Top World News
South African leader urges men to speak up on gender-based violence after series of killings
President announces measures amid anger at authorities over recent murders of womenSouth Africa’s president has called on men to take more responsibility for violence against women as he announced measures to tackle the problem, amid anger at authorities over a recent wave of murders.Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged that not enough had been done to protect women. He said police would be reviewing unsolved murders, attempted murders and serious sexual offences against women and children, as well as producing a funded plan to reduce the forensic backlog for such cases, both within 60 days. Continue reading...
MI5 China alert will send chill through UK’s cash-strapped universities
Institutions have for years turned to China for funding opportunities but national security concerns are mountingMI5 issues spy alert to UK universities over Chinese front company stealing researchThe security alert issued by MI5 regarding a Chinese state-owned conglomerate accused of conducting espionage in the UK reveals the extent to which British intelligence remains concerned about Beijing’s influence, and risks casting a shadow over UK-China cooperation at a time when the bilateral relationship is enjoying a revival.The UK’s domestic security service on Wednesday warned researchers and academics to cease work with the China Academy of General Technology (CAGT), an organisation MI5 described as a “significant threat”. Continue reading...
MI5 warns UK universities over ‘theft of tech secrets by Chinese front company’
Security service says academics should stop working with and taking grants from firm backed by Chinese intelligenceMI5 China alert will send chill through UK’s cash-strapped universitiesMI5 has issued a rare public warning to UK universities that China’s intelligence service is using a front company to pay for research by UK academics and steal the secrets of hi-tech projects.Britain’s domestic security service said researchers and academics should cease work with the China General Technology Research Institute (CGTRI), sometimes also known as the China Academy of General Technology (CAGT).Additional reporting by Helena Horton Continue reading...
Burundi agrees to receive ‘third-country’ migrant deportees from US
Burundi joins several other African nations in accepting people deported under Trump’s hardline policyBurundi has agreed to join a clutch of other African nations in receiving migrants from other countries deported from the US under Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policy.However, Burundi will only accept those not accused of crime or terrorism links, said Nancy Ninette Mutoni, a spokesperson for the country’s president, Évariste Ndayishimiye. Tuesday’s announcement gave no details of numbers, timing or financial details. Continue reading...
US allies scramble jets amid incident treated as 'full-fledged terrorist attack': report
U.S. allies Israel and Saudi Arabia scrambled jets early Wednesday morning in response to an incident aboard a FlyDubai flight that Israeli journalist Amit Segal reported was being treated as a “full-fledged terrorist attack.”“It appears that the co-pilot repeatedly stabbed the captain. Once the attack began, several crew members and passengers managed to break through the cockpit door and subdue the attacker,” Segal wrote in a statement published on social media. “According to one senior official, the co-pilot is currently being questioned, and indications are mounting that he intended to take control of the plane and crash it with the passengers on board.”The flight, FlyDubai Flight FZ1073, was diverted after the incident from its original destination in Israel toward Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported. The Boeing 737 plane had “suddenly and rapidly descended by nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds” before pilots transmitted the first emergency signal, according to Flightradar24.According to The New York Times, Israel scrambled fighter jets in response to the incident, though the jets “turned back before entering Saudi Arabian airspace.” Saudi Arabia scrambled jets in response to “investigate,” the Times reported, citing an unnamed Israeli official.“The situation is under control, and all measures are now being taken to bring the Israeli passengers back to Israel safely,” reads a statement from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Times reported.Following situation assessments and passenger testimonies, Israel is treating the incident as a full-fledged terrorist attack. It appears that the co-pilot repeatedly stabbed the captain. Once the attack began, several crew members and passengers managed to break through the… https://t.co/BXS4kIjGXk— Amit Segal (@AmitSegal) September 30, 2026
Trump told on himself in 'unintentionally revealing' Oval Office rant: analyst
President Donald Trump accidentally admitted his own war is fueling inflation during a rambling Oval Office appearance, a progressive analyst pointed out.In a Tuesday episode of "The David Pakman Show," the host broke down clips of the president fielding reporters' questions after what he described as "multiple sleeping" moments during the event.At one point, Trump promised prices would fall the moment the fighting stopped."What happens as soon as that war ends? Inflation is going to be eradicated. Totally," Trump said.Pakman said that answer gave away more than Trump intended."There is an unintentionally revealing element to that answer, because Trump is arguing inflation is because of the war," Pakman said. "Well, the war is one that Trump singularly decided to pursue, an optional war, an ill-advised war, a misguided war."He added that the president was effectively pleading guilty to making the problem worse."He's acknowledging something his administration is doing is contributing to that problem," Pakman said. "And so it's a problem he will solve after he created it."Pakman also noted that "zero inflation isn't even the target," pointing out that the Federal Reserve aims for roughly 2 percent over the long run.The same appearance saw Trump call Canada "one of the worst countries in the entire world" moments after praising China, and predict that Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney would soon come begging."They're going to come in, and they're going to say, sir, we are sorry, sir," Trump said. "They've treated the United States very, very badly."Trump also touted his executive order renaming Lake Ontario "Lake America," which Pakman said "doesn't mean we own it."The president then renewed his pledge of $5,000 checks funded by tariffs, but only "if Republicans win the House and the Senate." Pakman said the math doesn't add up, citing an estimated $1.3 trillion price tag that tariff collections come nowhere close to covering. He also stressed that tariffs are paid by American importers, who pass most of the cost on to consumers."He could do it now, if the money is from profits," Pakman said.Asked for his midterm message, Trump said Republicans are "running against communist lunatic socialists.""That's completely demented," Pakman said. "This is pathetic and insane, and it should just be made into a campaign ad."
Ex-CIA officer pokes holes in Trump's 'far-fetched' terror attack story: 'Embarrassing'
A former CIA counterterrorism official poked holes Monday in President Donald Trump’s account of an alleged terror plot in the United Kingdom — calling one version of events “a little far-fetched” and Trump’s public comments “a little bit embarrassing.”Phil Mudd, a former CIA counterterrorism official and former FBI senior intelligence adviser, joined CNN’s Jake Tapper after Trump claimed the U.S. had suspects “under investigation” before arrests connected to an alleged plot targeting a U.K. base.Mudd said Trump’s account left him confused.“I have about 200 dog years in investigations like this, and this one’s a little confusing,” Mudd said.He first questioned the idea that authorities sprang into action simply after a civilian reported suspicious activity.“Boy, that sounds a little far-fetched in this situation,” he said.But Trump’s suggestion that the suspects had already been under surveillance also raised questions, Mudd said.That doesn’t make sense either, because if you’re surveilling people, you don’t conduct the operation when you’re in a high-risk area with a bunch of civilians,” he said.Mudd said he wasn’t sure exactly what happened, but took particular issue with Trump publicly suggesting the U.S. played a role in a British-led investigation.“If the Brits are leading the investigation and the Americans say we're actually involved in the investigation, that's a little bit embarrassing,” Mudd said.“You don’t say that,” he added. “The Brits take the lead. We sit in the back seat.”
Dark warning as Trump's war exposes a 'growing vulnerability' with 'no easy solution'
President Donald Trump's war in Iran has exposed a "growing vulnerability" that has no easy solution, according to one foreign affairs expert. Max Boot, a columnist at The Washington Post and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, argued in a new op-ed that the war has called into question whether the American military still retains its air superiority over other nations. He pointed to Iran's use of inexpensive drones to "inflict heavy losses on U.S. bases" and in allied countries in the region. "The growing vulnerability of U.S. bases because of the proliferation of cheap drones and missiles — which will only get worse with the spread of artificial intelligence guidance — has no easy solution," Boot argued. "Shutting down bases is one way to prevent them from being targeted, but that would have a deleterious political impact, because it would signal U.S. disengagement." "U.S. bases serve an important trip-wire function, alerting foes that if they attack a U.S. ally, they will have to attack U.S. troops too," he added. "Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese leader Xi Jinping would like nothing better than to see U.S. bases near their countries close."Boot's op-ed also questions Trump's repeated claims that he's rebuilt the military during his two administrations. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has claimed to be restoring the "warrior ethos" by remaking the military's image as more male-dominant and removing punishments for soldiers who commit violent acts. However, some troops have reported significant mental health issues stemming from long deployments overseas, as was the case with the USS Lincoln. Boot argued that the Iran war also serves as a dark warning that the military needs to "radically change" its thinking."It can no longer expect to operate from invulnerable bases near the front," Boot wrote. "But it’s hard to imagine that the armed forces can focus on such a major strategic reorientation when they are dealing with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s destabilizing political purges and his retrograde demands for increasing testosterone counts." "Many of the topflight officers being cashiered by Hegseth, for no good reasons, are the very ones the armed forces need to adjust to the massive changes in the American way of war being necessitated by the drone revolution," he added.
Trump demands Axios withdraw 'hoax' war report citing admin insiders
President Donald Trump lashed out at Axios Monday over a report that he was willing to offer Iran economic relief in exchange for concessions on its nuclear program.“Axios just released a story that ‘Trump’ offered Sanctions Relief and Frozen Funds to Iran. This is untrue. I offered them NOTHING!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “Axios’ story, like most others, is a HOAX, used only for purposes of satisfying their Trump Derangement Syndrome,” he added. “They should withdraw this fake story, IMMEDIATELY!”Trump appeared to be responding to an Axios report earlier Monday headlined, “Trump offers Iran economic relief for concrete nuclear concessions.”Axios reported that Trump was willing to provide sanctions relief and release frozen Iranian funds in return for “concrete Iranian steps regarding the nuclear program.” The report cited U.S. officials. Axios, along with CNN and MS NOW, is part of Trump’s White House media ban.
Dismay after Trump claims US ally is the world's 'worst country': ‘Good grief’
President Donald Trump sparked an angry backlash on Monday after calling Canada “one of the worst countries in the entire world” as he complained about stalled negotiations with the longtime U.S. ally.“They have been one of the worst countries in the entire world,” Trump told reporters while taking questions in the Oval Office. “We get along with China, we get along with people, we make good deals, but Canada has been really very difficult to deal with.”The remark quickly drew outrage online.“Despite all of Trump’s b------- like this, Americans still like Canada a helluva lot more than they like him,” attorney and prominent Trump critic George Conway wrote on social media, pointing to a YouGov poll on Americans’ attitudes toward Canada.Others piled on.“This is Trump admitting that Canada has stood up to him,” author Steve Saideman, a political scientist at Ottawa’s Carleton University, wrote on Bluesky.Writer Lawrence Herzog asked on Bluesky, “How much longer do Canadians have to endure bullying and abuse from this person?”The War Monitor X account pointed to Trump’s treatment of two U.S. rivals, writing, “Meanwhile, Russia and China literally got red carpet treatment.”Canadian health researcher Tara M. offered a shorter response for her Bluesky followers: “Seriously?”“Of course he thinks that,” concluded politics writer Nick Field in an X post, “they’re one of the few countries that refuses to bribe him.”Despite all of Trump’s bullshit like this, Americans still like Canada a helluva lot more than they like him.https://t.co/rd3nB6f0yy https://t.co/l9MHpF6ud6 pic.twitter.com/1ZUGakYyPg— George Conway ⚖️???????? (@gtconway3d) September 28, 2026
Trump willing to make stunning concession to Iran amid 'flexible' talks: report
President Donald Trump is open to making major concessions to Iran in exchange for commitments regarding its nuclear program, U.S. officials told Axios, a position he’s gone back and forth on over the past several months.According to the unnamed U.S. officials, Trump is willing to unfreeze Iranian funds and offer sanctions relief in exchange for major nuclear concessions. The admission comes as a fresh round of talks is expected to take place this week in New York between U.S. and Iranian negotiators, done by proxy through Qatari and Pakistani mediators.During his first term, Trump famously tore up the Iran nuclear deal brokered by former President Barack Obama — a deal built on sanctions relief and the release of frozen Iranian funds. But in June, Trump warmed to those same concessions, agreeing to lift all U.S. sanctions on Iran and release all of its frozen or restricted funds.Trump quickly walked those concessions back, however, after hostilities between the United States and Iran resumed in July. In August, Trump explicitly told reporters that his administration was not seeking to extend the June interim peace agreement, which included sanctions relief and the unfreezing of funds.In what appears to be yet another pivot, Trump has once again warmed to the idea of granting Iran its requested concessions, with the U.S. officials voicing optimism for this week’s talks.“[The indirect talks have been] positive and constructive, [and Iran] has indicated they are flexible on the nuclear issues,” one of the U.S. officials told Axios, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
'Mind-boggling' drop hits as new data shows US massively shunned by travelers: expert
Add the travel industry to the growing list of economic casualties of President Donald Trump's policies, joining farmers and manufacturers as sectors bleeding cash under his trade wars and border crackdowns.Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, laid out the damage in blunt terms to Axios co-founder Jim VandeHei: even America's "closest allies" are refusing to visit. Despite the U.S. hosting the World Cup this summer, overseas travel still fell — the country is on pace to lose 2 million overseas visitors compared with last year, a drop that leaves visitation 20 percent below its 2019 peak. "We're the only major country in the world losing visitation," Freeman told VandeHei. "It's mind-boggling."The falloff is concentrated among traditional allies. Canada is down 23 percent over two years, while Germany and France have each dropped double digits year to date. Freeman said the exodus is "largely out of protest and fear" rather than economics, as travelers shun a country whose tariffs and immigration enforcement have made headlines abroad. Meanwhile, China is "capturing the visitors America is losing by expanding visa-free entry," and Japan is riding the "cheap yen" and surging reputation to a long-term tourism boom.The hit to travel — an industry that supports millions of U.S. jobs — lands alongside mounting anger from farmers squeezed by Trump's tariff fights and cut off from major agricultural buyers, and manufacturers still waiting for the factory jobs Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs promised but never delivered.
