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Carney Urges Trump to Take Trade Talks Seriously

Canada

Carney Urges Trump to Take Trade Talks Seriously

Mark Carney has criticised Donald Trump’s administration and called on US officials to approach trade discussions “seriously” as tensions between the United States and Canada intensify.

The Canadian prime minister spoke ahead of Canada’s planned retaliation against sweeping US tariffs, due to begin on 8 September. In remarks carried in the lead-up to the measures, Carney also targeted Washington’s tone, saying insults and public jabs were not appropriate when both sides were seeking a way forward.
Carney Criticises Washington Language and Style
Carney said US officials needed to stop using “memes” and “shade” and instead focus on substantive negotiations about trade.
He added that criticism of Canada was “beneath” the office of the US government, and argued that both countries could work through differences if discussions were handled in a more constructive manner.
The comments came as the dispute has spilled beyond tariffs and into politics. Last week, Trump signed an executive order directing the US federal government to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America”, a change rejected by Canadian leaders.
Tariffs And Retaliation Ahead Of 8 September
The tariff fight escalated earlier this month after trade talks between the two neighbours collapsed. The United States imposed 50% tariffs on $20bn of Canadian goods.
Canada responded by announcing retaliatory tariffs on $20bn of American goods, starting on 8 September. The measures are expected to affect everyday items for US consumers, alongside other products covered by the reciprocal action.
Canada is the United States’ second-largest trading partner, and the widening tariffs threaten to raise pressure on both sides as negotiations stall.
Greer Plays Down Impact, Blames Talks Breakdown
Jamieson Greer, the US trade representative and the president’s senior trade negotiator, said the worst consequences of a trade war would be felt more by Canada than the United States. He described the dispute as “more their emergency than ours”.
In an interview reported by Politico, Greer said there were no active trade talks at the time, adding: “There are no negotiations happening on trade right now.” He also argued that it was not clear Canada wanted a deal and said Canada had framed its position around prohibiting or banning American goods and services.
Greer suggested that demands from Canadian officials helped derail the earlier negotiations, including requests for lighter taxes on heavy-duty trucks. He also described confusion over what was actually on the table, saying it was unclear whether disputes were driven by politics or economics, and noting that the range of options had not included a simple path back to duty-free trade.
Dispute Over Who Led Talks, Plus French Language Rights
Canadian officials said the talks failed because of disagreement inside the White House over who was directing trade negotiations. Carney also pointed to issues he said US negotiators raised during discussions, claiming American counterparts treated the French language in Canada as an “irritant”, while Carney said French language rights in Quebec must be respected.
Trump has repeatedly argued that Canada seeks the benefits of being part of the United States without formally joining. He has also accused Canada of imposing tariffs on US products, including on farmers, and said “No more” in relation to those measures.
As Canada prepares its retaliation on 8 September and the US maintains its tariff approach, Carney’s call for a more serious tone underscores the widening gap between the two governments at a moment when both sides say negotiations have stalled.


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2 September 2026

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59 minutes ago59 min

Burnham Blames Thatcher, Brexit for UK Weakness

UK-Politics

Burnham Blames Thatcher, Brexit for UK Weakness

Andy Burnham used his first appearance in the House of Commons as prime minister to argue that Britain’s weak economic performance over the past decade stems from “wrong turns” taken over the last 40 years, singling out Brexit and former prime minister Margaret Thatcher.

Speaking around six weeks after taking office, Burnham told MPs he wanted to build “substantial change” and restore optimism, saying the country was “not where any of us would wish it to be” and that “things are not working as they should”.
Brexit Hit Shown In Company Data
Economists’ analysis of internal Bank of England data on thousands of UK firms found the economy took a 6% hit from the effects of Brexit following the referendum a decade ago.
Burnham, whose Makerfield constituency voted for Brexit, said the leave decision reflected a chain of earlier policy failures that began in the 1980s and were later compounded by leaving the EU. He also reiterated that he believed rerunning the referendum would be a mistake, while saying he wanted Britain to rejoin in his lifetime.
He suggested the next UK–EU reset summit could take place in November.
Government Priorities for Cost, Communities And Control
As Keir Starmer stepped down as an MP shortly before Burnham’s Commons address, prompting a byelection in a seat where the Greens are expected to do well, the prime minister set out plans his cabinet was briefed on earlier this week.
He said the government’s priorities were cutting the costs of essentials such as childcare and mortgages, regenerating communities, and increasing public control over water, housing and energy.
Burnham’s deputy, Louise Haigh, will lead task forces on each of the areas, according to reporting, and the ministers had been told they must be “relentless” in delivering the priorities.
The proposals are set against a difficult economic outlook. The chancellor’s “headroom” against Labour’s fiscal rules could be cut by about half at his first budget if a current global bond sell-off continues, economists have warned. Mortgage rates could also rise this autumn.
Defence, Water Renationalisation And Electoral Reform
In the Commons, Burnham also made a series of signals on policy.
He hinted the government would commit to spending 3% of GDP on defence by 2030, saying he appointed John Healey as chancellor because of his stance on military spending.
On water, Burnham said he is looking at “all possible solutions” and said the sector is a “leaking monument” to the failures of privatisation, leaving open the prospect of renationalisation.
He also indicated Labour could revisit electoral reform in its next manifesto. Burnham said there would need to be a mandate and that achieving a consensus would be necessary for any change to be implemented in the following parliament.
Cop31 Trip And A Pragmatic Energy Approach
Burnham said he will attend the Cop31 climate summit in Turkey and continue pursuing green energy, while arguing he would be “pragmatic” on energy supply. He said it would be wrong to frame policy as choosing between options for political purposes, saying the UK would need “both”.
The speech was made while he was flanked by Healey and Haigh, and Burnham linked his argument to earlier changes in power and industry, saying political authority had been centralised, economic power privatised, and the country de-industrialised, before austerity hollowed out councils.
He said honesty about what went wrong was a starting point for change and added that his government would be “relentless” in delivering the “ownership and control” it had promised.


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2 September 2026

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1 hour ago1 hr

Trump’s Approval Falls as Midterms Approach, Haberman Says

USA

Trump’s Approval Falls as Midterms Approach, Haberman Says

CNN political analyst Maggie Haberman said on Monday that there is little evidence in public polling that President Donald Trump remains popular as the midterm elections approach, with voters also showing concern about the cost of living.

Speaking on CNN’s The Source with Kaitlan Collins, Haberman, a reporter for The New York Times, said she could not identify any major polling showing the president with strong public support.
Polling Shows Deteriorating Approval
Collins cited new CNN polling that placed Trump’s net approval at minus 32 percentage points, compared with minus 21 points for the Republican Party overall. Haberman said the broader picture is difficult for Trump, particularly on affordability.
She added that her comments reflected polling she had seen publicly, while noting that surveys do not always match private polling she has encountered. Even so, she said the underlying trend is damaging.
According to the polling cited, Trump’s approval has fallen to its lowest point between his two terms. The shift comes as the widely unpopular war involving Iran moves into its sixth month and Americans continue to worry about rising prices.
White House Highlights “Affordability”
Haberman also pointed to an Oval Office event on healthcare earlier on Monday, where administration officials repeatedly raised “affordability”. She said this is a theme Republicans in vulnerable congressional districts may struggle to address.
Trump has previously dismissed affordability as a “hoax” promoted by Democrats, but Haberman said the message is still likely to create political problems for candidates trying to defend their seats.
“You have Republicans who are in these districts that are embattled,” she said, adding that they may not want to focus on affordability as part of their campaigns.
Trump Aims For Midterm Vote Turnout
Despite weak approval ratings, Trump and senior Republican figures have sought to position the president as a central figure in the party’s midterm strategy, with the goal of energising support from his base.
In the run-up to November voting, Trump told supporters to treat him as if he were “on the ballot” when they cast their votes, as Republicans aim to increase turnout.
Haberman’s remarks underscored the challenge of pairing a turnout drive with polling that shows Trump under pressure across key measures of public approval.
Dispute With Haberman Over Sept. 11 Story
Trump has also clashed with Haberman in the past over her coverage. The president has, on several occasions, called her “Maggot Haberman” in criticism of her reporting.
More recently, he attacked her following a New York Times story about his plans for the 25th anniversary of the 11 September attacks. Haberman and three other Times journalists reported that Trump planned to skip a New York City ceremony commemorating the anniversary and instead attend the Irish Open after event organisers denied his request to speak.
The Times reporting said politicians’ speeches have been banned by the National September 11 Memorial and Museum since 2012.
Trump responded by saying Haberman had “falsely writing about me for years”, and he accused her of being a stalker, adding that she should be required to hand over money he said she made through “fake reporting”.
According to the Times, Trump is expected to attend a memorial service at the Pentagon this month on the anniversary of the attack, while Vice President JD Vance would represent the White House at the New York event.


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2 September 2026

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1 hour ago1 hr

US Strikes Iran as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Rise

Iranian Conflict

US Strikes Iran as Strait of Hormuz Tensions Rise

The United States carried out fresh air strikes on Iranian targets on Tuesday, in a move that could further inflame a six-month-old standoff that has disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and pushed up global oil prices.

The strikes came after an exchange of fire over the weekend—the first since July—and after two tankers were hit on Monday. The Strait of Hormuz is the key sea route for international crude supplies, and Iran has effectively restricted shipping there.
Brent crude futures, which were already higher earlier in the day, rose again following reports of the new strikes, according to market data.
US Central Command Says It Targets IRGC Sites
The US Central Command said its forces began striking Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets in Iran at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time (1600 GMT). It said the attacks followed what it described as attempted attacks by the IRGC on commercial shipping in the strait and on American service members in the region.
Iranian state media said explosions were reported on Qeshm Island, on the northern side of the strait. Nour News reported further blasts near ports including Bandar Abbas and Chabahar on the southern coast. IRNA and other state outlets also reported explosions near Jask and Sirik, and said US forces attacked a civilian airport in Jiroft in southern Iran.
A US embassy in Qatar urged Americans in the region to exercise “heightened vigilance”, adding that there could be flight cancellations, airspace closures and travel disruption.
Tehran Rejects Threats, Warns Oil Exports Will Stop
Tehran warned it would not allow oil exports from the Gulf. It has rejected US threats of further strikes, even as President Donald Trump said on social media that retaliation would be met with new attacks at a “harder and higher” level.
The US administration also signalled a potential new wave of economic pressure. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned last week that Washington would significantly escalate sanctions on countries that do business with Iran, although the United States has not set out details.
Iran has faced heavy sanctions for decades, and officials have not shown signs of backing away from their position despite repeated US threats.
Scale Of Latest Hostilities Unclear
The scope and duration of the latest phase of fighting remained unclear. Iranian state-linked outlets cited an IRGC-linked spokesperson warning that the US would “regret” the new attacks.
The conflict has shifted between armed exchanges and diplomatic and economic pressure. It began escalating on February 28 after US and Israeli strikes, and has since killed thousands in Iran and Lebanon, according to the memorandum framework described by both sides.
Before Tuesday’s strikes, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said at a regional summit in Kyrgyzstan that Tehran would respond immediately if Washington met its commitments under a June Memorandum of Understanding intended to halt the fighting. The MOU ended active hostilities but postponed difficult issues and opened a 60-day negotiation period, which ended without agreement. Since then, Iranian officials have not publicly indicated any willingness to concede.
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf was quoted by Iranian media as saying that if others wanted Iran not to export oil from the Persian Gulf, “no one” would be able to do so. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei told a press conference in Tehran that Washington was “addicted to making excessive demands” and had mistaken negotiations for imposing terms.
Analysts said the ongoing tit-for-tat missile exchanges have reinforced concerns that, even without a wider “forever war”, the conflict could continue for some time.

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2 September 2026

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1 hour ago1 hr

Germany Blames Russia For Leipzig Airport Drone Attack

Germany

Germany Blames Russia For Leipzig Airport Drone Attack

Germany has said Russia was behind a drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport in eastern Germany last month, after officials reviewed equipment used in the incident and intelligence assessments.

The attack was discovered on 4 August, when a drone carrying an explosive device was found at the airport near Ukrainian cargo aircraft. The device did not detonate, with investigators concluding that the detonator was faulty.
German authorities said they believe a second drone then collided with a nearby cargo aircraft, while a third drone was reportedly found at the site ten days later.
Drone Attack At Leipzig/Halle Airport
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the episode followed what he described as a long-established pattern of Russian “hybrid operations” in Europe, adding that Germany had assumed it could be targeted again.
He said the examination of the explosive equipment, together with intelligence findings, showed Russian involvement.
Germany has previously said it believed “foreign powers” could be behind the Leipzig incident but had not publicly identified Russia.
German Response And Russian Retaliation
Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said Germany would take further steps against Moscow. He said he would order the closure of the Russian consulate in Bonn and terminate the contract for the Russian House in Berlin, a venue that many observers have linked to espionage and Russian propaganda.
Wadephul also announced tighter entry controls for Russian nationals and said Germany would increase pressure on Russia’s “shadow fleet” — old tankers used to help circumvent Western sanctions imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
He said he had summoned Russia’s ambassador to Germany, Sergei Nechayev, after the announcement. Nechayev was seen arriving at Germany’s foreign ministry shortly afterwards.
Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry, said Moscow would respond in a “mirror-image” manner to Germany’s measures, and told the German Press Agency that Berlin was “sponsoring terrorism” in reference to military and economic support for Ukraine.
Russia has consistently rejected allegations of involvement in such attacks.
Reactions In NATO And The EU
Nato chief Mark Rutte said the alliance was “in full solidarity with Germany”, adding that the evidence was clear and that he welcomed the steps announced by Berlin. He posted the comment on X.
The measures were expected to be discussed at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Ireland later on Tuesday. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on X that the EU would stand against Russian aggression and deter those seeking to undermine European freedom and security, adding that additional sanctions against Russia were being prepared.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Russia was “escalating tension across the whole region”. Polish prosecutors are investigating whether foreign intelligence services were involved in a fire at a factory making drone components on Monday.
In the UK, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Russian efforts to undermine support for Ukraine were “futile and doomed to fail”.
Other Security Incidents And Politics
Leipzig/Halle Airport is used for military transport involving Germany and Nato allies, and it is also a base for Ukraine’s Antonov Airlines, which carries most of the country’s air freight.
Germany has reported drone sightings at airports, military and industrial sites over the past year. Chancellorship security officials have warned that Germany is a “daily target” for hybrid warfare, and Chancellor Friedrich Merz said last week that those carrying out hostile acts would “pay a price”. The government has said it is looking to strengthen intelligence powers, which critics have described as limited.
The announcement comes as Merz faces political pressure at home. A key state election in Saxony-Anhalt could give the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) a state-level role for the first time. The AfD, Germany’s largest opposition party, wants to stop sending support to Ukraine and to reopen ties with Russia. An MP from Merz’s CDU, Roderich Kiesewetter, said the steps taken so far “fall far short” and that Moscow “just laughs” when the ambassador is summoned.
Separately on Tuesday, German police said they are investigating the discovery of improvised explosive and incendiary devices at a power substation in Brandenburg. A power line was damaged, causing a temporary outage, and it is not known who planted the devices.


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2 September 2026

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1 hour ago1 hr

Starmer Quits As MP To Focus On Global Affairs

UK-Politics

Starmer Quits As MP To Focus On Global Affairs

Sir Keir Starmer has announced that he will stand down as the MP for Holborn and St Pancras, setting up a by-election for the London constituency.

In a statement to the Camden New Journal, the Prime Minister-turned-backbencher said representing the area for 11 years had been a “huge honour and privilege” and that he would now turn his attention to “international affairs”.
His decision comes after he resigned as prime minister earlier in the summer, with Andy Burnham taking over in Downing Street.
Starmer To Focus On International Affairs
Starmer said he was prepared to “pass the baton to a successor” and outlined areas he intends to prioritise outside Parliament. He said his work would include international affairs covering defence, security, trade and technology.
He added that he would continue an ongoing campaign to combat violence against women and girls, describing the issue as one he wanted to pursue further after leaving the seat. Starmer said he began that work before becoming an MP and intended to continue it in parallel with his other responsibilities.
By-Election To Be Set After Formal Resignation
A date for the by-election will not be set until Starmer formally resigns his Commons seat.
The announcement is also scheduled to land hours before Burnham makes his first statement in the House of Commons as prime minister, setting out his priorities and taking questions from MPs.
Starmer had previously indicated he would remain an MP following his resignation as prime minister. In a BBC interview shortly afterwards, he said he would stay in the Commons until the next general election, which must be held by 2029.
His latest move follows weeks of speculation about whether he would remain as MP after stepping down from No 10.
Labour Seat With Large Majority
Holborn and St Pancras has long been regarded as a Labour stronghold. Starmer won a majority of more than 11,000 votes at the 2024 general election.
The Conservative party has criticised the decision. Kevin Hollinrake, the Conservative chairman, accused Starmer of making another “U-turn” after having pledged to stay on, arguing that it would result in a costly by-election for taxpayers.
While it is not clear what specific international role, if any, Starmer may take up, global issues and diplomacy were prominent during his time as prime minister. In an interview in July after he left office, he was asked whether he had another major political or international job in mind, and he said he did not know.
Precedent After Leaving Downing Street
By standing down soon after quitting as prime minister, Starmer has departed from some recent patterns for former Downing Street occupants.
Rishi Sunak remains the Conservative MP for Richmond and Northallerton two years after leaving No 10, while Liz Truss stayed on as a backbencher until she lost her seat to Labour at the 2024 election. Theresa May remained an MP for five years after leaving Downing Street.
Boris Johnson and David Cameron, however, both quit the Commons shortly afterwards.

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1 September 2026

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9 hours ago9 hr

Leaving MAGA Group Offers 'Exit Ramp' From Trumpism

USA

Leaving MAGA Group Offers 'Exit Ramp' From Trumpism

A US non-profit launched in 2024, Leaving Maga, is setting out to help people who are starting to question the political movement built around former President Donald Trump by framing leaving as more than changing opinions.

Founder Rich Logis said the group is designed to provide an “exit ramp” for people who have become caught up in the Maga identity and its surrounding community. The organisation’s approach treats the shift as akin to leaving a high-control environment, drawing a comparison to recovery from addiction or a disease, rather than a standard debate about politics.
An “Exit Ramp” For People Leaving Trumpism
Leaving Maga’s work focuses on rebuilding belonging and identity. It runs weekly online support meetings for the friends and family of people still inside Maga, and monthly in-person meet-ups for those who have already left. The group also operates a nationwide billboard campaign and a media literacy programme aimed at helping people recognise disinformation.
The organisation said it wants to avoid confrontation. Its materials are intended to offer a place to land once people are ready to step away, rather than to persuade those who remain committed.
Billboards, Online Support And Media Literacy
Logis said the group is reaching out through Instagram livestreams and TikToks, alongside appearances on cable news. One of its most visible efforts is billboards, with nearly 40 placed across 27 states this year carrying the message: “Having doubts? You’re not alone.”
Leaving Maga says more than half a million people visited its website last year, with a similar number visiting so far this year. Through the site, supporters can sign up for a newsletter featuring accounts of leaving Maga, access guidance on talking with relatives or friends who are still engaged with Trumpism, and join online group chats and monthly meet-ups.
From Maga Supporter To Organiser
Logis described a near decade as an active Maga figure, voting for Trump in 2016 and 2020. He said he helped write the campaign’s call script for a presidential election, took part in voter registration, donated to the movement and appeared on Fox News as a Maga commentator. He said his break came after the 2022 Uvalde school shooting, when he decided he could no longer reconcile his values with the response he believed was coming from Trump supporters.
Months after the Texas attack that killed 19 children and two teachers, Logis published a public apology for supporting Trump and for what he described as harm caused by his rhetoric. He said the reaction came from both people who praised him and those who criticised him, and he concluded others had also left and wanted a way to repair the damage.
Stephania Messina, another founder, said her path out was shaped by experiences inside a conservative Christian community that she later described as “Christian nationalism”. She said she was not permitted to speak about politics in her church and was told her role was to submit to her husband. She said her doubts intensified in the early Covid pandemic as Trump altered his stance on the vaccine and lockdowns, while her pastor promoted conspiracy claims about the measures being driven by a “deep-state” effort.
Messina said she sought mental health support, began questioning what she called a “religious psychosis” fuelled by fear, isolation and control, and left the church in 2021. She later connected with Leaving Maga and said the movement’s work mattered because, in her view, many people are starting to recognise that they are “in so deep”.
A Recovery-Style Support Model
For families, Leaving Maga’s weekly online group is led by therapist Julianna Forlano, who said the ruptures she sees are often about behaviour as well as ideology. She said the programme borrows a framework used in addiction and recovery: it treats the psychological grip of constant fear-based media and conspiracy narratives as a pattern that can become neurobiological, encouraging a “with us or against us” mentality and affecting how people treat loved ones.
Forlano said the group does not encourage supporters to cut ties. Instead, it promotes patience and a strategy of “holding the door open”, staying present if cracks begin to appear without repeatedly pushing arguments or sending material that could deepen division. She said the work is also about grief and rebuilding a sense of self.
Life After Leaving
Logis said he now supports Democrats. Messina said she has become a Democratic socialist and joined the Democratic Socialists of America. She described supporting Abdul El-Sayed, the Democratic candidate for US Senate in Michigan, and said several people close to her changed their views in the past two years.
Leaving Maga, the founders said, is still grappling with questions about forgiveness and whether abandoning the movement should bring punishment or reconciliation. Logis said he understands hostility from those who view forgiveness as unearned, while Messina said she was not seeking approval or forgiveness, but urging others to consider what she learned.

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1 September 2026

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12 hours ago12 hr

Keffe D Found Guilty of Tupac Shakur Murder

Crime

Keffe D Found Guilty of Tupac Shakur Murder

A jury has found Duane “Keffe D” Davis guilty of the murder of rapper Tupac Shakur, three decades after Shakur was killed in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas.

Jurors returned the verdict after deliberating for less than three hours. Davis, 63, was found guilty of murder with the use of a deadly weapon and with the intent to promote, further or assist a criminal gang.
Davis stood beside his lawyer as the verdict was read and then sat with his hands clasped on the table.
Sentencing Set for October 13
Clark County District Court Judge Carli Kierny has scheduled Davis’ sentencing for Oct. 13. Prosecutors said he faces a possible maximum sentence of life in prison.
Prosecutors Say Davis Was Not The Shooter
Prosecutors told the jury that Davis did not fire the gun that killed Shakur in a drive-by shooting near the Las Vegas Strip on Sept. 7, 1996.
They alleged that the person who fired the shots was either Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson, Davis’ nephew, or another man in the back seat of the car.
Investigators and prosecutors have accused Davis, who they describe as an admitted longstanding leader of a Los Angeles street gang, of acting as the “shot caller”. They said he provided the murder weapon to the gunman.
Case Built On Confessions And Other Evidence
During closing arguments on Monday, prosecutor Binu Palal said the case was supported by “drenched” circumstantial evidence and corroborating witnesses.
He argued that, taken together with what he described as Davis’ incriminating and consistent accounts, the evidence pointed to Davis’ guilt. Palal told jurors that Davis had repeatedly said for years that he was responsible for Shakur’s murder, including in accounts to police, television interviews, books, YouTube appearances and on the pages of his self-published memoir.
Palal urged the jury to find Davis guilty, saying Davis had told multiple audiences about the killing.
The defence, represented by Michael Sanft, said the prosecution’s case at this stage relied largely on Davis’ alleged confessions. Sanft argued that three decades after the shooting, prosecutors lacked “real evidence” to support Davis’ claims and urged jurors to return a verdict of not guilty.
He asked why the case had reached trial if Davis had truly confessed, and maintained that the evidence presented did not justify a conviction.
Jurors retired on Monday after a long day of closing arguments, pausing briefly for a bathroom break and for a cough lozenge for Davis from Judge Kierny’s personal stash.



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1 September 2026

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13 hours ago13 hr

US Rep Massie Names Prince Andrew In Epstein Push

Epstein Files

US Rep Massie Names Prince Andrew In Epstein Push

Rep. Thomas Massie said he read out the names of more than a dozen people he described as “Epstein coconspirators” on the House floor on Monday, as he pushed for further action related to files connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

In a post on X, Massie, a Republican from Kentucky, said he had shared the names in the chamber and argued they should be investigated and prosecuted. In the same update, he said he had started collecting signatures for a discharge petition designed to force a vote on the Epstein Files Transparency Act II.
Massie Presses For A Vote On The Next Bill
Massie’s post included a video clip showing him speaking on the House floor. He said it had been a year since the president signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act, legislation he introduced the previous year together with Rep. Ro Khanna, a Democrat from California.
In his remarks, Massie said the administration continued to withhold a large number of records. He claimed the government was still holding back more than three million files, and said that was the reason he and others had brought forward the second bill.
Massie said the aim of the Epstein Files Transparency Act II is to shift the fight into state courts, increase accountability at the Department of Justice, and help survivors seek closure. He also said he wants those he believes were involved to face investigation and prosecution.
Names Included Prince Andrew And Les Wexner
Massie’s floor comments included the name of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, who formerly held the title of Prince Andrew. He was accused of sexual abuse by Virginia Giuffre, who alleged that the abuse occurred after Epstein trafficked her. Mountbatten-Windsor has denied that he ever met Giuffre.
The list also included Les Wexner, a billionaire retail entrepreneur. Massie said earlier on Monday that the bill would involve access to relevant records for legal action.
Wexner denied firsthand knowledge of Epstein’s criminal conduct during a deposition in February connected to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. Wexner had employed Epstein as a financial manager in the 1990s and early 2000s.
What Massie Says The Act II Would Do
Massie said in a separate earlier post on Monday that the Epstein Files Transparency Act II would give state attorneys general access to Epstein files that are needed to prosecute offences under state law. He also said the legislation would make it easier for survivors to sue in order to obtain their records.
Alongside the push for the House to take up the measure, Massie said he was working to gather 218 signatures for the discharge petition. A discharge petition, if successful, can bring a bill to the floor for a vote.
The latest push comes after Massie and Khanna’s first Epstein files bill, which they said led to the release of some records connected to Epstein following the president’s signature last year.
Despite that, Massie said the remaining withheld material justified further legislative action, and he used Monday’s House-floor remarks to outline what he described as additional individuals who should be investigated.

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1 September 2026

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13 hours ago13 hr

US Military Rules Out Troops at 2026 Midterm Polls

USA

US Military Rules Out Troops at 2026 Midterm Polls

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Dan Caine has told US Senator Elissa Slotkin that there are no plans to deploy federal military personnel to polling places for November 2026 midterm elections.

In a letter to Slotkin, the Michigan Democrat said election administration and security are the responsibility of state and local authorities. Caine added that the Joint Force has no intention of sending Federal service members, or members of the National Guard who would be federalised, to vote locations during the elections.
He also said the Joint Force has no plans to use such personnel to seize ballots, voting machines or other election-related materials.
Slotkin had pressed Defence leaders for written confirmation that no troops would be sent to polling sites this year. Earlier in the month, she wrote to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and to Caine seeking assurances that the Pentagon would not deploy Federal troops to polling places or take possession of election materials.
No Deployments to Polling Places
Caine’s letter states that election duties remain with state and local officials, rather than the federal military. He said the Joint Force will not send Federal military personnel or federalised members of the National Guard into polling places for the November 2026 midterms.
The letter further addresses concerns about potential interference with election processes. Caine said there are no plans for the use of such personnel to seize ballots, voting machines or other materials connected to voting.
Slotkin’s Request for Confirmation
Slotkin sits on the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. She cited prior comments from President Donald Trump about the possibility of nationalising the midterm elections.
Her letters to Hegseth and Caine asked the Pentagon to confirm that it would not send Federal forces to the polls or seize election materials in any way. Slotkin’s request sought clarity on whether the federal government could take actions that would affect the conduct of voting during the midterm elections.
Trump Comments on Federalising the Vote
Slotkin’s concern was linked to remarks Trump made earlier this year. In comments to conservative commentator Wayne Allyn Root, Trump responded after Root suggested the president could declare a national security emergency to federalise the midterms.
Trump said: “Let me just say that stranger things have happened, OK? I’ll leave it at that,” according to the exchange.
Caine Says No Unlawful Orders Expected
In his response to Slotkin, Caine said he had not received, and did not anticipate receiving, any unlawful order about the role of the Joint Force in the upcoming November 2026 midterm elections.
He also said he was ready to discuss the matter further with Slotkin or other senators.

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1 September 2026

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13 hours ago13 hr

Army Secretary Driscoll Resigns as Tensions Rise with Hegseth

USA

Army Secretary Driscoll Resigns as Tensions Rise with Hegseth

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll has resigned amid growing tensions with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, a US official told ABC News.

President Donald Trump accepted Driscoll’s resignation on Monday evening, the official said.
Resignation Accepted by Trump
In a statement on Monday, the White House thanked Driscoll for his work and praised him as “highly effective”.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said Driscoll had advanced the president’s agenda to Make America Strong Again at the Department of the Army by providing outstanding leadership during historic military operations. She added that his tenure included restoring an emphasis on readiness and lethality, and helping with negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, among other efforts.
Kelly also said the United States Army is “more powerful than ever” because of his work alongside the Commander-in-Chief and Secretary of War.
Disagreements Since 2025
US officials said Driscoll and Hegseth had differed on several issues since both took over their roles in 2025.
One key point, the officials said, has been Hegseth’s firing or sidelining of multiple senior officers who were due to be promoted to the rank of general.
The officials pointed in particular to Hegseth’s decision to fire Gen. Randy George, the former Army Chief of Staff, in April without explanation. Driscoll had worked closely with George and told lawmakers at a congressional hearing that he did not know why George was removed.
Ukraine-Russia Peace talks Assignment
Late last year, Trump chose Driscoll to head a diplomatic initiative intended to restart Ukraine-Russia peace talks, which had been launched last fall.
The initiative was described as being beyond the scope of a service secretary’s duties. The service secretary’s main responsibilities are to oversee training and equipping for the relevant service.
Capitol Hill Access and Military Background
Driscoll was also described as popular on Capitol Hill and as having access to the White House, attributed to his previous relationship with Vice President JD Vance.
The officials said Driscoll met Vance at Yale Law School after serving in the 10th Mountain Division as a cavalry officer.

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1 September 2026

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Lionel Messi Retires From International Football

Sport

Lionel Messi Retires From International Football

Lionel Messi has ended his international career, announcing his retirement from playing for Argentina seven weeks after the Albiceleste were beaten by Spain in the World Cup final in the United States.

The 39-year-old captained Argentina to World Cup success in 2022 and later added two Copa América titles, following his first appearance for the senior team in 2005. His decision brings to a close a spell in which he became the country’s leading scorer and appearance maker.
Retirement Decision After July Notes
On Monday, Messi posted on Instagram a picture of notes he wrote on 21 July, two days after the World Cup final. In the message, he confirmed that he was stepping away from Argentina duty.
He said the death of his father, Jorge, in early August made him feel “more convinced than before”. Messi had shown signs of emotion during the tournament and, in the knockout stages, revealed that his father had been receiving medical treatment.
Message To Argentina Fans
In the statement addressed to Argentina’s supporters, Messi said he had spent time reflecting after the final. He described the choice as painful, but one he believed was the right moment, and said he had always given everything for the national team, not only during the years when Argentina won major trophies.
Messi added that the story was moving towards its end, while saying he had “emptied himself” and felt he had nothing more to offer. He also indicated that younger players should be given opportunities. He thanked his family for supporting him through what he called a beautiful but difficult journey.
Messi had previously announced retirement from international football in 2016 after Argentina lost on penalties to Chile in the Copa América final. That defeat was his fourth loss in a major final from four at the time.
He went on to continue and eventually won silverware again, lifting the 2021 Copa América in Brazil. After Argentina beat Brazil at the Maracanã in that final, Messi played a central role in the team’s first World Cup title since 1986, including scoring twice in the final against France in Qatar. The win came two years after the death of Diego Maradona, whom Messi had often credited with shaping his career and who remained a reference point in public comparisons.
Record For Argentina And Ongoing Club Career
Messi retires as Argentina’s record appearance maker, ending on 207 caps. He made his debut in August 2005 in a friendly against Hungary, shortly after which he was sent off almost immediately after an elbow on Vilmos Vanczak. Messi also finishes as Argentina’s record scorer with 125 goals.
Before his senior breakthrough, he won the Under-20 World Cup and later claimed Olympic gold in 2008.
Since finishing his sixth World Cup, Messi has made seven appearances for Inter Miami, scoring four goals in the 7-1 victory over Montreal in Major League Soccer on Saturday. He signed a contract extension last year that keeps him at the club until 2028, when he will be 41.

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Yesterday at 09:57 PM1 day

Trump Says Hegseth's 2028 Presidential Run is Too Early

USA

Trump Says Hegseth's 2028 Presidential Run is Too Early

President Donald Trump said on Monday that it was too early to discuss whether Pete Hegseth, the US Defence secretary, would run for president in 2028.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump responded to fresh discussion about Hegseth’s possible candidacy by saying it would be premature to talk about it now. He added that he believed Hegseth had been focused on his role and on the military.
Trump Says It’s Too Early for 2028
Trump told reporters that the matter should not be considered at this stage. He said the immediate priority was the next election cycle, adding that the country needed to get through the midterms first.
He also indicated that, in his view, many people were contemplating a range of political possibilities, without being publicly visible. Trump said he believed Hegseth’s attention remained on the armed forces and on looking after service members.
NBC Report and Hegseth’s Denial
The comments came after NBC News reported over the weekend that Hegseth was considering the possibility of running for president in 2028. Hegseth later rejected the report.
In a post on the social media platform X, he said the claim was “100% false”. He said that he had told NBC the report was incorrect, and that the outlet had relied on anonymous “sources”. Hegseth also wrote that his only job was to “Make @DeptofWar Great Again”, before ending the post with “Carry on Patriots, and enjoy your Friday night”.
Other Potential 2028 Contenders
Trump’s remarks were made as a number of his allies have been mentioned in connection with potential 2028 campaigns. Those names include Hegseth, Vice President JD Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Trump has also previously addressed questions about other figures. Last week, he was asked about the possibility of Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas who once ran against him for the presidency but later became an ally, pursuing a 2028 bid.
In that exchange, Trump praised Cruz, saying he might choose to run and describing him as a talented figure.

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1 September 2026

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Yesterday at 09:40 PM1 day

Trump Asks Apple to Rename Lake Ontario ‘Lake America’

USA

Trump Asks Apple to Rename Lake Ontario ‘Lake America’

US President Donald Trump has asked Apple to change the name of Lake Ontario to “Lake America” on its Maps platform, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said, citing efforts to carry out the president’s executive order on the renamed Great Lake.

Burgum told Fox Business’s Mornings with Maria on Monday that Trump had contacted Apple directly. “I’m sure we may be seeing that change coming up soon,” he said, adding that the president had reached out to the company.
Apple Maps currently shows the lake as Lake Ontario for users outside the US, where the border of the Great Lake touches Ontario and the state of New York. The BBC contacted Apple for comment.
Trump Executive Order
On Thursday, Trump signed an executive order directing the administration to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America. The order follows the collapse of trade negotiations between Canada and the US.
The instruction includes steps to update official US geographic records, including the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), the government database used for mapping and place names. Burgum is directed to take “all appropriate actions” to implement the change.
Google And Other Map Services
Google switched the name for its US-based users over the weekend in order to comply with GNIS, according to a statement it issued on Saturday. Google said Canada-based users would continue to see Lake Ontario, and that outside the US the lake would be shown as “Lake Ontario (Lake America)”.
Other mapping services have not aligned uniformly. MapQuest, a US free web mapping service launched in 1996, said on Friday that “we’re not changing it” in a short Facebook post. The service also introduced a tool allowing users to change the lake name to any option of their choosing and share the results.
After MapQuest announced that it would not change the name, the app moved to the top of the most-downloaded free applications on the Apple App Store in Canada as of Monday morning.
Canada Pushback
The renaming has drawn pushback in Canada. On Sunday, Hydro One, an electricity utility company based in Toronto, apologised after its map displayed “Lake America”.
Hydro One said the name appeared because it was using a third-party mapping service. “We are working with our vendor to correct the issue as quickly as possible and restore the proper geographic reference,” the company said in a post on X. “We regret the error and apologise for any confusion it has caused.”
Other Ontario-based agencies also showed “Lake America” briefly, including Hydro Ottawa and the Liquor Board of Ontario.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford marked the dispute on Saturday by placing a large sign by the lakeshore reading “Lake Ontario Now and Always” in both English and French. Ford later told American TV host George Stephanopoulos on Sunday: “No one’s going to call it Lake of America. It’s been Lake Ontario for hundreds of years. It’s going to continue being Lake Ontario.”
Historical Names
The Great Lakes names reflect Indigenous languages, with four of the five lakes named Ontario, Huron, Michigan and Erie originating from Indigenous words.


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1 September 2026

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Yesterday at 09:08 PM1 day

Supreme Court Allows Trump Ballroom Work to Continue

USA

Supreme Court Allows Trump Ballroom Work to Continue

The US Supreme Court ruled on Monday, 5-4, that construction of a White House ballroom can continue, lifting a bar on above-ground work as President Donald Trump’s administration argued the project is needed for national security.

The decision overturns a lower-court ruling that would have limited building until Congress granted additional approvals.
The Court’s Split On Standing
Five conservative justices, including all three appointed by Trump, backed the president. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett voted to allow the project to proceed.
Chief Justice John Roberts and the court’s three liberal justices dissented. Roberts joined Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
In its unsigned opinion, the court said it had not previously found that a preservationist group had standing to challenge the project in the circumstances presented. The court also said that “mere offense, disagreement, or distaste” does not meet the requirements for bringing the case.
The Supreme Court’s ruling is not a final determination of whether the ballroom is lawful. The matter could return to the court at a later stage, but for now construction can continue without restriction.
Work Continues While The Case Develops
Court records cited in the case indicate that a workforce of about 250 people is working on the ballroom 20 hours a day, seven days a week.
Trump ordered the demolition of the East Wing last fall to make way for a ballroom planned for the White House campus. The project is described as a 90,000-square-foot construction.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation brought the legal challenge, arguing that the work exceeds the authority of the president and should not proceed without Congress sign-off.
The group won in the lower courts. Those rulings held that Congress needed to authorise the relevant steps before construction could continue.
Roberts had allowed the work to proceed briefly while the Supreme Court considered the appeal. In his dissent, he argued that the preservationist group had sufficiently alleged an injury to qualify for a hearing in federal court.
He wrote that the majority had misread the nature of the alleged harm, allowing what he described as a likely infringement on Congress’s power of the purse and on the authority to regulate federal property in the District of Columbia.
“Today’s decision is no victory for the separation of powers,” Roberts said.
Administration Arguments And A National Security Case
The Trump administration argued that approvals already exist because the project is being funded with private money. It also said the preservationist group should not be able to sue, because the group lacked the right to bring the challenge.
Solicitor General D. John Sauer told the justices that allowing the case would “open the courthouse doors” to any person who visits government buildings, historic sites or parks and takes exception to what they see.
As the case has proceeded, the administration increasingly relied on national security. It argued that pausing the project would endanger the president’s safety, pointing to incidents that prompted Trump to take alternative arrangements, including a threat that forced him to board a different aircraft, an alleged plot linked to disrupting a White House UFC event, a shooting at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, and shootings at Trump’s Butler, Pennsylvania, campaign rally and near his Florida golf course. The Justice Department said those events involved attempts to assassinate the president.
In filings in recent days, the administration also said the construction is too far along to stop. It indicated the project is about 65% complete, with a concrete-and-steel structure already extending five stories deep and reaching 70 feet high.
The preservationist group countered that the president acts only as a tenant of the White House with limited authority to make major renovations, and that the courts should not permit the work to continue. In its filings, it said there was nothing stopping the challengers from seeking authorisation from Congress and that efforts to block judicial review should not succeed.


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1 September 2026

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Yesterday at 08:53 PM1 day

Ukraine Says Russian Strikes Destroy 12m Books

Ukraine Conflict

Ukraine Says Russian Strikes Destroy 12m Books

Russian missile strikes have destroyed 12 million books across Ukraine, including a Kyiv printing press scheduled to supply textbooks for pupils returning for the first week of the new school term.

Viktoria Haidai, a commercial director at the Konvi publishing firm, examined the damaged remains of a plant on the edge of Kyiv that was hit overnight. At the time of the attack, production was ramping up to deliver 1.3 million books, around 10% of Ukraine’s schoolbook supply for the year.
In the burnt rubble, Haidai and others found charred pages from an English-language textbook, including lines introducing a fictional student in the UK. The company said no part of the site was salvageable, with surviving pages damaged further by water from firefighting efforts and by exposure after the building’s roof collapsed.
Attacks on Presses and Book Supplies
The strike in Kyiv is part of a broader pattern of damage to printing and publishing operations. Local reports say Russia has destroyed about one third of all books printed in Ukraine this year, while more than 35 publishing facilities have been hit in recent weeks.
Haidai said the disruption extended beyond new print runs. She described Russian attacks on logistics warehouses used by major publishing houses to store large quantities of books, alongside strikes on printing facilities.
She also said the targets were intended to erase Ukraine’s national identity, citing what she described as a deliberate effort to destroy cultural materials. More of the losses were not limited to new textbooks: Kyiv’s Pochaina second-hand book market was also hit, with hundreds of individual stalls damaged and many books lost.
Book Damage Beyond Printing Houses
Damage has also spread to cultural institutions. Muse ums, art galleries, film studios, libraries and opera venues have been affected, according to the article’s accounts. At Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a major medieval monastery and UNESCO-listed heritage site in the capital, drone strikes set fire to the roof of the Dormition Cathedral, damaging parts of the building including the golden domes.
Religious artefacts were moved to safety during the raid, but repairs are expected to cost $11.2 million (£8.2m) and take two years.
The monastery complex includes Ukraine’s museum of books and printing. UNESCO listed the site in 1990 and added it to its World Heritage List in Danger in September 2023. At celebrations marking the monastery’s 975th anniversary, UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany said he was “deeply saddened” by the “significant damage” and condemned attacks on cultural property protected under international law. He made the remarks after touring the cathedral with Ukraine’s minister of culture, Tetyana Berezhna.
Berezhna said the cultural and military impacts of Russia’s war were inseparable and argued that Russia targets symbols of Ukraine’s history and presence. She said Russia has attacked more than 1,900 pieces of Ukrainian heritage and more than 2,000 cultural institutions. She also pointed to digitisation as part of the response, saying it is intended to help children continue learning despite physical book losses.
Calls for International Support
Ukraine’s publishing sector faces an “existential” threat, the article says, and warnings have been issued that it needs international support to remain viable.
Haidai said protecting the industry was critical to preserving Ukrainian literature, arguing that words are passed down through generations. She made the point after seeing the destruction at the Konvi press.
The article also notes that in a 2021 essay titled On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians, Russian President Vladimir Putin wrote that Ukrainians and Russians were one people and questioned the basis for an independent Ukrainian state and culture.
In a statement to the BBC, the Russian embassy to the UK blamed Ukraine’s own government for damage to cultural heritage, saying monuments had been dismantled and streets renamed, and adding claims that cultural sites were used to conceal military facilities. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied deliberately targeting civilian sites during its five-year full-scale invasion, despite widespread missile and drone attacks on residential and other civilian infrastructure.

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31 August 2026

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Yesterday at 10:49 AM1 day

Flash Flood Kills One, Dozens Missing In Grand Canyon

Natural Disaster

Flash Flood Kills One, Dozens Missing In Grand Canyon

A flash flood that swept through parts of the Grand Canyon has killed one person and left 15 others missing or unaccounted for, the National Park Service (NPS) said.

The flooding struck Bright Angel Canyon and the Phantom Ranch area on Saturday afternoon, damaging infrastructure in the inner canyon. Footbridges were swept away and boulders were carried downstream, the park service said.
Body Found Near Crystal Rapids
The NPS said the body of a 46-year-old man was found on Sunday evening near Crystal Rapids along the Colorado River.
So far, 62 people have been airlifted out of the area, as officials continue efforts to identify those unaccounted for.
Nikki Baggs, 41, who was among those flown out, told the BBC about the sudden change from calm weather to an emergency. She said the group had been at Phantom Ranch, a remote lodge at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, after dropping off their belongings at a cabin earlier on Saturday.
Baggs said they stepped out to enjoy the conditions before heavy water began moving through the area. She added that, as soon as the rain started, she and two friends moved toward higher ground and sat at a picnic table. She said rangers later told them to run again to a different ledge.
The group waited with others there for several hours before being evacuated at about 21:30 local time. Baggs said she and her friends had been looking forward to a steak dinner at Phantom Ranch, but they were instead focused on surviving the fast-moving flood. She described the rescue response as coordinated and credited rangers’ direction for helping people reach safer ground.
Search Focus After Missing Numbers Revised
In an initial statement, the NPS said it was looking for information on more than 20 people reported missing or unaccounted for. It later revised the figure down to “approximately 15”.
The BBC said it had contacted the NPS for further comment.
Officials also reported that the flooding caused significant damage in some areas and that trails in the region have been closed.
Lodgings Shut On South Rim, More Storms Forecast
Overnight guest lodgings on the South Rim will stop from Monday until further notice, the NPS said, citing extensive damage to the park’s water infrastructure.
The NPS asked anyone who knew hikers or backpackers who were in the inner canyon along the Bright Angel Creek corridor on Saturday to get in touch.
The park service also warned that thunderstorms and heavy rainfall are forecast for Sunday and Monday. It said conditions could worsen through additional flash flooding, debris flows and rockfall, with changing trail and river conditions.
The Grand Canyon is one of the United States’ most visited national parks, drawing about five million visitors each year. The Bright Angel trail is its most popular hike.


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31 August 2026

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Yesterday at 10:42 AM1 day

AfD Eyes Historic State Victory in Eastern Germany

Germany

AfD Eyes Historic State Victory in Eastern Germany

An election in eastern Germany on Sunday could deliver the first far-right state governor in the country’s post-World War II history, with polls putting the anti-migration Alternative for Germany (AfD) in a strong position ahead of a vote in Saxony-Anhalt.

The prospect marks a significant test for Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his centre-right government, which has struggled to persuade voters it can address slow economic growth. Merz has described the mood in Germany as “widespread moroseness”.
Polls Give AfD A Lead In Saxony-Anhalt
Several polls ahead of the election to the state legislature in Saxony-Anhalt show AfD leading by a wide margin. Securing control of the state government would be the party’s biggest achievement since it was founded 13 years ago, and would signal a political shift for Germany.
Wolfgang Merkel, a political scientist at the WBZ Berlin Social Science Center, said an AfD victory could “break a taboo” in Germany. He argued that modern Germany has differed from much of Europe by not having a radical right-wing party govern at national, state or major city level.
AfD has been particularly strong in Germany’s former communist east, including Saxony-Anhalt. In last year’s national election, the party won 20.8% of the vote, its best result for a far-right force in the post-war period, and became Germany’s largest opposition party.
AfD Seeks Absolute Majority, Plans For Education And Media
In Saxony-Anhalt, AfD is aiming for an absolute majority in the state legislature. If it achieves that, it would avoid the “firewall” used by mainstream parties that refuse to work with AfD. The party’s regional branch is among several AfD state associations classified by Germany’s domestic intelligence agency as proven right-wing extremist groups, allegations the party denies.
AfD’s campaign slogan is “Everything is possible”. Its candidate for governor, Ulrich Siegmund, said at a campaign event in Moeser that it was a “historic opportunity” to “write history”. He is 35 and served as AfD’s nominee for the state top post.
Siegmund lists deporting people considered illegal, launching a “deportation offensive”, and removing what he describes as incentives for migrants to come and exploit the social system. The campaign also calls for starting a long process to withdraw Saxony-Anhalt from the regional public broadcaster, citing concerns about “disinformation”.
On education, AfD says it wants to allow home schooling, which is currently not permitted in Germany. It also pledges to prevent schools from raising the rainbow flag officially and to ensure the national flag is flown. The party says it opposes taxpayer funding “given away” to Ukraine and wants sanctions on Russia lifted, though these decisions are not within the competence of state governments.
AfD’s only previous leadership at county level was elected in 2023 in neighbouring Thuringia. A state governorship would greatly expand its influence and could strengthen ambitions of governing nationally, analysts say.
CDU Incumbent Warns Of Isolation If AfD Wins
Sven Schulze, the incumbent governor for Merz’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU), is facing the challenge. Speaking to the Associated Press in Magdeburg, Saxony-Anhalt’s capital, Schulze said AfD “wants the past back” and that the state would face “isolation” if it won power.
Schulze pointed to improvements in the state’s economy and falling unemployment since German reunification in 1990. He also argued that the far right does not want people “born abroad” to live and work in the region, saying that would pose problems where immigrants are employed in hospitals and companies.
He said he would not work with AfD and that the CDU backs him “100%”, adding that AfD identifies problems but offers no solutions.
Uncertain Impact On National Politics
Even if AfD becomes the strongest party, its ability to govern depends on whether it wins an absolute majority. Merkel said he did not see AfD governing in the absence of a suitable coalition partner. That could leave Schulze looking to build a patchwork administration with smaller parties on the left, a scenario that Merkel said many voters would interpret as “clinging to power”.
It also remains unclear how a Saxony-Anhalt result might affect national politics, particularly ahead of elections on 20 September in Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Merkel said he believed the state was too small to have “any particular impact”, but a substantial loss of support for the big traditional parties could reinforce a narrative of their decline.
Merz has sought to underline the government’s determination to press through reforms after a Cabinet meeting last week, telling voters they needed to move beyond “glumness and anger” and overcome the “widespread moroseness” that has “paralyzed” Germany.

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31 August 2026

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Yesterday at 10:36 AM1 day

Republicans Gear Up for Massive ‘Trump-a-Palooza’ Convention

USA

Republicans Gear Up for Massive ‘Trump-a-Palooza’ Convention

Republicans are preparing for a two-day midterm convention in Dallas on 9 and 10 September, with the Republican National Committee pitching the event as a rapid, high-profile push to energise voters ahead of November elections.

The RNC’s first-of-its-kind midterm gathering, announced late in June, has remained largely under wraps until recent weeks as candidates and lawmakers stepped up planning on a compressed timetable. The convention is expected to function as a rally to encourage turnout, at a moment when President Donald Trump’s approval ratings in Texas remain low, according to internal polling cited by party analysts.
Costs And Scheduling Raise Questions
Some Republicans have expressed frustration that the convention was assembled quickly and at a cost that lawmakers may feel directly. House members are reportedly expected to contribute $25,000 to attend.
An RNC operative, speaking to The Hill, said the “very hasty” nature of the schedule reflected choices that were not strictly necessary. Trump announced the Dallas dates at the end of June, despite having highlighted the idea of a midterm convention for about a year.
Critics of the timing point to multiple potential disruptions. The programme overlaps with the first two National Football League games of the season and falls near the 25th anniversary of the 11 September 2001 attacks. Those factors have prompted questions about whether the event will receive enough mainstream airtime to justify the expense.
There is also concern that the convention could keep some candidates tied to Texas at a critical point in the campaign calendar, potentially reducing their ability to travel during the summer.
Joshua Blank, research director at the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin, said the main question for many observers is whether the gathering will help. He referenced state polling showing Trump’s approval rating as “underwater” and drew a comparison with 2018, when Democrats rallied around Beto O’Rourke during his bid to unseat Republican Senator Ted Cruz. In that cycle, Blank noted, Trump visited Texas to boost Cruz, but later analyses suggested the visit did not meaningfully improve Cruz’s position.
Blank also said the event’s scheduling appeared closer to a reaction to voter enthusiasm concerns than a plan designed for maximum impact.
Security Costs, Transport Disruption, Protests Planned
Supporters of the convention argue it will deliver more benefits than drawbacks, partly because the disruption is limited to two days. Texas Republican consultant Brendan Steinhauser said the event is unlikely to remove candidates from campaigning long enough to matter and that it could help the GOP in Texas and beyond, provided it delivers a clear message and yields financial returns.
Dallas city agencies have been preparing for the scale of the event. The Dallas Police Department held a press conference with officials from the FBI and Secret Service on Thursday, confirming that security requirements would cost the city $1.8 million.
City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert said the city is seeking reimbursement and grant opportunities to help offset the costs to Dallas taxpayers, while noting that such payments do not determine whether the city provides needed public safety services. Deputy Police Chief Devon Palk said attendees should expect public transport changes, road closures and an increased police presence, including officers from other agencies. Both Tolbert and Palk said protests are expected.
The security cost comes after Tolbert announced spending restrictions earlier in the year as the city faced a potential fiscal-year shortfall of more than $30 million.
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, who is now a Republican and leads the Republican Mayors Association, said hosting the landmark midterm event is a “tremendous honor”. Dallas is the largest US city with a Republican mayor.
About 20,000 people are expected to attend, according to John Hiller, a White House aide and chief executive of the convention’s organising board.
Speakers, Texas Senate Race, and National Coverage
The RNC has announced 109 items and speakers for the two-day event, most of which are to be confirmed later. Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to deliver a keynote on the first night, and Trump is expected to close the second.
Fox News has said it will broadcast some coverage, though details have not been finalised. The major US networks have not indicated whether they will carry the convention.
Among top figures expected to attend are Senate Majority Leader John Thune of South Dakota and House Speaker Mike Johnson. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is also expected, as he faces a high-stakes Senate race against Democrat James Talarico.
Jon Taylor, a political science professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said the event’s Texas focus is tied to the need to support Paxton. He noted that Trump held a fundraiser for the RNC in late August, with Paxton in attendance.
The convention also comes amid controversy over the Trump administration’s plans for border wall construction inside Texas’s Big Bend National Park and frustration related to Trump’s support for data centre developments, which Paxton and Republican Governor Greg Abbott have moved to restrict. Taylor said concerns remain about how much of the event’s attention will be directed beyond Trump himself and whether it will translate into tangible gains for the wider Texas ticket.

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31 August 2026

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Yesterday at 10:31 AM1 day

Nepal-Tibet Flood Toll Tops 900, 4,700 Missing

Natural Disaster

Nepal-Tibet Flood Toll Tops 900, 4,700 Missing

The death toll from last week’s flash flooding in the Nepal-Tibet border region has risen to at least 919, with more than 4,700 people reported missing, according to the latest updates from officials in Nepal and China on Monday.

In Nepal, at least 903 bodies had been recovered as of Monday, the Nepal National Disaster Management Authority said in a post on X. The agency said at least 4,247 people remained missing, a sharp increase from the number reported on Sunday.
On the Tibetan side of the border, China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency said at least 16 people had been confirmed killed. It added that 546 others were still missing.
Death Toll Rises In Nepal
Nepali authorities said the recovery operation continued after Wednesday’s flooding, which struck communities in northern Rasuwa district along the frontier with Tibet.
Officials have reported extensive damage to homes and infrastructure, with search teams working to locate people still unaccounted for in areas affected by the rising waters and debris.
Damage Reaches Far Downriver
The flooding was triggered by a landslide that set off a wall of ice, water and debris descending from the mountains at the border.
Authorities said the disaster struck at about 8:40 a.m. local time on Wednesday. It inundated stretches along the Trishuli River, burying buildings and damaging bridges and roadways.
An analysis by ABC News, based on verified video and satellite images, said the flow caused destruction at least 62 miles downriver into Nepal.
Landslide Registered By USGS
Nepali officials said the flooding was reportedly caused by a landslide about 12 miles northeast of the Rasuwagadhi border post.
The United States Geological Survey reported a 5.2-magnitude landslide in Nepal on Wednesday. The USGS said the glacier was initially located on a cliff about 16,000 feet high, and that the debris avalanche, or landslide, travelled down about 6,000 feet on the slope.
US Advises Against Travel, Aid Activated
As the search and recovery efforts continued, the US State Department said Americans were among those missing. State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott told ABC News on Sunday that 85 Americans were still unaccounted for, after nine had been evacuated. He said the number of evacuations had risen from five reported on Friday.
Pigott said the US had activated $3.6 million in emergency humanitarian assistance, including emergency food for up to three months for as many as 10,000 flood-affected households.
On Monday, the US Embassy in Kathmandu warned Americans against all travel to the affected region, citing flood damage, disrupted transportation and communications, and ongoing search-and-rescue and recovery operations, along with the risk of further flooding and landslides.

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31 August 2026

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Yesterday at 10:23 AM1 day

Cyprus Ferry Capsizes, Killing Eight and Leaving Many Missing

Report

Cyprus Ferry Capsizes, Killing Eight and Leaving Many Missing

A passenger ferry has capsized off northern Cyprus, killing at least eight people and leaving more than a dozen others missing, the head of the Turkish administration there said.

Ünal Üstel, prime minister of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic on Cyprus (TRNC), said the boat was carrying 259 passengers and eight crew members when it started taking on water after leaving the coastal town of Kyrenia.
Captain And Crew Detained
Üstel said the ship’s captain and seven crew members had been detained as Turkish authorities investigated what led to the incident.
A search and rescue operation is under way to find people still unaccounted for, with Turkish authorities joining efforts from local teams.
The privately owned ferry departed Kyrenia at about 12:30 local time (09:30 GMT).
Delayed By Poor Weather
Üstel said the vessel had been scheduled to travel to Turkey on Saturday, but departure was delayed by poor weather.
He told Turkish media outlet TRT that the ferry was hit by two waves before it capsized. Üstel said the captain was trying to recover after the first wave when a second wave struck the boat, which then began taking on water.
Helicopters and coastguard boats were dispatched to the scene, and ambulances were stationed on the beach to receive rescued passengers. Üstel said security forces, rescue teams and health officials were working at the site.
He added that investigators would carry out a thorough examination of the disaster and that any negligence would be identified. “No one will be spared, regardless of who they are, who is found to be at fault or responsible,” he said.
Rescued On Shore, Turkish Response
TRNC transport minister Erhan Arikli told local media that 100 passengers had been taken to shore.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent condolences to Turkish Cypriots and said efforts to reach those still missing were continuing. Speaking at a military ceremony on Sunday, he said that immediately after the accident, Turkey launched extensive search-and-rescue operations in cooperation with TRNC authorities.
A separate account of the aftermath was given by Mustafa Koc, who told the BBC he saved about 65 people with his boat after the ferry capsized. Koc said the crew should have waited until conditions improved, adding that the sea was choppy.
Koc said the vessel arrived in Kyrenia on Saturday and had “some damage in the front”.
The ferry is a high-speed vessel about 40 metres long and 10 metres wide, according to Marine Traffic, and sails under the Turkish flag. On Sunday evening, Arikli told TRT that the ship had completely sunk.
Filo Denizcilik, the operator of the capsized passenger boat, said it was “deeply saddened” by the accident. A hotline has been set up to provide passengers’ relatives with information. The nationalities of those on board and the condition of any injured people have not been confirmed.
Local television broadcast images showing the upside-down ferry in the water, with people wearing life vests atop its hull.
The TRNC controls the northern third of Cyprus, an island divided since 1974; it is recognised only by Turkey.


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31 August 2026

• 5 comments
• 174 views

webfact

Sunday at 10:52 PM1 day

US Strikes Iranian Rocket Launchers on Larak Island

Iranian Conflict

US Strikes Iranian Rocket Launchers on Larak Island

US forces have hit two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island, a US official said, in what was described as the first known American strike on Iran in weeks.

According to CBS News, citing US Central Command spokesman Cdr Tim Hawkins, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) personnel were seen preparing to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz. The strike took place on Sunday.
First Known US Strikes Since Late July
The action marks the first known US strike on Iranian territory since late July, the official said. It comes after President Donald Trump paused a renewed US military campaign in late July.
Earlier this month, the US said it completed clearing mines from the main shipping lane in the strait, a route used by commercial vessels moving between the Middle East and global markets.
Larak Island And Strait Of Hormuz
Larak Island lies just offshore from Bandar Abbas and sits along the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for international shipping.
Iran has been directing tanker traffic to pass the island for checks and has reportedly required vessels to pay about $2m (£1.5m) to transit. During the current phase of conflict, Iran has also used the strait as a pressure point, with officials and state media presenting its actions as part of a broader effort to control maritime movement.
Iranian Claims And US Warnings
The IRGC said the attack on Sunday killed and wounded several people, adding that it would carry out “response and punishment”. Hossein Mohebbi, the IRGC spokesman, described the strike as a “strategic and fatal mistake” by Trump’s administration, saying the “enemy” would face consequences in both economic and military terms.
Tasnim news agency, affiliated with the IRGC, said the attack was carried out by drones. It reported that two people were killed and two others injured.
Trump said last week that all Iranian mines placed in the Strait of Hormuz had been detonated or removed. He warned that any ship or boat deploying new mines would be destroyed. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi described the claim as a propaganda “deception”.
Sanctions Push After Six Months Of Conflict
The strike comes as Iran faces renewed economic pressure following a fresh US sanctions campaign announced on 24 August. Washington said the measures were intended to further isolate Tehran and expand secondary sanctions against allies that continue to work with Iran.
Iranian officials and state media have largely dismissed the new campaign as a continuation of earlier US economic measures, arguing they followed a military failure by Washington during a recent conflict.
That wider confrontation began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February. Iran responded by attacking Israel, US bases and allied targets in the Gulf region, and the conflict effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz to marine traffic. The war has now passed the six-month mark.
Before the fighting began, around 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas travelled through the strait.


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31 August 2026

• 12 comments
• 257 views

webfact

Sunday at 10:38 PM1 day

Prisoners Freed Early Return to Jail at Rapid Rate

UK

Prisoners Freed Early Return to Jail at Rapid Rate

Prison governors in England have told the BBC that people released early under the government’s 2024 overcrowding measures are returning to jail at a rapid rate, with many being recalled after breaching licence conditions or reoffending.

The governors said they are seeing the same inmates repeatedly sent back after release, describing the cycle as destabilising for staff and disruptive for prisons already under strain. One governor in the Midlands said the “churn” was stressful, calling it a “revolving door”.
The comments come as Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced changes to the next early release scheme, due to begin in October, after anger that killers of PC Andrew Harper were among those who could qualify.
Recall Numbers Rise as Overcrowding Persists
Burnham said on Sunday that people convicted of unlawful killing would be excluded from the next scheme. He acknowledged that the move would mean “hundreds” more people remain in prison.
The announcement follows warnings that prisons in England and Wales are operating at more than 97% capacity, leaving little room for the 2024 releases to relieve pressure. Prison governors told the BBC that any extra spaces created are unlikely to be available before the next batch of releases starts.
As of March, more than 70,000 people had been freed under the 2024 early release scheme. However, there were still almost 87,000 people in custody, with just over 2,000 spaces remaining.
A key part of the system is licence recall, which allows people to be returned to prison if they breach conditions or if new risk concerns arise. There were 51,419 licence recalls in the year ending March 2026, up from 40,259 in the previous year, an increase of 28%. While recalls were slightly lower from January to March than in the previous three-month period, they remained far above historical levels.
“Short-Term Solutions” and Reoffending Risks
Three serving prison governors said the current approach does not solve the underlying capacity crisis. One governor in the north of England said the prime minister’s plan was “all short-term solutions and we need space now”, adding that creating new cells inside existing prisons would require more staff and was not straightforward.
Staff shortages, they said, were contributing to unsafe and unsuitable conditions, with some prisoners living in environments that did not meet expectations for safety and decency.
The governors also linked the overcrowding pressures to a higher risk of repeated recalls. One said: “We see the same people coming back after being released early and reoffending again, or breaking their [release] rules.”
Another governor warned that unless both overcrowding and recalls were addressed, the criminal justice system could “grind to a halt”, describing repeated releases and returns to custody as a loop that removes any temporary capacity gained.
Gang Tensions, Double Cell Use, and New Rules
Governors described wider impacts of overcrowding, including rising tensions between gangs and the mixing of people from different regions in the same establishments, increasing the risk of rivalries.
They said prisons are also using cells designed for one person to hold two inmates, citing health and safety concerns. One governor said single cells are compact and include space used for eating and an open toilet area, so two prisoners are effectively carrying out daily routines together. The governor added that prisons already face infestation problems and that the change could worsen them.
The BBC understands that work has started to create additional cells by repurposing existing areas, but that this is expected to take months.
Burnham’s early release changes follow mounting pressure to exclude the killers of PC Harper, who died in 2019 after being dragged by a car as three teenagers fled a quad bike theft in Berkshire. Concerns had been raised that Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole could be eligible, after which more than one million people signed a petition calling for them to stay in prison.
The new scheme will bar people convicted of unlawful killing, alongside serious child sex offenders, rapists and groomers, under the Sentencing Act. It will also exclude prisoners convicted of indecent assault offences and death by dangerous driving. The justice secretary is expected to give more detail to Parliament on Tuesday, including how many people will be affected.
Maintenance Warnings and Government Response
The Prison Governors Association president Tom Wheatley told the BBC that governors had not been briefed on the government’s overcrowding plans until late, saying it left them having to respond to angry and confused prisoners on short notice.
A 2024 National Audit Office report concluded that there is continued risk to prison capacity due to poor condition in parts of the estate, including that a quarter of prison places—23,000—do not meet fire safety standards.
A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: “Less than one in seven prisoners in custody are on recall, and it is a vital tool to keep the public safe.” They added that the government is building 14,000 new places, expanding tagging, reforming recall to reduce the prison population, and giving victims a say in licence conditions.

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31 August 2026

• 2 comments
• 219 views

webfact

Sunday at 08:57 PM2 days

British Woman Killed in Stabbing at German Railway Station

Crime

British Woman Killed in Stabbing at German Railway Station

A British woman has died after being stabbed at a railway station in southern Germany, Bavarian police said.

The 31-year-old woman was attacked in Rosenheim, in the state of Bavaria, shortly before 1am local time on Sunday. Police said the incident took place at around 00:00BST at the station.
Attack Shortly Before 1am
The woman was taken to hospital after the attack. Bavarian Police said she died from injuries described as severe.
Investigators are now working to understand what led up to the stabbing and how it happened.
Suspect Arrested at the Scene
Police said officers arrested a 27-year-old man at the scene immediately after the incident. The suspect is German, police added.

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30 August 2026

• Germany

• 38 comments
• 492 views

webfact

Sunday at 11:09 AM2 days

Swiss Police Hunt Gunman After Deadly Rave Shooting

Crime

Swiss Police Hunt Gunman After Deadly Rave Shooting

A manhunt is under way after a shooting at a rave in northern Switzerland left a 22-year-old woman dead and five other people injured, police said.

The woman died at the scene in Aarau, near Zurich, the Aargau Cantonal Police said. The injured group includes four men and a woman, all aged between 24 and 27. Police said they are being treated in hospital for injuries described as ranging from minor to severe.
Shooting During Night-Time Rave
Police said the incident happened at an event at a horse racing track in Aarau, where a techno rave was ongoing into the early hours of Sunday.
The force said the identity of the perpetrator and any possible motives were not known, adding that the “exact circumstances” of the shooting remained unclear. Officers were alerted at about 02:30 local time, according to local media.
Swiss DJ Tekibo, who said he was performing at the annual techno event, told followers that he had lost a friend in the incident. Writing on Instagram, he said he was “still trying to process what happened”.
Police Cordons And Search Operations
Authorities asked witnesses to provide photographs and video from the scene.
A cordoned area has been set up around the racing track, as well as near the town’s swimming pool and sports field, with members of the public urged to stay away. Police also said a large contingent of officers had been deployed beyond Aarau “as a precaution”.
An AFP journalist reported seeing armed officers stationed on a highway as far as 30km (18 miles) from the shooting site.
German media reported that police on the German side were supporting the Swiss investigation while the manhunt continues.
Images from Aarau early on Sunday showed a heavy police presence, including an armoured vehicle blocking a road. Armed officers and personnel in riot gear were also seen patrolling the streets.
Emergency Response And Event Plans
Regional disaster response personnel (KKE) were deployed, broadcaster SRF reported, along with a Swiss Army helicopter that was seen surveying the area in the early hours.
Aargau Racing Club said the rave had been “overshadowed by a serious incident” and thanked emergency services for their response.
According to the organisers’ website, the event had been expected to draw up to 3,500 attendees.
Gun Violence Rare, Controls Tighter
Switzerland has one of the highest rates of gun ownership in Europe, though violent shootings are rare. Tighter firearm controls have been introduced in recent years.
Police have not released details about the investigation’s progress or when the cordons will be lifted.


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30 August 2026

• 0 comments
• 255 views

webfact

Sunday at 09:32 AM2 days