Russia labels Cannes-winning director Andrey Zvyagintsev a ‘foreign agent’

Donald Trump says he is banning CNN and Politico from White House

The US president has had a tense and fiery relationship with the US media since returning to office.

Trump bars news outlets CNN, MS NOW, Politico from White House

President Donald Trump has enacted a swift exclusion of three major news outlets—CNN, MS NOW, and Politico—from White House premises. He branded their regular reports as 'FAKE NEWS,' marking a bold stance against media he perceives as adversarial. Trump warned that more outlets could follow if they continue to publish misleading narratives about his presidency.

Rod Stewart’s former LA mansion & expanded 6-acre estate sold in two deals totaling $86M

A legendary estate in Holmby Hills, previously owned by Rod Stewart, has fetched an impressive $86 million. The sprawling six-acre property was split into two parcels, with television producer David Zander acquiring the main mansion for $57 million. Meanwhile, Nick Kaiser purchased a smaller parcel complete with a historic cabin for $29 million. This notable sale underscores the ongoing allure of grand historic properties.

Indian-origin US diplomat Mahvash Siddiqui says she alerted senior managers about 'Cognizant-like' visa abuses 20 years ago

Is the Kennedy Center losing 'hundreds of millions of dollars'?

Records in 2024 show the venue had a surplus of millions of dollars once contributions and grants had been factored in.

Early voting begins in US midterms that could shift control of Congress

HENRICO, Va. — In-person voting for this year’s midterm elections began Friday, ushering in the final six weeks for Americans to decide which party they trust to lead Congress through a cost-of-living crisis, a prolonged war in Iran and other pressing issues. Election administrators say they are prepared and confident the vote will be accurate and secure. Nevertheless, President Donald Trump has continued efforts to denigrate certain voting methods and reshape how elections are run, through court challenges, an expansive federal hunt for noncitizen voters and a pressure campaign to force election officials to share sensitive voter data. Friday marked the start of early voting in Virginia. Voters in a few other states, including Minnesota and South Dakota, can cast absentee ballots in person, typically at a local election office or voting center. More expansive early voting is scheduled to begin in those and other states in the coming weeks. At a voting location in Fairfax, Virginia, 18-year-old college student Sanya Singhal was among the first to vote early in person Friday morning,

California governor signs executive order to develop AI 'kill switch'

LOS ANGELES — California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Friday directing state officials to explore the feasibility of imposing a mandatory "kill switch" for the most advanced AI models. Newsom, widely seen as a possible Democratic presidential contender in 2028, said he was making the move because U.S. President Donald Trump was doing nothing on the issue. The Republican leader this week dismissed fears over AI as a hoax and is urging U.S. AI companies to keep advancing in order to stay ahead of China in developing the novel technology. California is home to Silicon Valley and the AI firms at the forefront of the sector. "The federal government's abject failure to create any form of meaningful AI oversight or accountability should alarm every American, especially when AI CEOs themselves are begging for regulation," Newsom said in a statement. "We're not waiting to act — we're going to speed up our work on substantial and responsible AI oversight before it's too late." The order comes days after dire warnings from industry insiders about the threat the technology poses

Princess Diana's famous 'revenge dress' goes on show ahead of Sotheby's auction

LONDON — Revenge has rarely been so stylish. A striking black dress worn by the late Princess Diana on the day her estranged husband publicly admitted adultery is going up for auction at Sotheby’s, with a presale estimate of up to $300,000. First, the “revenge dress,” as it has become known, is going on an international tour, testament to the enduring global fascination with Diana almost 30 years after her death. The garment, which went on public display Friday at Sotheby’s in London, was worn by Diana on June 29, 1994, the broadcast date of an interview in which the then-Prince Charles acknowledged infidelity. Diana, who knew the revelation was coming, chose to wear the figure-hugging, off-the-shoulder silk dress by Greek designer Christina Stambolian for a gala at London’s Serpentine Gallery. Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s global head of handbags and fashion, said Diana chose the “beautiful and powerful outfit” as a way to seize control of her own story. “She always used fashion as a way of expression, but this time (it) was a way to communicate her personal expression of

Warren Buffett steps down as Berkshire Hathaway chairman

WASHINGTON — Influential U.S. billionaire investor Warren Buffett stepped down as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, the conglomerate announced Friday. The news brings to an end the revered investor's more than half a century of running the group, which he turned into a financial behemoth. Buffett's resignation is "effective immediately," although he will remain a member of the board of directors as chairman emeritus, Berkshire Hathaway said in a statement. Buffett's son Howard Buffett will take over as chairman, the statement added. The 96-year-old had announced plans last year to retire from leading the business group. Berkshire Hathaway, a former small textile company, has grown over the years into a gigantic conglomerate under Buffett's leadership, and is now worth over $1 trillion on Wall Street -- a first for an American group outside the tech sector. Today, his conglomerate owns dozens of businesses, from Duracell batteries to U.S. insurer Geico, and shares in carefully selected companies, from Coca-Cola to Bank of America. "Father Time always wins. He has, however, been generous with

Global rate-hike cycle in view as central banks take on inflation

FRANKFURT — The prospect of a new global interest rate-tightening cycle is coming into view as some of the world's top central banks raise rates and signal more may be needed to tame inflation fuelled by the Iran war. Key rates are already much higher than the rock-bottom levels from the last hiking cycle that began in 2022. But central bankers are under market pressure to show that they are prepared to raise them further to tame inflation expectations and rein in long-term bond yields at multidecade highs. The Bank of Japan became the latest big central bank to tighten on Friday, following rate increases by the Federal Reserve two days before and the European Central Bank last week. The Bank of England left rates unchanged this week but flagged that inflation pressures could require further action. "Our policy phase has changed," BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda said as the bank signalled it was prepared to keep pushing up borrowing costs. The moves, while formally independent of each other, reflect a shared concern among policymakers that higher oil and gas costs resulting from the Iran war ra

'We Are Not Intimidated': Macron Warns Of Growing Russian 'Hybrid' Threat Across Europe

Macron said France would continue supporting Ukraine despite the growing threats and warned that attacks linked to Russia would not go unanswered.

Russian hybrid attacks against Europe intensifying, says Macron

The French president says he has tasked the government with protecting critical infrastructure and defence industry sites.