Top World News
Sep 24, 2026
Trump's war running out of steam as Republicans' 'willful ignorance is starting to fade'
Republicans in competitive races are increasingly breaking with President Donald Trump over the Iran war as soaring fuel prices squeeze voters.In a Thursday piece for The Bulwark, Joe Perticone argued that GOP lawmakers had spent months seemingly determined to ignore the spike in gas prices since the conflict began. "Their willful ignorance is starting to fade," he wrote.Perticone reported that a growing number of Republicans running in battleground House and Senate contests are distancing themselves from the president on the war, pointing to pain at the pump as a chief reason. Gasoline averaged $4.48 a gallon nationally as of Thursday, while diesel has topped $6.50 and hit $7 or $8 in some states.With fighting ongoing and the Strait of Hormuz still contested, the White House has leaned on what Perticone described as weak domestic fixes, including Trump-backed discount gas stations he dismissed as a public relations effort. Diesel, he argued, poses the far bigger economic and political problem.Politico reported Wednesday that the Trump administration is weighing a 90-day ban on U.S. diesel exports to prop up domestic supply through the end of the year. Perticone spoke with senators who were cool to the idea."Of the Republican senators who understood what such a proposal would mean, none I spoke with regarded it as viable," Perticone wrote.Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) warned the plan would hurt U.S. refiners."I think it would end up driving up costs," Cruz said. "It would have massive harm to the refining industry. We refine more diesel than we consume, and it would end up forcing refiners to reduce production. So it would backfire badly."Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) called the proposal "a gimmick" while Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) sounded unenthusiastic."The kind of analysis they should be making is, 'Is it a net benefit?'" Hoeven told reporters. "And that should determine what you do."
Sep 24, 2026
China is embarrassing Trump's Pentagon with 'devastating' move amid summit: analyst
The Trump administration is facing a "devastating" threat from China after a package containing F-35 fighter jet parts was diverted to Hong Kong.On Thursday, former Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh explained during an appearance on CNN that the Trump administration should be concerned about China's ability to reproduce and reverse-engineer the F-35 after the faux pas."This is incredibly damaging and embarrassing for the United States," Singh said. "This is our most sophisticated aircraft platform that our military uses, and the proprietary information and some of the parts that were rerouted can be devastating, not only to reverse-engineer, but these are the fighters that can evade detection."She said, "An investigation would certainly need to play out" to understand just how devastating the mistake can be and what kind of threat is in place. However, she stressed that the F-35 is "very sophisticated," especially when it comes to avoiding detection."You'll remember when [Russian] President [Vladimir] Putin came to Alaska, the red slating that you saw on the fighter jets, that was to protect components of the F-35 from photographs," Singh explained. "So the fact that this has now fallen into the wrong hands, I would hope that the president is pushing President Xi on how to get these back."Singh was referring to the fact that Chinese leader Xi Jinping is in Washington, D.C., and visiting President Donald Trump in the White House. She said it was an opportunity to bring the matter up, "but it's almost a little too late at this point because I would assume Chinese intelligence has at least taken photographs of this."CNN anchor Jake Tapper was flabbergasted to learn that the F-35 parts arrived in Hong Kong via UPS, the popular package courier, despite their importance to national security."UPS?" Tapper asked. "It's not a Christmas sweater."
Sep 24, 2026
Seething Kristen Holmes fact-checks Trump in real time: 'Fundamentally not true'
A Truth Social post by President Donald Trump taking aim at the media was quickly and angrily fact-checked by CNN White House correspondent Kristen Holmes.On Thursday, Trump shot off an irate post about how CNN and MS NOW didn't cover his White House welcome ceremony for Chinese leader Xi Jinping."CNN and MSDNC's Ratings have dropped considerably," Trump wrote, using his name for MS NOW, a jab at the network's progressive lean. "The primary reason is NO CREDIBILITY! They only write badly about a man who won the Election IN A GIANT LANDSLIDE."He continued, "CNN and MSDNC, to show you how fake they are, today refused to cover one of the Biggest and Most Beautiful Events to take place in many years, the arrival at the White House of the Highly Respected President of China, Xi Jinping...the event was magnificent — Actually made for Television."Holmes reacted to the post minutes after it came out."He is clearly very angry that there has been no coverage of his meeting," Holmes said, but she noted that claims in the post are "fundamentally not true." CNN would have covered the event, Holmes stressed, but its reporters were still not allowed into the White House when it took place.A judge temporarily blocked Trump's media ban earlier in the day and ordered the White House to restore access to CNN, MS NOW and Politico. However, the Trump administration initially tried to continue restricting their access, and the event with Xi took place before the White House finally relented. It seemed like no one told Trump about the series of events, Holmes said."Either somebody in President Trump's administration or the press office is lying to President Trump, or he does not have a fundamental understanding of what is happening today, or he himself is not telling the truth in this post," Holmes said, nearly yelling out of frustration. "And I do want to be very clear to the president of the United States that we would have covered this event had you not banned CNN and MS NOW and Politico."
Sep 24, 2026
Outrage as Trump flaunts 'autopen' portrait in front of world leader: 'Appalling'
President Donald Trump sparked outrage by joking about the "autopen" on a portrait to get a laugh out of Chinese leader Xi Jinping.On Thursday, the White House X account posted a video of Trump giving Xi a tour of the Presidential Walk of Fame, a West Colonnade display of gold-framed portraits of past presidents that Trump installed last September. Former President Joe Biden's portrait is notably swapped out with an autopen, reflecting Trump and his allies' claim that Biden's aides used the signature device on pardons and orders because he was mentally unfit. Biden denies the claim."Trump, Trump," the president said, pointing at the portraits on both sides of the autopen. "This is the autopen...It's Biden," Trump then explained to Xi with a pat on the arm.While people following Trump and Xi on the tour laughed at the joke, online reactions were harsher. Many were outraged that Trump would take a dig at a previous president for the sake of getting a laugh out of a foreign leader."As an American, I find this so embarrassing," former U.S. ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul reacted. "He calls it the people's house, but he does not treat it as the people's house. Whatever your policy disagreements were with President Biden, 81 million Americans voted for him. To treat him with such disrespect is appalling. To force a foreign guest to participate in your ridicule of Biden is even worse.""I hate this," lamented Philip Klein, the editor of National Review Online, a conservative opinion outlet. "Xi is a commie b— who runs a key US adversary. Biden, warts and all, was a U.S. president.""He's a grotesque human being," blasted former GOP congressman Joe Walsh. "Taking a despicable cheap shot at an American president to make a communist dictator laugh.""How embarrassing for us," bemoaned Gregg Nunziata, a former GOP Senate Judiciary Committee counsel.As an American, I find this so embarrassing.He calls it the people's house, but he does not treat it as the people's house. Whatever your policy disagreements were with President Biden, 81 million Americans voted for him.To treat him with such disrespect is appalling. To… https://t.co/PTwtEpYn6M— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) September 24, 2026
Sep 24, 2026
'Order!' UN roiled by another mass walkout as right-wing Trump ally triggers storm-off
Diplomats from dozens of countries walked out of the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approached the podium, emptying rows of the chamber in protest before he could say a word.Cheers and chants in support of Palestine broke out Thursday afternoon as dozens of diplomats stormed out. The protest led to a gaveling and a call for "order in the hall!"Netanyahu answered the exodus from the stage with a firm retort."If there are any other moral cowards who have not left this hall, please do so now," he said to a visibly thinned-out room. The walkout comes amid protests against Israel's brutality in Gaza, where the war has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, and against Netanyahu personally. The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him last year over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity tied to the siege of Gaza, a warrant he rejects.Netanyahu arrived in New York at odds with the city's leaders. He spent the run-up to the trip attacking Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who previously warned he would seek to enforce the ICC warrant if Netanyahu set foot in the city. In a video before the speech, Netanyahu declared, "Shame on you, Mr. Mamdani!" and accused him of "supporting the Hamas terrorist monsters" and inciting violence against Jewish New Yorkers.That claim landed flat even on Fox News, where correspondent Trey Yingst flatly rebutted it, noting that Netanyahu's video said Mamdani "strongly supported Hamas, which... isn't true."The mass exit was not the first of the week's UN drama. A day earlier, President Donald Trump used his own General Assembly address to threaten to "annihilate" Iran, remarks one New York Times reporter characterized as a threat to commit a war crime.Netanyahu after the UNGA emptied out ahead of his speech: "If there any other moral cowards who have not left the hall, please do so now." pic.twitter.com/5I3ceI0bSM— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 24, 2026 ????Dozens of delegates from member states walk out of the UN general assembly in protest of Netanyahu's speech pic.twitter.com/afxM14UN8u— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) September 24, 2026
Sep 24, 2026
Rebel offensive against Ethiopian army stokes fears of return to civil war
Fighting escalates after Tigrayan rebels form new coalition aimed at overthrowing Abiy Ahmed governmentThere are growing fears of a return to civil war in Ethiopia after an offensive by fighters from Tigray into the neighbouring states of Afar and Amhara and the formation of a new rebel alliance aimed at overthrowing the government of the prime minister, Abiy Ahmed.About 600,000 people died between 2020 and 2022 during a devastating war between the Ethiopian army and the political party and paramilitary group the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Both sides are now accusing the other of triggering a return to open conflict. Continue reading...
Sep 23, 2026
'Square that circle': Analyst pinpoints Trump's glaring contradiction over Chinese AI
A technology analyst highlighted a potentially dangerous contradiction in President Donald Trump’s strategy for defeating China in the artificial intelligence race.New York Times technology columnist Kevin Roose told CNN’s Brianna Keilar on Wednesday that Trump wants the United States to remain the global AI leader, while some Republicans and administration allies push to loosen restrictions on selling advanced American chips to China.“It's kind of confusing because on one hand, he is saying that he wants America to win on China,” Roose said. “At the same time, there are some Republicans and people in his orbit who have been pushing for a loosening of the trade restrictions on advanced AI chips to China from companies like Nvidia.”“To me, I don't quite understand how you can want America to win, but also want to sell China the ingredients to make powerful AI systems,” he added. “But maybe someone else knows how to square that circle.”Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to discuss a proposed fast-track communication channel that would allow their governments to alert each other about serious AI-related security threats, CNN reported.Roose called that prospect “better than nothing” but also delivered a stark warning.“It’s not enough to just know that an incident is ongoing,” he said. “You also have to have the infrastructure in place to be able to prevent the incident from happening in the first place.”Roose’s thoughts on a lasting AI treaty between the two countries were likewise dim: “I wouldn’t hold my breath under this administration.”
Sep 23, 2026
US delegation storms out as Iranian president holds up images of slain children
The United States delegation to the United Nations was seen storming out of the General Assembly Hall in New York Wednesday as Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held up images of children who are widely believed to have been killed by U.S. strikes.On the same day President Donald Trump launched his deeply unpopular war against Iran, the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls’ elementary school was reportedly hit with a “double tap” strike by U.S.-made Tomahawk missiles, killing at least 156 people, including 120 children. Trump initially blamed Iran for the strike before subsequent reporting made clear the United States was likely responsible. A U.S. strike on a sports hall also reportedly killed 22 civilians and damaged a nearby school.Pezeshkian, addressing the international body behind the same podium where Trump threatened to “annihilate” Iran just a day earlier, did not mince words in his condemnation of the Trump administration.“Yesterday, the United States president described us as terrorists. We have been the victims of terrorism,” Pezeshkian said, according to the U.N.’s live translator. “I come from an Iran in which our esteemed supreme leader was assassinated without any legal framework or reason; I come from an Iran where in truth, they bombed a school.”Pezeshkian then began to hold up images of children he said were victims of U.S. strikes.“You see these children? These children perished under bombs with weapons used by the United States and Israel,” Pezeshkian said. “They were innocent, had committed no crimes. A sports hall where children were busy playing, the United States, by using weapons with multiple warheads, targeted that sports hall. They martyred, assassinated our scientists, our men, women and children. Innocent children who in truth had committed no crimes, no sins!”As Pezeshkian continued, the U.S. delegation to the U.N. could be seen exiting the General Assembly Hall, leaving the Iranian president to deliver his remarks to an empty U.S. section.“Those who are terrorists and train and protect terrorists describe us as such,” Pezeshkian continued. “We have only defended ourselves — we are not terrorists.”
Sep 23, 2026
Murdoch's WSJ sticks a knife in Trump's credibility after latest Iran threat
The Wall Street Journal's editorial board wasn't buying President Donald Trump's latest saber-rattling at the United Nations.Hours after Trump warned he could "annihilate" Iran's regime during his Tuesday address to the General Assembly, the Rupert Murdoch-owned paper's editors argued the threat would land harder if Trump hadn't already worn it out. The warning would be more credible "if we and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps hadn't heard it several times by now," the board wrote, noting this year's speech was comparatively subdued — "no escalator sabotage" — with the drama confined to the annihilation threat itself.The editors doubted Iran's regime would suddenly surrender its nuclear stockpile or drop its claim to the Strait of Hormuz, warning Trump could be "blindsided again" the way he was when Tehran blew off an earlier cease-fire. They also noted Iran may be "banking on the midterms" to force Trump's hand — but argued that bet could backfire, since a second-term president freed of election pressure "will have two years left in office, with no political threat hanging over his head" and might prosecute the war "with less restraint."Adding to the whiplash: later Tuesday, Trump said a three-hour meeting with Iranian representatives had gone "very well," raising fresh hope for a diplomatic off-ramp. The board argued Trump's constant swings between annihilation and peace talks have left "exhausted Americans" unsure what to believe."Iran is going to heed what the President does, not what he threatens to do," the editors predicted. "When the annihilation talk rings false, it hurts U.S. deterrence around the world. It also hurts Mr. Trump at home because it doesn’t look like the U.S. is winning. He’s better off explaining his strategy to win the war and for seeing it through—before and after the midterms."
Sep 23, 2026
Trump pal fiercely fact-checked on Fox News ahead of major UN speech
Trump ally Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was issued a blunt fact check Wednesday on Fox News after attacking New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani with a false claim.On Tuesday, ahead of his address to the United Nations General Assembly, Netanyahu released a video on social media condemning the progressive New York mayor, vowing to expose the Democratic socialist for “inciting violence” against Jewish Americans.“Shame on you Mr. Mamdani! Shame on you for supporting the Hamas terrorist monsters who butchered our people!” Netanyahu said. “Shame on you for inciting violence against New York Jews! I'm coming to the U.N., I'm gonna tell the truth about our heroic soldiers, and I'm gonna tell the truth about you!”Netanyahu’s remarks were discussed Wednesday morning on “Fox & Friends,” with Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade asking his colleague Trey Yingst, reporting live from Tel Aviv, Israel, about the spat: “He made it clear he's not happy with Mayor Mamdani, right?”“He did, he released a video saying that Mayor Mamdani strongly supported Hamas, which... isn't true,” Yingst said. “We do know that [Mamdani] condemned Hamas and called the Oct. 7 attack a war crime, but the Israeli prime minister certainly doesn't agree with the characterization of what followed after the Oct. 7 massacre and some of the comments that were made by the New York mayor. So we may hear some of that in those remarks today at the U.N.”Netanyahu has called President Donald Trump “the greatest friend that Israel has ever had in the White House,” and boasted about having “almost daily conversations” with Trump during the second Trump administration. Netanyahu is expected to address the U.N. on Wednesday, just one day after Trump threatened to “annihilate” Iran during his U.N. address on Tuesday, remarks that The New York Times’ Farnaz Fassihi described as a clear threat to carry out a “war crime.”Israeli PM Benjamin Netenyahu’s smear against NYC Mayor Mamdani fact-checked by Fox News’ Trey Yingst“He released a video saying that Mayor Mamdani strongly supported Hamas, which... isn't true.” pic.twitter.com/LTEZgk6FPR— Alexander Willis (@ReporterWillis) September 23, 2026
Sep 23, 2026
Indian billionaire’s payments firm plots biggest London flotation in years
Sunil Bharti Mittal’s Airtel Money targets $9bn IPO in boost for ailing UK stock marketNils Pratley: Does this mark the end of London’s listing drought? Not yetA payments business that operates across Africa and is ultimately controlled by an Indian billionaire has announced its intention to float on the struggling London Stock Exchange.Airtel Money, the mobile money arm of Airtel Africa, is planning one of the biggest UK listings in years, in a boost for the shrinking London market that has faced a string of recent departures. Continue reading...
Sep 23, 2026
Top South African police officer charged with raping woman, 18, and grooming 16-year-old girl
Arrest of Shadrack Sibiya comes as country reels from cases of femicide and alleged police corruption and criminalityOne of South Africa’s most senior police officers has been charged with raping an 18-year-old woman and grooming a 16-year-old girl, as the country’s police face allegations of corruption and failing to tackle violence against women and girls.Shadrack Sibiya, who was already suspended from his role as deputy national police commissioner over allegations he interfered with political killings investigations, was arrested on Monday. He is facing charges of rape, people trafficking, promoting the sexual grooming of a child and two counts of grooming a child. Continue reading...
