Thailand’s ruling Bhumjaithai party took a strong lead in Sunday’s general election, winning about 194 seats with roughly 93% of polling stations reporting, according to unofficial results. The total falls short of the 251 seats needed to form a government outright, meaning the party will likely need coalition partners. The progressive People’s Party came in second with 116 seats, while Pheu Thai, linked to former … Continue reading Thailand’s conservative Bhumjaithai party tops polls

Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi won a decisive snap election victory, securing a supermajority in the lower house that allows her ruling coalition to override the upper chamber. The landslide result validated her high-risk gamble to seek a fresh mandate after taking office in October and strengthened her grip on power. Takaichi said she would continue her coalition with Ishin, focus on fiscal sustainability, and … Continue reading Japan’s Sanae Takaichi wins a supermajority after gambling on a snap election

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, resigned Sunday, taking responsibility for advising the appointment of Peter Mandelson as UK ambassador to the U.S. despite Mandelson’s links to Jeffrey Epstein. The decision has triggered Starmer’s biggest crisis since taking office, especially after newly released U.S. files detailed Mandelson’s relationship with Epstein and prompted a police investigation into alleged misconduct. McSweeney, a key … Continue reading UK PM Starmer’s top aide McSweeney quits over Mandelson’s Epstein scandal

Senate Democrats are pressing for stronger oversight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), unveiling a list of 10 demands including policies like requiring judicial warrants and de-masking agents. Republicans, however, accuse Democrats of seeking to defund ICE entirely and promote “open borders,” pointing to a failed Bernie Sanders amendment that would have stripped $75 billion from DHS and ICE. Funding for immigration operations is largely … Continue reading Republicans warn Democrats’ ICE reform push is cover to defund border enforcement

Two Democratic lawmakers, Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), are refusing to cooperate with a Justice Department investigation into a video urging military and intelligence personnel to refuse illegal orders. Slotkin said the Trump administration is using “physical and legal intimidation” to silence critics, while Houlahan called the probe an overreach of federal power. The 90-second video, posted in November by six … Continue reading Democrats involved in ‘illegal orders’ video say they won’t cooperate with DOJ probe

Virginia Democrats unveiled a proposed congressional map aimed at helping the party win up to four additional U.S. House seats in the 2026 midterms, responding to Republican-led redistricting efforts nationwide. The plan requires voter approval through a constitutional amendment in a special election tentatively scheduled for April 21, though a court recently blocked the measure, prompting a Democratic appeal. Critics, including the group Virginians for … Continue reading Virginia Democrats propose potential 10–1 congressional map for 2026 midterms

President Donald Trump on Thursday launched TrumpRx, a direct-to-consumer platform aimed at lowering U.S. prescription drug costs. The website does not sell drugs directly but connects patients to manufacturers offering discounts or provides coupons for pharmacies, with initial participation from AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly, EMD Serono, Novo Nordisk, and Pfizer. Trump promoted the platform as a way for millions to save money, particularly cash-paying patients or … Continue reading White House launches direct-to-consumer drug site TrumpRx

Chinese leader Xi Jinping warned U.S. President Donald Trump to be “prudent” about arms sales to Taiwan during their first call since November, emphasizing that Taiwan is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations. Xi stressed that China will safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity and will not allow Taiwan to separate. Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te responded by saying ties with the U.S. are “rock … Continue reading Be ‘prudent’ about supplying arms to Taiwan, Xi tells Trump in call

President Donald Trump signed a roughly $1.2 trillion funding bill that ended a partial federal government shutdown after the House narrowly approved the measure. The legislation funds most federal agencies through Sept. 30 but only extends Department of Homeland Security funding for two weeks, setting up another looming budget fight. Democrats are demanding tighter restrictions on immigration enforcement and have warned they will not support … Continue reading Trump signs bill to end shutdown

William Stevenson, the ex-husband of former first lady Jill Biden, has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of his wife, Linda Stevenson, authorities in Delaware said. A grand jury indicted the 77-year-old after a weeks-long investigation into Linda’s death on December 28, when police found her unresponsive at their home following a reported domestic dispute. She was pronounced dead at the scene, and … Continue reading Jill Biden’s ex-husband charged with wife’s murder

Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of former Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi, was killed Tuesday in an attack at his home in Zintan, according to his political office. The office said four masked gunmen stormed the residence and carried out what it called a “treacherous and cowardly” assassination. His lawyer confirmed he was killed at home, while reports said he was shot in the garden of the … Continue reading Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, son of Libyan dictator, killed

Bill and Hillary Clinton agreed to testify before the House Oversight Committee about Jeffrey Epstein after facing a potential contempt of Congress vote. Democrats warn the move sets a precedent allowing Congress to subpoena former presidents and their families, which they say Republicans will regret. Several Democratic lawmakers said they would use the same standard to compel testimony from Donald Trump and his relatives when … Continue reading Republicans push Clintons to testify on Epstein, Democrats warn they’ll haul in Trump

Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have agreed to testify in the House Oversight Committee’s Jeffrey Epstein investigation, after lawmakers considered holding them in criminal contempt. The committee accused the Clintons of “trying to dodge contempt by requesting special treatment,” while their deputy chief of staff said they will appear and set a precedent that applies to everyone. Their attorneys … Continue reading Clintons agree to testify after House threatens contempt in Jeffrey Epstein probe

Marius Borg Høiby, the eldest son of Norway’s Crown Princess Mette-Marit, goes on trial Tuesday in Oslo on multiple charges, including rape, abuse, threats, and drug offenses. The 29-year-old, who has no royal title or official duties, faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted, with the trial expected to last until mid-March. His defense denies the sexual abuse charges and most violence allegations, … Continue reading Son of Norway’s crown princess to go on trial on rape and other charges

Lord Mandelson has resigned from the Labour Party, saying he does not want to “cause further embarrassment” amid revelations of his links to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Newly released U.S. Department of Justice files suggest Epstein made three payments to Mandelson in 2003 and 2004, though Mandelson says he has no record or recollection of receiving them. He has apologized for ever … Continue reading Lord Mandelson resigns from Labour Party over Epstein links

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said Monday that Crown Princess Mette-Marit showed poor judgment in maintaining contacts with Jeffrey Epstein. Newly released U.S. Justice Department files include extensive email correspondence between Mette-Marit and Epstein after his 2008 conviction for child sex crimes. The crown princess apologized Saturday for her actions, acknowledging her lapse in judgment, a view Stoere publicly supported. The prime minister said … Continue reading Norway’s PM agrees crown princess had ‘poor judgement’ over Epstein links

Democrat Taylor Rehmet won a special election for a Texas state senate seat Saturday, flipping a district that Donald Trump carried by 17 points in 2024. Rehmet, a labor union leader and Air Force veteran, defeated Republican Leigh Wambsganss by more than 14 points in the Fort Worth-area district. The victory adds to Democrats’ strong performance in special elections this cycle and is seen as … Continue reading Democrat flips reliably red Texas district in victory that stuns Republican party

The partial U.S. government shutdown entered its third day Monday as Democrats pressed for immigration reforms as part of any funding deal. The Senate approved five spending bills but delayed full-year funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), instead passing a two-week stopgap to allow more negotiation. Democrats are seeking changes to DHS operations, including requiring ICE agents to wear body cameras and banning … Continue reading Partial US government shutdown enters third day as funding standoff continues

The Trump administration reportedly held meetings with the separatist group Alberta Prosperity Project (APP), sparking outrage in Canada and accusations of “treason” from British Columbia Premier David Eby. The APP seeks independence for Alberta and has reportedly requested U.S. support, including a $500 billion credit facility in case of a successful referendum. White House officials said the meetings were with civil society groups and no … Continue reading Trump officials met with Canadian separatists; British Columbia premier alleges treason

President Donald Trump threatened Canada with a 50% tariff on all aircraft sold in the U.S., escalating tensions in his ongoing trade dispute with the country. The move targets Canada for allegedly refusing to certify jets from Gulfstream Aerospace and includes decertifying Bombardier’s Global Express business jets, a move that would affect 150 aircraft registered in the U.S. Bombardier responded that its planes meet FAA … Continue reading Trump threatens Canada with 50% tariff on aircraft sold in US

President Donald Trump declared a national emergency over Cuba, citing the communist government’s alignment with hostile countries, terrorist groups, and malign actors as a threat to U.S. national security and foreign policy. The executive order establishes a tariff mechanism to impose additional duties on countries that supply oil to Cuba, directly or indirectly. Trump accused Cuba of hosting Russian intelligence facilities, deepening defense cooperation with … Continue reading Trump declares national emergency over Cuba, threatens tariffs on nations that supply oil

Former U.S. President Donald Trump warned that it was “very dangerous” for the UK to do business with China as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer visited Shanghai. Trump, who called Chinese President Xi Jinping a “friend,” also criticized Canada for engaging with China. Sir Keir, meanwhile, described his talks with Xi as “very good” and announced agreements on visa-free travel, lower whisky tariffs, AstraZeneca investment, … Continue reading Trump says ‘very dangerous’ for UK to do business with China

President Donald Trump is suing the IRS and Treasury Department for $10 billion, alleging they failed to prevent leaks of his tax information to news outlets between 2018 and 2020. The lawsuit, filed in Florida federal court, also names Eric Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and the Trump Organization as plaintiffs, claiming the leaks caused reputational and financial harm. The disclosures were made by former IRS … Continue reading Trump sues IRS and Treasury for $10 billion over leaked tax information

Denmark’s foreign minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, said high-level talks in Washington with the U.S. and Greenland over the island’s future were “very constructive” and that discussions are “back on track.” The talks aimed to resolve tensions sparked by President Donald Trump’s earlier threats to take over Greenland. Rasmussen described the atmosphere as positive and said new meetings are planned, though no final decisions have been … Continue reading Denmark lauds constructive talks with U.S. over Greenland

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Beijing to call for a “comprehensive strategic partnership” aimed at deepening ties amid global uncertainty. Their 80-minute meeting focused on cooperation on issues like climate change and global stability, without directly mentioning U.S. President Donald Trump, though his challenge to the post-Cold War order loomed in the background. The visit comes after years … Continue reading Starmer and Xi call for deeper UK-China ties as Trump shakes up global relations