Author: Andrew Rogers

As the Trump administration continues government shutdown negotiations, racist deepfake videos mocking Democratic leaders played on a loop in the White House briefing room on Wednesday. The videos, posted by Trump on his social media platform Monday, used fabricated audio and visuals to make it appear that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called Democrats “woke pieces of shit” and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wore a fake mustache and sombrero. Vice President JD Vance commented on the clips during a briefing, calling them “funny” and joking that the “sombrero memes” would stop if Democrats helped reopen the government. Vance said,…

A U.S.-born construction worker in Alabama has filed a federal lawsuit after being detained twice by immigration agents, despite being a citizen. The case raises concerns about workplace raids that critics say disproportionately target Latino workers, regardless of legal status. The lawsuit was filed by 28-year-old Leo Garcia Venegas, a concrete worker in Baldwin County, Alabama. Venegas said he was detained twice within weeks, even after showing valid identification both times. Partnering with the Institute for Justice, a public interest law firm, Venegas seeks to halt what he and his attorneys call unconstitutional and discriminatory enforcement practices. Both encounters occurred…

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order pledging to defend Qatar using all lawful means, including military force, if the country comes under attack. The order, posted Wednesday on the White House website but dated two days earlier, raises new questions about America’s role in the Gulf and the scope of its commitments. The pledge comes after an unexpected Israeli strike on Qatar. The attack targeted Hamas leaders amid ceasefire talks and killed six people, including a member of Qatar’s security forces. The incident alarmed Doha and prompted direct U.S. involvement in easing tensions. Trump’s order states that…

Israeli naval forces stopped a pro-Palestinian flotilla about 75 miles off Gaza’s coast. The vessels tried to bypass the maritime blockade to deliver humanitarian aid. The lead ship, Alma, carried Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg along with other passengers, who were taken into custody during the boarding. Videos released by Israeli authorities showed Thunberg sitting on the deck surrounded by soldiers. Tracking data indicated that 13 vessels were intercepted by early Thursday, while organizers said other boats continued toward Gaza, roughly 46 nautical miles from the shore. Before the interception, Thunberg posted a video on Instagram warning of the upcoming…

West Africans deported from the United States to Ghana are now stranded in Togo without documents, according to lawyers and deportees. Those affected say they were held near Accra before being sent across the border and abandoned without passports or identification. The situation emerged earlier this month when Ghanaian President John Mahama announced that his country had agreed to accept deportees from the region. Since then, eight to ten West African nationals have reportedly been forcibly sent from Ghana to Togo, bypassing official border procedures. Benjamin, a Nigerian national using a pseudonym for safety, said he was staying in a…

A new report has warned that academic freedom in the United States is under unprecedented pressure. Experts say federal actions now threaten universities, scholars, and students, undermining the US’s long-standing global leadership in higher education. The study recorded about 40 attacks on academic freedom in the US during the first half of 2025. These included cuts to research funding, as well as the detention or attempted deportation of foreign scholars for their political views. The report also highlights a surge in legislative and executive measures targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. This marks a sharp change from previous years, when…

The United States government shut down on Wednesday after congressional Democrats refused to support a Republican plan to extend funding for federal departments. Democrats insisted on a series of concessions focused on healthcare before approving the measure. The failure to reach an agreement caused funding to lapse at midnight, marking the first government shutdown in nearly seven years. The last closure in December 2018 lasted 35 days during President Trump’s first term. Republicans, who control both the House and Senate, rejected the Democrats’ demands. Efforts to prevent a funding lapse failed, even though the House had previously passed a bill…

Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer have blamed Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers for the federal government shutdown. They warn that the ongoing closure endangers healthcare and public services for millions of Americans. Jeffries and Schumer said recent policy changes have already made life harder and more expensive for many families. They claim Trump and his party “do not want to protect the healthcare of the American people” and argue that the shutdown is a political tactic rather than a necessary action. The Democrats insist they are ready to reopen the government with a plan to lower costs and…

A military court in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has sentenced former president Joseph Kabila to death in absentia after convicting him of war crimes, treason, and crimes against humanity. The court also ordered Kabila to pay $50 billion in damages to the state and victims. The charges relate to Kabila’s alleged backing of the M23 rebels, supported by Rwanda, in eastern DRC. Kabila, who governed from 2001 to 2019, has denied any wrongdoing, calling the judiciary politicised. Lt Gen Joseph Mutombo Katalayi, presiding over the Kinshasa tribunal, said the court applied Article 7 of the military penal code…

UK business investment in the second quarter of 2025 fell less than previously reported, according to revised estimates. The Office for National Statistics now reports that investment dropped by 1.1% between April and June, an improvement from the earlier forecast of a 4.0% fall. This follows a 4.1% rise in business investment in the first quarter of the year. Economists had expected a sharper decline, citing global uncertainties and rising costs for businesses. The smaller-than-expected drop suggests that companies may be cautiously continuing with planned projects despite economic pressures. Business investment is a key measure of how much companies are…