Al-Shabab fighters seize central Somali town, displacing thousands
Al-Shabab insurgents have seized the town of Tardo in Somalia’s central Hiiran region, according to a military official. Tardo is a key crossroads between larger urban centres. The town fell on Sunday after Al-Shabab combatants drove out government-allied clan fighters, Major … Read More
French PM Bayrou proposes slashing two public holidays to reduce national deficit
France’s public deficit hit 5.8% of GDP in 2024, totalling €168.6 billion, a figure well above the maximum allowed by EU rules. France’s Prime Minister François Bayrou has outlined plans to cut €43.8 billion from the national budget, warning that … Read More
Trump vows ‘billions of dollars’ in weapons for Ukraine, ‘secondary tariffs’ on Russia if no peace in 50 days
WASHINGTON — President Trump announced Monday the US will send “billions of dollars” worth of weapons to Ukraine via Washington’s NATO allies — and threatened to impose “secondary tariffs” on Moscow’s business partners in 50 days if no peace is agreed to end the 40-month-old war. The weapons will … Read More
Weekly Update by Mark Armstrong – July 11, 2025
Greetings from Tyler, Flags are flying at half staff. It is unbelievable the flooding in Texas. Having been in some of those canyons, I know the water gathers and comes fast. Some canyons have sirens. The death toll from summer … Read More
Nigel Farage blasts new migrant deal with France as ‘humiliation for Brexit Britain’
Reform UK leader warns PM has ‘bowed down’ to ‘arrogant’ French president Nigel Farage has declared that Sir Keir Starmer‘s new migrant deal with France is a “humiliation for Brexit Britain”. The Prime Minister unveiled the “groundbreaking” agreement aimed at … Read More
OpenAI’s upcoming browser could take an aim at Google’s Chrome – report
OpenAI, backed by Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is preparing to launch a new AI-powered web browser in the coming weeks, directly challenging Google’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) Chrome dominance in the browser market, Reuters reported, citing people familiar with the matter. This move signals a … Read More
Von der Leyen Survives No Confidence Vote by Taking the Knee to the Left
The vote of no confidence against Commission President Ursula von der Leyen failed on Thursday, as mainstream and progressive political groups lined up behind her despite the clear controversies surrounding ‘Pfizergate’. During the vote in the European Parliament, 553 MEPs … Read More
Video Shows Dramatic Houthi Ship Attack
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have released dramatic footage capturing the moment they sank the Greek-owned cargo ship Magic Seas in the Red Sea, highlighting the growing threat to commercial shipping in the region. The video, published days after the attack, shows … Read More
NATO jets scrambled as Putin launches largest drone attack yet on Ukraine, stoking fears of Russia escalating production
Russia unleashed its most intense attack on Ukraine since the beginning of its invasion Tuesday night – as experts warn the latest launch, prompting NATO jets to scramble into Polish airspace, is evidence of Moscow’s ramped-up lethal drone production. Russia fired 728 Shahed and … Read More
Monitoring stations detect small magnitude earthquakes at Mt. Rainier
An earthquake swarm that started at Mount Rainier on July 8, 2025, is the most significant seismicity at the volcano since 2009. An earthquake swarm began at Mount Rainier, Washington, at 1:29 a.m. PDT (08:29 UTC) on July 8, 2025. … Read More
Exclusive: Why China’s ultimatum to Myanmar rebels threatens global supply of heavy rare earths
July 8 (Reuters) – The global supply of heavy rare earths hinges in part on the outcome of a months-long battle between a rebel army and the Chinese-backed military junta in the hills of northern Myanmar. The Kachin Independence Army … Read More
Today will be the shortest day in history as Earth’s rotation unexpectedly speeds up
Scientists have warned that Wednesday could be the shortest day of your life as Earth’s accelerating rotation is expected to move quicker than ever before. They found that three days this summer, July 9, July 22, and August 5, are expected … Read More
Trump says Ukraine will receive more weapons after US pause on shipments
Donald Trump has said the US will send more weapons to Ukraine after an announcement last week that Washington would halt some shipments of critical arms to Kyiv. During a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said he … Read More
Ukraine to exit mine ban treaty, citing war demands, realities on the ground
Ukraine looks to withdraw from a major international treaty on anti-personnel landmines to bolster its defense on the battlefield, where its troops are trying to hold off Russia’s intensifying offensive. President Volodymyr Zelensky, on June 29, had requested that Ukraine … Read More
Texas death toll at 90; 10 campers missing; new flooding dangers: Live updates
Rescue teams in central Texas scoured storm-ravaged terrain Monday for signs of life as the death toll from last week’s catastrophic flooding rose to at least 90 and bouts of heavy rain battered hard-hit areas. Among the dead were at … Read More