In a decisive contest between two prominent allies of Donald Trump, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn clinched the Republican primary for Tennessee governor on Thursday. She now advances to the November general election as the clear frontrunner to succeed term-limited incumbent Bill Lee in a state that remains a Republican stronghold.
A single missile splashdown in the Pacific has left regional leaders divided, forcing a showdown in Suva this Friday. As foreign ministers gather for the Pacific Islands Forum, New Zealand is pressing for a unified condemnation of China’s July test, challenging a bloc that remains deeply split on strategic alignment.
PoliticsA razor-thin majority of 61 seats in the 120-member parliament awaits New Zealand’s ruling centre-right coalition, according to the latest Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll. While Prime Minister Christopher Luxon maintains his standing as the preferred leader, the sudden rise of the centrist Opportunity Party threatens to complicate the path toward November’s general election.
PoliticsUnder the cover of night, Taiwanese troops rolled coils of barbed wire and stacked sandbags across the Danjiang Bridge, transforming the newly opened span into a defensive bastion. The drill serves as a high-stakes rehearsal for blocking a potential shortcut that could grant invading Chinese forces direct access to Taipei.
PoliticsA shell strike on southern Saudi Arabia's Najran Province on Thursday left 11 civilians injured, including a four-year-old child. The attack, attributed to Yemen's Houthi rebels, signals a volatile escalation as Riyadh faces intelligence reports of potentially coordinated strikes involving Iran-backed Iraqi militias targeting regional energy infrastructure.
PoliticsA shell strike in Saudi Arabia’s southern Najran Province left 11 civilians injured on Thursday, including a four-year-old child. The attack, attributed to the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, comes as Riyadh warns of imminent, coordinated strikes against energy infrastructure and transport hubs by militias supervised by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
PoliticsPresident Donald Trump’s administration intensified its domestic agenda on Thursday, moving to restrict birthright citizenship, curb critical mineral exports, and confront political opponents through aggressive executive actions and legal referrals, while simultaneously facing fresh scrutiny over the government’s internal oversight and its complex relationship with the technology sector.
PoliticsDefying a June 30 Supreme Court ruling that upheld the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship, Donald Trump signed two executive orders on Thursday aimed at curtailing "birth tourism." The move seeks to reinterpret historical exceptions to the 14th Amendment, targeting children of foreign government employees and those born to non-citizens.
PoliticsAfter a week of persistent delays, representatives from Venezuela’s interim government and opposition factions convened on Thursday to resume high-stakes negotiations. The talks mark a renewed attempt to dismantle the current political impasse and establish a framework for future elections, a process heavily influenced by international pressure and U.S. backing.
PoliticsTen years after the forced disappearance of 43 students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers College, authorities have arrested former Guerrero Governor Angel Aguirre. Prosecutors allege he ordered the systematic destruction of evidence, including security footage, that could have provided critical answers regarding the victims' final hours.
Pacific Island foreign ministers gather in Suva this Friday to determine if they can reach a consensus on China’s July missile launch. New Zealand is spearheading the push for a collective statement, though deep-seated regional divisions and conflicting geopolitical alignments threaten to derail the effort before the debate even begins.
PoliticsRepublican Senator Rand Paul has formally requested that the Justice Department prosecute Dr. Anthony Fauci for contempt of Congress, escalating a long-standing political battle. The referral follows a party-line vote by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which accused the former health official of defying a congressional subpoena.
PoliticsDefying a Supreme Court ruling that upheld the 14th Amendment’s citizenship protections, Donald Trump signed two executive orders on Thursday aimed at curtailing birthright access for children of foreign nationals. The move marks a renewed attempt to dismantle a core constitutional tenet through policy directives rather than legislative reform.
PoliticsDefying a recent Supreme Court ruling that struck down his previous attempt to curb birthright citizenship, Donald Trump signed two executive orders on Thursday targeting "birth tourism." The move seeks to bypass constitutional protections by narrowing the definitions of eligibility for children born to foreign nationals on U.S. soil.
PoliticsAt least 1,100 unaccompanied minors remain stranded in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta following a mass migration surge last week. Morocco has now signaled a formal willingness to coordinate with European authorities to identify these children and facilitate their return to their home country under royal instructions.
PoliticsIntelligence reports from Riyadh, Washington, and regional allies point to an imminent, two-pronged offensive against Saudi civilian and economic infrastructure. An anonymous senior official confirmed that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is allegedly supervising plans for coordinated drone and missile strikes launched simultaneously from the north and the south.
PoliticsA violent blast ripped through a white minibus in the Druze-majority suburb of Jaramana on Thursday night, killing two people and injuring 14 others. Syrian officials confirmed the explosion resulted from a device planted on the vehicle, leaving the wreckage a smoldering husk on the outskirts of Damascus.
PoliticsInvoking the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times during a Senate hearing, Dr. Anthony Fauci now faces a formal push for criminal charges. Senator Rand Paul, chair of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, announced he will refer the former public health official to the Justice Department for contempt.
PoliticsAfter a week of procedural delays, representatives of Venezuela's interim government and the opposition sat down on Thursday afternoon to begin high-stakes talks. The dialogue aims to overhaul the nation's fractured political structure, setting the stage for long-awaited electoral processes in a country defined by deep institutional instability.
PoliticsFollowing high-level royal directives, Morocco has signaled its readiness to facilitate the return of unaccompanied minors currently residing in Spain. The state-run MAP agency confirmed that the interior and foreign affairs ministries are now coordinating efforts to identify children who crossed into the North African enclave of Ceuta last week.
PoliticsForeign nationals traveling to the United States specifically to secure citizenship for their children through birth will now face mandatory entry denials. President Donald Trump signed the executive order Thursday, marking a significant shift in immigration policy intended to curb the practice of birth tourism at the border.
PoliticsThe Confederation of African Football unanimously endorsed Gianni Infantino’s bid for a fourth term on Thursday, providing a critical buffer for the FIFA president. Yet, the show of support from the 54-member bloc fails to silence the growing revolt over his botched attempt to privatize World Cup commercial rights.
PoliticsIntelligence reports from Saudi Arabia, the U.S., and regional allies reveal that Iraqi militias are aligning with Yemen’s Houthi rebels to launch imminent strikes against the kingdom. The operation, allegedly orchestrated by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, signals a dangerous escalation targeting the nation’s vital economic and civilian infrastructure.
PoliticsDonald Trump asserted from the Oval Office on Thursday that the ongoing conflict with Iran is nearing its conclusion, claiming the adversary lacks the endurance to sustain hostilities much longer. His comments arrived as the administration grapples with reports of depleted long-range missile inventories following five months of intensive combat.
PoliticsDonald Trump signaled support for the prosecution of Dr. Anthony Fauci on Thursday, aligning himself with Senator Rand Paul’s push for a Justice Department investigation. The former president drew parallels between the pandemic-era official and his own convicted aides, framing Fauci’s conduct as a matter of severe legal accountability.
PoliticsDonald Trump signed two executive orders on Thursday aimed at curbing birth tourism and restricting eligibility for birthright citizenship. By tightening visa regulations for expectant foreign mothers, the administration seeks to bypass the legislative stalemate that previously stalled his efforts to overhaul birthright policies during his first term in office.
PoliticsWhile European, North American, and Asian federations threaten boycotts over the collapsed FIFA Forward Enterprise proposal, the Confederation of African Football has broken ranks. The organization’s executive committee unanimously reaffirmed its support for Gianni Infantino on Thursday, securing a vital voting bloc for the president’s re-election campaign next March.
PoliticsDefying a recent Supreme Court rebuke, Donald Trump signed executive orders on Thursday aimed at curbing birthright citizenship. The new directives broaden the categories of individuals ineligible for automatic status and explicitly outlaw the practice of birth tourism, marking a fresh attempt to reshape long-standing immigration policy through administrative mandate.
PoliticsSitting in the Oval Office on Thursday, Donald Trump offered a succinct assessment of the ongoing tensions with Tehran. The President dismissed the longevity of the current standoff, suggesting that Iran lacks the capacity to sustain its current position for much longer as the geopolitical friction nears a breaking point.
PoliticsThe Oval Office prepares for a shift in immigration policy as Donald Trump moves to sign executive orders restricting birthright citizenship. Targeting children of foreign diplomatic staff and those born through birth tourism, the move reignites a legal battle over constitutional interpretations of citizenship for newborns on U.S. soil.