What happens when a political standoff turns into a pink-slip parade? The Trump administration has begun laying off thousands of federal employees. Critics say it is weaponizing the government shutdown to pressure Democrats. “The RIFs have begun,” declared White House budget chief Russell Vought on X, using the bureaucratic term for “reductions in force.” His
Northern France is being battered by Storm Amy — a powerful system sweeping in from the British Isles. It’s already claimed two lives and left thousands without power. Meteo France issued an orange alert on Saturday, warning of “strong gusts of wind” hitting coastal and inland regions near the English Channel. Gusts reached a fierce
Highway 99 in California hums with big rigs. Many of those rigs are driven by turbaned Sikh men whose dashboards carry portraits of Sikh Gurus and Punjabi pop stars. Sikhs from India’s Punjab region now power a massive slice of America’s trucking industry, hauling everything from strawberries to steel. But one deadly crash in Florida
For the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion began, Ukraine’s central government headquarters in Kyiv has been hit. A symbol of state power — the Cabinet of Ministers building — was set ablaze. An overnight wave of missiles and drones battered the capital and other cities. Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko confirmed the strike, saying the
How do you heal the wounds of colonial history? For Madagascar, one step came this week with the long-awaited return of ancestral remains taken more than a century ago. On Tuesday, the country held a solemn ceremony to welcome home the skulls of three men killed by French troops 128 years ago. One is believed
What happens when the lights of a nuclear plant go out, but the debate burns brighter than ever? Taiwan just found out. Over the weekend, a referendum on restarting the Ma’anshan Nuclear Power Plant fell short. About 4.3 million voters said “yes,” while 1.5 million said “no.” But the law demands five million “yes” votes—and
Even after a ban, some British soldiers in Kenya are still paying for sex. That’s the blunt finding of a two-year army investigation into conduct at the British Army Training Unit Kenya (Batuk). A base already dogged by controversy. The probe, ordered in late 2024 after an ITV exposé, reviewed behaviour dating back to July
What happens when the job numbers don’t flatter the President? Apparently, someone gets fired. President Trump has sacked Erika McEntarfer, head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). This came just hours after a weak jobs report rattled markets and sparked fresh fears about his trade policies. Trump claims she “rigged” the numbers to make
What happens when a rising defense powerhouse wants to show the world it means business? You get GAZAP — Turkey’s newly unveiled, air-launched thermobaric bomb, now labeled the NATO nation’s “most powerful” conventional weapon. Described by state media as “very destructive,” GAZAP creates hellish high-temperature blasts using oxygen-fueled shockwaves. Think fuel-air explosion, then a delayed
What if we could write human DNA the same way we write code? That future may be closer than you think. British scientists have just launched a bold new project aiming to build artificial human DNA from the ground up. A move that could revolutionize medicine and tech. According to The i Paper, the UK
What happens when you take smartphones out of students’ hands? In the Netherlands, it turns out, learning gets better — and classrooms get a lot calmer. Since national guidelines went into effect in January 2024 recommending phone bans in schools. Nearly every Dutch school has followed suit. According to a government-commissioned study, students are more
What kind of thief flaunts the loot in selfies? Apparently, one who thinks she’s untouchable. Lucy Roberts, a 39-year-old former jewelry store manager in the UK, just learned that sparkling arrogance comes with a price.28 months behind bars. Roberts spent a year helping herself to a treasure trove of diamonds, gold, and bespoke jewelry—more than
