Ian Bremmer on what a midterms defeat could mean for Trump

Trump and his Republican party are on course for huge losses in the midterm elections. Control of Congress is at stake. We asked geopolitical analyst Ian Bremmer if he thinks that a defeat would weaken Trump or instead cause him to become a more active danger to Iran — and the rest of the world.

 

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What's next for Serbia after the student movement's landslide win?

After 14 years in power, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic's party lost the parliamentary election in his country. A student-led movement secured a clear majority, promising to 'rebuild' the country after years of corruption.

 

France protests: Media bias, police brutality and political chaos

 

Student protests, police violence and French media obsessed with 'barbarians'.

What began as protests over education has rapidly taken over the streets of France and turned into one of the country’s biggest waves of unrest in years.

Many mainstream media outlets have focused their coverage on the violence and looting rather than on the demands of the demonstrators. A lot of airtime has fixated on who the protesters are and what they look like, often using racist terms. That narrative has been picked up by right-wing movements abroad.

India’s crackdown on cockroaches, critics and cameras

 

A government at war with its critics – from young protesters to the media.

A wave of youth-led protests has returned to the streets of India’s capital, Delhi, after media reports revealed that the Election Commission removed about 130 million names from voter lists.

These protests differ from the unrest that exploded in July, though, by the attacks on the media.

What the delayed opening of China-North Korea bridge says about their ties

A border bridge delayed for 12 years has finally opened between China and North Korea. At first glance it looks like an infrastructure story. In reality, it may signal a new phase in the strategic competition for influence over North Korea. With Russia and China both trying to deepen ties with Kim Jong Un, this crossing has become a symbol of a much larger geopolitical contest.  

The Fed - Money From Nothing (Official Music Video)

 

The scramble to rewrite Biden’s record on Gaza

Three years after the October 7 attacks and the start of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, there have been a slew of books, podcasts and media appearances revisiting what happened.

Much of this is coming from former Biden officials who are trying to whitewash the administration’s support for Israel and rehabilitate their reputations. They are being welcomed across mainstream media, whilst those with more critical accounts continue to struggle with invitations and access. 

Police crack down on India 'cockroach' protest in Delhi

Tens of thousands of security personnel have been deployed and roads barricaded in Delhi to stop the latest Cockroach Janta Party demonstration. The group says its leader, Abhijeet Dipke, is among hundreds who have been reportedly detained since Friday evening.

Far-right AfD wins first state parliament speaker post in Germany

 The AfD has become the first far-right party since World War II to secure the post of speaker in a German state parliament. The breakthrough came in Saxony-Anhalt, where the party scored a landslide victory in last month's election and is now setting its sights on leading a state government.

Netanyahu’s fight to own the election narrative

 

With elections one month away, the media discourse in Israel has narrowed in on one question about one man: What did Benjamin Netanyahu know before October 7?

The prime minister is suing the Israeli newspaper that reported the claim, while the right-wing Channel 14 insists none of it matters. Missing from the coverage is any reckoning with what Israel has done in Gaza.

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How Spain’s neo-Nazis are luring in a younger audience | The Listening Post

 

A fringe neo-Nazi movement in Spain, Nucleo Nacional, has attracted a growing online following by packaging incendiary and slickly produced content. The mainstream media attention the group has received has made a marginal organisation appear far larger and more influential than it is. The Listening Post’s Elettra Scrivo travels to Madrid - where she comes face-to-face with Nucleo Nacional’s members - to look at the reality that lies behind the spectacle.

Five men arrested as counter-terror police investigate major incident near RAF Fairford

 Five men have been arrested and remain in custody as counter-terrorism police investigate a major incident near RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, UK.

The men were initially arrested on suspicion of offences under the Explosives Act and were later further arrested on suspicion of preparation of a terrorist act. Gloucestershire Police said officers received a report of three suspicious vehicles travelling towards the RAF base at about 00:45 BST. Around 85 homes have been evacuated in nearby Whelford while investigations continue. Assistant Chief Constable Richard Ocone said work to establish the full nature of the incident is ongoing.

Heavy police presence as far right groups protest in the Hague

 

'I think it's totally appropriate,' says JD Vance on Trump's White House media bans

JD Vance defended Trump’s ban of three news outlets from the White House while speaking to reporters en route to a campaign event in North Carolina.

“He’s not banning media outlets,” Vance said on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews. (Trump, in his social media post announcing the move, referred to his actions as a ban.)

Vance continued: “What he’s doing is saying we’re not going to give you special access to the White House if you engage in what is effectively propaganda.”

When Donald Trump decided on the weekend to assert that CNN, MS Now and Politico were propaganda and banned them from the White House it seemed as though the 4th estate would fold like a cheap suit. They didn't.  

Major TV networks halt video coverage of Trump over CNN ban

News organizations responded strenuously Monday to President Donald Trump’s decision to ban CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, filing a lawsuit in federal court and banding together to halt video coverage of the president until further notice.

Doomsday AI: panic, regulation and the China fear

AI’s existential threat to humanity is dominating headlines across the globe. But with so much attention on the fear of a future AI apocalypse, is the media ignoring the damage AI is already causing?
 

And as AI CEOs join forces to call for regulations, is their motivation about public safety or to secure their grip on the technology’s future?

Iran sets conditions for ending war with US: Exclusive

 

Middle East: Iran war exposes limits of US power

 Saudi Arabia’s crown prince sought backing Tuesday from the president of Egypt, his ally across the Red Sea, as the kingdom faces increased attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Saudi shipping and infrastructure that have helped drive a surge in global oil prices. France 24's Rochelle Ferguson Bouyahi tells us more.

EU mulls new security architecture amid intensifying Russian hybrid threats

 

Europe is facing growing security concerns as Russia’s threat appears to extend beyond Ukraine’s borders. A series of incidents across Lithuania, Poland, Denmark and Germany have put governments on alert. With the US calling on Europe to do more for its own defence, leaders are now asking whether the continent needs a new strategy to protect itself.

Should Russia attack a NATO member it's highly probable that Donald Trump wouldn't allow American forces to aid in Europe's defense. Given his long standing antipathy towards the alliance.

Baltic tensions rise as NATO shoots down drone over Lithuania

 NATO fighter jets have shot down an unidentified drone in Lithuanian airspace for the first time, while a Russian warship fired flares at a Danish military helicopter in a separate Baltic Sea incident. The back-to-back encounters have heightened security concerns across Europe and fueled accusations that Russia is growing increasingly reckless on NATO’s borders.

Selling the war: Purges, polygraphs and propaganda

 With the US midterm elections just weeks away, Donald Trump’s administration is trying to put a positive spin on a war with Iran that shows no sign of letting up.

Climbing fuel and grocery prices, the president’s provocative social media posts and the Pentagon’s combative relationship with the media are making that story harder to sell.

Germany's far-right AfD wins Saxony-Anhalt state elections.

 The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is "very, very close" to taking power in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, its deputy parliamentary leader has told the BBC, after a historic victory in elections there.

Sunday's preliminary results show it fell three seats short of an outright majority, with 43.8% of the vote. It is now seeking support from other parties or individuals in order to govern.

Alternative für Deutschland  is a far right populist political party was founded on 6 February 2013 in Eastern Germany. They are known for their xenophobia, anti immigration policies, religious bigotry towards Muslims and support of the great replacement theory. ( The Camp of the Saints)

The party's plans for Saxony-Anhalt, which include segregating child refugees into special classes and setting up a task-force to help detain and deport migrants who no longer have the right to be in the state, are highly controversial within Germany.

They seem have to have taken inspiration from the Jim Crow Laws of the Southern United States. 

Love & Rockets - Resurrection Hex (Deep Dish Luv 'N' Dub Mix) (12" Vinyl HD)

 

Israel ‘seeking Trump’s support for plan to expel Palestinians from Gaza’

 Defence minister says he believes US backing could tip regional balance in favour of forced resettlement

I'm positive that Donald Trump and his army of white supremacists and religious bigots will happily agree to the ethnic cleansing of Gaza which is a crime against humanity.

Israel’s defence minister has said his country is seeking Donald Trump’s support to approve plans to expel Palestinians from the Gaza Strip in what has widely been condemned as a potential war crime.

Israel Katz said there was “no real solution for Gaza in the end without this
migration” during a conference hosted by the Israeli news site Ynet and the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth. He said the Israeli government was “organised and prepared to get them out by sea, by air, by every way possible”

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Pentagon secretly installs military influencers in civilian roles

Conservative veterans with large social media followings have been hired by the Defense Department and are amplifying Pete Hegseth’s culture-war fights

The Pentagon has secretly installed several conservative military veterans with large online followings in government roles, declining to disclose their assignments as they amplify Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s viewpoints and attack those who scrutinize the Trump administration, according to people familiar with the matter and corroborating material.

This what state sponsored propaganda looks like. Employee those most willing to sell the governments propaganda as truth thus influencing its most ardent supporters that these lies are in fact the truth. 

Nepal – Tibet flood catastrophe: Search for thousands of missing people continues

 

Three days after a massive wall of water and debris tore through a Himalayan valley on the Nepal-China border, rescue teams are still searching for hundreds of missing people. Entire villages have been wiped away, survivors are mourning loved ones and wondering how to rebuild their lives. DW's Adil Bhat is reporting from the disaster zone and joins us with the latest on the rescue effort and the growing questions about what caused the deadly collapse.

Super El Nino: How a record weather event could make 2027 the hottest year ever

 The weather phenomenon is already linked to drought in the Panama Canal, flooding in Chile and wildfires in Indonesia. El Nino disrupts global rainfall patterns, bringing drought to some regions and storms and flooding to others.

Putin threatens arrests as fuel shortages spark chaos across Russia

 

Russian police have arrested citizens complaining of fuel shortages at the pump, as Ukraine’s drone campaign sparked fighting at petrol stations and rationing. On Wednesday, Moscow and its surrounding regions were forced to reinstate purchase limits on fuel, capping sales at between 50 and 60 litres per vehicle.

Israeli minister calls for killing '30 to 40' Palestinians in Gaza nightly

 

German lawmakers called for EU sanctions on Itamar Ben-Gvir after his comments. In a podcast hosted by an Israeli taken hostage by Hamas during the October 7th terror attack, Ben-Gvir said Israel should kill up to 40 Gazans every night with targeted assassinations, adding "not just those who pose and immediate threat".

The promises the Taliban made to women, then broke

 

Five years of Taliban rule has heavily discriminated against women, despite the group claiming it would protect their rights. Guardian journalist Annie Kelly looks back at the statements that Taliban leaders made in 2021 and the reality of women's lives in Afghanistan today

The secret reason oil prices didn't spiral after the Iran war

When the Iran war threatened a global economic collapse, China shockingly slashed its crude oil imports by 40% from February to June. This brutal pullback acted as a massive shock absorber, stabilizing oil prices when everyone expected chaos. Watch the full breakdown of this high-stakes economic gamble.

US conducted ‘mass spying campaign’ against leftwing groups and anti-ICE protesters, records reveal

 

DHS sent undercover agents to meetings and infiltrated chats of groups opposing Trump’s immigration crackdown

Newly disclosed records reveal the US government extensively spied on prominent leftwing organizations and on protesters as part of a vast operation into groups opposing the immigration crackdown in Minnesota earlier this year.

Internal investigative reports show the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sent undercover agents to community meetings in the Twin Cities and New York City, infiltrated Signal chats and obtained financial records of mainstream unions and left-leaning non-profit groups.

Nearly 30 internal law enforcement reports were released on Thursday as part of a criminal case the Department of Justice (DoJ) has filed against 15 Minneapolis protesters. The defendants are accused of a “conspiracy” to “impede” US immigration officers during the Trump administration’s surge in the region.

Trump’s secret plane switch raises questions

Journalists and staff believed they were traveling on Air Force One with the US President after a NATO summit in Turkey last month. Instead, Donald Trump had been secretly moved to another plane after a possible missile threat, leaving others on board unaware. The incident is raising questions about security, subterfuge, and who had the right to know.  

BREAKING: DOJ to monitor polling sites in Minnesota today

This voter suppression aimed at Democratic voters.  

 

Missile & drone war is intensifying but Kyiv's air defense is stalling

 

Russian authorities say Ukrainian drones killed five people overnight, including a child. In Ukraine, authorities reported two people killed and dozens injured in Russian missile attacks. On a visit to Serbia, Ukraine's President Zelenskyy warns that Moscow is preparing a new mass mobilization.

Love & Rockets - Resurrection Hex (Deep Dish Luv 'N' Dub Mix) (12" Vinyl HD)

 

Explosive drone found near Ukrainian cargo plane at German airport

German authorities are investigating after an explosive drone was discovered near a Ukrainian cargo aircraft at Leipzig/Halle Airport. The incident led to runway closures, flight diversions, and the deployment of bomb disposal experts, while counter-terrorism investigators work to determine who was behind it and whether the device was intended to detonate. German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt describes the drone incident at Leipzig airport as a "hybrid attack scenario."

 

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How India's 'cockroach' protests toppled a government minister

 

For the first time in more than a decade, a government minister in India has resigned following pressure from a street protest movement. The demonstrations erupted after the chief justice compared unemployed youths to cockroaches.

For many young Indians, the remark became the tipping point after years of high unemployment and repeated exam paper leaks that had shattered the hopes of millions of job seekers. The Guardian spent a week embedded with protesters as they faced police crackdowns, arrests and intimidation, documenting an extraordinary week that culminated in the education minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation.

Meta To Use Newsmax Propaganda As AI News Source

 I’m guessing Fox News was unavailable.

Thanks to the Meta/Newsmax deal your next Facebook, Threads or Insta search may bring you AI “answers” straight from the same Trump propagandist network that recently paid out $67 million for promoting 2020 election lies. That was a year after it reportedly paid out $40 million to settle another lawsuit over the same lies.

A press release from Newsmax announced, “Under the agreement, Meta will have access to Newsmax's digital news content. Meta will be able to draw upon Newsmax's significant current reporting as well as archived content across its platforms to support AI queries across Meta's apps and devices.”

What should we compare this to: China Central Television, KCNA (North Korea), Sputnik TV or Radio Moscow? 
Propaganda fed to you with a lot of honey, sugar and subterfuge. 

The Cockroach Effect: Modi vs India’s Gen Z

 

New Delhi has been rocked by some of India's biggest student protests in years, led by a viral movement known as the Cockroach Janta Party. After tens of thousands took to the streets over frustrations sparked by exam leaks, the Indian state mounted a heavy-handed response. Much of the mainstream media coverage has focused on the unrest rather than the grievances behind it, leaving alternative outlets to tell the full story.

France and Spain race to control fires as new heatwave hits

Fire crews across Spain and France are battling to contain some of the worst wildfires Europe has ever experienced. Firefighters in Spain managed to stabilize several of the blazes, and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez says there is a "light at the end of the tunnel" in their fight to contain the flames. But another heatwave is predicted for later this week, threatening to worsen an already desperate situation across the region.

 

More than 40,000 without power across Kyushu island, says energy provider

People trapped in Japanese mall hit by earthquake, with others missing after factory chimney collapse Summary Many people are trapped inside a Japanese shopping centre after an earthquake, the fire service says One witness reported the second floor of the mall in Kumamoto collapsing - BBC Verify has looked at some of the images from the site Reports in Japan say 20 to 30 shopping centre staff may be missing - but the figure has not been confirmed Elsewhere in the Kumamoto prefecture, people are reported missing at a paper factory after a chimney collapsed A magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit inland on Kyushu island at 16:27 local time (07:27 GMT), causing power cuts, damaged roads, a collapsed castle wall, and a destroyed footbridge

Wildfire has 'life of its own', says French minister, with blaze nine miles from Bordeaux outskirts

 

Wildfire has 'life of its own', says French minister, with blaze nine miles from Bordeaux outskirts

Iran warns countries aiding US attack •

 Middle East tensions are once again driving up global oil prices, with Brent crude climbing above $100 a barrel for the first time since May. While much of the focus has been on the strategic Strait of Hormuz, the alternative shipping route through the Red Sea is becoming increasingly dangerous after Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they targeted two Saudi oil tankers. The escalation comes as US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he was considering a "massive attack" on Iran, prompting Tehran to warn it would hold accountable any country that assists the United States in such an operation.

'Cockroach Movement' protests pile pressure on India's government

 

India's government is facing its biggest youth-led challenge in years. Thousands of protesters from the so-called ‘Cockroach Movement’ have taken to the streets of New Delhi demanding the education minister's resignation. After clashes with police and a crackdown near parliament, is the movement becoming a wider political threat?

Russian polls signal growing discontent as Putin's approval hits wartime low

For years, Vladimir Putin's approval rating barely budged, remaining comfortably above 70 percent despite war, sanctions and economic pressure. Now, Russia's state pollster is recording a steady decline, with support falling to its lowest level since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

 

Report reveals extent of Kenyan deaths on Russian frontline

 

The spectacle and symbolism of Khamenei’s funeral

 

Once again, the Strait of Hormuz is at the centre of the latest escalation in the war between Iran, the United States and their allies. The ceasefire collapsed just days after millions of Iranians took to the streets to pay homage to late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Hundreds of foreign reporters and social media influencers were granted rare access to Iran to cover the funeral, signalling just how carefully Tehran is calibrating its media messaging.

Images Reveal Impact of Jared Kushner-Backed Luxury Resort in Albania

A New York Times analysis of satellite images shows the damage a proposed luxury resort near Zvernec, Albania could inflict on delicate natural habitats. The project is being developed by real estate partners of Jared Kushner.

 

DEEP & DUB TECHNO NEW MIX // Solitude (No AI)

 

Europe is considering to ban under-16s from social media |

 

The European Union is weighing a region-wide social media ban for children under 16. The proposal comes amid growing concerns about the impact of social media on young people. Supporters argue that stronger EU-wide safeguards may be needed to better protect children and teens from online risks.

How President Trump made $1.4bn in crypto and what it has to do with corruption

 Donald Trump is one of the richest people ever to serve as U.S. president. But critics say his wealth is growing while he's still in office. This is raising questions about conflicts of interest, cryptocurrency (and the €1.4bn he’s made in it), and the influence of money in American politics.

Did FIFA lift Balogun's match suspension after a Trump phone call?

 Football's governing body FIFA is under fire for allegedly reversing a US footballer's match suspension following an intervention from US President Donald Trump. US striker Folarin Balogun had been sent off the field last week following a red card in a game against Bosnia and Herzegovina. But an automatic one match suspension thereafter was suspended by FIFA after reports emerged that Trump had called FIFA boss Gianni Infantino complaining about it.

How xenophobia went viral in South Africa

 

The online campaign stoking South Africa’s latest xenophobic backlash.

South Africa is experiencing an ugly wave of xenophobia driven by a coordinated digital campaign by anti-migrant groups.

As prejudiced rhetoric seeps into mainstream news coverage, a growing number of South African journalists are trying to figure out who’s really pulling the strings behind the movement.

German riot police clash with protesters attempting to block far-right AfD conference

 

Riot police have clashed with opponents of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party on the streets of Erfurt in Germany, where thousands met to block roads and prevent AfD delegates from attending the party’s biennial national conference to elect its leadership.

Police reported 20,000 protesters were demonstrating in the eastern city, where Alice Weidel and Tino Chrupalla are expected to be re-elected as the party’s co-leaders in the run-up to crucial regional elections in which AfD could win power at state level for the first time. Their opponents, led by the 'Resistance' alliance, staged sit-in blockades in the city centre in an attempt to prevent the AfD’s approximately 600 delegates from reaching the conference grounds

Starmer couldn’t master the media. Can Burnham?

Keir Starmer is out after a short tenure as prime minister during which he failed to connect with voters and much of Britain’s media. As Andy Burnham prepares to become the UK’s seventh prime minister in a decade, can he navigate a media landscape transformed by Brexit and the rise of Reform UK?

 

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Trump’s Iran deal, Israel’s meltdown

Trump says it’s a breakthrough. Israeli media call it a disaster.

Richard Gizbert and Meenakshi Ravi unpack the battle to define the Iran agreement as Washington sells diplomacy, Tel Aviv rails against betrayal, and Tehran keeps its guard up.

DEEP & DUB TECHNO NEW MIX // Solitude (No AI)

 

The president, the billionaires and the news

 

As US President Donald Trump tries to end the US-Israel war with Iran, host a World Cup, and prepare for midterm elections, he has also deepened the battle lines between himself and the US media.

In the week that Trump walked out of an interview with NBC, he also openly speculated about how a change of ownership at CNN might affect its coverage. At CBS, turmoil at the flagship current affairs show, 60 Minutes, is a sign of the pressure journalists are under from billionaire media owners.

Lebanon and Israel’s perpetual war machine

 

The impasse in the US-Israel war on Iran has turned Lebanon into the conflict’s most active front. Israeli forces are entrenched in the country’s south, a de facto occupation, and have reduced entire neighbourhoods to rubble. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump seeks to preserve delicate negotiations with Iran, but, as Israeli support for the war continues to grow, Lebanon remains a key point of contention.

FIFA wanted football, not politics — but the 2026 World Cup is both

FIFA President Gianni Infantino frequently touts keeping politics out of sports. But is that even possible? The reality is that football and politics have always been deeply connected.

 

Personality Cult Building 101: With Donald Trump

The administration changed the federal hiring process last year and now asks job applicants to write essays about their favorite Trump administration policy or executive order.

To my future orange master and his sycophants: King Chitolini's executive order banning mail in ballots is the best thing since you created the words fake and fake news.   

You"ll be able rig elections; I mean ensure elections are free and fair. Dead people will no longer be able to vote for your policial enemies. The Oval Office will be yours until die from an overdose of McDonald's. Don 'adderall' Jr. can succeed you. 

What a fantastic time to be alive. 

 

Merriam-Webster points out that usage of the word “fake” dates back to the 15th century. Even giving Trump the benefit of the doubt and assuming he actually meant to take credit for the term “fake news,” the claim still doesn’t hold up. Merriam-Webster points to specific citations of that phrase in the late 1800s. 

 

Love & Rockets - Resurrection Hex (Deep Dish Luv 'N' Dub Mix) (12" Vinyl HD)

 

‘We are afraid’: Christians in Jerusalem warn of escalating violence

 

Jerusalem has long been a symbol of coexistence between religions - but many Christians now say that reality is under pressure. Reports of harassment and violence are increasing, and critics say not enough is being done to address it. We examine the situation on the ground and the broader forces shaping it.

Beyond satire: India’s viral cockroach movement

 When India’s chief justice called young, unemployed people “cockroaches”, he could never have imagined that the slur would be turned into an online satirical movement: the Cockroach Janta Party. The CJP quickly went viral, quickly racking up tens of millions of followers. The movement reflects Gen Z’s frustration with unemployment, education systems and the shrinking space for free expression in India.

Starbucks sales tumble in South Korea over 'Tank Day' backlash

Before there was a Tiananmen Square in China, there was Gwangju in South Korea.

The CEO for Starbucks Korea was immediately fired after this debacle, and two very public apologies have been made, but sales continue to plummet. It could well turn out that Starbucks is finished in South Korea.

ource: Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean retail tycoon Chung Yong-jin on Tuesday issued his second apology in two weeks as Starbucks’ local operation faces a backlash over a recent marketing campaign that was widely perceived as mocking victims of a bloody military crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 1980.

Chung, chairman of Shinsegae Group, which owns a 67.5% stake in Starbucks Korea, bowed three times during a televised statement as he pleaded for forgiveness from the families of democracy activists killed by the country’s former military dictatorship and from the broader public.

The coffee chain sparked public outrage when it attempted to promote a large size of tumbler it calls a “tank” by declaring May 18 to be “Tank Day.” That’s the anniversary of a democratic uprising in the southern city of Gwangju that was brutally suppressed by troops, tanks and helicopters, killing or injuring hundreds.

The campaign compounded outrage by using the slogan “Thwack it on the table!,” which many read as a reference to a notorious 1987 police statement that attempted to cover up the torture death of student activist Park Jong-chol. Police claimed that Park died suddenly after investigators “hit the desk with a thwack.” 

Turkish police fire water cannon at protesters after opposition leader ousted

 

Riot police in Turkey have fired a water cannon and teargas to break up a rally called by the ousted opposition leader Özgür Özel days after a court dismissed him from office. Özel called the lunchtime rally in İzmir as Turkey was poised to shut down for the four-day Eid al-Fitr holiday, which begins on Wednesday.

On Sunday, riot police had battered their way into the main opposition CHP’s headquarters in the capital, Ankara, firing teargas and beating party members before throwing them out, Özel said. A shock court ruling last Thursday overturned a 2023 party primary that elected Özel. It was the latest in a string of moves against the CHP, Turkey’s oldest political party, which scored a win over Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s ruling AKP in 2024 local elections and has been rising in the polls.

Security guard finds fame as designer of duct tape signs

 

Rescue team enters flooded cave in Laos in effort to free seven people

 

Divers who helped in the dramatic rescue of a young Thai football team in 2018 have joined efforts to free seven people who have been trapped for five days inside a remote, flooded cave in central Laos.

The group entered the cave in Xaysomboun province on Wednesday to hunt for wildlife and search for gold, reports suggest. Heavy rain led to landslides, which blocked the cave entrance.

Laos' communist government, which tightly controls the country’s media, could not be reached for comment.

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