either slow internet access or no connectivity.

Several residents, who requested anonymity, previously told the BBC that their businesses and lives had been seriously affected by the internet cuts.

A man who works as a money changer in Takhar province said that his daughters’ online English classes were disrupted. “Their last opportunity to study and stay engaged is now gone,” he said.

Another woman previously told the BBC that she could not attend online classes since her home internet was cut off. “I had hoped to finish my studies and find an online job, but that dream has also been destroyed,” she said. “Without internet access, I don’t know what will happen next.”

Hamid Haidari, former editor-in-chief of Afghan news channel 1TV, said on Monday that “loneliness enveloped the entire country” after the shutdown.

“Afghanistan has now officially taken first place in the competition with North Korea for [internet] disconnection” he said on X.

“The silence online without Afghan voices from inside Afghanistan is deafening,” Mariam Solaimankhil, a former member of Afghanistan’s parliament now based in the US, wrote in a post tagging X owner Elon Musk.

A spokesperson for the Taliban governor in Balkh wrote on X earlier this month that the ban on fibre-optic internet was meant to curb “evils”. He added that authorities would explore alternatives.

The blackout is the latest in a series of restrictions which the Taliban have enforced since returning to power.

Earlier this month they removed books written by women from the country’s university teaching system as part of a new ban which has also outlawed the teaching of human rights and sexual harassment.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdxqdy5nrlqo

A Chinese national has been convicted following an international fraud investigation which resulted in what’s believed to be the single largest cryptocurrency seizure in the world.

The Metropolitan Police says it recovered 61,000 bitcoin worth more than £5bn ($6.7bn) in current prices.

Zhimin Qian, also known as Yadi Zhang, pleaded guilty on Monday at Southwark Crown Court of illegally acquiring and possessing the cryptocurrency.

Between 2014 and 2017 she led a large-scale scam in China which involved cheating more than 128,000 victims and storing the stolen funds in bitcoin assets, the Met said in a statement.

It said the 47-year-old’s guilty plea followed a seven-year probe into a global money laundering web which began when it got a tipoff about the transfer of criminal assets.

Qian had been “evading justice” for five years up to her arrest, which required a complex investigation involving multiple jurisdictions, said Detective Sergeant Isabella Grotto, who led the Met’s investigation.

She fled China using false documents and entered the UK, where she attempted to launder the stolen money by buying property, said the Met.

“By pleading guilty today, Ms Zhang hopes to bring some comfort to investors who have waited since 2017 for compensation, and to reassure them that the significant rise in cryptocurrency values means there are more than sufficient funds available to repay their losses,” said Qian’s solicitor Roger Sahota, of Berkeley Square Solicitors.

But some reports have suggested the UK government will seek to retain the seized funds.

The BBC has approached the Treasury and the Home Office for a response.

Reforms to crime legislation under the previous Conservative government aimed to make it easier for the UK authorities to seize, freeze and recover crypto assets.

The changes would also allow some victims to apply for the release of their assets held in accounts.

An Indian superstar-turned-politician is at the centre of a massive row after 40 people died in a crush at his party’s rally on Saturday.

Tens of thousands of people turned up at the campaign event held by Vijay in Karur district in Tamil Nadu state. The actor was in the middle of his speech when the crowd surged suddenly.

The tragedy has sparked a blame game, with the opposition accusing government officials of not deploying enough police personnel to control crowds.

Police officials have said that the rally’s organisers, who are from Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party, underestimated the anticipated crowd size and did not take enough precautions.

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban may have dropped hints that they were headed toward splitsville before their bombshell separation news broke.

Insiders told Page Six on Monday that the actress attempted to save her and the country singer’s 19-year marriage and didn’t want to separate.

The source shared that the relationship ran its course, while another insider told TMZ that they’ve been living in different homes in Nashville, Tenn., “since the beginning of summer.”

Per the outlet, Kidman, 58, has been “holding the family together” by looking after her and Urban’s daughters, Sunday Rose, 17, and Faith Margaret, 14.

Leading up to the shocking news, the exes may have subtly revealed there was trouble in paradise with recent interviews and social media snubs.

No recent public appearances

Kidman and Urban, 57, were last photographed together at a Los Angeles Football Club match in Nashville on June 20.

The “Moulin Rouge” star and the “Let It Roll” singer appeared in good spirits while chatting in a secluded section at GEODIS Park.

Before then, they stepped out at the 2025 Country Music Awards in Frisco, Texas, on May 8.

At the time, Kidman and Urban appeared head-over-heels for each other while giggling and holding hands in the audience.

Social media snubs

Mel Gibson, Donald Trump’s Hollywood ambassador, will have trouble with his latest movie.

Trump has announced a 100% tariff on all movies made outside the United States.

Gibson is shooting his two part “Passion of the Christ” sequel, and it’s not in Altoona, trust me.

Shooting is set for Rome, other locations in Italy, Morocco, and Israel.

It’s a two part movie that is costing Gibson, a Hollywood pariah, hundreds of millions of dollars.

Russia said on Monday that its military was analysing whether or not the United States would supply Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine for strikes deep into Russia, a step that Russian officials say could trigger a steep escalation.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said on Sunday that Washington was considering a Ukrainian request to obtain Tomahawks.

President Donald Trump has not made a final decision, and he has been wary of escalating the Ukraine war into a direct confrontation with Russia. But the fact he is now weighing such a move shows the extent of his frustration with President Vladimir Putin’s refusal to agree a ceasefire since he hosted the Russian leader at a summit in Alaska last month.

Tomahawks have a range of 2,500 km (1,550 miles) – easily far enough to hit Moscow and most of European Russia if fired from Ukraine. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy cautioned Kremlin officials last week that they should “know where the bomb shelters are”.

RUSSIA CONDUCTING ‘IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS’ OF SCENARIOS

It was unclear how or through which countries the Tomahawks could be supplied. Zelenskiy has asked Washington to sell them to European nations that would send them to Ukraine.

For the Kremlin, the escalatory risks of U.S. involvement in firing such missiles deep into Russia are clear.

“The question… is this: who can launch these missiles…? Can only Ukrainians launch them, or do American soldiers have to do that?” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about Vance’s remarks.

“Who is determining the targeting of these missiles? The American side or the Ukrainians themselves?” Peskov added, saying “a very in-depth analysis” was required.

Putin has previously warned that Russia reserves the right to strike at military installations in countries that let Ukraine use their missiles to hit Russia.

Andrei Kartapolov, head of the Russian parliament’s defence committee, told the Mayak news outlet that any U.S. military specialists who helped Ukraine to launch Tomahawks against Russia would become targets for Moscow.

“And no one will protect them. Not Trump, not Kellogg, nor anyone else,” he said.

Keith Kellogg, the U.S. special envoy to Ukraine, said on Sunday that Trump had indicated that Kyiv should now be able to conduct long-range strikes on Russia.

“Use the ability to hit deep. There are no such things as sanctuaries,” Kellogg told Fox News.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/russia-asks-if-ukraine-gets-tomahawk-missiles-will-us-provide-target-data-2025-09-29

Vietnam closed airports and evacuated thousands of people in areas under storm threat on Sunday, as intensifying Typhoon Bualoi barrelled towards the country, days after causing at least 10 deaths and widespread flooding in the Philippines.
The typhoon was generating winds of up to 133 km/h (83 mph) as of 1000 GMT and is forecast to make landfall in central Vietnam around 0100 on Monday, slowing as it nears the coast, state-run Thanh Nien newspaper reported.

“This is a rapidly moving storm – nearly twice the average speed – with strong intensity and a broad area of impact,” the national weather forecast agency said.
“It is capable of triggering multiple natural disasters simultaneously, including powerful winds, heavy rainfall, flooding, flash floods, landslides, and coastal inundation.”

Northern and central provinces may see up to 600 mm of rain through October 1, with rivers rising by 9 meters and risks of flooding and landslides, it said.
Authorities in the central province of Ha Tinh have started to evacuate more than 15,000 people, the government said, adding thousands of troops were standing ready.

Residents in Vinh, capital of Nghe An province where the typhoon is expected to make landfall, were rushing to secure homes, tie down boats, and stack sandbags or water-filled sacks on rooftops.
“We already suffered from losses from recent Typhoon Kajiki this year and haven’t recovered yet,” said Bui Thi Tuyet, a 41-year-old resident. “Over the last 20 years living here, I have not felt this terrified because of storms.”
Vietnam suspended operations at four coastal airports from Sunday, including Da Nang International Airport, and adjusted the departure time of several flights, the Civil Aviation Authority said.
Schools in the typhoon-affected area will be closed on Monday, with closures potentially extended if necessary, according to news site VnExpress.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/vietnam-evacuates-thousands-shuts-airports-typhoon-bualoi-nears-2025-09-28/

U.S. President Donald Trump hopes to finalize a Gaza peace plan proposal in a meeting on Monday with Israel’s Prime Minister, Trump told Reuters on Sunday, as Israeli tanks pushed deeper into Gaza City and the military wing of Hamas said it had lost contact with two hostages held there.
The fate of the two hostages, which has strong domestic resonance in Israel, could cast a shadow over a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump on Monday.

The Hamas military wing, Al-Qassam Brigades, called on Israel on Sunday to pull troops back and suspend air strikes on Gaza City for 24 hours so fighters could retrieve the captives.
Trump told Reuters in a phone interview he had received a “very good response” from Israel and Arab leaders to the Gaza peace plan proposal and that “everybody wants to make a deal.”
Hamas said the group had not yet received any proposal from Trump nor from mediators.
Israel has launched a massive ground assault on Gaza City, flattening whole districts and ordering hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to flee to tented camps, in what Netanyahu says is a bid to destroy Hamas.

Nevertheless, the past few days have seen increasing talk of a diplomatic resolution to the nearly two-year-old Gaza war.
Trump’s 21-point Middle East peace plan to end the Gaza war calls for the return of all Israeli hostages, living and dead, no further Israeli attacks on Qatar and a new dialogue between Israel and Palestinians for “peaceful coexistence.”
HAMAS URGES ISRAELI MILITARY TO PULL BACK
Netanyahu has repeatedly said Hamas must lay down its arms or be defeated. He told Fox News earlier on Sunday it is possible to have amnesty for Hamas leaders under a ceasefire agreement that would include them being escorted out of Gaza.
Hamas has so far said it will never give up its weapons as long as Palestinians are struggling for a state. It refuses any expulsion of its leaders from Gaza.
Al-Qassam Brigades called on the Israeli military to pull troops back from the Sabra and Tel Al-Hawa districts southeast of Gaza City’s centre, and suspend flights over the area for 24 hours from 1500 GMT so it could reach the two trapped hostages.

The Israeli military did not directly comment on the request but made clear it had no plans to halt its advances, issuing a statement ordering all residents of parts of Gaza City including the Sabra district to leave. It said it was about to attack Hamas targets and raze buildings in the area.
Gaza residents and medics said Israeli tanks pushed deeper into Sabra, Tel Al-Hawa and nearby Sheikh Radwan and Al-Naser neighbourhoods, closing in on the heart of the city and western areas where hundreds of thousands of people are sheltering.

RESCUERS UNABLE TO REACH TRAPPED RESIDENTS

The Gaza health ministry said in a statement that at least 77 people had been killed by Israeli fire in the past 24 hours.
Local health authorities said they had been unable to respond to dozens of desperate calls from trapped residents.
Gaza’s Civil Emergency Service said late on Saturday that Israel had denied 73 requests, sent via international organisations, to let it rescue injured Palestinians in Gaza City. The Israeli military had no immediate comment.
The families of the two hostages identified by Hamas have requested that their names not be published by the media.
The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli territory in October 2023, killing around 1,200 people and capturing 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Forty-eight hostages are still in Gaza, 20 of whom Netanyahu says are still alive.
Israel’s assault has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians, according to medical authorities in the territory. Most homes have been damaged or destroyed and 2.3 million residents are living under a severe humanitarian crisis.
The Israeli military says Hamas, which ruled Gaza for nearly two decades, no longer has governing capacity and that its military force has been reduced to a guerrilla movement.
The military launched its long-threatened ground offensive on Gaza City on September 16 after weeks of intensifying strikes on the urban centre.
Over the past 24 hours, the air force had struck 140 military targets across Gaza, including militants and what it described as military infrastructure, the military said.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/tanks-thrust-deeper-into-gaza-medics-say-many-injured-trapped-2025-09-28/

Three years ago, a fashion editor friend returned from Milan Fashion Week bursting with a story to tell.

Most fashion editors stayed at the same hotel, she explained, and each bedroom had its own mini fridge. After checking out, en route to the airport, a stylist in her party cried out that he’d left “an important package” in his fridge and telephoned the hotel, pleading with them not to throw it away.

“Turns out he’d forgotten his Ozempic,” my editor friend whispered. We were baffled. Ozempic?

Back then, Ozempic was not part of the common lexicon. But quietly, in certain circles, this injectable drug, which is licensed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, was being prescribed privately and off-label for weight loss.

Flash forward to today and the picture is vastly different. “So many fashion people are on it,” she tells me today. “And now they’re very vocal.”

Serena Williams, Elon Musk and Whoopi Goldberg have all spoken about using weight-loss injections. Some are now prescribed by the NHS, including Wegovy and Mounjaro, generating scores of headlines.

Really, this should have made it a great leveller. In theory, anyone struggling with obesity can – without the expense of a private doctor – get help to manage their weight.

Only that’s not the full picture.

Thousands of NHS patients are believed to be missing out. And with the NHS tightly restricting access, some working in the field warn a two-tier system around weight-loss drugs is developing – one that’s benefitting the most well-off.

Martin Fidock, who is UK managing director of Oviva, which provides Wegovy and lifestyle support to NHS patients, claims that thanks to varying thresholds of eligibility in different regions, NHS prescriptions are a “postcode lottery”.

An estimated 1.5 million people in the UK use these drugs – but more than nine in 10 are believed to pay privately. Prices vary but it generally costs between £100 and £350 a month, depending on the dose and lifestyle support.

Then, last month, it was reported that pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly was expected to increase the list price of Mounjaro by as much as 170%.

They have since done a deal for UK distributors, meaning rises are likely to be less, and the rises don’t affect the cost to the NHS – but it has still caused concern in some quarters.

“It’s scary,” says Brad, a tech company worker in his 40s. He has been taking Mounjaro for a year and worries he may not be able to afford to continue.

“I’ve lost 20kg and want to keep using it, but it’s a lot of money. It’s unfair.”

Nutritionists and GPs I spoke to have also expressed concerns about the broader system, and in particular whether existing health inequalities could worsen.

“We cannot allow good health to become a luxury for the wealthiest by limiting access to weight-loss drugs to those who can pay privately,” argues Katharine Jenner, executive director of Obesity Health Alliance.

So could it really be that weight-loss injections – for all of their benefits – are turning obesity into a wealth issue?

The madman who killed at least four people and wounded eight others at a Michigan Latter-day Saints church is a 40-year-old Iraq War veteran who served in the US Marines, The Post can confirm.

Thomas Jacob Sanford rammed his Chevy Silverado truck into the building before opening fire on worshipers at a Sunday service at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc Township, Michigan.

The vehicle had two large American flags behind the cab and a set of deer antlers attached to the bumper.

He also set the church ablaze, causing the entire structure to burn down. Authorities fear there may be more victims in the fire.

A Facebook post by Sanford’s mother says the gunman — who died at the scene in a shootout with cops — served in Iraq from 2004 to 2008.

He was killed minutes after the first 911 call came in. A Department of Natural Resources officer and a local township cop responded in about 30 seconds, authorities said.

Authorities later confirmed that Sanford, from nearby Burton, Michigan, is the lone suspect.

The source of the blaze was not immediately known, but sources told The Post that authorities found improvised explosive devices on church property, which a bomb squad was investigating.

A bomb squad was also searching Sanford’s house.

Cops said there were hundreds of worshippers inside the church when the attack began, with aerial footage showing an enormous plume of choking black smoke rising from the structure as it burned.

Social media accounts believed to be connected to Sanford show he was a family man, with a wife and young son.

A dormant GoFundMe page from 2015 raised more than $3,000 for the couple’s now-10-year-old son, who was born with congenital hyperinsulinism, or CHI, a rare genetic condition in which the pancreas releases too much insulin.

Pictures from the Sanfords’ Facebook page show the family smiling, posing in the beds of pickup trucks or in a field of tall sunflowers.

An unnamed witness told Fox 2 Detroit that the attack started just after the congregational hymn, when hundreds of people were inside the building for the 10 a.m. service.

Churchgoers reportedly heard a loud bang as the attacker crashed his truck into the building.

“We at first thought someone had accidentally crashed into the church, so we went out to help him,” the man told the local TV station.

Paul Kirby, 38, who also ran outside to render assistance, believing it to be an accident, told the New York Times he saw the man getting out of the truck from about 10 to 20 yards away before he realized what was happening.

“He started shooting at me,” Kirby said, adding that a bullet whizzed through a nearby glass door, clipping his leg with a piece of shrapnel.

He rushed inside the church to find his wife and two sons before they fled through the back and loaded as many people into their car as they could before speeding away.

Grand Blanc resident Tony Deck told USA Today that he drove by the church after hearing sirens and saw “at least four yellow canvases over dead bodies.”

Source : https://nypost.com/2025/09/28/us-news/iraq-war-veteran-thomas-sanford-idd-as-gunman-who-attacked-grand-blanc-lds-church-killing-2-and-setting-it-ablaze/

Southeast Asia’s delivery and ride-hailing drivers have become a political and economic force that governments and companies can no longer ignore, experts say. Can they convert street power to lasting political leverage?

When delivery rider Affan Kurniawan was killed by a police vehicle during a demonstration in Jakarta on Aug 28, his colleagues did not grieve quietly.

Within hours, WhatsApp groups lit up and around 1,000 riders in green and yellow jackets halted work to join a motorcade procession to his final resting place.

Indonesian politicians quickly took notice. Former presidential candidate and long-time opposition figure Anies Baswedan attended Affan’s funeral in the morning of Aug 29. That same evening, President Prabowo Subianto visited Affan’s home to offer support to the 21-year-old’s family.

Also on Aug 29, demonstrations involving delivery riders and app-based drivers against police brutality and other issues erupted in multiple cities in Indonesia, some of which turned violent.

Experts said the impromptu motorcade and the near-simultaneous protests underscored the riders’ solidarity and the speed with which their networks could mobilise.

“Through WhatsApp, Telegram, and social media, information spreads quickly and actions can be coordinated within hours,” said Indonesia-based transportation observer Muhammad Akbar.

“For small matters, such as collecting donations for a colleague in distress, they can mobilise instantly. When it comes to bigger issues, simultaneous protests can easily erupt across multiple cities.”

The gestures by Prabowo and Anies, two of Indonesia’s most powerful political figures, signalled something else: Gig workers are no longer invisible service providers, but a political force to be reckoned with.

“Politicians see delivery and motorcycle taxi riders as a strategic voter segment,” Akbar told CNA.

“Their numbers are huge, spread across cities, and considered influential over their families and communities. They are often positioned as important urban swing voters. A single visit to (riders’) basecamp can give a politician wide media coverage and a strong image of closeness to the people.”

What unfolded in Jakarta is emblematic of a wider trend across Southeast Asia, where app-based gig workers have staged at least 20 protests since 2020 over unfair wages, lack of social protections and lack of transparency, according to checks by CNA.

Some analysts believe they are emerging as a political constituency in their own right.

“The growing numbers of riders in urban spaces, coupled with the essential nature of their services, makes their collective action difficult for both governments and companies to ignore,” said Siwage Dharma Negara, a senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.

GIG WORKERS NOW A “PILLAR” OF LABOUR MARKET

Ride-hailing apps began scaling up over 10 years ago, and millions of people across Southeast Asia have since become app-based drivers and delivery workers.

In the early years, the platforms offered attractive bonuses and gig work was seen as an appealing alternative to traditional employment.

For young people, it offered freedom from the nine-to-five office routine while others saw it as a way to supplement household income, tide over periods between jobs or stay active in retirement. College students welcomed the flexibility, balancing classes with quick delivery runs.

But when COVID-19 struck, gig work shifted from being a convenient side hustle to the only option for many as businesses slashed their workforces, imposed wage cuts or shuttered altogether.

“The rise of gig workers is not a passing trend. It is a transformation of Malaysia’s labour landscape,” said Masrizal Mahidin, president of the Malaysia E-Hailing and Delivery Organisation (MEDO).

The Malaysian government estimates there are now 1.2 million active platform-based workers in the country, compared to 466,000 before the pandemic.

“These are not abstract numbers,” Masrizal said. “They represent young graduates, single parents, and everyday Malaysians who have turned to gig work for survival and opportunity. Their growth has transformed gig work from a side hustle into a pillar of the national labour market.”

A similar story unfolded in Thailand.

“I estimate that back then (2019 to 2020), it was somewhere around 300,000 to 400,000 (app-based gig workers). That was the peak,” Akkanut Wantanasombut, head of the Research Group in Innovation for Social Solidarity and Inclusive Economy at Chulalongkorn University told CNA.

“It was the only industry that could grow during COVID-19. The service sector was dying, so people left those jobs and worked with the platforms instead.”

Getting a true picture of today’s numbers in Thailand is difficult, as figures often overlap between platforms. But Akkanut noted that participation has declined since the pandemic.

“Nowadays, the numbers have reduced a lot because working conditions have become worse and worse,” he said. “Pay has become lower and lower. And those who are still working for the platform are those who really have no other choice.”

In Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest economy, workers have even fewer alternatives.

A shrinking middle class has pushed domestic consumption down, forcing factories to close. As a result, the number of ride-hailing and delivery riders has soared from 4 million in 2020 to 7 million in 2025, according to government data.

“If I had to choose, I would rather work in a company,” said Dede Supriatna, 57, who lost his job at a tour and travel agency last year. “We have no social security, no insurance. If we get into an accident or find ourselves trapped in the middle of a riot like Affan, we are on our own.”

“The platform doesn’t care if an order comes from a dodgy neighbourhood, or if the road is flooded, or if there is a riot like the ones we keep seeing in the last few weeks,” he added.

“If we don’t take the order, we don’t get paid. And we get bad reviews and are punished by the platform.”

In recent years, rising living costs, sluggish economic growth, the scaling back of benefits and limited employment opportunities in parts of the region have pushed gig workers to be more vocal about their grievances and demands.

According to Adrian Pereira of the North South Initiative (NSI), a group that advocates for labour rights, Southeast Asia’s labour movements have traditionally been non-confrontational and diplomatic. But the recent wave of protests in Indonesia shows that patience has limits.

“There will always be a tipping point where workers will say enough is enough,” he said.

In some Southeast Asian cities, platform workers have staged protests outside company offices or government buildings. Others have sought audiences with lawmakers and ministers, urging them to fight for their rights.

In Indonesia, gig workers have even begun running for local council or regional representative seats and a number of them have won, paving the way to carry their grievances directly into the political arena.

Among them was Erwin Siahaan who became a city council member in Medan, North Sumatra from 2019 to 2024, and Mukti Junianto, who is now an active city council member in Solo, Central Java.

Another former ride-hailing driver was former deputy minister for manpower-turned-corruption suspect Immanuel Ebenezer. Immanuel was a gig worker from 2016 to 2019. His political career took off after founding Jokowi Mania, a group supporting former president Joko Widodo’s re-election bid in 2019.

LAWS PASSED IN SOME COUNTRIES; OTHERS CATCHING UP

Governments and companies across the region are beginning to respond, albeit unevenly.

In September last year, Singapore became the first Southeast Asian nation to pass a law protecting gig workers’ rights. Under the Platform Workers Act, delivery riders and ride-hailing drivers will see higher Central Provident Fund (CPF) contributions to support housing and retirement adequacy, coverage under work injury compensation, and the right to representation in union-like associations.

Malaysia followed suit on Aug 28 with its Gig Workers Act. The law requires all platforms and companies engaging gig workers to provide contracts that spell out minimum standards for payment terms, working arrangements, insurance coverage, and termination procedures. It also created a Gig Workers Tribunal to resolve disputes.

Elsewhere, governments are still catching up.

In Indonesia, attempts to amend its labour laws to include gig workers have dragged on for years while attempts to formulate a new bill on app-based transportation have yet to materialise.

The only formal safeguard so far is a 2022 transport ministry regulation that caps platform commissions at 20 per cent. Critics say it remains toothless, allowing companies to set prices arbitrarily while the government fails to monitor compliance.

Transportation expert Akbar argued that Jakarta is reluctant to act more aggressively because ride-hailing platforms are plugging holes left by the state in terms of job creation and providing reliable public transportation. “They fill a gap that should have been the state’s responsibility,” Akbar said.

Since last year, gig workers in Indonesia have been calling for the platform commissions cap to be lowered to 10 per cent and for platforms to standardise prices instead of changing them arbitrarily.

These demands have largely fallen on deaf ears, with both the government and companies insisting the 2022 regulation is already fair.

However, there was one demand made during a Feb 17 protest that was met by the Prabowo administration: For platforms to provide Idul Fitri bonuses to gig workers which amount to 20 per cent of their average monthly income.

Drivers reported receiving anywhere from 50,000 to 1 million rupiah (US$3 to US$59.70) ahead of this year’s Idul Fitri holiday in March. The government promised that the bonuses would not be one-off but has yet to formalise the requirement in the form of a government regulation.

Meanwhile, Thailand is drafting a bill aimed at providing gig workers social security, insurance, protection against arbitrary termination and the ability to conduct collective bargaining.

But the process has been beset by disagreements and a lack of clarity over the definition of this new type of worker.

Isriya Paireepairit, vice-president for public affairs at tech company Line Man Wongnai, which has more than 140,000 drivers, welcomed the idea of an independent worker social security fund but raised concerns over implementation.

“For instance, how would benefits work for occasional riders who contribute less compared to regular riders who contribute more? Would insurance cover only jobs accepted through the platform? And how would the government verify riders’ working hours, earnings and activity data to ensure fair eligibility and accurate benefit distribution?” Isriya told CNA.

“Gig workers often work across multiple platforms … It’s still unclear how responsibilities for gig worker’s benefits are shared among different platforms.”

Worker groups representing riders have also opposed elements of the proposed bill at various stages, while academics remain sceptical.

“I don’t have any hope,” said Akkanut of Chulalongkorn University. “The regulators are very weak. They don’t really understand the new type of employment. And our labour laws are very old.”

LIMITED BARGAINING POWER?

Despite their numbers and the ability to disrupt daily mobility and routines, riders often struggle to convert street power to lasting political leverage, observers said.

Indonesia’s gig economy drivers have, for instance, protested repeatedly over the last few years for better wages and policies such as a lower cap on platform commissions.

“Unlike student groups, whose activism is often tied to broader ideological or political agendas, riders’ protests are rooted in immediate livelihood concerns, which makes their demands very pragmatic,” said Siwage of ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

Their communication networks also differ. Riders rely heavily on digital platforms, messaging apps and social media channels that are already integral to their daily work. This network allows them to coordinate quickly.

“This gives their protests a spontaneous and decentralised character, which is very different from the more structured networks of student organisations. Nonetheless, their fragmented nature and lack of formal representation often limit long-term bargaining power,” Siwage said.

Mathew Mathews, principal research fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS) at the National University of Singapore, said gig workers in the city state used to be just as fragmented and disorganised.

“While highly visible, their voices are not the strongest,” he told CNA. “For one, they are not seen as a unified group of workers. Many see them as part-timers, who may not be doing platform work as a dedicated career.”

Their voices began to be heard after research institutes and established groups like the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) became involved, as the Advisory Committee on Platform Workers was formed in 2021 following then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s speech at the National Day Rally which called for better protections for platform workers.

This, Mathews said, “worked to surface some of the concerns of this group and their needs which finally resulted in the government moving to ensure that such workers had proper work injury protection and CPF adequacy”.

Since the enactment of the Platform Workers Act last year, the National Delivery Champions Association (NDCA), which represents delivery platform workers in Singapore, told CNA that they have gained formal recognition from major platform operators like Grab, Lalamove and GogoX.

Andy Ang, NDCA’s executive secretary, said this recognition provides the association with the “legal backing” to negotiate improved conditions for platform workers.

In January this year, under the Platform Workers Act, NDCA and two other NTUC-affiliated associations were officially registered by Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower as Platform Work Associations.

“We’ve had to adapt how we engage with delivery riders as compared to salaried workers,” said Ang, whose association is affiliated with NTUC.

“Instead of meeting at fixed workplaces, we reach them through social media channels and at delivery hubs and hold regular outreach sessions at locations where riders naturally gather,” he added.

Meanwhile in Malaysia, the Gig Workers Act came after years of protests and lobbying.

“This development is not an act of benevolence. It is the product of sustained organising, vocal advocacy, and the undeniable reality that gig workers have become central to Malaysia’s transport, delivery, and digital economy,” said Masrizal of MEDO.

MEDO was among the 63 non-governmental organisations that took part in a peaceful Labour Day rally in Kuala Lumpur on May 1 this year, calling for improved workers’ rights, reported news outlet Astro Awani.

“When ministers directly address riders and drivers, when Parliament enacts laws in our name, it signals that gig workers have emerged as a political force to reckon with,” he said.

Malaysia’s Human Resources Minister Steven Sim, who championed the proposed law in parliament, described its passage as a “bold step forward” in securing social security and fairness for all gig workers in the country.

The government is “sending a strong signal that every worker matters, whether in formal sectors or informal sectors, on digital platforms or outside them”, Sim told CNA.

“The reason (for the Act) is simple – if the law does not define, it cannot defend.”

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/indonesia-delivery-riders-grab-gojek-southeast-asia-malaysia-thailand-protests-political-force-5368301

The leaders of the US and North Korea have expressed willingness to meet for a fourth time, but neither side has budged on the crucial question of containing North Korea’s nuclear program.

During his visit to Washington in August, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung told President Donald Trump that he looked forward to the time when Trump could play a round of golf with North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un.

“Someday I’ll see him … He was very good with me,” Trump responded.

On Monday, North Korean state-run media quoted Kim as saying he was open to a new round of discussions with Trump, adding that Kim enjoyed a personal bond with the US president during his first administration.

“I still have good memories of President Trump,” Kim told a session of the Supreme People’s Assembly in Pyongyang.

The two leaders met in Singapore in June 2018 for an unprecedented summit that followed months of heated rhetoric during which Trump called Kim “a rocket man on a suicide mission” while threatening to “totally destroy” North Korea.

‘We fell in love’

After the meeting, which yielded an unbinding statement agreeing on the “complete denuclearization” of the Korean Peninsula, Trump quipped that Kim had written him “beautiful letters” and “we fell in love.”

The two leaders would end up exchanging some 27 letters during Trump’s first term. In many of them, Kim addressed Trump as “your excellency” while using flowery prose praising their friendship.

However, the euphoria after the Singapore summit was short lived. A follow-up meeting in Hanoi in February 2019 was cut short when it was clear there would be no agreement on getting North Korea to drop its nuclear weapons program.

The leaders met again briefly again in June 2019 for a photo op at Panmunjom village marking the demilitarized zone between North and South.

Now in his second term as president, Trump is facing a more emboldened North Korea, which has continued to develop advanced weapons while frequently carrying out provocative missile tests. Pyongyang has also built stronger ties with China and, notably, Russia since Trump’s first term.

On Thursday, South Korean President Lee warned the UN General Assembly that North Korea is getting very close to developing an intercontinental ballistic missile that could carry a nuclear warhead to the US.

North Korea’s non-negotiable nuclear program

Despite Trump himself signaling his willingness to meet Kim, there are no signals from the Trump administration that a fourth summit is in the works. It also appears that neither side has budged on the crucial question of North Korea’s nuclear program.

On Monday, Kim said North Korea’s nuclear program would not be a bargaining chip, and reiterated his insistence that any meeting with Trump is contingent on Washington abandoning its “obsession with denuclearization.”

“Denuclearization is absolutely impossible,” Kim emphasized.

Responding to Kim’s statements, the US State Department this week reiterated that the Trump administration remains committed to the “compete denuclearization” of North Korea.

The Kim regime sees its nuclear program as existential to its survival and legitimacy. Analysts say that Kim would put US recognition of North Korea as a nuclear power on the table in any talks with Trump.

The meetings during Trump’s first term were also criticized for awarding the isolated Kim regime legitimacy and a place on the international stage while getting nothing in return. North Korea remains under international sanctions over its weapons program.

What does Kim want?

In late October, Trump is due to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) leaders’ forum in the South Korean city of Gyeongju.

Mason Richey, professor of politics and international relations at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, said that as Trump is meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at APEC, Beijing could provide an opening for a Trump-Kim meeting.

“I think Kim is happy to send up a trial balloon to see if he can get a second bite of the apple with Trump and to get the US to finally recognize North Korea as a nuclear power,” said Richey.

Richey said the second Trump administration may be willing to provide more wiggle room in the near term for North Korea on the nuclear dispute, in order to come out with the appearance of a win.

“The US under Trump has indicated that it is willing to move past denuclearization as an immediate objective and instead have it as ‘one for the future’,” he told DW.

Richey added that in any negotiations with the US, Kim is likely to seek sanctions relief and more diplomatic recognition while attempting to drive a wedge between the US and South Korea.

“The question, of course, is what is Trump going to get out of the deal,” he said. “Trump is not going to be giving anything away for free and I do not know what else North Korea can bring to the table,” he added.

Park Jung-won, a professor of law at Dankook University, told DW that Kim is aiming to seize the opportunity of his new-found diplomatic boost, as demonstrated when he appeared as an equal alongside Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a military parade in Beijing in early September.

“Kim wants to make the most of this opportunity to consolidate North Korea’s position and win recognition of his nation as a nuclear state,” he said.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/will-kim-and-trump-meet-again/a-74146946

A MAN has claimed that his father made a chilling deathbed confession in 2023 that he was responsible for the Tylenol murders – one of America’s most notorious unsolved cases.

Joseph Cibelli, a former hairdresser and law school student in Sacramento, California, said his father, Daniel Raymond Drozd, admitted to lacing the Tylenol capsules with cyanide.

The dark moment in American history occurred between September and October 1982 when poisoned capsules of the over-the-counter pills killed seven people in the Chicago area.

Drozd, who died at age 73 in 2023, was 32 years old at the time, Cibelli said.

The Chicago Tylenol murders sparked fear across the nation, leading to widespread changes in pharmaceutical packaging.

However, more than four decades since the killings, the case remains unsolved.

Cibelli, 54, who is working on a memoir about his experiences, said he found evidence to support his claim that his father was allegedly responsible for the killings.

The list is long, including his father’s proximity to purchase sites, access to cyanide through work, a capsule-filling device, and extremist how-to books.

“On his deathbed, he came right out and said it,” Cibelli said.

“He told a hospice worker that he had planted cyanide pills, and then he told my brother that he had put out cyanide pills.”

After his father’s death in October 2023, Cibelli researched the locations where the poisoned bottles were purchased.

“When I started researching where all the bottles were placed, I had been to all of those locations with my father right before the murders happened,” Cibelli said.

The family lived in Lyons, Illinois, at the time – a town that “butts right up to the city” placing them in the heart of the affected area.

Cibelli’s father served in the Army from 1969 to 1971 and worked multiple jobs, including as a police officer for the Lyons Police Department and at Electromotive, performing steel plating on engine parts.

“One of the key things they use in that kind of electroplating is cyanide,” Cibelli said.

“He used to always bring stuff home from there.”

‘BROKEN HOME’

As a child, Cibelli carefully monitored his volatile father’s behavior.

He recalls a mysterious pink cup his father brought home from work and hid.

“That pink cup is massive in this whole thing because there was cyanide in that cup,” Cibelli said.

Cibelli’s 75-year-old mother, Mary, was allegedly abused by his father throughout their marriage.

“My father used to beat her constantly, and as a child, I was calling the police a lot,” he said.

“Because he was a cop, the police would show up and be like, ‘Okay, just knock it off.'”

Cibelli said his sister died at age 31 from a pulmonary embolism, while his brother, a lifelong addict, heard their father’s deathbed confession.

Cibelli claimed that his father “said to my brother, ‘I put those suicide pills out there.'”

The most haunting evidence came during news of the victims’ funeral, Cibelli claimed.

ENGRAVED MOMENTS

On October 5, 1982, the family watched a funeral for three Janus family members who died after taking poisoned Tylenol.

Three members of the Janus family — Adam, his brother, Stanley, and his sister-in-law, Theresa — died from the cyanide-laced Tylenol.

“They showed three caskets in the church, and [Catholic prelate] Joseph Bernardin was sprinkling holy water onto those caskets,” Cibelli said.

“Behind me, my dad said, ‘Great, three holy f**king Catholic martyrs.'”

When a young Cibelli asked what it meant, his father allegedly responded, “If you’re so f**king smart, you’ll figure it out someday.”

“Those six words are burned into my being,” Cibelli added.

“It’s not even a memory — it’s like eyewitness testimony.”

The poisoned bottles had been placed back on store shelves at multiple retailers in the Chicago area.

Besides seven confirmed deaths, several others were seriously injured, accelerating the recall of over 31 million bottles nationwide.

Cibelli believes his father thought he could commit the perfect crime, never expecting authorities to identify Tylenol as the cause.

“He did not expect they would even figure out it was Tylenol,” Cibelli said.

“Within two days, they figured out it was the Tylenol. That’s when he started panicking.”

‘PERFECT CRIME’

Cibelli claimed his father destroyed evidence by burning everything in a barrel, including the pink cup that allegedly contained cyanide residue.

In his father’s workshop, Cibelli found disturbing reading material, including The Anarchist Cookbook and The Poor Man’s James Bond, publications with instructions for bombs and poisons.

“This whole plan is laid out in The Poor Man’s James Bond,” Cibelli said.

“It says if you want to try using poison, put it in people’s capsules.”

Cibelli also found what he believes was his father’s cyanide dispensing device — a small container with holes sized for filling capsules.

“Each one of those holes, if you put cyanide in each one, it’s more than a lethal dose,” he said.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/15253060/tylenol-murders-chicago-cops-deathbed-confession/

An ex-Marine smashed a pickup into a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints church in Michigan, opened fire and set the building ablaze during a crowded Sunday service and then was fatally shot by police. At least four people were killed and eight wounded, and authorities were searching the building ruins for more victims.

The attack occurred about 10:25 a.m. while hundreds of people were in the building in Grand Blanc Township, outside Flint.

The man got out of the pickup with two American flags raised in the truck bed and started shooting, Police Chief William Renye told reporters. The attacker apparently used gas to start the fire and also had explosive devices but it wasn’t clear if he used them, said James Dier of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Authorities identified the shooter as Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, of the neighboring small town of Burton. The FBI is leading the investigation and considered it an “act of targeted violence,” said Ruben Coleman, a special agent in charge for the bureau.

Officers responding to a 911 call were at the church within 30 seconds, Renye said. After the suspect left the church, two officers pursued him and “engaged in gunfire,” killing him about eight minutes later, the chief said.

People inside the church shielded children and moved them to safety during the attack, Renye said.

Flames and smoke poured from the large church for hours before the blaze was extinguished.

Two bodies were found during a search of the debris, and Renye said more victims could be found as searchers made their way though the entire church. One of the wounded people was in critical condition Sunday evening and the seven others were stable.

Renye said “some” people were unaccounted for, but he didn’t have an exact number.

Michigan State Police Lt. Kim Vetter said bomb threats were made at other churches in the area after officers shot and killed Sanford. No bombs were found and police were investigating the threats.

The motive not yet clear

Investigators were searching Sanford’s residence but authorities did not say what they found or provide any additional details about him, including whether he was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, widely known as the Mormon church.

Sanford served in the Marines from June 2004 through June 2008, working as an automotive mechanic and vehicle recovery operator, according to military records obtained by The Detroit News. He was deployed to Iraq from August 2007 through March 2008 and had the rank of sergeant.

It was the latest of many shooting attacks on houses of worship in the U.S. over the past 20 years, including one in August that killed two children during Mass at the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis.

It also was the second mass shooting in the U.S. in less than 24 hours. On Saturday night, a man in a boat opened fire on a crowd in Southport, North Carolina, killing three and injuring five,

President Donald Trump applauded the FBI for its response to the Michigan shooting in a social media post. Local authorities said the FBI was sending 100 agents to Grand Blanc Township, a community of roughly 40,000 people.

“PRAY for the victims, and their families. THIS EPIDEMIC OF VIOLENCE IN OUR COUNTRY MUST END, IMMEDIATELY!” Trump wrote.

The church building, circled by a parking lot and a large lawn, is near residential areas and a Jehovah’s Witness church.

Brad Schneemann, whose home is about 400 yards (365 meters) from the church, told The Associated Press that he and his daughter heard “two rounds of four to five shots” around 10:30 a.m. “Then, we really didn’t hear anything for a while” before they left their home to see what was happening.

Tight-knit church community

Timothy Jones, 48, said his family is part of another Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints congregation, or ward, about 15 minutes away, but that his children were at the Grand Blanc Township ward Saturday night for a youth fall festival. He and his family moved to Flint two years ago in large part because of how strong the faith’s community is in the area, he said.

As people in his congregation got word of the shooting from texts and phone calls during their Sunday service, his ward went into lockdown and police came as a precaution, he said. His children were “frantically, just trying to get word that people were OK.”

Sundays are “supposed to be a time of peace and a time of reflection and worship,” Jones said. Yet in the wake of violence at other houses of worship, a shooting “feels inevitable, and all the more tragic because of that,” he added.

The shooting occurred the morning after Russell M. Nelson, the oldest-ever president of the Utah-based faith, died at 101. The next president is expected to be Dallin H. Oaks, per church protocol.

“The church is in communication with local law enforcement as the investigation continues and as we receive updates on the condition of those affected,” spokesperson Doug Anderson said.

“Places of worship are meant to be sanctuaries of peacemaking, prayer and connection. We pray for peace and healing for all involved.”

The impact of the shooting spread throughout the area

When striking nurses at nearby Henry Ford Genesys Hospital heard about the shooting, some left the picket line and ran the short distance to the church to help first responders, Teamsters Local 332 President Dan Glass said.

“Human lives matter more than our labor dispute,” Glass said.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement that her heart was breaking for the community. “Violence anywhere, especially in a place of worship, is unacceptable,” she said.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/mormon-church-shooting-michigan-dcb79ee701b0b8076bf73e30e10ba2b7

Denmark banned the use of civilian drones for five days next week as it steps up security ahead of a European Union summit in Copenhagen.

Denmark banned the use of civilian drones for five days next week as it steps up security ahead of a European Union summit in Copenhagen.

The move is intended to eliminate the risk of confusing civilian-operated aircraft with hostile drones during the congregation of EU government leaders, the transport ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

The ban follows a surge of drone incursions across the country in the past week. Military authorities reported new sightings near several defense facilities overnight, marking the seventh day of such incidents. “Various capacities were deployed,” the Danish Armed Forces said in an update on Sunday, without offering details.

Police have been inundated with false alarms as public concern mounts, forcing them to raise the alert level. Authorities logged 500 reports in a single day last week.

Security will be visibly tighter in the capital during the summit, where leaders are expected to discuss defense and security, including responses to hybrid threats and Russian violations of European airspace.

Although investigators have yet to identify the source of the drone activity, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has linked it to Russia’s efforts to destabilize Europe, an accusation Russia denies.

Last week, sightings of large, professional-grade drones forced the temporary closure of several airports in Denmark, including Copenhagen’s commercial hub, sparking a large-scale police investigation. In recent days, the activity has centered around military facilities, including Karup, Denmark’s biggest air force base, which detected drones in its vicinity late on Friday.

Source : https://www.livemint.com/news/india/jaishankars-scathing-attack-on-pakistan-at-unga-major-international-terrorist-attacks-traced-back-to-one-country-11758997012408.html

Now main challenger to a rising Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo has blasted his candidacy as “abhorrent”, called election “battle for the soul” of Democratic party

Incumbent New York City mayor Eric Adams has dropped out of election scheduled for November, setting up a direct fight between Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani and former mayor Andrew Cuomo.

A formal Republican candidate, Curtis Sliwa is in the race too, but former governor Andrew Cuomo — contesting as an independent after losing the Democratic ticket race to Mamdani — is now the main challenger to the young leader of Indian-Ugandan origin. Eric Adams was also planning to file an independent nomination.

Leading the opinion polls, Zohran Mamdani, 33, has invited President Donald Trump’s wrath as the Republican strongman sees him as a problematic “communist”.

While some analysed Eric Adams’ expected dropout as a possible consolidation of Democratic votes for Mamdani, the NY Post report said this could be to clear the field to stop Mamdani by putting all of Trump’s strength behind Cuomo or, less likely, Curtis Sliwa.

What Eric Adams said while dropping out

“It’s been an honor to be your mayor,” Adams said in a video announcement, as per NY Post. “I know I cannot continue my campaign… I strongly encourage who ever takes over City Hall to continue what we’ve done.”

He did not endorse any of the other candidates, and even took subtle swipes at both Mamdani and Cuomo, all of them essentially on the same, Democrat side of the political binary in the US.

“I want to be clear, although this is the end of my campaign, this will not be the end of my public service,” he said, “I will keep fighting for our city no matter what because I am a New Yorker.”

Cuomo vs Mamdani

Andrew Cuomo earlier blasted Zohran Mamdani’s candidacy as “abhorrent” and termed the contest a “battle for the soul” of the Democratic party. “This is a civil war within the Democratic party where the extreme left is pulling the Democratic party and the moderates are afraid,” Cuomo said on Thursday in an interview with Bloomberg TV.

“The Democratic Party is not anti-business, it’s not anti-police. That’s not who we are,” he said, implying Mamdani is all of those things, something Mamdani has consistently denied.

Source : https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/big-boost-for-zohran-mamdani-why-is-eric-adams-dropping-out-of-nyc-mayor-race-andrew-cuomo-remains-direct-fight-trump-101759079187810.html

Get ready for Super Bunny Bowl 2026!

Bad Bunny will be headlining Apple Music Super Bowl LX Halftime Show, set to kick off Feb. 8, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., he announced via Instagram Sunday.

The Reggaeton superstar, 31, shared the exciting news with a video — set to his hit song “Callaita” — of him sitting on top of a goal post in a football end zone. He captioned the social media post, “Super Bowl LX. Bay Area. February 2026. #AppleMusicHalftime.”

Bad Bunny said in a press release obtained by Page Six following the announcement, “What I’m feeling goes beyond myself. It’s for those who came before me and ran countless yards so I could come in and score a touchdown… this is for my people, my culture, and our history.”

He added in Spanish, “Ve y dile a tu abuela, que seremos el HALFTIME SHOW DEL SUPER BOWL,” which translates to, “Go and tell your grandmother, that we are the halftime show of the super bowl.”

Bad Bunny is fresh off concluding his sold-out residency in Puerto Rico, which recently made history as the most-watched Amazon Music livestream ever, per Rolling Stone.

The Grammy winner is also no stranger to the Super Bowl stage. He was a special guest when Shakira and Jennifer Lopez co-headlined the 2020 halftime show in Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium.

He performed at the time his chart-topping track “I Like It” and a mashup of “Chantaje” with “Callaita” with Shakira, 48. J Balvin also made a guest appearance during the sizzling performance.

Jay-Z, who plays a crucial role in selecting the Super Bowl performer via his company Roc Nation, said of Bad Bunny, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, “What Benito has done and continues to do for Puerto Rico is truly inspiring. We are honored to have him on the world’s biggest stage.”

Jon Barker, SVP of Global Event Production for the NFL, further praised the Latin musical artist for his “global energy and cultural vibrancy that define today’s music scene.”

“As one of the most influential and streamed artists in the world, his unique ability to bridge genres, languages, and audiences makes him an exciting and natural choice to take the Super Bowl halftime stage,” Barker added.

“We know his dynamic performances, creative vision, and deep connection with fans will deliver the kind of unforgettable experience we’ve come to expect from this iconic cultural moment.”

The NFL and Apple Music cryptically teased earlier on Sunday afternoon via Instagram, “Tune into Sunday Night Football halftime for a big announcement” with a football, apple and shushing face emoji.

Leading up to the announcement, fans speculated that Taylor Swift would hit the stage for Super Bowl LX — especially after the singer bought back her masters in May and since her fiancé is Travis Kelce.

The tight end’s team, the Kansas City Chiefs, have made it to the championship game for the past three years in a row and many Swifties have been hoping for a storybook end to the current NFL season.

However, the pop superstar has been keeping a lower profile at Chiefs games recently amid rumblings that she has had serious threats made to her life and therefore has security concerns, per the Daily Mail.

Other names in the running have been Miley Cyrus and Adele, the latter of which sources exclusively confirmed to Page Six had been “in talks” for the halftime show.

The Grammy winner’s fiancé is Rich Paul, one of sports’ biggest agents, and Adele has attended the Super Bowl before as a fan, which further fueled the speculation.

Fans also speculated that Metallica would be considered given the rock band’s roots in San Francisco.

Drummer Lars Ulrich recently told Howard Stern, “I would f–king love to do it.”

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/09/28/entertainment/bad-bunny-headlining-super-bowl-2026-halftime-show/

Sunday’s general election will be the most crucial since Moldova gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Russia is doing all it can to divert the country from its European course.

If a flood of videos on TikTok is to be believed, the people of Moldova are currently living through a reign of terror.

These short videos claim that the country is being governed by a “dictatorship” of its pro-European President, Maia Sandu, and the ruling liberal-conservative Action and Solidarity Party (PAS).

They also allege that this “puppet regime” has sold itself to the European Union, NATO and US billionaire George Soros with a view to destroying Moldova’s agriculture, “introducing LGBTQ ideology” and leading the country into a war against the Russian Federation.

Former president’s TikTok campaign

One of the people who posts such things on TikTok almost daily is former President Igor Dodon, a devoted follower of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Dodon is leader of the Party of Socialists of the Republic of Moldova (PSRM) and head of the Patriotic Electoral Bloc alliance. The logo of the alliance features a red-and-white star surrounding a heart with the Soviet hammer and sickle at its center.

Dodon describes himself as right-wing and committed to “traditional values,” closing his videos with the Orthodox Christian salutation “God help us!”

This blend of hatred of Europe and the West, Soviet nostalgia, loyalty to the Kremlin, Orthodox Christian piety and right-wing populism appeals to a large part of Moldovan society, particularly in view of the precarious economic situation of many people in the country, especially pensioners.

Almost half of voters still undecided

This has been noticeable since late last year, when Maia Sandu was only narrowly re-elected president.

The country’s goal of joining the European Union was also confirmed by a razor-thin majority of just a few thousand votes in a referendum held on the same day.

Now, however, things could very well go the other way.

On Sunday, Moldovans go to the polls to elect a new parliament. This will be the first scheduled general election since Moldova and Ukraine were granted candidate status by the EU in 2022.

Moldova at a crossroads

For months now, the poll has been seen as a pivotal election and one that could take the country either further along the road to the EU or back to Russia.

Opinion polls in the country are considered notoriously unreliable. The unpredictability of the vote is further compounded by the fact that almost half of all voters have still not made up their mind who they are going to vote for.

Even though Sandu’s liberal-conservative, pro-European, anti-corruption civil rights party PAS is expected to remain the strongest party, it might lose the absolute majority it got in 2021.

Pro-Russian parties in the running

Two other electoral alliances that opinion polls indicate will be represented in the new parliament are both clearly pro-Russian.

These are the Patriotic Electoral Bloc and the political alliance known as Alternative, which was founded by Mayor of Chisinau, Ion Ceban.

Our Party (PN) is another party that could enter parliament. It was founded by businessman Renato Usatii, a political adventurer and populist who made his fortune in Russia and is hard to pin down politically.

Usatii could end up holding the balance of power and determining whether the country keeps its pro-European government or gets a pro-Russian one.

The Russian ambassador’s cynical threat

All this explains why President Sandu has declared the election the most important poll since the country gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. She is warning of a potential “defeat for democracy.”

She has said that if this comes to pass, “Russia will destabilize us and rip us out of Europe.”

The pro-Russian camp is making little effort to deny this.

Dodon and his Patriotic Electoral Bloc are openly calling for an end to the country’s pro-European course and a return to the Russian structures of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

Russia’s ambassador to Moldova, Oleg Ozerov, recently made a cynical, thinly veiled threat to the country, saying that Russia is in favor of preserving Moldova’s territorial integrity and neutrality and that Ukraine is an example of what happens when a country gives up its neutral status.

Humiliations for Russia

In economic terms, the Kremlin doesn’t need Moldova, a small, largely agrarian country with a population of about 2.8 million.

Nevertheless, Russia’s imperial mentality led it to start its first post-Soviet war in what is now the separatist region of Transnistria in eastern Moldova in 1992. About 1,500 Russian soldiers are currently stationed there, and it has a massive stockpile of weapons.

But Moldova’s strategic value has increased since Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022 because capturing this largely defenseless country would allow Russia to wage a war on two fronts against Ukraine.

Furthermore, it should not be underestimated that Russia’s attitude toward Moldova has much to do with the humiliations it has experienced there — such as the fact that Maia Sandu has succeeded in liberating her country from the Russian embrace and set it on a path toward Europe.

Source : https://www.dw.com/en/pro-russia-actors-work-to-sway-voters-ahead-of-moldova-polls/a-74143971

THIS is the tragic moment a groom collapsed and died in his new wife’s arms while dancing together at their wedding.

The heartbreaking moment was caught on video as the young couple were enjoying what was meant to be the happiest day of their lives.

Ashraf Abu Hakam was seen holding his bride’s hand and dancing together in the moments before disaster.

Just before he fell, he was waving a Saidi stick while his bride carried the matching pole.

Saidi sticks are props for a traditional dance originating from Egyptian folklore, often performed at weddings and other special occasions.

The couple were partying with their loved ones when he suddenly collapsed to the ground.

The footage shows him laying on his back as guests rushed to his aid.

The music and laughter were replaced by screams as the wedding venue fell into disarray.

Unfortunately, Ashraf was unable to be revived.

Doctors later confirmed he had died from a heart attack.

News of Ashraf’s death spread quickly via social media, with tributes flowing in.

He was described by his friends as being “full of life” and “excited by his future”.

Mourners recalled celebrating his engagement just the day earlier.

“May God have mercy on him, and grant him a place in the vastness of His paradise,” one person wrote.

Another said: “His age cannot delay an hour or advance it for his family and wife; sincere condolences.”

“I’m worried about this bride, the poor thing, and the talk that will follow her. May Allah grant her patience,” a third said.

Ashraf’s shock death comes after a 26-year-old Bosnian nurse also died after falling into a coma at her own wedding.

Adna Rovčanin-Omerbegović, an influencer and nurse, fell ill at her wedding reception on September 13.

Just hours after the nuptials, Adna became unwell and was rushed to the hospital, according to Bosnian media.

While undergoing treatment, she fell into a coma.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/15258856/horror-moment-groom-dies-dancing-wedding-wife-egypt/

Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco are officially husband and wife after tying the knot in a romantic ceremony.

Gomez revealed the news via Instagram Saturday evening, as she shared a carousel of images from their big day, taken by photographer Petra Collins.

The photos and videos showed the newlyweds embracing, holding hands and enjoying the moment. A few close-up shots showed Gomez’s bouquet of lily of the valley and her wedding rings.

The bride and groom both rocked Ralph Lauren. Gomez wore a custom hand-draped halter-neck satin dress with embroidery, while Blanco wore a classic black tuxedo and bowtie.

In the comments thread of the singer’s announcement, Blanco wrote, “my wife in real life.”

The couple exchanged vows at the lush Sea Crest Nursery in Santa Barbara, Calif., while surrounded by around 170 of their family and friends, according to Vogue.

Guests included Gomez’s BFF Taylor Swift, her “Only Murders in the Building” co-stars Martin Short, Steve Martin and Paul Rudd. Other attendees included Paris Hilton, Ed Sheeran, Ashley Park, and Gomez’s “Wizards of Waverly Place” co-star David Henrie.

Throughout the weekend, guests stayed at the $3,500-a-night El Encanto hotel, where Martin and Short were photographed on Friday, ahead of the couple’s rehearsal dinner. The dinner itself was held at a mansion in the private community of Hope Ranch in Santa Barbara County.

Guests were beckoned to the lavish soirée with gold-embossed invitations, asking them to join the couple “together with their families” for the seaside ceremony at 3:00 p.m.

The elegant invitations featured romantic interlocking “S” and “B” monograms and a sprig of what appeared to be dried baby’s breath flowers — tiny blossoms said to symbolize love, purity, and commitment.

After the pair’s initial wedding plans were leaked on July 14 — including the guest list, date and location — security became a high priority in planning the special day, especially ensuring the safety of the couple’s A-lists guests.

“Security for Selena’s wedding will be of the utmost importance because not only is she a public figure, many of the guests will be too,” an insider told the Daily Mail later that month.

“She is going back and forth on whether or not to allow people to have their phones as an extra measure of security and privacy, along with the fact that she wants everyone to be present,” the insider added.

Leading up to the highly anticipated nuptials, Gomez and Blanco both had their respective bachelorette and bachelor parties in August.

Gomez hosted her bachelorette party in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and was surrounded by her close girlfriends — including longtime pals Racquelle Stevens, Ashley Cook and Courtney Lopez.

Pictures showed the bride-to-be and her besties soaking up the sun on a yacht.

Blanco, for his part, had a bachelor party at a $25,000-a-night villa in Las Vegas, according to TMZ.

The record producer first teased the wedding timeline on July 10, but said he and Gomez were both very busy and had not started planning yet.

“We’re both working on so many things that we hadn’t even had time to get into it, but we’re so excited,” the music producer told Jake Shane on the “Therapuss” podcast. He also insisted their nuptials would be “chill” but “amazing.”

Fans began speculating that Gomez and Blanco were dating when he attended her 31st birthday party in July 2023. They had been acquainted for years thanks to their similar circles in the music industry.

In December 2023, the former Disney Channel star confirmed on Instagram that she had been secretly dating the songwriter for six months.

Responding to a fan account’s Instagram post that stated, “Selena Gomez Seemingly Confirms That She Is in a Relationship,” she commented, “facts.”

Gomez then went on to elaborate on their very serious love in a string of comments, writing that Blanco is “absolutely everything” and “the best thing that’s ever happened” to her.

Once their relationship was made public, the pair could not help but pack on the PDA.

In December 2023, the couple canoodled at Swift’s 34th birthday celebration. A month later, they were all over each other while sitting courtside at a Los Angeles Lakers game.

The couple revealed that Gomez’s mom originally set them up over a decade before they became engaged.

“It’s actually very difficult to figure out. I was around 16, 17,” Gomez told Interview Magazine in February of how old she was when she first met Blanco.

“And we first had music come out in 2013 or something,” he chimed in before adding, “Her mom set up a meeting between the two of us. This is right when I became big and she wasn’t a singer yet.”

The Rare Beauty founder initially sparked engagement rumors in August 2024 when she posted a mirror selfie with a heart emoji strategically placed over her left ring finger.

However, the pop star confirmed their engagement on Dec. 11, 2024, with a sweet Instagram post.

“forever begins now,” the “Emilia Pérez” star captioned a carousel of photos showing off her diamond sparkler.

Blanco also commented on her post, “hey wait… that’s my wife.”

The “Good for You” singer’s bestie Taylor Swift also chimed in, adding, “yes I will be the flower girl.”

Blanco popped the question with a marquise engagement ring he designed with “special symbols” of their love.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/09/27/celebrity-news/selena-gomez-marries-benny-blanco-in-dreamy-santa-barbara-ceremony/

Paul Thomas Anderson’s wild swing of a movie connects with the moment we’re in like nothing you’ve seen.

There’s no one way to measure when a movie enters the cultural bloodstream — I mean, when it does so as powerfully as a shot of heroin. But when it happens, you can feel it. It used to happen a lot, but it’s rarer in the world we live in today, which is swimming in a universe of content, most of it splintered into separate silos. The phrase “mass culture” used to be synonymous with “hit television” or “blockbuster movie,” but even those things aren’t the dominating, all-eyes-on-this, collective-attention-grabbing forces they once were. All of which makes Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” a grand throwback, the all-too-rare movie that has the chance to dominate the cultural conversation.

Let’s be clear about why that could happen. “One Battle After Another” is a movie that connects with the moment we’re in like nothing you’ve seen — and the moment we’re in is like nothing you’ve seen. As the United States gets pushed, day by day, closer and closer to autocracy, that’s a situation that ought to be setting everyone in the country on edge. Yet it’s part of the nature of autocracy to narcotize people into numbness, delusion, fear, and a kind of self-perpetuating apathy. And that’s what seems to be happening in America right now. Gavin Newsom shouldn’t be the only one saying that we’re in danger of not having real elections in 2028; tons of people (leaders, citizens, journalists) should be saying it. But too many of us are caught in a zone halfway between resistance and despair, and that’s the mood that “One Battle After Another” taps into.

It’s set in a police-state America that looks and feels like the one America could be turning into in a few years. And what’s uncanny about the film isn’t just the prophetic quality of its authoritarian setting. (No, this is not “The Hunger Games.”) It’s the way that “One Battle After Another” asks us, for two hours and 41 minutes, to live inside the cave of our anxiety and outrage, our passivity and rebellion; it’s the way the film provokes shocks of recognition and a kind of suck-in-your-breath catharsis. It’s a movie that works as a heightened mirror.

Based on its ecstatic reviews, the out-of-the-gate intensity of its awards buzz, the fact that the film’s solid box-office performance this weekend indicates that people chose to listen to the critics (something that doesn’t exactly happen every day), and the general vibe of excitement over the film that’s been coursing through social media, I think “One Battle After Another” has the potential to be a sensation — not just the rare drama for adults that becomes a hit, but a movie that provokes a thousand conversations and creates its own energy field. Even hit movies hardly do that anymore, and a lot of the films that critics champion tend to provoke a conversation-in-a-bubble. I think that’s what happened last year with “Anora” and “The Brutalist,” and maybe this year with “Materialists,” a good rom-com that set the chattering classes on both coasts talking about the place where romance meets the price of real estate.

“One Battle After Another,” on the other hand, is a wildly entertaining, awesomely unpredictable screwball political thriller that on some level forces you to confront…the fate of our fucking country. It gets you to ask: What’s happening to America? Where is this all going? Will it turn out to be as threatening as the movie makes it look? That, in a way, is a question as scary as anything in “Jaws,” and “One Battle After Another” could be the rare film that electrifies audiences because it connects directly with what’s happening in their lives.

To think of a movie that hit the zeitgeist jackpot the way this one does, you might have to go back to “Wall Street,” the Oliver Stone finance drama that had the good fortune to open just seven weeks after the 1987 stock-market crash. It’s as if that movie had been designed as headline-channeling hangover therapy for the Greed Decade. Before that, “All the President’s Men,” though it came out two years after Richard Nixon resigned the presidency, was close enough in time to the Watergate scandal to act as a national referendum on what the country had been through, how it shocked our values and in some ways reshaped them.

On that score, “One Battle After Another” almost seems to be opening in the exact right week. The Jimmy Kimmel saga, which proved to be a major victory for freedom of speech, was an inflection point. So, it seems, is the indictment of James Comey. (We can only hope that one ends as triumphantly as Kimmel.) These seismic events just fuel the movie’s urgency. On the scale of sheer relevance, “One Battle After Another” is a 10 out of 10, but as staged by Anderson, working at the peak of his powers, it’s also the kind of galvanic and enveloping movie that imprints its themes onto your headspace. You want to think about it, talk about it, debate it.

Here’s a prediction that sounds counterintuitive, but I’ll stand by it: I think a solid segment of the audience for this movie is going to come from the right. The red-state demo has tended to shun films like “Civil War,” which it views as liberal-left agit-prop, but I suspect that there’s something about the big vision of “One Battle After Another” that could prove uniquely inviting. (It doesn’t hurt to have Leonardo DiCaprio giving his most inspired and relatable performance in years.) The film depicts an underground band of revolutionary guerrillas, but instead of holding them up as shining heroes, it portrays them in shades of gray, spotlighting their naïveté and selfishness. And Sean Penn’s portrayal of the Army despot Col. Lockjaw is a satire of control-freak military manners flecked with humanity. I think people on the right will go to see “One Battle After Another” for the best reason: They’ll be curious about it. And just maybe, in ways they will or will not acknowledge, it could wind up speaking to them. In a world where Ted Cruz could take a stand against President Trump during the Jimmy Kimmel saga, I think the message is: Many things are not set in stone.

Source : https://variety.com/2025/film/columns/one-battle-after-another-could-rule-the-conversation-1236530009/

The United Nations reimposed sanctions on Iran early Sunday over its nuclear program, further squeezing the Islamic Republic as its people increasingly find themselves priced out of the food they need to survive and worried about their futures.

The sanctions will again freeze Iranian assets abroad, halt arms deals with Tehran, and penalize any development of Iran’s ballistic missile program, among other measures. It came via a mechanism known as “snapback,” included in Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, and comes as Iran’s economy already is reeling.

Iran’s rial currency sits at a record low, increasing pressure on food prices and making daily life that much more challenging. That includes meat, rice and other staples of the Iranian dinner table.

Meanwhile, people worry about a new round of fighting between Iran and Israel — as well as potentially the United States — as missile sites struck during the 12-day war in June now appear to be being rebuilt.

Activists fear a rising wave of repression within the Islamic Republic, which already has reportedly executed more people this year than over the past three decades.

Sina, the father of a 12-year-old boy who spoke on condition that only his first name be used for fear of repercussions, said the country has never faced such a challenging time, even during the deprivations of the 1980s Iran-Iraq war and the decades of sanctions that came later.

“For as long as I can remember, we’ve been struggling with economic hardship, and every year it’s worse than the last,” Sina told The Associated Press. “For my generation, it’s always either too late or too early — our dreams are slipping away.”

Iran sanctions set to ‘snapback’

Snapback was designed to be veto-proof at the U.N. Security Council, meaning China and Russia could not stop it alone, as they have other proposed actions against Tehran in the past. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called them a “trap” for Iran on Saturday.

France, Germany and the United Kingdom triggered snapback over Iran 30 days ago for its further restricting monitoring of its nuclear program and the deadlock over its negotiations with the U.S.

Iran further withdrew from the International Atomic Energy Agency monitoring after Israel’s war with the country in June, which also saw the U.S. strike nuclear sites in the Islamic Republic. Meanwhile, the country still maintains a stockpile of uranium enriched up to 60% purity — a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90% — that is largely enough to make several atomic bombs, should Tehran choose to rush toward weaponization.

Iran has long insisted its nuclear program is peaceful, though the West and IAEA say Tehran had an organized weapons program up until 2003.

The three European nations on Sunday said they “continuously made every effort to avoid triggering snapback.” But Iran “has not authorized IAEA inspectors to regain access to Iran’s nuclear sites, nor has it produced and transmitted to the IAEA a report accounting for its stockpile of high-enriched uranium.”

Tehran has further argued that the three European nations shouldn’t be allowed to implement snapback, pointing in part to America’s unilateral withdrawal from the accord in 2018, during the first term of President Donald Trump’s administration.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised the three European nations for “an act of decisive global leadership” for imposing the sanctions on Iran and said “diplomacy is still an option.”

“For that to happen, Iran must accept direct talks,” Rubio said.

However, it remains unclear how Tehran will respond Sunday.

“The Trump administration appears to think it has a stronger hand post-strikes, and it can wait for Iran to come back to the table,” said Kelsey Davenport, a nuclear expert at the Washington-based Arms Control Association. “Given the knowledge Iran has, given the materials that remain in Iran, that’s a very dangerous assumption.”

Risks also remain for Iran as well, she added: “In the short term, kicking out the IAEA increases the risk of miscalculation. The U.S. or Israel could use the lack of inspections as a pretext for further strikes.”

Hunger and anxiety grow in Iran

The aftermath of the June war drove up food prices in Iran, putting already expensive meat out of reach for poorer families.

Iran’s government put overall annual inflation at 34.5% in June, and its Statistical Center reported that the cost of essential food items rose over 50% over the same period. But even that doesn’t reflect what people see at shops. Pinto beans tripled in price in a year, while butter nearly doubled. Rice, a staple, rose more than 80% on average, hitting 100% for premium varieties. Whole chicken is up 26%, while beer and lamb are up 9%.

“Every day I see new higher prices for cheese, milk and butter,” said Sima Taghavi, a mother of two, at a Tehran grocery. “I cannot omit them like fruits and meat from my grocery list because my kids are too young to be deprived.”

The pressure over food and fears about the war resuming have seen more patients heading to psychologists since June, local media in Iran have reported.

“The psychological pressure from the 12-day war on the one hand, and runaway inflation and price hikes on the other, has left society exhausted and unmotivated,” Dr. Sima Ferdowsi, a clinical psychologist and professor at Shahid Beheshti University, told the Hamshahri newspaper in an interview published in July.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/iran-snapback-sanctions-nuclear-us-israel-war-5b13ed1781659c1a9871427881ef239b

Ukraine’s Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant entered its fifth day running on emergency generators Saturday, prompting mounting safety concerns.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, meanwhile, announced a $90 billion arms agreement with the United States and criticized Hungary for carrying out “dangerous” intelligence-gathering drone activities over Ukraine.

External power to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, has been cut for more than four days in a record outage at the six-reactor facility on the front line of the war, Greenpeace Ukraine warned Saturday.

Emergency diesel generators are being used to power cooling and safety systems after the final power line was severed on Tuesday, according to the U.N. nuclear watchdog. Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, but the external power supply was not restored.

The reactor core and used nuclear fuel must be cooled to prevent them overheating and triggering dangerous meltdowns like the ones that occurred in 2011, when an earthquake and tsunami hit the Fukushima plant in Japan. The U.N. atomic watchdog has repeatedly warned of the possibility of a radiation catastrophe like the one at Chernobyl, about 480 kilometers (300 miles) to the northwest, where a reactor exploded in 1986.

Ukrainian officials confirmed the severity of the situation. Minister of Energy Svitlana Hrynchuk told The Associated Press that “the plant remains in blackout mode, which is a significant violation of the conditions for its normal operation,” marking the 10th such incident since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. The cause, she said, was another shelling by the Russians, which damaged the only power transmission line supplying the plant from the Ukrainian energy system.

The Russian-controlled Telegram channel for the plant said Saturday that “sufficient diesel fuel reserves are available on-site to ensure long-term autonomous operation of the generators.”

A radiation and nuclear energy specialist at Greenpeace Ukraine, Jan Vande Putte, said “emergency diesel generators are considered the last line of defense, used only in extreme circumstances.”

“These are undoubtedly the most serious and important events since the beginning of the occupation of the ZNPP by Russia in March 2022,” he said.

Images suggest Russia may be trying to restart one reactor

Putte said that it was Russia’s “deliberate actions” that led to the plant’s disconnection from the external power grid of Ukraine. He warned that the development advanced Russia’s state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom’s “long-standing goal” to “connect to the illegally occupied power grid in Zaporizhia and Donetsk regions and restart the nuclear reactor.”

New satellite analysis by Greenpeace Ukraine suggests that Russia may be positioning to restart at least one reactor despite high-risk wartime conditions. The environmental group said Russian engineers are building 125 miles (201 kilometers) of power lines connecting substations in the occupied cities of Melitopol and Mariupol, with construction beginning in December 2024.

According to Greenpeace’s analysis, Russia has also completed construction of a new water supply system for the plant’s cooling pond and deliberately damaged a 750-kilovolt power line that had connected the facility to Ukraine’s electrical grid.

The Associated Press could not independently verify Greenpeace Ukraine’s analysis.

The plant has been held by Russia since Moscow’s invasion in 2022. Its six reactors remain fueled with uranium though they are in a so-called cold shutdown — meaning nuclear reactions have stopped. However, the plant relies on external electricity to keep its reactor cool and power other safety systems. That external power has been cut multiple times in the war, forcing the plant to rely on diesel generators on site.

The city of Zaporizhzhia, about 440 kilometers (275 miles) southeast of Kyiv, is held by Ukraine and attacks have occurred around the plant as the front line is close. The IAEA rotates staff through the facility to check the plant’s safety and offer its expertise.

Zelenskyy addresses arms deal and regional tensions

Zelenskyy detailed Saturday at a press briefing in Kyiv what he called a “mega deal” for weapons purchases from the United States, with technical meetings beginning in late September. The $90 billion package includes both the major arms agreement and a separate “drone deal” for Ukrainian-made drones that the U.S. will purchase directly.

“We discussed and agreed on the main points with the President (Trump). Now we are moving on to practical implementation,” Zelenskyy said, adding that Ukraine had provided detailed specifications of its military needs to the U.S., including requests for long-range weapons systems.

Zelenskyy also criticized Hungarian drone activity over Ukraine, saying Ukrainian intelligence tracked of at least one drone. “I believe they are doing very dangerous things — very dangerous things, first and foremost for themselves,” Zelenskyy said.

Source : https://apnews.com/article/zaporizhzhia-nuclear-ukraine-russia-zelenskyy-92f0490b455ee7254fe2498874b23725

Grieving widow Erika Kirk made a rare appearance on her late husband’s podcast, sharing how his legacy and voice would live on in his absence — vowing that “The Charlie Kirk Show” is here to stay.

Kirk hosted Friday’s episode and reassured listeners that the Turning Point USA founder’s political movement and popular show will continue with a new format and a rotation of emcees, just two weeks after the 31-year-old conservative activist was viciously assassinated during a speaking event in Utah.

“‘The Charlie Kirk Show’ is not going anywhere,” the mom of two stressed.

“My husband’s voice will live on. The show will go on. We will have rotating hosts, rotating casts, rotating people coming on. It is going to be continually the north star of the conservative movement, of the voice of the youth, of the voice of the base, and that will not end.”

Kirk, who laughed and smiled throughout the episode, recalled her mother once telling the slain right-wing influencer that he was his generation’s Rush Limbaugh — a compliment that drove him to take his show, which launched in 2019, to new heights.

She also reaffirmed her pledge to continue her sweetheart’s “American Comeback Tour” on college campuses nationwide, adding that Turning Point USA, where she was recently named CEO, is moving “full steam ahead” with even more work than she “could ever dream of.”

“We’ll never be silenced,” Kirk said.

“That’s why continuing his platform in a beautiful, honorable way will reinforce that he will never be silenced. My husband’s voice will go on.”

Her appearance comes five days after Charlie’s memorial service, where she publicly forgave Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of gunning him down at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10.

Source : https://nypost.com/2025/09/27/us-news/erika-kirk-seen-smiling-makes-announcement-on-rare-the-charlie-kirk-show-appearance/

“We need a more representative and a more inclusive UN that reflects current realities,” says Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan.

Singapore has called on the United Nations to rein in the rising use of veto powers by the five permanent members of the Security Council and pressed for reforms to make the organisation more inclusive.

Delivering the country’s national statement at the UN General Assembly in New York on Sunday (Sep 28), Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said the veto is being deployed with growing frequency at a time of widening conflicts.

“The increasing, and if I may add, cynical use of vetoes by the P5 must be constrained,” said Dr Balakrishnan, adding that the wider UN membership must reach an agreement on how this veto is exercised in the future.

“Just as the world has changed dramatically in the last 80 years, it is also clear that the UN needs to reform to be fit for purpose for the next stretch,” he said. “We need a more representative and a more inclusive UN that reflects current realities.”

The five permanent members of the Security Council – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – hold veto power, which allows any one of them to block the adoption of any substantive resolution, regardless of how much support it has among the rest of the council.

Earlier this month, the US vetoed for the sixth time a draft resolution that would have demanded a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages, saying that it fails to condemn Hamas or recognise Israel’s right to defend itself. All 14 other members of the council voted in favour of the resolution.

Dr Balakrishnan acknowledged the role of the council’s elected members, saying their presence “gives the wider membership of the UN greater agency in addressing the pressing issues of the day”. But he also called for a stronger relationship between the Security Council and the General Assembly.

In a statement at the UN Security Council open debate last year, Singapore also called for the reform of the council, including constraining the use of veto powers.

Dr Balakrishnan’s remarks on Sunday came as the UN marks 80 years since the end of World War II. The multilateral system, grounded in international law, enabled small states like Singapore to flourish, he said.

This post-war world order “has come to an end”, Dr Balakrishnan said. The current distribution of economic weight, technological sophistication and military strength is “very different from the world of 1945”.

“It is obvious that the UN and the other international organisations have not evolved to keep up with the times,” he said.

Dr Balakrishnan pointed out that the world today has become “more turbulent, more uncertain, and in some places, more violent”.

“The erosion of respect for the principles of the UN Charter, the egregious violations of international law and of international humanitarian law, have unfortunately become common, as have violations of sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

The wars in the Middle East, Ukraine and parts of Africa reflect this tragedy, Dr Balakrishnan said. He reiterated that Singapore will reconsider its position on recognising the Palestinian state if Israel “takes further steps to extinguish a two-state solution”.

The geopolitical shifts have also disrupted the multilateral and economic trading system, he said.

“Decades of progressive trade liberalisation and investments expanded opportunities and prosperity all over the globe. But today those are at risk. The tariffs, the export controls, are being used as levers to secure unilateral advantage, including sometimes to address non-trade related issues.”

“DOUBLE DOWN ON MULTILATERALISM”

Despite the prevailing pessimism, Dr Balakrishnan said small states like Singapore cannot afford to be passive.

The multilateral system, underpinned by the UN, remains the best way to uphold global peace and prosperity in a “fair and inclusive way”, he said.

“We’re here to call on all of us to double down on multilateralism founded on international law,” he said. “Even small states and middle powers have agency and we have strategic autonomy to collectively protect our long-term national interests and the global commons.”

He cited “success stories” such as the ratification of the BBNJ Agreement, a legally binding treaty to conserve and sustainably use marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction, which show that the multilateral system still works.

Dr Balakrishnan also said Singapore has nominated ambassador Rena Lee to serve as a judge on the International Court of Justice next year, noting that if elected, she would be the first woman and only the second person from Southeast Asia to serve on the ICJ.

He ended his address by quoting Singapore’s first Foreign Minister S Rajaratnam: “Despite cynics who focus attention on its many shortcomings, Singapore has faith in the future of the United Nations simply because without it there is no worthwhile future for humanity.”

“These words still ring true today,” Dr Balakrishnan said. “So together, let us ensure that this institution continues to serve as humanity’s best hope for peace and prosperity for all of us.”

In an interview with Singapore journalists after his speech, he said that despite being a small state, Singapore has played a constructive role at the UN.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/vivian-balakrishnan-un-general-assembly-singapore-national-statement-5373686

Bali, Indonesia’s famed tropical paradise, has charmed plenty of tourists over the years.

But it’s also leaving a growing number disillusioned – recently among them Zoe Rae.

“Since landing in Bali, something for us has just not felt quite right,” she said in a YouTube video in July, filmed in her hotel room.

“We came to Bali with high expectations because we’d seen on social media everyone having such a lovely time.”

She added: “If you took a picture of the coffee shop and zoomed out, you would see what the reality was.”

Ms Rae did not describe the reality she saw – nor reply to the BBC’s questions. But it was unsettling enough to make her book an impromptu flight to Dubai to continue celebrating her wedding anniversary there instead.

One does not need to look far for clues.

Social media posts about “expectations vs reality” in Bali abound.

Diners enjoying the sunset at a beach-side restaurant – and the piles of rubbish along the rickety stairs to get there.

The bikini-clad pose in front of a waterfall, while a snaking line of tourists await their turn on slippery rocks.

The alfresco smoothies with bamboo straws, right beside soot-puffing motorcycles stuck on jammed roads.

Millions flock to Bali every year in search of the spiritual Shangri-La promised in the noughties memoir and film Eat, Pray, Love.

What they’re greeted by instead are crowds, traffic and the cacophony of construction, which has ramped up alongside a post-pandemic boom in tourism.

The growing strain on the island had produced plenty of eye-rolls and grumbles, but this month events took a sombre turn.

More than a dozen people died in rare floods on the island. Poor waste management and unchecked urban development had worsened the situation, officials said.

The local government has since announced it will restrict new construction. But many see such interventions as too little, too late.

How did Bali, celebrated for decades as the “last paradise”, get to this point?

Zoe Rae’s disillusionment with the reality she encountered in Bali exposes the idealised image held by many casual travellers.

Responding to Mr Rae’s post, Hollie Marie, a British content creator living in Bali, warned in a TikTok video that “only looking up Bali on Instagram will give you a distorted reality of the island itself”.

“The problem with Bali is people come here and only stay in certain areas because they want to see cute cafes, visit Instagrammable places. And they miss out on the fact that Bali is a very culturally rich island,” Ms Marie tells the BBC.

Those who live there, or have explored beyond the obvious haunts, will tell you Bali’s natural beauty is alive and well, from dolphin-watching and dive explorations, to the lush landscape in the quieter north.

The island is “much, much more” than the “party places” that tourists tend to visit, says Canny Claudya, who moved to Bali from Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta.

“If you think that Bali is overcrowded, then you’re just not in the right places.”

Sweeping UN economic and military sanctions have been reimposed on Iran – 10 years after they were lifted in a landmark international deal over its nuclear programme.

The new measures took effect as the three European partners to the deal – the UK, France and Germany – activated the so-called “snapback” mechanism, accusing Iran of “continued nuclear escalation” and lack of co-operation.

Iran suspended inspections of its nuclear facilities – a legal obligation under the terms of the 2015 deal – after Israel and the US bombed several of its nuclear sites and military bases in June.

Its President Masoud Pezeshkian insisted last week that the country had no intention of developing nuclear weapons.

The reintroduction of sanctions – which Pezeshkian described as “unfair, unjust, and illegal” – is the latest blow to a deal that was heralded as a turning point in Western relations with the long-ostracised Islamist nation when it was first struck.

The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) places limits on Iran’s nuclear installations, its stockpiles of enriched uranium, and the amount of research and development it can undertake.

It aims to allow Iran to develop its nuclear power infrastructure without straying into making nuclear weaponry.

Iran stepped up its banned nuclear activity after Donald Trump pulled the US out of the agreement during his first term as president in 2016.

He has persistently criticised the deal, negotiated under his predecessor Barack Obama, as flawed, vowing to negotiate better terms.

The US and Israeli bombing of nuclear facilities in June was intended to reverse some of Iran’s nuclear progress, as well as punish it for arming regional proxies that have repeatedly attacked Israel.

While Trump said these had caused “monumental damage”, others cast doubt on the extent to which they had hindered Iran’s nuclear programme.

European allies that remain party to the deal still hope negotiations will yield a cooling of tensions.

“We urge Iran to refrain from any escalatory action,” they said in a joint statement, adding: “The reimposition of UN sanctions is not the end of diplomacy.”

Talks between the three countries and Iran on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly earlier this week failed to produce a deal which would have delayed the sanctions being reimposed.

The foreign ministers of the so-called E3 said they had “no choice” but to trigger the snapback procedure, as Iran had “repeatedly breached” its commitments.

They cited Iran’s failure to “take the necessary actions to address our concerns, nor to meet our asks on extension, despite extensive dialogue”.

Specifically, they mentioned Tehran’s refusal to co-operate with the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

“Iran has not authorised IAEA inspectors to regain access to Iran’s nuclear sites, nor has it produced and transmitted to the IAEA a report accounting for its stockpile of high-enriched uranium,” the statement read.

The suspension of IAEA inspections began following the US/Israeli bombings, but the agency confirmed on Friday that they had resumed.

Pezeshkian has softened earlier threats of Iran quitting the Non-Proliferation Treaty altogether – but has warned that a return of sanctions would put negotiations in jeopardy.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crme84w3n23o

More than 35 people have been killed in Israeli strikes and gunfire since the early hours of Saturday morning, hospital sources in Gaza say.

A strike on a house in central Gaza left at least 11 people dead – more that half of them women and children – according to officials at al-Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza City.

Health workers said nine members of the same family were among those killed in an Israeli strike on the Nuseirat refugee camp, and at least six people are reported to have been killed while seeking aid in central and southern Gaza.

It comes a day after Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu told the United Nations that Israel “must finish the job” against Hamas.

The Israeli air force says it has hit approximately 120 targets across the Strip since Friday – including, the military says, “buildings used by terror groups, terror operatives and other infrastructure”.

It is clear there has been no let up in Israel’s recent expanded ground offensive against Hamas, which is now mainly focused on Gaza City, where Israel says is the last stronghold of the armed group.

Hundreds of thousands of residents have fled the territory’s biggest urban centre, where a famine was confirmed last month by a UN-backed body. But hundreds of thousands more remain there in dire humanitarian conditions, with health and other essential services collapsing.

“They tell us go there, then come back here… People are in the streets, in the south scattered everywhere. Where should we go?” said Salwa Subhi Bakr, as quoted by AFP.

“What does the world want from us? What does Netanyahu want? What does Hamas want?” she said.

Several members of the Bakr family were killed during a strike on Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, the news agency reported, citing the Hamas-run civil defence agency.

While international calls for a ceasefire have redoubled – bolstered by multiple new recognitions of Palestinian statehood at the UN this week – Israel remains intent on maintaining maximum pressure on Hamas to try to force it into surrender.

That was the message once again from Prime Minister Netanyahu at the UN General Assembly in New York on Friday, where many delegates walked out in protest as he took to the stage.

Donald Trump has once again expressed optimism about negotiating a deal that would see the hostages released and a new ceasefire in Gaza.

The US president said his team was close to achieving this goal, as what he called “very inspired and productive discussions” were being held with countries across the region.

Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, says that the US has come up with a new 21-point peace plan for the Middle East and Gaza.

It has not been formally presented, but various media reports have laid out what is said to be its key provisions.

These reportedly go beyond the release of all hostages, large numbers of Palestinian prisoners and an immediate ceasefire, to include what The Times of Israel says would be a pathway to a future Palestinian state.

But that is something Netanyahu strongly rejected in his address to the UN.

It has also been reported that the plan would enable Palestinians to remain in the Gaza Strip, rather than encourage many to leave.

Such provisions – if they are confirmed – are certain to be talking points when Trump meets Netanyahu on Monday. The US leader’s optimism may receive a reality check at that meeting.

The Times of Israel – which says it had seen a copy of the US proposal – says that it also includes a commitment for Hamas to disarm, as well as the full demilitarisation of Gaza and the establishment of a process to de-radicalise the population.

It is clear that both Hamas and the Israeli government would have to make greater concessions than they have so far committed themselves to, if the plan as it has been reported so far is to have any chance of success.

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.

Source : https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c87y58jgn5lo

Dr Jaishankar did not mince words, linking Pakistan to the recent barbarity of the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025

India’s External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar, delivered a scathing attack on Pakistan during his address to the 80th UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, labelling the neighbouring nation an “epicentre of terrorism”. The minister’s powerful remarks centred on the systemic and state-supported nature of terror, which he asserted remains the single largest threat to regional stability.

Dr Jaishankar did not mince words, linking Pakistan to the recent barbarity of the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2025, where 26 innocent tourists, primarily Hindu civilians, were massacred. He stressed that this act was a brutal reminder that terror hubs across the border “operate in industrial scale”, thriving due to governmental patronage. Furthermore, he condemned the disturbing normalisation of violence, highlighting that “terrorists are publicly glorified” by the state apparatus.

The EAM presented a clear demand to the international community: what is required is “relentless pressure” on the entire ecosystem that supports extremism. He outlined the immediate policy imperative to “choke the financing of terror”, calling for concerted global action to cut off the financial lifelines of terrorist organisations. India’s stance, he affirmed, is one of zero tolerance, making it clear that there will be no distinction between the terrorists and their sponsors, both of whom will be held accountable.

Source : https://www.news18.com/world/jaishankar-hammers-pakistan-at-unga-calls-it-epicentre-of-terrorism-9601021.html

Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Saturday dismissed the U.S. decision to revoke his visa and accused Washington of violating international law over his criticism of Israel’s war in Gaza.
The U.S. said on Friday it would revoke Petro’s visa after he took to New York’s streets on Friday to join a pro-Palestinian demonstration and urged U.S. soldiers to disobey President Donald Trump’s orders.

“I no longer have a visa to travel to the United States. I don’t care. I don’t need a visa … because I’m not only a Colombian citizen but a European citizen, and I truly consider myself a free person in the world,” Petro said on social media.

“Revoking it for denouncing genocide shows the U.S. no longer respects international law,” he added on a post on X.
Israel has repeatedly denied genocide charges over its actions in Gaza and says it is acting in self-defense.
Images of starving Palestinians, including children, have sparked global outrage against Israel’s assault on Gaza, which has killed 65,000 people, according to Gazan authorities, and internally displaced the entire population of the enclave. Multiple rights experts, scholars and a U.N. inquiry say this amounts to genocide.
Israel calls its actions self-defense after the October 2023 attack by Hamas that killed 1,200 people and in which over 250 were taken hostage.

Petro, addressing a crowd of pro-Palestinian protesters outside U.N. headquarters in Manhattan, called for a global armed force with the priority to liberate Palestinians and urged U.S. soldiers “not to point their guns at people. Disobey the orders of Trump. Obey the orders of humanity.”
The State Department posted on X that it would “revoke Petro’s visa due to his reckless and incendiary actions.”
Colombia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that using visa revocation as a diplomatic weapon goes against the spirit of the U.N., which protects freedom of expression and guarantees the independence of member states at U.N. events.
“The U.N. should find a completely neutral host country … that would allow the Organization itself to issue authorization to enter the territory of that new host State,” the ministry said.

Petro is not the first Colombian president to have his U.S. visa revoked. In 1996, then-President Ernesto Samper’s visa was canceled over a political scandal involving allegations that the Cali drug cartel had funded his presidential campaign.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/us/colombian-president-petro-accuses-us-violating-international-law-after-visa-2025-09-27/

Iran’s clerical rulers face one of their gravest crises since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, caught between growing discontent at home and a stalled nuclear deal that together have left the country more isolated and divided.
The United Nations reimposed sanctions on Iran on Saturday after last-ditch talks between Tehran and European powers Britain, France and Germany failed to resolve the latest of decades of standoffs over Iran’s nuclear program.

Without a breakthrough in talks with the West, four Iranian officials and two insiders predicted Iran’s economic isolation would further intensify, stoking public fury.
Yet accepting the West’s demands risks fracturing the ruling elite and sidelining the Islamic Republic’s revolutionary beliefs in “not succumbing to Western pressure” that define Tehran’s unbowed stance, they said.

CONCERNS MOUNT IN TEHRAN OVER POTENTIAL ISRAELI STRIKES

“The clerical establishment is trapped between a rock and a hard place. The existence of the Islamic Republic is in peril,” one official said, adding that “Our people cannot handle more economic pressure or another war.”

Adding to these strains are mounting concerns in Tehran over potential renewed Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites if nuclear diplomacy with the West fails, a second official said.
A 12-day war in June that began with Israeli airstrikes, followed by U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear installations, shocked Tehran, kicking off just a day before a planned sixth round of talks with Washington over Tehran’s nuclear program.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have warned they will not hesitate to hit Iran again if it resumes enrichment of uranium, a possible pathway to developing nuclear weapons.
“I think the chances of war breaking out are significant, given Israel’s aggressive posture and the strong support it currently receives from the United States,” former lawmaker Gholamali Jafarzade Imenabadi told Iranian media on Thursday.

Britain, France and Germany triggered the snapback of U.N. sanctions on August 28, accusing Iran of violating its 2015 nuclear pact with world powers. The measures took effect on Saturday after failed negotiating efforts to delay it this week during the U.N. General Assembly.
The United States, its European allies and Israel accuse Tehran of using its nuclear program as a veil for efforts to try to develop the capability to produce weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

TEHRAN SAYS RENEWED SANCTIONS WILL FORCE HARDER NUCLEAR LINE

Iranian authorities have said renewed sanctions will push them toward a tougher nuclear stance, but the threat of Israeli attacks has left them with scant room to manoeuvre.
A former moderate senior Iranian official doubted Tehran would take drastic steps as the leadership understands the risks amid its weakened regional position, mounting domestic pressures and the potential cost of further escalation.

Rifts are widening within Iran’s ruling elite over how to navigate the crisis — some push for a tougher line while others resist, fearing it could trigger the Islamic Republic’s collapse.
With Trump’s speedy revival of a “maximum pressure” campaign on Tehran since February with new sanctions and threats of further military action, a second official said some decision-makers in Tehran believe “maintaining the status quo — no war, no deal and continued talks — is the best option without offering further concessions.”
The new measures could significantly increase pressure on Iran’s economy, further restricting its trade with countries that have previously disregarded unilateral U.S. sanctions.
The U.N. sanctions include limitations on Iran’s oil, banking and finance sectors, an arms embargo, a ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing, a ban on activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, a global asset freeze and travel bans on Iranian individuals and entities.

POPULAR ANGER MOUNTS OVER DEEPENING ECONOMIC WOES

Compounding Tehran’s challenges, Iran’s clerical establishment is grappling with mounting popular anger over deepening economic woes.
Many Iranians, like primary school teacher Shima, fear that revival of U.N. sanctions will further cripple the economy, already under worsening strain because of years of sanctions and mismanagement.
“We already struggle to make ends meet. More sanctions means more economic pressure. How are we going to survive?,” Shima, 36, a mother of two, told Reuters from Tehran by telephone.
The clerical leadership is increasingly concerned that mounting public anger over economic hardships could erupt into mass protests that would “further harm its position on the international stage,” the second official said.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/irans-clerical-leaders-face-existential-crisis-amid-nuclear-deadlock-2025-09-28/

Efforts to reach a security pact between Syria and Israel have hit a last-minute snag over Israel’s demand that it be allowed to open a “humanitarian corridor” to Syria’s southern province of Sweida, four sources familiar with the talks said.
Syria and Israel had come close in recent weeks to agreeing the broad outlines of a pact after months of U.S.-brokered talks in Baku, Paris and London that accelerated in the lead-up to the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week.

The pact was intended to create a demilitarized zone that would include the province of Sweida, where sectarian violence in July killed hundreds of people from the Druze, an offshoot of Islam.

ISRAEL SAYS IT WILL PROTECT SYRIA’S DRUZE

Israel, which has a 120,000-strong Druze minority whose men serve in the Israeli military, has said it will protect the sect and carried out military strikes in Syria under the banner of defending it.
In earlier talks in Paris, Israel asked to open a land corridor to Sweida for aid, but Syria rejected the request as a breach of its sovereignty.
Israel reintroduced the demand at a late stage in the talks, according to two Israeli officials, a Syrian source and a source in Washington briefed on the talks.

The Syrian source and the source in Washington said the renewed Israeli demand had derailed plans to announce a deal this week. The new sticking point has not been previously reported.
The State Department, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Syria’s foreign ministry did not respond to questions on the contours of the deal or the sticking points.

NO TALKS SINCE LAST WEEK

U.S. envoy Tom Barrack, who has been brokering the talks between Syria and Israel, said on Tuesday the longtime foes were close to striking a “de-escalation agreement” in which Israel would stop its attacks and Syria would agree not to move any machinery or heavy equipment near the border with Israel.
He said it would serve as the first step towards the security deal that the two countries have been negotiating. One diplomat familiar with the matter said it appeared that the U.S. was “scaling down from a security deal to a de-escalation deal.”

Speaking shortly before Barrack at an event in New York, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al Qaeda leader who led rebel forces that seized Damascus last year, expressed concern that Israel may be stalling the talks.
“We are scared of Israel. We are worried about Israel. It’s not the other way around,” he said.
A Syrian official told Reuters that conversations before the U.N. General Assembly began were “positive,” but there had been no further conversations with Israeli officials this week.
Addressing the U.N. General Assembly on Friday, Netanyahu said he believed an agreement could be reached with Syria that would respect its sovereignty and protect both Israel and the security of minorities in the region.
His office said on Wednesday that concluding ongoing negotiations was “contingent on ensuring the interests of Israel, which include, inter alia, the demilitarization of south-western Syria and preserving the safety and security of the Druze in Syria.”

Syria and Israel have been foes since Israel’s founding in 1948. A disengagement agreement in 1974 created a narrow demilitarized zone monitored by the United Nations.
But since rebels toppled Syria’s then-leader Bashar al-Assad last December 8, Israel has carried out unprecedented strikes on Syria’s military assets across the country and sent troops into the country’s south.

Source : https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-syria-talks-hit-snag-over-humanitarian-corridor-sources-say-2025-09-26/

She polishes up real nice.

Taylor Swift announced her Target-exclusive “The Life of a Showgirl: The Crowd Is Your King” vinyl on Instagram Wednesday — and in the accompanying album artwork, she sports a ring that shines even brighter than the Las Vegas lights.

Designed by family-owned fine jewelry house Kallati and priced at $27,120, the superstar’s 14-karat rose-gold sparkler is set with a show-stopping 35-carat pink sapphire framed by smaller diamonds totaling 1 carat.

The dazzling piece matches Swift’s blush velvet bodysuit — plucked from The Blonds’ Elizabeth Taylor-themed fall 2023 collection, as exclusively reported by Page Six Style — and complements the supersized 3D jewel motif on the front of the corseted design.

The late “Butterfield 8” actress and jewelry collector, after whom Swift named one of her “Showgirl” tracks, would surely adore the songstress’ gobstopper-sized pink gem.

Of course, this isn’t the only headline-making ring Swift’s shown off lately. Last month, Travis Kelce popped the question with a stunning old mine brilliant-cut engagement ring crafted by jeweler Kindred Lubeck of Artifex Fine in collaboration with the Chiefs tight end himself, as we exclusively reported.

Other standout styles seen in Swift’s “Life of a Showgirl” album artwork include several other looks from The Blonds — including a playful pink feathered corset and a crystal-encrusted maroon bodysuit paired with matching flame-inspired opera gloves — along with a number of archival Bob Mackie and Pete Menefee designs from the iconic, long-running Las Vegas show “Jubilee!”

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/09/26/style/taylor-swift-35-carat-the-life-of-a-showgirl-ring-worth-27k/

Prince William admits that wife Kate Middleton’s cancer battle took a toll on him.

“I’d say 2024 was the hardest year I’ve ever had,” the royal shares on an upcoming episode of AppleTV+’s “The Reluctant Traveler” with Eugene Levy.

He further reflects, “You know, life is sent to test us as well and being able to overcome that is what makes us who we are.”

William also notes in the segment, which will air in full on Oct. 3, how much he prioritizes sleep, as it’s an “important part of [his] life” because he’s got three small children.

The candid look at the future king’s life comes after Middleton — who revealed her cancer diagnosis in March 2024 — shared that she has gone into remission.

“My heartfelt thanks goes to all those who have quietly walked alongside [Prince] William and me as we have navigated everything,” the Princess of Wales wrote via Instagram in January.

Middleton underwent chemotherapy treatment that she once admitted was “incredibly tough,” as she fought the deadly disease.

However, even after she was cancer-free, the princess spoke about the lasting effects of her health woes.

“You put on a sort of brave face, stoicism through treatment. Treatment’s done, then it’s like, ‘I can crack on, get back to normal,’ but actually [that’s not the case],” she said at a Colchester Hospital visit in July.

“It’s a roller coaster, it’s not smooth, like you expect it to be. But the reality is you go through hard times.”

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/09/26/royal-family/prince-william-makes-heartbreaking-admission-about-hardest-year-watching-wife-kate-battle-cancer/

Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco’s upcoming wedding will reportedly be missing a major A-list guest.

Meryl Streep — who appeared alongside Gomez in “Only Murders in the Building” and is dating her co-star Martin Short — was invited to the highly anticipated nuptials, but pulled out, a source told the Daily Mail.

The insider explained to the outlet that the Oscar winner was “planning to attend but told Selena she now won’t be able to.” An exact reason for her absence from the lavish affair was not provided.

However, it’s likely Streep, 76, has been tied up with work, as she’s been filming the sequel for “The Devil Wears Prada” in New York City in recent months.

Page Six has reached out to reps for Gomez and Streep but did not immediately hear back.

Gomez and Blanco will reportedly have other stars watch them say “I do” on their big day, however.

Short, 75, and Steve Martin — who also stars on the bride-to-be’s hit Hulu show — will be in attendance, and Paris Hilton and Gomez’s BFF Taylor Swift are on the guest list, as well, per the Daily Mail.

“Taylor is planning to attend but she’ll probably be going solo as [her fiancé] Travis Kelce has a game in Kansas the next day,” the insider added. “That’s all still under discussion.”

Gomez, 33, and Blanco, 37, are expected to walk down the aisle this Saturday.

Sources revealed to the Sun last week that the pop star and songwriter’s star-studded wedding will take place at a private estate in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Guests will stay nearby at the El Encanto hotel, where rooms go for $3,500-a-night.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/09/26/celebrity-news/a-lister-reportedly-backs-out-of-selena-gomez-and-benny-blancos-star-studded-wedding/

Taylor Swift was seen hiding under umbrellas as she arrived for Selena Gomez’s star-studded wedding celebration.

The “Blank Space” singer was pictured stepping off an aircraft at Santa Barbara airport on Friday afternoon in a dark shirt — as several people rushed out to cover her with a cluster of black umbrellas. Only the hitmaker’s elbow could be seen in snapshots from her big arrival.

A bystander could be seen carrying some luggage and a white box — potentially a wedding gift for Gomez and her groom Benny Blanco.

Once Swift descended the plane’s steps, she hopped into a waiting black SUV.

A rep for Swift did not immediately return Page Six’s request for comment.

A source told Page Six earlier Friday that Swift, 35, will be lodging in a private rental home during the weekend soirée for security reasons — despite the Sun’s previous report that guests would stay at El the high-profile Encanto hotel for the wedding weekend.

“She will be renting a house near the wedding venue, which is a secret to the public,” our insider said of the decision. “Her security team feels it’s better than a hotel.”

Gomez, 33, and Blanco, 37, are reportedly expected to tie the knot at a private Santa Barbara estate on Saturday, amid a romantic two-day celebration.

“All the guests will be picked up and driven to the location without knowing their destination ahead of time,” a source told the Sun earlier this month. “Everyone is so excited despite the mystery, they know it will be an amazing time.”

As for Swift, 35, it’s unclear if the hitmaker — who became engaged to Travis Kelce in August — will bring along her fiancé, as the Kansas City Chiefs tight end is set to face the Baltimore Ravens in Missouri on Sunday.

The “Only Murders in the Building” actress announced her engagement to Blanco in December 2024 via social media, with BFF Swift taking to the comments thread to react. “Yes I will be the flower girl,” she quipped.

In August, the Disney Channel alum returned the favor with a sweet comment on Swift’s engagement to the NFL star. “When besties gets engaged,” she wrote atop an Instagram Stories repost of the power couple’s engagement announcement.

Source : https://pagesix.com/2025/09/26/entertainment/taylor-swift-hides-under-umbrellas-as-she-arrives-for-selena-gomez-wedding/

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that Microsoft should fire Lisa Monaco, who had served in the administrations of two Democratic presidents and is now Microsoft’s global affairs president.

The move appears to be the latest effort by Trump to exact retribution on those he sees on political enemies and comes one day after the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey.

Monaco had helped coordinate the Justice Department’s response to the January 6, 2021, attacks by Trump supporters on the U.S. Capitol.

She served as a security aide in the administration of President Barack Obama and was the deputy attorney general in President Joe Biden’s administration. Monaco started working for Microsoft in July to lead the firm’s engagements with governments globally, according to her LinkedIn profile.

Trump on Truth Social said Monaco was “a menace to U.S. National Security, especially given the major contracts that Microsoft has with the United States Government.

“It is my opinion that Microsoft should immediately terminate the employment of Lisa Monaco,” he posted.

Monaco’s security clearances were revoked in February. On Friday, Trump said the U.S. government has also banned her from all federal properties because of “Monaco’s many wrongful acts.”

Microsoft declined to comment on Trump’s post. Monaco also did not immediately respond.

On Thursday, Comey, who led the FBI when it began an investigation into ties between Trump’s 2016 campaign and the Russian government, was indicted on charges of false statements and obstruction of a congressional proceeding.

Trump on Friday said he expects more indictments against perceived enemies, saying to reporters: “I think there will be others” but said he did not have a list.

Since Trump returned to office in January, he has used his powers as president to hamstring law firms that represented causes he dislikes, leveraged federal funding to force changes at universities and fired prosecutors who took part in investigations against him.

He has also pushed for charges against former national security adviser John Bolton, New York Attorney General Letitia James and Democratic Senator Adam Schiff.

The Trump administration also has been involved in corporate America on an unprecedented scale, demanding that Intel’s CEO step down, before praising him and agreeing for the government to take a stake in Intel. Disney’s ABC suspended comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s show for several days under pressure from Trump and his administration.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/business/trump-says-microsoft-should-fire-its-global-affairs-president-lisa-monaco-5372696

The US$4 billion in aid spending at issue was intended by Congress for foreign aid, United Nations peacekeeping operations and democracy-promotion efforts overseas.

The US Supreme Court sided again on Friday (Sep 26) with Donald Trump, allowing his administration to withhold about US$4 billion in foreign aid authorised by Congress for the current fiscal year as the Republican president pursues his “America First” agenda.

The justices for now blocked an order by Washington-based US District Judge Amir Ali that had directed the administration to promptly take steps to spend the aid at issue in the dispute. Ali’s decision came in a lawsuit by aid groups challenging the administration’s action.

The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority, and the court’s three liberal justices dissented.

COURT QUESTIONS LEGAL CHALLENGE

The court said in its unsigned order that the aid groups that sued the administration likely lacked the legal authority to bring their challenge. It also expressed concerns that ruling against Trump threatened to impair his power to conduct foreign affairs.

The case raised questions about the degree to which a president has the authority to rescind funds Congress has appropriated for programs that do not align with his policies.

The administration said in court papers that the money it targeted was “contrary to US foreign policy”, reflecting Trump’s effort to scale back assistance abroad as part of an “America First” agenda. Trump has also moved to dismantle the US Agency for International Development, the main foreign aid agency.

FOREIGN AID AT STAKE

The US government’s 2025 fiscal year ends on Sep 30. The US$4 billion in aid spending at issue was intended by Congress for foreign aid, United Nations peacekeeping operations and democracy-promotion efforts overseas.

Congress budgeted billions of dollars in foreign aid last year, about US$11 billion of which was set to expire at the end of the fiscal year.

The administration sought to block the US$4 billion through a “pocket rescission”, an unusual move aimed at avoiding spending funds appropriated by Congress. The US Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse.

DISSENT WARNS OF SEPARATION OF POWERS BREACH

The liberal justices, in a dissent written by Justice Elena Kagan, said Friday’s ruling was an affront to the principle that power is separated between the three branches of government. They noted that the Constitution “gives Congress the power to make spending decisions through the enactment of appropriations laws.”

“If those laws require obligation of the money, and if Congress has not by rescission or other action relieved the Executive of that duty, then the Executive must comply,” Kagan wrote in a dissent joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Ali ruled on Sep 3 that the administration cannot simply choose to withhold the money, and that it must comply with appropriations laws passed by Congress unless lawmakers change them.

SUPREME COURT SIDES WITH TRUMP

Justice Department lawyers told the Supreme Court that Ali’s injunction raised “a grave and urgent threat to the separation of powers”.

“It would be self-defeating and senseless for the executive branch to obligate the very funds that it is asking Congress to rescind,” they wrote.

Trump budget director Russell Vought has argued that the president can withhold funds for 45 days after requesting a rescission, which would run out the clock until the end of the fiscal year. The White House said the tactic was last used in 1977.

Some legal experts have said Trump’s attempted clawback of billions of dollars in congressionally appropriated funds in this manner had no historical parallel.

The US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in a 2-1 ruling on Sep 5 declined to halt Ali’s order, prompting the administration’s request to the Supreme Court.

In the foreign aid case, the Supreme Court on Sep 9 paused Ali’s order while it considered how to proceed.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/us-supreme-court-allows-trump-withhold-4-billion-in-foreign-aid-5372716

US President Donald Trump said on Friday (Sep 26) talks on Gaza with Middle Eastern nations were intense and that Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants were aware of the discussions, which he said would continue as long as required.

Trump met leaders and officials from multiple Muslim-majority countries this week to discuss the situation in Gaza, which has been under a mounting assault from Washington’s ally Israel.

US special envoy Steve Witkoff said Trump presented proposals to those leaders that included a 21-point Middle East peace plan.

“Intense negotiations have been going on for four days, and will continue for as long as necessary in order to get a successfully completed agreement. All of the Countries within the region are involved,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Trump had promised a quick end to the war, but a resolution remains elusive eight months into his term. Trump’s term began with a two-month ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which ended when Israeli strikes killed 400 Palestinians on Mar 18.

“Hamas is very much aware of these discussions, and Israel has been informed at all levels,” Trump wrote. His post did not mention any further details but called the discussions “inspired and productive”.

Trump officials said this week a Gaza breakthrough was likely soon despite Israeli bombardments in the coastal territory.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/world/trump-says-gaza-talks-middle-east-countries-are-intense-will-continue-5372801

Experts say China’s recent commitment marks a major step forward in global climate action, standing in stark contrast to the US’s retreat from international climate goals.

China has made a landmark climate pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 7 to 10 per cent below peak levels by 2035.

Beijing’s reduction target marks the first time the world’s biggest emitter has committed to an actual decrease in emissions, rather than merely slowing their growth.

Chinese President Xi Jinping made the announcement at a climate leaders’ summit on Wednesday (Sep 24), where the United States was notably absent.

Analysts say China’s commitment is a pivotal moment in global climate action, with the potential to substantially improve the health of the planet.

“China is such a big emitter that it’s the only country that, if it changes its emissions significantly, it changes the (carbon footprint) of the whole of planet Earth,” said Benjamin Horton, dean of the City University of Hong Kong’s School of Energy and Environment.

Beijing’s vow is backed by promises to expand wind and solar power capacity sixfold from 2020 levels, drastically increase forest coverage and accelerate electric vehicle production.

Yao Zhe, a global policy advisor at environmental organisation Greenpeace East Asia, said Xi’s reduction target is a modest baseline.

With strong momentum in its clean energy developments, China could surpass its current pledge, she added.

“China is the world’s largest carbon emitter … but it is also the biggest clean technology provider. So, what China has to offer matters a lot,” Yao told CNA’s East Asia Tonight programme.

“I’m hopeful that the actual progress will, in fact, outpace the target on paper.”

AMERICA MISSING ON CLIMATE ACTION

Experts said China’s commitment speaks volumes at a time when the US is moving away from global climate goals.

The US is the world’s biggest historical greenhouse gas emitter and second biggest current emitter behind China.

Washington once promised major emission cuts under previous President Joe Biden – up to 66 per cent by 2035.

But those pledges are now off the table after President Donald Trump in January pulled the US out of the Paris Agreement.

“The Paris Agreement was put in place because scientists know the dangers for civilisation if we start to cross planetary boundaries … (when) global mean temperature (rises) 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial (levels),” said Horton.

The global average atmospheric carbon dioxide was 422.8 parts per million in 2024 – a record high, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an American scientific and regulatory agency.

“The safety net for planet Earth is at around 280 parts per million. So, we’re far in excess of that. Every single year we increase our carbon dioxide … we increase our temperatures,” said Horton.

Last year was the warmest year on record.

Scientists have linked rising temperatures to more extreme weather events such as drought, wildfires, heatwaves and storms.

Horton, who is based in Hong Kong, pointed to Super Typhoon Ragasa, which in recent days wreaked havoc in the territory and nearby countries and regions.

“We need to see action and ultimately, we need to see results. We need to see our carbon dioxide volumes starting to stabilise, and as we move into the future, to decrease,” he said.

CHINA IN CONTRAST TO US’ STANCE

On Tuesday, Trump called climate change the “greatest con job ever perpetrated on the world” during his United Nations General Assembly speech. He added that climate predictions are made by “stupid people” and that countries will “fail” if they continue with the “green scam”.

In contrast, Xi urged stronger climate action from developed countries and delivered a veiled critique of the US president’s anti-climate rhetoric.

Horton said China’s pledges appear genuine, stemming from concern for environmental health and long-term economic prosperity, rather than over rivalry with the US.

“This is not about geopolitics. (The pledge) shows that the Chinese government is listening to science and is developing regulations and policies,” he said.

“It’s about an understanding of scientific information and (climate) threats posed to the population (and) the economy. If we don’t control our carbon dioxide emissions, extreme (weather) events are going to impact lives and livelihoods.”

Still, many observers said Xi’s pledge fell short of expectations.

Yao said the biggest challenge to China’s clean energy transition lies in the limited capacity of its power grid to handle increased renewable energy input.

“China has no problem producing and manufacturing such equipment, but the problem is whether the grid can absorb all this (additional) renewable energy being produced,” she said.

She added that Chinese policymakers are also trying to find a balance between decarbonisation and maintaining flexibility for future economic stimulus.

CLIMATE HEALTH LINKED TO ECONOMY

The UN has hailed Beijing’s commitments but said the world must aim higher as the clock ticks down on rising temperatures.

Alongside China, the UN said about 100 nations have signalled new climate targets ahead of the COP30 climate summit in Brazil in November.

However, there were also setbacks. The European Union is struggling to find unity on climate action, missing the September deadline to present its climate plan.

Environmental advocates warned that climate health is closely connected to that of the economy, and that environmental degradation can lead to serious financial consequences.

Source : https://www.channelnewsasia.com/sustainability/climate-action-china-usa-carbon-emissions-5371191

MOURNERS at a funeral were left reeling when the “dead man” they’d gathered to bury suddenly walked in and announced: “I’m alive!”

The 22-year-old stunned friends and relatives as he crashed his own wake in Argentina – leaving everyone wondering who was in the coffin.

The mix-up began when a young man was mown down by a sugarcane truck last week.

Police suspected suicide, but prosecutors called it negligent homicide and ordered an autopsy.

The very next day, a woman turned up at a police station claiming the victim was her son.

She identified the body by his clothes and some features – and officers handed it over for burial.

But as mourners wept over the coffin at the weekend, her real son suddenly staggered in – alive, well, and apparently fresh off a several-day bender in Alderetes, north of Córdoba.

His shock return caused uproar at the service.

The man, who hasn’t been named, admitted he had “no idea” what was going on at home.

Police later confirmed the true victim was Maximiliano Enrique Acosta, 28, from nearby Delfín Gallo.

His body was eventually returned to his family, who finally laid him to rest on Tuesday.

But even that was bungled. His furious brother Hernán said: “Everything was wrong from the beginning.

“First, they handed over the body without proper identification. Then they made me go to the morgue twice. We shouldn’t have to go through this after everything we suffered.”

The Public Prosecutor’s Office has now launched an investigation into how the catalogue of blunders unfolded.

It comes after a man in India appeared to “come back from the dead” – after being declared deceased by doctors and sent for cremation.

Rohitash Kumar, 25, had been pronounced dead at a Rajasthan hospital, placed in a mortuary freezer for more than two hours, and taken to a temple pyre for his last rites when he suddenly began breathing again.

The deaf and mute man, who lived in a shelter in Jhunjhunu, had been rushed to Rajkiya Bhagwan Das Khetan (BDK) District Hospital with a fever last Thursday.

Doctors declared him dead and, without carrying out a postmortem, signed off paperwork before sending his body for cremation.

But as the funeral ritual began at Panch Dev temple, horrified mourners watched Kumar’s body twitch and his chest heave.

Eyewitness Subhash Poonia said: “He started moving his body. We were shocked and started running away.”

Kumar was rushed back to BDK Hospital and admitted to intensive care, where medics now say his condition is stable.

Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/15254166/dead-man-shows-own-funeral-obvious-two-word-message/