Author: Press Room

The Trump administration has frequently sparred with South Africa over the legacy of apartheid and criticism of Israel.The administration of President Donald Trump has declared South African Ambassador Ebrahim Rasool a persona non grata in the United States. In a social media post on Friday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Rasool was “no longer welcome in our great country”. “Ebrahim Rasool is a race-baiting politician who hates America and hates POTUS,” Rubio wrote, using the acronym for President of the United States. “We have nothing to discuss with him and so he is considered PERSONA NON GRATA.”…

Elon Musk keeps talking about Social Security.Two weeks ago, he called it a Ponzi scheme. This week, he suggested that his Department of Government Efficiency would scrutinize the agency’s spending. And he has repeatedly suggested, without evidence, that Social Security payments are flowing to undocumented immigrants and dead people.The latest sign of his interest in the agency came today, when my colleagues Theodore Schleifer, Kate Conger and Ryan Mac reported that one of Musk’s closest advisers had taken a position there.The adviser is Antonio Gracias, a private equity investor who lent Musk $1 million during Tesla’s early days and has…

FACE TIME: Bryan Kohberger asks Idaho judge to block ‘bushy’ brows evidence, suggests witness’s artwork skews memory.HOUSE OF CARDS: Suzanne Simpson murder case rocks affluent Texas neighborhood as investigators sift through evidence. Brad Simpson appeared in court to face murder charges in his wife’s disappearance. DATE SET: California Gov Newsom sets Menendez brothers parole board hearing day in bid for clemency.PLANTED? Idaho murders suspect Bryan Kohberger to argue he was framed in college killings: prosecutors. Bryan Kohberger appears in court in Moscow, Idaho on Thursday, October 26, 2023. Kohberger appeared in court in an attempt to overturn his grand jury…

Descrease article font size Increase article font size Edmonton city council is looking for savings in any way it can, and the newest one comes in the form of a program that has been running for 35 years. Come next winter, if you have a natural Christmas tree in your home during the holidays —  you will have to get rid of it on your own.The city has decided it will no longer be collecting natural Christmas trees at the end of the holiday season.“Everybody was paying for a service that very few people were getting. So on the one…

Seeing all the hyped new openings in London’s post-pandemic hotel boom, you could be forgiven for thinking the city has priced out all but the wealthiest holidaymakers and oligarchs.“Entry-level” rooms going for the best part of $2000 a night, opulent suites with price tags roaring into five figures. It can be disheartening. But don’t worry about those. There are enticing new alternatives that won’t totally shatter the bank balance. And we’re not talking about a budget chain hotel overlooking the M25, the orbital motorway that wraps around the England capital’s outskirts.No, I’ve found a decent-value stay and it’s in the…

In a hearing on Friday, senators pressed Dr. Mehmet Oz, the TV celebrity nominated to head Medicare and Medicaid, on Republican-led proposals that would significantly affect the health care coverage for nearly half of all Americans.At his confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee, Dr. Oz bantered with senators in a friendly atmosphere, joking about basketball and allegiances to college teams. He largely escaped tough questions from either side of the aisle, displaying his on-air charm as he deflected Democrats’ most pointed concerns about potentially radical changes in health coverage for not only those 65 and older but also for…

A medieval manuscript unseen for 60 years, hand-painted by the renowned French illuminator Jean Pichore and his workshop, is one of the most spectacular exhibits at the 38th annual edition of the TEFAF Maastricht fair, which previewed to invited guests on Thursday.“This is world history,” said Dr. Jörn Günther, an illuminated manuscript dealer in Switzerland, pointing to an illustration in a book of hours. It is of a trim, young King Henry VIII of England kneeling next to an angel and Catherine of Aragon, the first of his six wives.“With manuscripts you really can get close to the big figures…

Lawyers for Sean Combs argued at a court hearing on Friday that a leaked security video showing Mr. Combs assaulting his former girlfriend was “deceptive,” and said they would request that it not be allowed as evidence at his upcoming trial on charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy.That video, recorded at a Los Angeles hotel in 2016, was broadcast by CNN last year, months before Mr. Combs’s arrest. It showed him beating, kicking and dragging Casandra Ventura, his former girlfriend and an artist once signed to his record label under her stage name, Cassie.Marc Agnifilo, a lawyer for Mr.…

Intel appoints Lip-Bu Tan as CEO.Courtesy: IntelNew Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan will receive total compensation of $1 million in salary and about $66 million in stock options and grants vesting over the coming years, according to filing on Friday with the SEC.Tan was named as the chief of Intel this week, spurring hopes that the chip industry veteran can turn around the struggling company. Intel shares are up nearly 20% so far in 2025, and most of those gains came this week, following Tan’s appointment. He starts next week.Tan will receive $1 million in salary, and he is eligible for…

During the initial appearance, the judge summarised the allegations against Duterte, who was not asked to enter a plea. Duterte, who led the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, is set to be the first Asian former head of state to go on trial at the ICC, a court of last resort created more than two decades ago to prosecute individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity, aggression and genocide. Duterte has said that he suffers from a series of ailments, including a chronic neuromuscular disorder, back problems, migraines and a condition that can cause blockages in the blood vessels. Duterte’s…