Fri, May 23 2025
Breaking News
Breaking News
42 seconds ago
Putin Isn’t Ready To End War In Ukraine, Trump Told Allies In Private
European leaders have been alarmed in the wake of their May 19 conference phone call with President Trump, as they believe he’s prepared to given Putin a free hand in Ukraine, and is unwilling to impose more sanctions or further confront Moscow in a muscular way. He has also reportedly conveyed that the war is not my problem and that Russia and Ukraine will have to settle it on their own. He reportedly informed European leaders, which had included French President Emmanuel Macron, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Antonio Costa, as well as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky – that Putin is not ready for peace in Ukraine because he believes he is winning the war. “On a call Monday, President Trump told European leaders that Russian President Vladimir Putin isn’t ready to end the Ukraine war because he thinks he is winning, according to senior European officials familiar with the conversation,” The Wall Street Journal, which is the first to reveal the statements, writes. “European leaders had long believed this—but it was the first time they were hearing it from Trump, these officials said. It also ran counter to what Trump has […]
7 minutes ago
COVID Vaccine “Safe and Effective” Narrative Collapses On Camera
The “safe and effective” narrative collapsed on camera during Senator Ron Johnson’s explosive Senate hearing on COVID-19 vaccine injuries Wednesday afternoon. Senator Ron Johnson brought the receipts, exposing how the Biden administration DELIBERATELY hid vaccine harms from the public. Then Dr. James Thorp (OB-GYN) revealed miscarriage data so disturbing, it left the room silent. This is the Senate hearing they never wanted you to see. I turned three hours of footage into a five-minute read. Senator Ron Johnson opened the hearing with a bombshell: the Biden administration knew about deadly heart risks tied to the COVID shots, and deliberately kept it from the public. Johnson released newly subpoenaed records exposing a detailed timeline of what officials knew and when. While Pfizer and Moderna received insider updates, doctors and citizens who raised concerns were silenced. In February 2021, Israeli health officials warned the CDC of “large reports of myocarditis, particularly in young people” following Pfizer injections, just two and a half months after the vaccine received emergency use authorization. By April, the CDC was already reviewing myocarditis data from Israel and the Department of Defense. But instead of alerting the public, they stayed quiet. By the end of that month, VAERS had recorded 2,926 deaths, nearly […]
21 minutes ago
Iran Will Hold US Responsible For Any Israeli Attack On Nuclear Sites: Foreign Minister
Earlier this week CNN had issued an alarming report claiming that Israel is currently preparing possible preemptive strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. It underscored that at this moment it has become very clear that Netanyahu could care less about ‘pressure’ from Western allies the US, UK, and Canada regarding the Gaza crisis. Israel continues to essentially be at war on multiple fronts. Parallel to all of this, Washington and Iran have been engaged in productive talks on potentially reaching a fresh nuclear deal – which the Netanyahu fundamentally sees as but an Iranian ploy to buy time as it secretly develops nukes (in Tel Aviv’s thinking). But Iran’s leaders are calling for the United States to essentially ‘keep its dog on a leash’ – as Israel wishes to torpedo a deal. In fresh statements, Iran now says it will hold the United States responsible in the event of an unprovoked Israeli attack on its nuclear energy sites. Certainly any such attacks would completely derail efforts to reset relations with Washington. “Iran strongly warns against any adventurism by the Zionist regime of Israel and will decisively respond to any threat or unlawful act by this regime,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated in a letter addressed to United […]
42 minutes ago
Let’s examine some of the most common scams targeting retirees, dissecting how they work and the telltale signs to watch out for. Imposter Scams: Authority Scams (IRS, Medicare, or Social Security) During this scam, unsolicited calls will be received from individuals who impersonate official government agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Medicare, or Social Security Administration. Typically, scammers claim you owe back taxes, have problems with your Medicare coverage, or are about to lose your Social Security benefits. Often, they threaten arrest, legal action, or immediate suspension of benefits if you do not act immediately. Tech Support Scams: The Digital Distress Call It typically starts with a pop-up message that says, “Warning! Your computer has been infected! Call this number right away!” You may also receive an unsolicited call from someone pretending to represent a well-known tech company such as Microsoft or Apple, offering to “remotely fix” a problem you do not have. The Grandparent Scam: Exploiting Familial Love The grandparent scam manipulates older adults by exploiting their emotional bonds through urgency and fear. Typically, this begins with a vague call—“Hi Grandma, do you know who this is?”—inviting the grandparent to guess. When a name is offered, the scammer pretends […]
54 minutes ago
Watch: Tourists Scramble As Ancient Chinese Tower Partially Collapses
China’s largest remaining drum tower partially collapsed on Monday, and the entire incident was captured on camera. NEW: The roof of a 650-year-old drum tower in Anhui, China, collapses. The incident happened at the Fengyang Drum Tower in eastern China. Officials have since launched an investigation. The structure was first built in 1375 during the Ming Dynasty. Part of the building was… pic.twitter.com/5Py0YJOGak — Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) May 20, 2025 The video above shows hundreds of roof tiles sliding off the historic Fengyang Drum Tower in eastern China at the start of the week. Local media reports no injuries. “The tile falling lasted for a minute or two,” one eyewitness told the state newspaper Yangcheng Evening News. Tiles fell from the ancient Drum Tower in Fengyang, #Anhui Province, on May 19. The tower, originally built in 1375 and rebuilt in 1995, had been under renovation since late 2023. Local authorities are investigating the incident. #architecture #China pic.twitter.com/h5U2ABXZLn — Shanghai Daily (@shanghaidaily) May 20, 2025 Another witness told state media outlet The Beijing News that “no one was in the square and no one was injured” at the time of the incident. Located in Anhui province, the drum tower was constructed in 1375 during the Ming Dynasty, with a […]
9 hours ago
Riyadh Office Costs Rise Fastest Globally In Q1 2025 As Demand Surges
Riyadh has emerged as one of the world’s ten most expensive markets for prime office space, driven by rapid cost increases and sustained high occupancy, according to Savills’ Riyadh Office Market Report for Q1 2025. The Saudi capital saw average prime office rents rise 2.5% quarter-on-quarter and 12% year-on-year. Occupancy rates remained steady at 98%, highlighting the limited availability of high-quality office space and continued business confidence. The growth is largely attributed to activity across sectors such as consulting, IT, legal, and pharmaceuticals. Notably, 50% of transactions in Q1 came from new market entrants, while 70% of enquiries were for units under 1,000 square metres — underscoring a shift toward flexible, efficient workspaces. Riyadh also recorded the fastest increase in global prime office occupancy costs, rising 5.2% in the first quarter. This metric includes rent, service charges, fit-out expenses, and other occupier costs — offering a comprehensive view of leasing expenditures. Pivotal moment The city now ranks alongside global commercial hubs such as London, New York, Dubai, and Hong Kong in the Savills Global Prime Office Costs report. “We’re witnessing a pivotal moment for Riyadh,” said Ramzi Darwish, Head of Savills Saudi Arabia. “With demand outpacing supply and international occupiers […]
10 hours ago
Expats Held Over Immoral Acts At Riyadh Massage Centre
Saudi police said they had arrested three expatriates implicated in immoral acts at a relaxation and body care facility in Riyadh, the latest such case reported in the kingdom. The Saudi General Directorate of Public Security said the offenders had been referred to public prosecution while punitive municipal action is being taken against the massage centre involved in the violation. In February, four other expatriates were detained over involvement in immoral acts at a massage parlour in Riyadh too. The arrests were made by the Riyadh region police in coordination with the General Department for Community Security and Combating Human Trafficking. Earlier that month, Saudi police said they had arrested five other expatriates at a body care centre in the port city of Jeddah for purportedly involvement in activities that violated public morals. In a separate case, three expatriates – a man and two women – were arrested for involvement in prostitution in the central region of Al Qassim. The Saudi Ministry of Interior announced earlier this year establishing the General Department for Community Security and Combating Human Trafficking Crimes aimed at developing and enhancing the efficiency of the security system in general and the crime-fighting system in particular. The new unit is tasked […]
10 hours ago
Saudi Arabia To License Alcohol In Select Locations From 2026
This strategic move marks a significant transformation in the Kingdom’s traditionally strict regulatory stance on alcohol and is part of a broader vision to modernize its tourism industry, particularly in preparation for hosting the 2030 World Expo and the 2034 FIFA World Cup. Controlled Legalization in High-End and Restricted Zones The Saudi government will authorize the sale of wine, beer, and cider—excluding spirits and drinks exceeding 20% alcohol content—only in controlled environments. These include: The decision was influenced by the positive impact of similar models in neighboring countries, such as the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, where regulated alcohol availability has enhanced tourist experiences and boosted foreign visitor numbers. Saudi Arabia now aims to replicate this success while balancing cultural and religious considerations. Maintaining Social Norms and Tight Control While this policy signals increased openness, the authorities have stressed that alcohol sales will remain prohibited in open public spaces, private homes, retail stores, and for home production. Access will be tightly controlled, with licenses granted under specific conditions and strict regulations to ensure alcohol is consumed responsibly and discreetly. Licensed venues will be subject to clear operational guidelines, and service staff will receive specialized training to manage alcohol provision in accordance with Saudi laws and customs. These steps are designed to prevent abuse, ensure cultural sensitivity, and maintain the Kingdom’s Islamic identity while accommodating international […]
10 hours ago
OpenAI To Build World’s Largest AI Data Centre In Abu Dhabi, UAE
In a landmark collaboration, OpenAI confirmed that it is developing a massive AI data centre in Abu Dhabi, marking the first international deployment of Stargate, OpenAI’s cutting-edge AI infrastructure platform. This project is a crucial step in the UAE’s ambition to become a global leader in AI technology, leveraging the country’s strategic position and innovation drive to make advanced AI more accessible across the globe. The new facility is being developed in partnership with key players in the tech industry, including G42, an AI company backed by the UAE’s sovereign wealth fund, along with Oracle, NVIDIA, Cisco, and SoftBank. The development is a part of OpenAI’s broader strategy to extend AI infrastructure to key regions worldwide, bringing powerful AI capabilities to more countries in a secure and sustainable way. Groundbreaking data centre Once completed, the Stargate UAE data centre will be 5 gigawatts in size, significantly larger than any facility OpenAI or its closest rivals have previously built. The project’s massive capacity, which is set to span approximately 10 square miles in Abu Dhabi, will dwarf the 1.2GW planned for Stargate’s first U.S. campus in Abilene, Texas. The UAE centre is expected to be a critical hub in expanding the reach […]
14 hours ago
Which Nationalities Overstay Their US Visas The Most?
The Department of Homeland Security annually releases figures on people who overstay their visas and other legal forms of admissions in the United States. Total overstays for the fiscal year of 2023 stood at 510,400 people. As Statista’s Katharina Buchholkz reports, African nations led in terms of overstayers in comparison to total visitors, with some rates hinting at 30-50 percent who don’t return. High shares of overstayers also came from Haiti, Myanmar and Laos as well as Yemen, Bhutan and Turkmenistan. Latin Americans were less likely to overstay their U.S. visas in relative terms, with Venezuelans the biggest overstayers at 9.3 percent of admissions. However, as Latin Americans are entering the United States with visas in higher numbers, their overstayers form the biggest group in total. In FY 2023, this pertained to around 52,000 Mexicans, 43,000 Colombians and almost 22,000 Dominicans and Brazilians each. In relative terms, Mexicans only overstayed their visas 1.7 percent of the time. This was even lower for Indians, the seventh biggest group in absolute terms, at 1.4 percent.
14 hours ago
OPEC+ is considering a third straight monthly output hike, departing from the norm of stabilizing oil markets. According to Bloomberg, the group of 12 major oil-exporting nations, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, and others, is considering a July increase of 411,000 barrels per day (bpd)—roughly triple the previously planned amount. This would mirror supply increases in May and June. Such an increase in July could lead to a breakdown in Brent crude’s $60-per-barrel price floor (as long as the war risk premium remains suppressed). Brent fell to $63 a barrel, down about 1.7% following the news. West Texas Intermediate dropped to around $60 a barrel. According to delegates, the increase would mark the third consecutive month of added supply, though they noted that no final agreement had been reached. Bloomberg provided more color about the strategy at play with OPEC+ that would only increase concerns about a global glut: The strategy appears aimed at disciplining quota violators by pushing prices lower. But it will add to the overall picture of oversupply — not only is there a chance of more Iranian barrels hitting the market, energy demand globally looks set to soften. “We’re seeing the market reacting to evidence that OPEC is letting go […]
14 hours ago
FDA No Longer Recommends COVID Vaccine For Healthy Babies
The U.S. government no longer recommends the COVID-19 vaccine for healthy babies thanks to new guidelines from the Trump administration, which said Tuesday it will limit approval for seasonal COVID-19 shots to seniors and others at high risk pending more data on everyone else. Top officials for the Food and Drug Administration laid out new standards for updated COVID shots, saying they’d continue to use a streamlined approach to make them available to adults 65 and older as well as children and younger adults with at least one high-risk health problem. But the FDA framework, published Tuesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, urges companies to conduct large, lengthy studies before tweaked vaccines can be approved for healthier people. Previously, federal policy recommended an annual COVID shot for all Americans six months and older. In the paper and a subsequent online webcast, the FDA’s top vaccine official said more than 100 million Americans still should qualify for what he termed a booster under the new guidance. Dr. Vinay Prasad described the new approach as a “reasonable compromise” that will allow vaccinations in high-risk groups to continue while generating new data about whether they still benefit healthier people. “For many Americans we simply […]
14 hours ago
Masked NIH Employees Storm Out Of Meeting After Director Bhattacharya Questions Agency’s Role In COVID-19 Origins
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), sparked a mass walkout of NIH employees after suggesting that COVID-19 may have originated from a Wuhan lab and that NIH helped fund it. During a staff town hall meeting on Monday, Bhattacharya told NIH employees, “It’s possible that the pandemic was caused by research conducted by human beings, and it’s also possible that the NIH partly sponsored that research.” That comment prompted dozens of NIH employees to walk out of the meeting. As the NIH employees, some wearing masks, stormed out of the meeting, Bhattacharya called after them, “Nice to have free speech. You’re welcome, you guys.” Bhattacharya told the remaining employees, “If it’s true that we sponsored research that caused the pandemic — and if you look at polls of the American people, that’s what most people believe, and I’ve looked at the scientific evidence and I believe it — [then] what we have to do is make sure that we don’t engage in research that is any risk…to human populations.” The U.S. has faced growing scrutiny for the NIH’s participation in controversial virus manipulation experiments at the Wuhan Institute of Virology where the FBI and CIA both believe the […]
14 hours ago
Watch: Israeli Troops Fire Shots On International Diplomats Visiting West Bank
International pressure on Israel and the Netanyahu government is already at a historic high, even from Western allies which have been sanctioning hardline Israeli settler groups and individuals, and a new international incident has unfolded Wednesday in the West Bank. “Israeli soldiers mistakenly fired warning shots at diplomats representing the European Union, UK, France, China, Russia and other countries on Wednesday,” Bloomberg writes. An international group of diplomats and activists were visiting the West Bank town of Jenin when they reportedly came under gunfire from Israel Defense Forces. Videos show the diplomatic group fleeing and running to their vehicles in a chaotic scene. Some of the vehicles appeared marked with flags of their respective countries. The Palestinian Authority (PA), which governs the West Bank, issued a statement condemning Israel troops. The statement claimed the IDF “deliberately targeted by live fire an accredited diplomatic delegation.” The IDF for its part, issued a statement alleging that while the diplomatic group was approved to be in the area, it departed from the ‘approved route’. The IDF did confirm that “warning shots” were fired. “IDF soldiers operating in the area fired warning shots to distance them away,” the IDF said in the statement. “The IDF regrets the inconvenience caused.” The army said an […]
22 hours ago
China’s Numerous Aging Dams Pose A Serious Threat To Safety
Before 1949, China had only 22 of the 5,000 large dams worldwide. Today, China’s top water resources official boasts that the country has since built 94,877 dams of various sizes.What’s surprising, however, is that the number of dams cited by Minister of Water Resources Li Guoying has actually dropped by 3,689 since the end of 2020, when authorities reported 98,566 dams. Why has the number of reservoirs decreased significantly in just a few years? Were some of them destroyed during floods? Or is there another reason—perhaps one the public isn’t supposed to know about? Numerous Dams China currently has more dams than any other country in the world—nearly half of all global dams are located there. Despite ongoing efforts to build new dams, the total number is, paradoxically, declining. By the end of 2020, China reported having 98,566 dams of various types, an exponential increase compared to the 1949 figure. In terms of the age of these dams, 87.1 percent of them were constructed before 1979, and nearly 48 percent were built before 1969, meaning roughly half are more than 50 years old, according to a research paper published on China’s Hydro-Science and Engineering Journal in February 2023. However, as of 2025, the number of dams declined from […]
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