Author: Justin M. Larson

Hugh SchofieldParis correspondentBBCSome people in France were upset to learn this week that their political chaos was being laughed at… by the Italians.In less than two years France has gone through five prime ministers, a political feat unsurpassed even in Rome’s times of post-war political turbulence.And now, the French parliament – reconfigured after the president’s decision to hold a snap election in July 2024 – is struggling to produce a majority capable of passing a budget. Add to this a general strike on Thursday called by unions opposed to previous budget proposals. The strike saw a third of the country’s…

An Eritrean man has been flown out of the UK under the government’s “one in, one out” deal with France, after a last-minute court bid to delay the departure failed. The second cross-Channel migrant to be removed from the UK under the policy was accompanied by Home Office officials on the Air France flight from Heathrow Airport to Paris. It comes a little over a month since the UK and France agreed the year-long pilot scheme of exchanges of migrants in the hope of deterring small boat crossings.The first flight under the agreement returned one person, an Indian national, to…

Antonia MatthewsBBC Wales Jessie DaviesA spokesperson for Jessie said she had been deeply shocked and hurt by the humiliating videosGerman football giant Borussia Dortmund has apologised after appearing to mock a woman from Wales with a stammer in a video posted on the club’s TikTok account.The clip featured influencer Jessie Yendle struggling to pronounce a sound as she stammered, before the repetition transitioned into the start of a popular TikTok dance track playing over footage of striker Serhou Guirassy. Triathlon organiser Ironman posted a similar clip, and Ms Yendle, from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf, said she was “deeply shocked” by…

U.S. President Donald Trump’s commitment to America’s so-called “special relationship” with the U.K. this week helped fuel a record $200 billion package of investments into Britain. Trump’s historic two-day state visit to the country ended Thursday, after the president enjoyed a banquet at Windsor Castle with the royal family and talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer, alongside business leaders. On Wednesday evening, it was announced that investment giant Blackstone and logistics real estate firm Prologis had joined the fray of companies promising major investments into the U.K., bringing the total pledged during the trip to £150 billion ($204 billion). The…

The death of a 21-year-old Black student discovered hanging from a tree at Delta State University in Mississippi has been ruled a suicide, police said Thursday.The body of the student, identified as Demartravion “Trey” Reed, was discovered by a faculty member around 7 a.m. on Monday hanging from a tree near the pickleball courts on the Cleveland, Mississippi, campus, according to the campus police department.The Mississippi State Medical Examiner’s autopsy findings are “consistent with the initial investigation, determining the cause of death to be hanging and the manner of death as suicide,” the Cleveland Police Department said in a press…

An Emirati-backed cement project threatened ancestral prayer caves. The community fought back. Source link

President Donald Trump is expected to fire the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia after his office was unable to find incriminating evidence of mortgage fraud against New York Attorney General Letitia James, according to sources. Federal prosecutors in Virginia had uncovered no clear evidence to prove that James had knowingly committed mortgage fraud when she purchased a home in the state in 2023, ABC News first reported earlier this week, but Trump officials pushed U.S. Attorney Erik Siebert to nevertheless bring criminal charges against her, according to sources.Administration officials have told Siebert of Trump’s intention to fire him, sources…

Remains believed to be Travis Decker, the 32-year-old father accused of murdering his three young daughters near a Washington campground, were located in a remote wooded area, according to the Chelan County Sheriff’s office.The remains were found during a search south of Leavenworth, officials said.”While positive identification has not yet been confirmed, preliminary findings suggest the remains belong to Travis Decker,” the sheriff’s office said Thursday evening.The sheriff office said it had been in contact with the Decker family and is “providing them with support and updates as the investigation proceeds.”Decker, an Army veteran, was wanted for three counts of…

Several elected officials in New York were arrested Thursday during a protest at an immigration office in Manhattan, according to local media reports and the Department of Homeland Security. Among those arrested at 26 Federal Plaza — a government building that houses an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office — were New York City Comptroller Brad Lander who was arrested at the same location in June while accompanying people to immigration court visits. In a statement, DHS confirmed that a total of 71 people were arrested during the protest Thursday, including Lander, two New York state senators and nine New York State Assembly…

Several flags including that of the United States, Cambodia, the European Union, Japan and ASEAN are seen outside a building in Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia, on July 27, 2025.Anadolu | Anadolu | Getty ImagesAsian central banks may find more room to ease policy after the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by a quarter percentage point Wednesday and signaled more reductions ahead, as the region contends with trade headwinds and currency pressures.The cut brought the Fed’s benchmark overnight lending rate to 4%-4.25%. Fed Chair Jerome Powell framed the decision as a “risk management cut,” rather than something more directed at shoring…

An influential group of advisers for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted Thursday to narrow existing recommendations for the combined MMRV shot that protects against measles, mumps, rubella and chickenpox.The CDC vaccine advisory committee, called ACIP, voted 8-3 to narrow the recommendations. One person abstained from voting due to a conflict of interest.Another vote on dropping a longstanding recommendation to give all newborns a hepatitis B vaccination at birth was delayed until Friday.Regarding the MMRV vaccine, the advisers’ vote means the combined shot, which contains measles, mumps, rubella and varicella (chickenpox) all in one shot, will no longer…

People crossing the street in Shibuya, Tokyo.Maydays | Moment | Getty ImagesAsia-Pacific markets were set to open higher as investors awaited the Bank of Japan’s rate decision.The central bank is slated to conclude its two-day policy meeting, where it is widely expected to keep policy rates steady at 0.5%, according to Reuters poll of economists.In a Sept. 12 note, HSBC analysts also agreed with the consensus, and forecasted that the BOJ will raise rates by 25 basis points at its October meeting.The analysts said that BOJ officials are looking for signs of economic resilience, “and we believe that the second…

Meta has announced smart glasses with a screen in the right lens, meaning you can read WhatsApp messages, look at a map or translate a conversation – all from the comfort of your face.The company describes them as the world’s most advanced AI glasses, and it’s the first time it has put a display in its smart Ray-Bans. Mark Zuckerberg believes such hi-tech specs are the future of portable computing, telling the unveiling event they’re “the only form factor where you can let AI see what you see, hear what you hear”.Released on 30 September for $799 (£587), the display…

A shop staff works in a shop at the Tsukiji Outer Market in Tokyo on August 22, 2025. (Photo by Philip FONG / AFP) (Photo by PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images) Philip Fong | Afp | Getty ImagesJapan’s core inflation rate fell to its lowest since November 2024, coming in at 2.7% for August and marking a third straight month of decline.The core inflation figure — which strips out prices of fresh food — was in line with the 2.7% expected by economists polled by Reuters.Headline inflation in the country also dropped to 2.7%, coming down from 3.1% in July…

MI6 is launching a new dark web portal to recruit spies for the UK.The secure messaging platform Silent Courier aims to boost national security by making it easier for the intelligence agency to recruit potential agents in Russia and around the world, the Foreign Office said. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “As the world changes, and the threats we’re facing multiply, we must ensure the UK is always one step ahead of our adversaries.” Image: Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper. Pic: PA Silent Courier is accessible from Friday and enables a secure avenue to submit sensitive information to the UK relating…

“Welcome progress from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE and the US towards urgently needed 3-month humanitarian truce in Sudan,” Mr. Fletcher wrote on social media.“We stand ready to deliver,” he added. “Safe, unhindered access is key.” The joint statement made by the four countries comes amid Sudan’s spiralling crisis of violence, hunger and environmental disaster.After two years of conflict between military government forces and their rival RSF militia, thousands of civilians have been killed, while millions have been displaced.The joint statement, which Mr. Fletcher shared on X, called for a three-month truce “to enable the swift entry of humanitarian aid to all parts…

Ghana said it was taking in 14 deported migrants to help its fellow Africans. But it sent three to their country of origin, including one who said he feared for his life. Source link

MOSCOW — A powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake has struck near the east coast of Russia’s Kamchatka region, the U.S. Geological Survey said. There were no immediate reports of damage. The quake’s epicenter was 127 kilometers (79 miles) east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and it struck at 6:58 a.m. Friday local time, according to the USGS. It had a depth of 19.5 kms.The Pacific Tsunami Warning System briefly issued a tsunami threat but later lifted it.The initial quake was followed by a series of aftershocks of up to magnitude 5.8.The remote Kamchatka region has been hit by a series of powerful earthquakes, including…

new video loaded: Where Will Gazans Go?By Josh Holder, Laura Salaberry, Christina Thornell and Nikolay Nikolov•September 18, 2025Josh Holder of The New York Times, who has been using satellite images to track the destruction in Gaza, describes how there are few viable places to flee. Source link

House Republicans plan to vote Friday morning on a short-term measure to fund the government as a shutdown deadline nears, hoping to keep pressure on Democrats who have signaled they will vote to shut down the government if Republicans don’t cave to Democratic demands to restore cuts to Medicaid and extend Obamacare subsidies set to expire at the end of the year.House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed cautious optimism Thursday that Republicans will pass their 52-day continuing resolution on Friday — a week ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline to fund the government.“I think we have the votes and I think…

My colleague Lara Jakes tells us about Russian drones and the math problem facing NATO — and one possible solution. Source link

Muscle growth (hypertrophy) is not a quick process. It requires time, commitment, and consistency and is about more than lifting weights. It also involves a thoughtful training plan, eating adequately, and getting enough rest and recovery. The amount of muscle you gain and how quickly you can add it will differ for everyone. Your body type, fitness level, and genetics all play a role. Everyone builds muscle at different rates, especially because genetics plays a big role. Other factors that can influence your muscle growth include: Age Training load and duration Training frequency and recovery from training Protein and carbohydrate…

A rescue team reportedly spent another two hours attempting to rescue him, securing him to their line and sending him across the water to dry ground. Source link

At least 23 regional theaters are planning productions of this story of hope after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Source link