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The US has announced new sanctions targeting Russia's two largest oil companies in an effort to pressure Moscow to negotiate a peace deal in Ukraine. The announcement came one day after US President Donald Trump said a planned meeting with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin in Budapest would be shelved indefinitely. "Every time I speak to Vladimir, I have good conversations and then they don't go anywhere," Trump said. While the economic impact to Russia is likely to be minimal, it repres

Mosquitoes have been discovered in Iceland in a first for the island nation, which has long been one of the world’s mosquito-free places, a researcher told AFP Monday. Three Culiseta annulata mosquitoes, two females and one male, were sighted around 30 kilometres (20 miles) north of the capital, Reykjavik, according to Matthias Alfredsson, an entomologist at the Natural Science Institute of Iceland. “They were all collected from wine ropes… aimed at attracting moths,” the researcher said in an

The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review whether Americans who regularly use marijuana can legally possess firearms, a case that could further define the boundaries of the Second Amendment and federal drug law. The dispute arises from a Justice Department appeal seeking to revive a prosecution against a Texas man, Ali Danial Hemani, after the Fifth Circuit struck down the federal statute barring gun ownership by unlawful drug users. The law, which dates back decades, prohibits individuals wh

France’s ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy became the first former head of an EU state to be jailed Tuesday, proclaiming his innocence as he entered a Paris prison. France’s right-wing leader from 2007 to 2012 was found guilty last month of seeking to acquire funding from Moamer Kadhafi’s Libya for the campaign that saw him elected. AFP journalists saw the 70-year-old — who has appealed the verdict — leave his home, and after a short drive flanked by police on motorbikes, enter the La Sante prison

Food Stamps, the country’s biggest anti-hunger lifeline, is about to collapse—and millions of Americans are staring down an empty November. As the government shutdown stretches into its third week, 42 million people across the U.S. could lose access to food stamps. According to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as SNAP, is projected to run out of funds by November 1. She warned that “millions and millions” of families could soon be

The Trump administration has cancelled the visas of at least six people for public comments made about the murder of right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk. In a post on X, the US Department of State wrote: "The United States has no obligation to host foreigners who wish death on Americans." It shared screenshots of six social media posts which it said were examples of foreign visa holders welcoming Kirk's death in September, and suggested further visa cancellations would follow. Kirk, an ally of

Beyoncé shares an emotional tribute following the passing of D’Angelo. D’Angelo passed away at the age of 51. According to reports, the Neo-soul pioneer passed following a a private battle with pancreatic cancer. “Rest in peace, Michael Eugene Archer, known to the world of music as the inimitable D’Angelo. We thank you for your beautiful music, your voice, your proficiency on the piano, your artistry,” Beyonce writes via her website. “You were the pioneer of neo-soul and that changed and trans

New York City filed a sweeping federal lawsuit Wednesday against several major social media companies, alleging that their platforms have fueled a youth mental health crisis by intentionally designing addictive products that exploit the psychological vulnerabilities of minors. The 327-page complaint, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, names Meta Platforms Inc., ByteDance Ltd., Alphabet Inc., and Snap Inc. as defendants. City officials accuse the companies o

President Donald Trump said Friday that he’s placing an additional 100% tax on Chinese imports starting on Nov. 1 or sooner, potentially escalating tariff rates close to levels that in April fanned fears of a global recession. The president said on his social media site that he is imposing these new tariffs because of export controls placed on rare earth elements by China. The new tariffs built on an earlier post Friday on Truth Social in which Trump said that “there seems to be no reason” to m

United States President Donald Trump has announced that Israel and Hamas have agreed on the first phase of a peace framework that aims at a Gaza ceasefire, and the release of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners. The announcement follows from Trump’s 20-point plan to end the war on Gaza, which he announced last week, and which Israel, Hamas and most of the world broadly welcomed. More than 67,000 people have been killed in Israel’s war on Gaza, described by many international rights orga

Indirect talks aimed at reaching a final agreement on a US peace plan to end the war in Gaza have begun in the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh.  Palestinian and Egyptian officials have told the BBC that the sessions are focused on "creating the field conditions" for a possible exchange that would see the release of all Israeli hostages in return for a number of Palestinian prisoners. Hamas has said it agrees to the peace plan proposals in part, but has not responded to several key demands - i

The US Treasury Department is considering minting a one-dollar coin that features President Donald Trump, in order to commemorate the country’s 250th independence anniversary, officials said Friday. In a social media post retweeted by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, US Treasurer Brandon Beach shared early drafts of the coin. Beach posted “first drafts” of the design on X, adding that he was “looking forward to sharing more soon, once the obstructionist shutdown of the United States governmen

Sean “Diddy” Combs has been sentenced to 50 months in federal prison following his conviction on prostitution-related charges. The 55-year-old Bad Boy Records founder was convicted under the Mann Act, a federal law prohibiting the transportation of individuals across state lines for prostitution. While jurors acquitted Combs of more serious charges — including racketeering and sex trafficking — the guilty verdict on two counts of transportation secured the prison sentence. On Thursday, a feder

The US Supreme Court has ruled Lisa Cook can stay on as a Federal Reserve governor for now, a setback for President Donald Trump in his fight with the central bank. In an unsigned order, the court turned down Trump's request to immediately remove Cook and said it would hear arguments over her firing in January. Trump, who has blasted the Fed for not cutting interest rates as much as he would like, said in August he was removing Cook over claims of mortgage fraud, which she denied.  Cook immed

A viral video showing a confrontation between Harlem rapper English McFly and the New York Police Department (NYPD) has ignited outrage and renewed debate over police crowd-control tactics.  According to the rapper’s social media account, the crowd in Harlem was in support of a music video shoot. The footage, which began circulating on social media on September 20, captured moments of escalating tension as officers attempted to disperse a gathering in Harlem. NYPD OFFICERS OVERSTEP AUTHORITY A