Illinois man arrested over alleged plot to carry out mass shooting, police say
The Guardian •

Illinois man arrested over alleged plot to carry out mass shooting, police say

Suspect, 19, had shared a white supremacist manifesto and was potentially targeting Hindu place of worship, police sayA man arrested in a Chicago suburb had shared a ⁠document expressing white supremacist views and outlined an alleged plan to carry out a mass shooting, potentially targeting a Hindu place of worship, police ⁠said on Wednesday.Alexandros Paporakis, 19, was ​arrested on Sunday after ...

China, North Korea open long-delayed trade bridge
France 24 •

China, North Korea open long-delayed trade bridge

China and North Korea formally opened the Yalu River Bridge on Thursday, connecting Dandong in China with Sinuiju in North Korea. Beijing says the bridge will promote economic and trade cooperation.

Severe drought declared in six areas of England as reservoirs run low
The Guardian •

Severe drought declared in six areas of England as reservoirs run low

Some reservoirs in south at critical levels as water companies call for extended restrictions that would affect golf clubs, private schools and car washesA severe drought has been declared in six areas of England, with some reservoirs at critically low levels, threatening public supplies.Parts of Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex have moved into severe drought, and urg...

Severe drought declared in six areas of England as public water supplies under threat
The Guardian •

Severe drought declared in six areas of England as public water supplies under threat

Some reservoirs in south-east and south-west at critically low levels as water companies call for non-essential user bans on businessesA severe drought has been declared in six areas of England with some reservoirs at critically low levels, threatening public supplies.Parts of Devon, Cornwall, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex have moved into severe drought, and urgent measures are bei...

Laos private jet bust reveals how Mekong meth slips past borders

Laos private jet bust reveals how Mekong meth slips past borders

SCMP •

A private jet hired from Malaysia – seemingly destined for the Philippines – but stopped on the tarmac by Laos’ drug police who found suitcases stuffed with 512kg of crystal methamphetamine, has returned the spotlight to the unrelenting flow of narcotics from the Mekong’s drug laboratories. Cyberscams have dominated headlines and authorities’ attention across Southeast Asia for over a year as the ...

A deep dive into the global spy plane market

A deep dive into the global spy plane market

France 24 •

All over the globe – from the Mexican border to Syria to the Sahel – companies are renting out planes equipped with powerful sensors to armies and intelligence services for political missions. The market may be discreet, but it isn’t invisible.

Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson sentenced to 15 years for child sexual offences

Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson sentenced to 15 years for child sexual offences

The Guardian •

Donaldson was found guilty in June of 18 counts of sexual abuse including one rape between 1985 and 2008Jeffrey Donaldson has been sentenced to 15 years for sexual offences against two women who were children when he abused them, completing what was described as a “catastrophic descent into disgrace”.The sentence at Newry crown court on Thursday sealed the downfall of a former Democratic Unionist ...

Trump returns to Washington after midterms campaign blitz as new polls reveal voters’s concern about US economy – live

Trump returns to Washington after midterms campaign blitz as new polls reveal voters’s concern about US economy – live

The Guardian •

Key voting groups are increasingly disenchanted with the economy, new Harris polls finds; about 8 in 10 people say the economy or the cost of living is top voting issue, new AP poll findsKey US voters say economy is getting worse ahead of midterms, poll findsSign up for the Breaking News US emailThe majority of those surveyed were pessimistic about the economy, with three quarters of Americans say...

Bad news for Trump ahead of the midterms: it’s still the economy, stupid

Bad news for Trump ahead of the midterms: it’s still the economy, stupid

The Guardian •

Voters’ opposition to the state of Trump’s economy is well established – despite his desperate attempts to deflectIt’s indisputable that the political polarization of our time has reduced (and confused) the influence of economic conditions on US elections.In September of 2024, in the waning weeks of the Joe Biden presidency, 65% of Republicans believed the US economy was getting worse. About six m...

China-led team hits 83% success rate anticipating earthquakes in ‘seismo-ripples’ study

China-led team hits 83% success rate anticipating earthquakes in ‘seismo-ripples’ study

SCMP •

A China-led international team has reported a new pre-earthquake phenomenon that has shown strong predictive potential for major earthquakes since 2022 with minimal failures. The anomalous seismic, magnetic and ionospheric resonance signals they observed – termed “seismo-ripples” by the researchers – are ringlike disturbance patterns triggered before earthquakes happen. Their findings challenge th...

Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson sentenced to 15 years for child sexual abuse – as it happened

Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson sentenced to 15 years for child sexual abuse – as it happened

The Guardian •

This blog is now closed, you can read our full report on this story here:Jeffrey Donaldson sentenced to 15 yearsThe DUP has disowned its former leader and condemned his crimes but faced a backlash from supporters amid allegations the party turned a blind eye to other misbehaviour by Donaldson, including drunkenness and sexual harassment.The jury in the four-week trial found that his wife, Eleanor,...

Trump returns to White House amid weak polls ahead of midterms – live

Trump returns to White House amid weak polls ahead of midterms – live

The Guardian •

New polls reveal voters’s unfavorable attitudes toward the war in Iran and high US prices, which could bring trouble for Republicans as public opinion sours on TrumpSign up for the Breaking News US emailDonald Trump is returning from the campaign trail to Washington DC this morning amid weak polls that could point to trouble for the Republican Party in the midterm elections.Trump, who campaigned f...

First Thing: US ‘betrayal’ over Starlink undermines Ukrainian defense

First Thing: US ‘betrayal’ over Starlink undermines Ukrainian defense

The Guardian •

President Zelenskyy accused Donald Trump of taking Russia’s side after access to the vital system was throttled. Plus, a happy ending for a dog that was missing for a monthGood morning. Ukraine’s president has said he feels “betrayed” by Donald Trump over a throttling of Starlink access. Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused the US president of picking the other side after more than four years of war, riski...

Macron's 'trickle-down economics': French poverty at 'highest level' in decades, hunger on the rise

Macron's 'trickle-down economics': French poverty at 'highest level' in decades, hunger on the rise

France 24 •

Charles Pellegrin is pleased to welcome Nicolas Vercken, Director of Advocacy for Oxfam France. France’s tax inequality is under scrutiny and Oxfam is challenging the state over its constitutional obligations. “It’s not so much about how much the percentage of tax and the burden of our tax system, it’s who you tax and for what,” explains Vercken. As France confronts mounting fiscal pressures and c...