newsmart – Latest News

scmp.com | 22 min. ago NEW

New Trump spokeswoman makes White House debut, takes only 3 questions

New White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia made her briefing room debut on Tuesday by taking remarkably few questions from journalists while leaving no doubt who she believes has all the answers – Donald Trump. “I get to do what I was doing on the outside already, which was hoping to amplify, multiply and expand upon President Trump’s incredible agenda for the American people,” she said, describing her vision for the job.

Zacharia, a 41-year-old devotee of Trump’s hard-right Maga movement,...

dw.com | 32 min. ago NEW

DR Congo: Kabila’s move towards M23 raises questions over peace

Former DR Congo President Joseph Kabila has joined a new political-military front that brings together the Rwandan-backed AFC/M23 coalition. Analysts say it could reshape opposition to President Felix Tshisekedi.

koreatimes.co.kr | 2 hrs. 5 min. ago

Cornell suspends fraternity social events after alleged gang rape

NEW YORK — Cornell University has suspended fraternity social events for the academic year, its president said Tuesday, a response to outcry over an alleged gang rape at one of the all-male social clubs. "All parties and social events in Interfraternity Council (IFC) houses at Cornell will be suspended for the remainder of the 2026-2027 academic year," Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff said in a statement.

"These measures will provide time for a thorough review of fraternity life at Cornell to determine whether and how it can safely continue."

abcnews.com | 2 hrs. 18 min. ago

Barack Obama to campaign with Ohio Democrats as he expands his outreach ahead of Election Day

Former President Barack Obama is heading to Ohio to support Democratic candidates in the Senate and governor's races

thehindu.com | 2 hrs. 30 min. ago

Red Cross calls for urgent de-escalation in West Asia

Civilians are paying an unacceptable price as a result of military operations in the Middle East, said Mirjana Spoljaric, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

thehill.com | 2 hrs. 43 min. ago

Watch live: Vance takes GOP midterm message to Texas

Vice President Vance is in Texas Tuesday seeking to boost support for Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas)'s reelection bid in the state's 1st Congressional District, as Republicans work to defend their congressional majorities in November. The campaign stop comes as President Trump and his allies make a series of appearances across traditionally red states, where GOP...

nytimes.com | 2 hrs. 44 min. ago

Trump Hands Victories to Putin, Who Offers More War in Return

Russia has reaped a diesel deal and an increase in U.S. pressure on Ukraine as President Trump’s political needs align with his longstanding inclinations toward Russia.

thehill.com | 3 hrs. 16 min. ago

Trump: Marshall was 'mandated by law' to request payments from patients

President Trump defended Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) after a report revealed that he sued hundreds of patients for unpaid medical bills, claiming the senator was legally obligated to pursue the debts or risk facing criminal charges himself. In a lengthy Truth Social post on Monday, Trump praised the former obstetrician-gynecologist and accused his Democratic challenger,...

nbcnews.com | 4 hrs. 23 min. ago

Trump’s new White House press secretary Katie Zacharia keeps first briefing short

President Donald Trump’s new White House press secretary Katie Zacharia held an unusually short first briefing with the media Tuesday, concluding after less than 15 minutes and calling on just three reporters, all from conservative outlets.

koreatimes.co.kr | 4 hrs. 28 min. ago

President urges firm response to false claims about Brazilian egg imports

President Lee Jae Myung called Tuesday for a firm government response to the spread of false information about eggs imported from Brazil. During a closed-door session of a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Lee asked Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Minister Song Mi-ryung how she was responding to the spread of misinformation about Brazilian eggs, according to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung.

Lee emphasized that "we must make it clear that stirring up public sentiment with false information is not a demonstration of influence or competence," Kang added. Earlier, some media outlets reported that the government had imported eggs from Brazil at a cost of 39,000 won per tray and sold them domestically for around 4,000 won.

The reports sparked criticism over the excessive use of public funds in the import process. Some critics went so far as to allege a so-called "left-wing connection," citing political ties with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs explained that the imports were a precautionary measure aimed at addressi

thehill.com | 4 hrs. 39 min. ago

Just 1 in 4 approve of Trump handling of economy: Survey

Roughly one-fourth of respondents to a recent survey approve of President Trump’s handling of the economy, with midterm early voting already underway in some states. Just 28 percent of 2,275 respondents to the Financial Times/Focaldata poll approved of Trump’s handling of jobs and the economy.

The president’s overall approval rating was 34 percent, with 59...

bbc.co.uk | 4 hrs. 47 min. ago

Ex-president named leader of new DR Congo rebel coalition

Joseph Kabila had previously denied having links to the M23 rebels, which control much of eastern DR Congo.

thehindu.com | 5 hrs. 4 min. ago

Expelled leader Rahul Mamkootathil’s association with Congress workers exposes rift in Pathanamthitta unit

Pathanamthitta DCC president’s decision to support the expelled leader in the aftermath of a recent clash between SFI and Youth Congress workers has drawn sharp objections from a section of district leaders and workers

thehill.com | 5 hrs. 26 min. ago

Salazar picks up Colombia president's endorsement after breaking with Trump on immigration

Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) is touting an endorsement from Colombia’s President Abelardo de la Espriella, amid a tight reelection contest where she has broken with President Trump over his hardline immigration policies. “I receive with immense pride the support of my friend, President Abelardo de la Espriella,” Salazar posted on the social platform X....

abcnews.com | 6 hrs. 22 min. ago

Prosecutors drop 3 impeachment charges against Philippine VP to speed up trial

Philippine prosecutors have dropped three of four impeachment charges against Vice President Sara Duterte to speed up her ongoing trial

thehindu.com | 6 hrs. 35 min. ago

BJP women MPs meet President Murmu, seek Cong MP's suspension from Lok Sabha over JNU ‘sexual misconduct’

A delegation of 15 MPs met the President and requested her to ensure that the Congress MP, who continues to be a member of the Lok Sabha, was removed from the House

thenextweb.com | 7 hrs. 2 min. ago

Milk is more regulated than AI, Microsoft’s Brad Smith tells the BBC

Microsoft’s president, Brad Smith, has called for global safety rules for AI. They include a legal duty to tell victims when a rogue AI agent breaks into their systems. He set out his case on the BBC’s Big Boss Interview podcast with Will Bain, released on 11 October.

Smith told the BBC: “Right now, your […] This story continues at The Next Web

abcnews.com | 7 hrs. 7 min. ago

Zelenskyy says Ukraine received no intelligence from partners on incoming missile strike on Kyiv

Ukraine received no early warning from its partners about a Russian missile strike on Kyiv, according to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

thehill.com | 7 hrs. 39 min. ago

MAGA’s theory of the electorate on the line in Ohio

Vice President Vance went back to his native Ohio last week to hold a rally and cast his early ballot in what have been — at least to many in the national political press — surprisingly difficult Senate and gubernatorial races for his party. They shouldn’t be so surprised.

The big-ticket item is the Senate...

livemint.com | 8 hrs. 10 min. ago

Who is Neha Bora? Know about the education, family background of the face of Jantar Mantar 2.0 protest

Neha Bora, president of the All India Students’ Association, has become a leading figure in demonstrations over alleged voter deletions during the Special Intensive Revision. The JNU scholar and activist has participated in earlier student movements. 

thehill.com | 8 hrs. 22 min. ago

Letitia James appointment becomes pressure point in Cornell gang rape case

President Trump says the Cornell 7 won't get a fair shake with New York Attorney General Letitia James investigating their alleged gang rape case — and more the one of the accused agrees. James's appointment has become the latest flashpoint in the swelling controversy over the 2024 incident and its handling by officials.

A longtime Trump...

theguardian.com | 8 hrs. 46 min. ago

Tyson review – deeply icky … and that’s before Trump shows up

This peculiar – some would say truly irresponsible – hagiography of boxing superstar Mike Tyson veers from psychedelics and sobbing to the inadvisable face tattoo via a cameo from the US presidentNetflix’s new four-parter on Mike Tyson is one of the strangest sports documentaries it has ever released, or maybe just one of its strangest documentaries full stop.

The streamer has form in sporting hagiographies – tales told with questionable distance from their subjects, and all the objectivity of cold war agitprop. Tyson is different, though: not only is it lopsided, but it also feels deeply icky. And that’s before Donald Trump arrives to defend its subject – a great catch for the programme-makers but a wholly baffling cameo that makes you wish he would stick with geopolitical meddling and golf.It ends – spoiler alert – with the former boxing champion taking the hallucinogenic drug DMT (or as he calls it, “the toad”, after the animal that produces it), while sobbing and inviting the show’s director to join him.

Its episodes are peculiar, sometimes compelling, and – as many viewers will surely feel – truly irresponsible. Continue reading...

theguardian.com | 8 hrs. 48 min. ago

How a scandal engulfing Brazil’s top court could return the Bolsonaros to power

The judge who helped convict Jair Bolsonaro is caught up in a crisis that could benefit his son and damage LulaMarina Silva on Flávio Bolsonaro: He will try to finish his father’s ‘perverse project’ to destroy the AmazonThundering to a crowd of thousands of far-right supporters in São Paulo on 7 September, Brazil’s Independence Day, the senator Flávio Bolsonaro focused less on his opponent in the presidential election, the leftist president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, than on someone who is not running at all.“Whoever votes for Lula is voting for Alexandre de Moraes,” Bolsonaro shouted, referring to the shaven-headed supreme court justice once described as “Voldemort” by Elon Musk.

Continue reading...

scmp.com | 11 hrs. 13 min. ago

Philippines drops 3 impeachment charges against Sara Duterte despite evidence

The Philippine Senate, sitting as an impeachment ⁠court, approved the ⁠prosecution’s withdrawal of most of ⁠the charges against Vice-President Sara Duterte on Tuesday, in a trial that could kill her hopes to run for president in 2028. Prosecutors have been presenting evidence against ‌Duterte since July on charges that she betrayed public trust, amassed unexplained wealth, violated the constitution and committed corruption, bribery and other high crimes.

Lead prosecutor Gerville Luistro told the...

scmp.com | 11 hrs. 45 min. ago

Marcos on South China Sea row; anger in Thailand over iron cage beds: 7 Asia highlights

We have selected seven stories from the SCMP’s coverage of Asia over the past week that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Marcos says Philippines ‘resigned’ to managing South China Sea dispute The Philippines is “resigned” to managing its long-standing dispute with Beijing in the South China Sea and avoiding dangerous escalations, President Ferdinand Marcos Jnr said.

2. ‘A show of...

nytimes.com | 11 hrs. 55 min. ago

[$] Trump Says He Is ‘Looking at’ Firing Kimberly Guilfoyle

President Trump made the remark in response to a question about the U.S. ambassador to Greece, who faces accusations that she asked a G.O.P. donor to pay off her credit card.

livemint.com | 12 hrs. 18 min. ago

US 2028 presidential race frontrunners: Will it be Kamala Harris vs Trump's VP JD Vance? What poll reveals

The battle of VPs: Former Vice President Kamala Harris and current Vice President JD Vance remain the two frontrunners in their parties' (Democrat and Republican) 2028 presidential primaries, the new poll revealed.

iol.co.za | 12 hrs. 21 min. ago

Jacob Zuma recovering in Pietermaritzburg hospital, MKP and foundation say

Former president and uMkhonto weSizwe Party president Jacob Zuma was hospitalised last week.

thehindu.com | 12 hrs. 44 min. ago

Trump downplays claims that Russia, China are helping Iran, says he does not believe it

U.S. President Trump dismissed the claims in a Truth Social post, as China agreed to import at least 10 million tonnes of U.S. coal in 2027 and 2028 following Xi Jinping’s September visit

koreatimes.co.kr | 12 hrs. 55 min. ago

Special counsel urges appeals court to uphold Yoon's election law conviction

A special counsel team on Tuesday asked the Seoul High Court to uphold a lower court's conviction of former President Yoon Suk Yeol for violating the election law, a ruling that, if finalized, would invalidate his 2022 presidential election and force his former ruling party to cough up nearly 40 billion won ($29.8 million).

Special counsel Min Joong-ki's team made the request during a hearing at the appeals court, urging it to dismiss Yoon's appeal. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Oct. 27. In late July, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Yoon to a 1 1/2-year prison term, suspended for three years, after finding him guilty of making false statements as the People Power Party (PPP)'s presidential candidate ahead of the election in March 2022. Yoon was indicted for falsely claiming during a 2021 press event that he had never introduced a lawyer to a former tax official.

Yoon was also accused of lying in an interview in January 2022, claiming that a party official had introduced him to shaman Jeon Seong-bae and denying that he had met Jeon together with his wife, Ki

nytimes.com | 13 hrs. ago

[$] Jimmy Kimmel Teases Trump Over Not Getting the Nobel Prize

“Thanks a lot, Norway. I hope you’re happy — you made our baby cry,” Kimmel said after the president blamed Norway.

nbcnews.com | 13 hrs. 1 min. ago

Florida Republican running for re-election snags presidential endorsement — from Colombia

Rep. María Elvira Salazar has received political support from right-wing stalwarts overseas as she finds herself on the outs with President Donald Trump.

thehindu.com | 13 hrs. 33 min. ago

Vijayendra claims 25 Congress MLAs, including Ministers, will jump ship ahead of Assembly polls

B. Y. Vijayendra, the Karnataka BJP state president, claimed on Monday that more than 25 Congress MLAs, including ministers, are poised to defect to the BJP ahead of the state Assembly elections in Bengaluru, accusing the Congress government of political “debauchery” and mismanaging drought relief.

thehindu.com | 13 hrs. 34 min. ago

Why did Brazil President Lula file a complaint against Meta?

Explained | This is not the first time where Meta, formerly Facebook, has been accused of election interference.

koreatimes.co.kr | 13 hrs. 39 min. ago

Lee stresses importance of US alliance, says submissive stance should be shunned

President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday stressed the importance of the country's alliance with the United States but also noted a submissive stance should be shunned in pursuing diplomacy. The president made the remarks at a Cabinet meeting, amid concerns over apparent friction in the Seoul-Washington alliance, highlighted by South Korea facing limitations in intelligence sharing by the U.S.

Lee said diplomacy should be focused on safeguarding national interests, while emphasizing that differences can arise between countries. "Diplomacy should be pursued in a way that always upholds South Korea's dignity and safeguards its national interests (while) any submissive or kowtowing stance should be shunned," the president noted.

"The guiding principle of South Korea's diplomacy is pragmatism. The most important thing for South Korea is its national interests," Lee stressed. His remarks come as South Korea continues to face restrictions on intelligence sharing by Washington, reportedly over the South Korean unification minister's previous remarks identifying North Korea's Kusong as a site housing a

nytimes.com | 14 hrs. 16 min. ago

[$] FIFA Pays Millions for Trump Tower Office Said to Be Rarely Used

The deal is another sign of how Gianni Infantino, the leader of soccer’s global governing body, has sought closer ties to President Trump.

smh.com.au | 14 hrs. 35 min. ago

Greens split over Ukraine military aid as Sarah Hanson-Young breaks ranks

Foreign Minister Penny Wong accused new Greens leader David Shoebridge of “lining up with One Nation and President Putin” by opposing military aid to Ukraine.

ft.com | 14 hrs. 40 min. ago

[$] Unreliable Boyfriend — Chrystia Freeland’s roadmap for dealing with a chaotic superpower

Canada’s former deputy prime minister’s memoir chronicles her political ups and downs while offering a strategy to survive the US president’s bullying

nytimes.com | 15 hrs. 13 min. ago

[$] Macron Dreamed of Reviving France, but His Term Is Ending in Crisis

Nearly a decade after his first election as president, Emmanuel Macron is presiding over a tense country sliding toward the fiscal brink.

nytimes.com | 16 hrs. 33 min. ago

[$] Trump, Playing Defense in Ohio, Tries to Shore Up Republicans in Tough Races

The president rallied in Youngstown for Senator Jon Husted and Vivek Ramaswamy, who are in competitive contests against Democratic opponents.