Author: Andrew Rogers

A small plane on a hurricane relief mission to Jamaica crashed into a pond in Coral Springs, Florida, killing two people shortly after takeoff. The aircraft narrowly missed homes in the gated neighborhood where it went down, authorities said. The Coral Springs Police Department confirmed the deaths Monday afternoon but gave no additional details about the victims. Emergency crews responded within minutes after the crash was reported. Fire officials said no homes were damaged, though debris landed near the pond and a broken fence was visible at a nearby property. “There was no actual plane to be seen,” said Mike…

Japan and China are in a growing dispute after Tokyo signaled possible military action in a Taiwan conflict. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said an attack on Taiwan could trigger the deployment of Japan’s self-defence forces if the situation threatened the nation’s survival. Takaichi, Japan’s first female prime minister and a conservative with hawkish views on China, told a parliamentary committee that Tokyo must “anticipate a worst-case scenario” in the Taiwan Strait. She emphasized that any emergency involving warships or the use of force could constitute a threat to Japan’s survival. Beijing reacted angrily to Takaichi’s remarks. The Chinese consul general…

The US Senate approved a bill on Monday to end the longest government shutdown in US history. The measure passed in a 60-40 vote, with nearly all Republicans supporting it and eight Democrats joining them. The Democrats had tried to link government funding to health subsidies set to expire at the end of the year, but their effort failed. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives, which is expected to vote on it on Wednesday. Lawmakers are urged to return quickly to Washington after shutdown-related travel delays. House Speaker Mike Johnson called on members to resume work immediately.…

The final stop of Charlie Kirk’s TPUSA tour sparked protests at the University of California, Berkeley, as students and residents voiced strong opposition to the rightwing group’s message. The event, held Monday evening at Zellerbach Hall, marked the last stop of the American Comeback tour, which began shortly before Kirk’s death in September. Turning Point USA (TPUSA), the influential college conservative group founded by Kirk, has continued to draw attention following the founder’s fatal shooting. Kirk’s death has been widely discussed in American politics, with prominent conservative figures highlighting his impact. Some political leaders, including former President Donald Trump, have…

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has described his prison sentence as “gruelling” and “a nightmare” during a court hearing where he requested to serve his term at home. Sarkozy appeared via video link from La Santé prison on Monday, dressed in a navy suit and seated at a table with his lawyers. “I want to pay tribute to all the prison staff, who are exceptionally humane and have made this nightmare bearable,” Sarkozy said. He added that the ordeal was difficult and left a lasting mark, emphasizing that it was imposed on him without his prior expectation. Sarkozy entered prison…

Israeli soldiers have spoken about killings of civilians in Gaza, describing a breakdown in military rules and the targeting of civilians at the discretion of commanders. Their testimony appears in a new documentary, Breaking Ranks: Inside Israel’s War, which will air on ITV in the UK. Daniel, a tank unit commander, said, “If you want to shoot without restraint, you can.” Several soldiers spoke on the record, while others remained anonymous. They highlighted how standard codes of conduct regarding civilians had largely disappeared. Some soldiers said the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) regularly used human shields, despite official denials. Others described…

Indonesia is facing a heated backlash after declaring former president Suharto a national hero. The move has triggered widespread anger and accusations of rewriting history in the world’s third-largest democracy. Critics say the government is trying to whitewash the legacy of a man whose rule was marked by corruption, censorship, and severe human rights abuses. The honor was announced during a national ceremony on Monday morning led by President Prabowo Subianto, who is Suharto’s former son-in-law. The decision shocked many Indonesians, especially activists and families of those who suffered under Suharto’s 32-year rule. During the event, an announcer described Suharto…

The UK homelessness charity Crisis is set to become a landlord for the first time in its 60-year history, citing a “catastrophic” housing crisis. Chief executive Matt Downie said the charity plans to launch a fundraising campaign to buy its own housing stock, as access to social housing is no longer reliable. “We don’t want to do this, but if nobody else provides housing, we’ll do it ourselves,” Downie said. “We wouldn’t be doing this unless the system had failed.” A new study by Crisis, conducted with Heriot-Watt University, revealed that nearly 300,000 families and individuals in England faced severe…

Global demand for “green” office buildings has slowed, with a sharp drop in interest across North and South America, following U.S. policy changes under President Donald Trump, according to a survey of construction professionals. The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) found that building occupiers and investors reported weaker growth in demand for sustainable commercial buildings, “seemingly in response to a change in U.S. policy focus.” Demand in other parts of the world also fell, though less drastically. Residential and commercial buildings accounted for 34% of global carbon emissions in 2023, according to the UN Environment Programme. Most of these…

Fifteen-year-old Pedro Elias Garzon Delvaux became an unexpected internet sensation after a photo of him outside the Louvre went viral during a daylight heist of French crown jewels. The sharply dressed teen, dubbed “Fedora Man,” captivated millions with his stylish outfit and calm presence near the museum’s cordoned-off entrance. Pedro, a fan of classic detectives like Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, lives in Rambouillet, about 30 kilometers from Paris, with his parents and grandfather. When the photo first circulated online, he chose to remain silent, letting the mystery grow. “I didn’t want to say immediately it was me,” he said.…