President-elect Trump has appointed Mark Burnett, producer of "The Apprentice," as special envoy to the UK. This unconventional choice reflects Trump's preference for figures with television backgrounds. Burnett's role will focus on strengthening diplomatic ties and promoting trade and cultural exchange, despite the UK's existing strong alliance with the US and the pre-existing appointment of an ambassador.
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Tropical Cyclone Zelia made landfall on Western Australia's Pilbara coast as a Category 5 storm, bringing destructive winds, torrential rain, and flash flooding. Emergency services are addressing extensive damage while major ports and mining operations remain halted, causing economic disruptions.
Salman Rushdie was critically injured and left permanently blind in one eye after being stabbed multiple times by Hadi Matar at a cultural event. Matar, who shouted 'free Palestine' in court, faces attempted murder and assault charges. The trial, highlighting the chaos and danger of the attack, continues to unfold in New York.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged EU leaders to support a limited truce with Russia, focusing on air and sea warfare to test Moscow's willingness for peace. He proposed a halt to attacks on civilian infrastructure and the Black Sea, emphasizing Europe's involvement in any discussions affecting its security. This call follows tense US-Ukraine relations.
Recent actions under the Trump administration have raised questions about the Justice Department's impartiality, with directives such as dismissing charges against New York Mayor Eric Adams and requests for FBI identities. Resignations within the department echo concerns over presidential influence and potential corruption of the justice system.
Democrat Senator Tim Kaine questioned Pete Hegseth during his defense secretary confirmation hearing about allegations of cheating on his former wives and a past sexual assault charge. Hegseth denied the charges, acknowledging past failures but cited redemption through Jesus Christ. Kaine emphasized the importance of disqualifying those with histories of sexual assault or domestic violence from holding significant positions.
Social media posts claimed the Delta flight that crash-landed was operated by Endeavor Air which is a "small airline obsessed with all-female unmanned flights". Old posts from Endeavor Air's social media handle are being shared with malicious claims that the female pilots shown in these old posts were the pilots of the fateful plane.
Mobile telephone and data subscribers in Nigeria will now have to pay more after the government approved a 50-percent increase in tariffs, as the country battles one of its worst cost-of-living crises in decades. Telecommunications companies in the west African country had initially proposed a 100-percent tariff increase in the face of rising operational costs.
US President Trump's new defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, is circulating a list of top military generals for potential firing. Among the names is Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the second woman to be promoted to a four-star Admiral in Navy history. Speculations about upcoming firings arise as Hegseth's trip to Guantanamo Bay is postponed.
​Kamala Harris established an LLC called Pioneer 49 last month in California, according to her presidential campaign's financial disclosure. The disclosure describes the company as an "entity to assist the former vice president," Politico reported. ​Pioneer is Harris' code name used by the Secret Service. And she was the 49th vice president. Barack Obama too used his code name Renegade to create the organisation Renegade 44 when he left office.
Columbia University has suspended over 65 students and barred 33 others, including alumni, following a pro-Palestinian protest inside Butler Library. The demonstration, which involved vandalism and the renaming of a reading room, led to arrests and condemnation from university officials and city leaders.