Top World News
Voting passes peacefully in Nepal's first election since September youth-led protests
Nepal held its first nationwide election since a youth-led uprising forces the last government from power
Millions left without power after major blackout hits Cuba's western region
A blackout has left millions of people without power in Havana and the rest of western Cuba in the latest outage on an island struggling with dwindling oil reserves and a crumbling electric grid
Families of Kenyan recruits duped into fighting in Russia's war demand sons return
Families of Kenyan recruits duped with promises of work in Russia who ended up on the front lines of the fighting in Ukraine are petitioning the country’s parliament to ban the recruitment of Kenyans for Moscow’s war
Iran's barrage of attacks across the Persian Gulf shows regional chaos is key to its strategy
For years, Iran’s theocratic government warned it would blanket the Middle East with missile and drone fire if it felt its existence was threatened
Mine collapse in eastern Congo leaves 200 dead, authorities say. But rebels dispute the number
A mine collapse at Congo’s key Rubaya coltan site has killed a number of miners
Iran launches new attacks and calls for 'Trump's blood' while Israel strikes Iranian infrastructure
Iran launched a new wave of attacks Thursday at Israel, American bases and countries around the region, threatening that the United States would "bitterly regret" torpedoing an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean and calling for "Trump's blood," while Israel said it hit multiple targets in Iran.
Canada and Australia leaders urge war de-escalation, but agree Iran can't get nuclear weapons
Canadian and Australian prime ministers have called for a de-escalation of the Iran war but added the Iranians must never gain a nuclear weapon
Why does Yao Ming, the 7ft 6in ex-basketballer, attend China’s Two Sessions meetings?
Among the 3,000 delegates is former athlete who sits as an independent on the National People’s CongressWhat are China’s Two Sessions and why do they matter?More generals purged as gather in BeijingAmong the generally drab lineup of mostly middle-aged men in suits who make up the nearly 3,000 delegates to the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s parliament, a few stand out.There are delegates from China’s 55 official ethnic minority groups, who often arrive dressed in traditional outfits rather than western-style suits. There are military members, identifiable by their uniforms. And then there is Yao Ming, the 7ft and 6in tall retired basketball player who, towering over every other person in the Great Hall of the People, is hard to miss. Continue reading...
China sets a lower economic growth target of 4.5% to 5% for 2026 as challenges loom
China has set an economic growth target of 4.5% to 5% for this year, a slight decrease in the face of a prolonged property slump and other headwinds and global uncertainty
Supreme Court is about to 'gravely disappoint' America: expert
A veteran court watcher warned on Wednesday that the Supreme Court is about to "gravely disappoint" Americans. Former Solicitor General of the United States Donald B. Verrilli Jr. discussed the Supreme Court's recent ruling in the tariffs case on a new episode of the "Amicus" podcast with Dahlia Lithwick. He argued that the case provided temporary relief for those concerned that the court was about to sign away a wholesale transfer of power from Congress to the presidency. Even so, there are still some outstanding issues that should give Americans reasons for concern, he argued. "If you actually think about it, what Justice Amy Coney Barrett said, what Justice Neil Gorsuch said, what Justice Elena Kagan said in her concurrence, and what the chief justice said? There was a common core to it, which was: 'Use your common sense, man,'" Verrilli Jr. said. In late February, the Supreme Court ruled that President Donald Trump's tariff regime was unconstitutional because it was not approved by Congress. Courts are now wrestling with the question of how to return the tariffs that were collected to the businesses that paid them. While that case was a brief win, Verilli Jr. noted that there are still many cases concerning presidential power that are being decided by unsigned opinions — also known as the shadow docket — which he described as "quite distressing." "Nevertheless, I look at the course of our history, and I feel that there’s reason to keep the faith," Verilli Jr. said.
West Asia at war: From the Strait of Hormuz to the streets of Karachi, conflict tests the region
Four days of Iranian missile and drone strikes on Gulf cities have turned what Washington described as a limited decapitation campaign into a widening stress test of the region's energy corridors, aviation networks and political alliances
Lauren Boebert shames GOP for voting to cover up sex scandals: 'Go tell your daughters!'
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) lashed out at several of her Republican colleagues for opposing a motion that would require Congress to release information on payouts that silence victims of congressional sex scandals.During a House Oversight Committee hearing on Wednesday, Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) moved to release information about payouts for sexual misconduct. Boebert spoke out in support of Mace's motion in committee after a majority of Republicans in the full House voted down a similar effort."And I want to thank Congresswoman Nancy Mace for introducing this privileged motion," the Colorado Republican said. "I think at this point, this is something that should be introduced on a weekly basis. I am absolutely disgusted that we could even get to 50 members of Congress who want immediate transparency. Don't we all campaign on transparency? Don't we all go out and tell the American voters that we are leaders and that we are going to get justice for them, that we are going to do right by them?""And then we hire their daughters to come work for us," she continued. "And your tax dollars, millions and millions of dollars, has been used in this slush fund as hush money to silence victims who have been sexually harassed, sexually abused by members of Congress."Boebert noted that attention had been focused on sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, but the misconduct was "happening right here in our nation's capital.""And to every member who voted to send this to committee, where you know this was sent to die on the House floor just moments ago," she remarked. "I hope you have a darn good reason to tell your constituents why you were not going to stand up for the victims.""And I'm glad that we are doing something about it here in the Oversight Committee," the lawmaker added. "And to the members who voted against this, go home and tell your daughters what you did today! Go home and tell your daughters what happens in the workplace, no matter where it is, in your hometown, in your nation's capital, and tell them what you did to help continue to cover up decades of corruption!"
