German voters turn to left and far-right as 'disaster' for ruling CDU threatens pro-growth reforms

CNBC - Sep 21, 2026

Another local election drubbing for the ruling CDU has increased political instability and threatens growth prospects, economists said.

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‘Pakistan’s Rulers Have No Eyes Or Ears, There’s Blind Use Of Power’: Fazlur Rehman Slams ‘Besieged State’ | Exclusive
Sep 21, 2026
‘Pakistan’s Rulers Have No Eyes Or Ears, There’s Blind Use Of Power’: Fazlur Rehman Slams ‘Besieged State’ | Exclusive

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman painted a grim picture of Pakistan's internal security and political climate

Iran, US trade threats after Houthi attacks escalate regional conflict
Sep 21, 2026
Iran, US trade threats after Houthi attacks escalate regional conflict

DUBAI/WASHINGTON — Iran and the United States exchanged new threats on Sunday, with President Donald Trump warning Iran would fail economically or face its leadership being wiped out if it didn't make a deal, and the Iranian military saying it would retaliate harshly to any fresh attack. The conflict has looked stalemated for months, with no sign either side was ready for concessions even as it has deepened a global energy crisis, cratered swathes of Iran's economy and spilled over into new regional escalations. In a phone call with a Fox News reporter, Trump said Iran's leaders should make a deal, rot economically or be wiped out, the reporter said. However, with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian expected in New York this week for the United Nations General Assembly, Trump said he would be open to meeting him, the Fox reporter added. Trump has repeatedly made vague threats of major military escalations during the conflict that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on February 28, without carrying them out. Earlier, Iran's military central command said any new attack would trigger sustai

Trump eyes busy week of meetings as UN General Assembly gathers
Sep 21, 2026
Trump eyes busy week of meetings as UN General Assembly gathers

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump's two days attending the United Nations General Assembly will include a series of bilateral meetings and events with notable political figures such as the leaders of Ukraine and the United Kingdom, and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Nearly 130 heads of state are meeting in New York as the post-World War II order comes under strain and with the UN itself struggling to remain relevant while weathering attacks from Trump, who has long expressed disdain for the institution and has slashed U.S. funding for many of its agencies. Trump is expected to arrive in New York on Monday afternoon for "political events" at Trump Tower that evening, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz told reporters on Friday. On Tuesday morning, Trump will address the U.N. General Assembly. "The president will highlight how he has and his administration have confronted complex problems head-on around the world," Waltz said. "He will touch on the importance of ensuring that Iran never has a nuclear weapon." Iran conflict looms over meetings Hanging over Trump's meetings will b

Germany's Merz under pressure after bruising state election losses
Sep 21, 2026
Germany's Merz under pressure after bruising state election losses

BERLIN— German Chancellor Friedrich Merz starts the week more damaged than ever after his centre-right CDU party suffered two bruising regional election defeats at the hands of far-right and far-left parties. Just 16 months in office, Merz has seen his approval ratings plummet while his party has suffered a string of regional election losses against the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which also leads nationwide polls. Fighting speculation that his CDU/CSU bloc may try to oust him, 70-year-old Merz took the unusual step of addressing the nation on TV on Sunday, just minutes after the first exit polls were announced. Merz admitted that his CDU had suffered a "disaster" in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania state -- and that was before the CDU dropped below five percent there in the ongoing count, meaning it got kicked out of parliament altogether. While the AfD came first there, the centre-left SPD party looks set to continue governing the state by forming a coalition with left-wing allies. After the CDU was also soundly defeated by a far-left Die Linke in Berlin, Merz c

'I live in fear': 1.5 million Pakistani children sexually exploited online
Sep 21, 2026
'I live in fear': 1.5 million Pakistani children sexually exploited online

ISLAMABAD— Pakistani teenager Zara Shah was targeted by a stranger while playing a computer game, drawn into a conversation that would expose her to terrifying online sexual exploitation. Zara, whose name has been changed by AFP for safety reasons, is one of an estimated 1.5 million children in Pakistan who experienced online sexual abuse in one year, according to a report published by the UN children's agency this month. "We started chatting while playing an online game, and he began acting like a friend. Later, he wanted to meet and, after, started asking me for nudes," 17-year-old Shah said. "When I refused, he threatened to find my family online and tell them that we had been talking," she added. According to the UNICEF report, around 85 percent of perpetrators were known to the victims, aged between 12 and 17. "The abuse may start with a friendly conversation, a gaming interaction, a promise of gifts, money or romance," Daniel Kardefelt, lead author of the global UNICEF report, told AFP. "Perpetrators may spend months building trust using information that they find on social media,"

ICE agent shoots and wounds man in Austin, Texas, officials say
Sep 21, 2026
ICE agent shoots and wounds man in Austin, Texas, officials say

AUSTIN, Texas — A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and wounded a man Sunday afternoon in Austin, Texas, local authorities said, and anti-ICE protesters quickly gathered at the scene. The man was in serious but stable condition at a hospital after being shot once in the torso on the capital city's north side, Austin officials said at a news conference. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, did not participate in the news conference and didn’t respond to repeated requests for details. City police officers were not involved in the operation or the shooting, which occurred after a traffic stop, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said while briefing reporters along with the city's mayor and other officials. Austin's mayor says he wants his police force involved in shooting investigation Mayor Kirk Watson, a Democrat, said he wants the city's police department to have a role in the investigation so it can provide “clear, third-party eyes” in the process. Watson said he does not think it would be appropriate for ICE to conduct an investigation on its o

Bessent says US, China had successful meeting with focus on trade, AI
Sep 21, 2026
Bessent says US, China had successful meeting with focus on trade, AI

NEW YORK — U.S. and Chinese officials focused on trade issues and AI during successful talks in New York on Sunday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. Speaking to reporters after his meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng ended, Bessent said the two sides agreed to meet again. He gave no further details. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the meeting would lay the groundwork for a successful summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday.

Iran says it has new targets, weapons ready if US launches new attack, Fars news says
Sep 21, 2026
Iran says it has new targets, weapons ready if US launches new attack, Fars news says

DUBAI— Iran would use new weapons and target locations not previously attacked if the United States launched a new offensive against it, Revolutionary Guards spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi said on Monday, according to the Fars news agency. "If a new aggression occurs, we will certainly change the weaponry and the geography of the war," Mohebbi said, adding that Tehran was prepared for a prolonged conflict.

Why Japan's average height stopped growing while Korea, China surged
Sep 21, 2026
Why Japan's average height stopped growing while Korea, China surged

Japan's average height has barely changed since the 1990s, falling behind Korea and China. Researchers and media reports point to a possible combination of factors, including nutrition, maternal nutritional status and a lack of sleep. In a report by Japanese financial daily The Nikkei on Saturday, it cited data published in the medical journal The Lancet in 2020 by the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration (NCD-RisC) that the average height of 5- to 19-year-olds in China and Korea increased at the world's fastest pace over the past 35 years, but Japan's remained stagnant. According to the data, the estimated average height of 19-year-old Japanese males in 2019 was 172.1 centimeters and 158.5 centimeters for females. This leaves Japanese 19-year-olds about 3 to 5 centimeters shorter than their Korean and Chinese counterparts, where Korean males averaged 175.5 centimeters and females 163.2 centimeters, while Chinese males averaged 175.7 centimeters and females 163.5 centimeters. Thirty-five years ago, the reverse was true. According to NCD-RisC estimates, Japan led the three countries in 1985 wit

China confirms Xi to visit US this week for Trump talks
Sep 21, 2026
China confirms Xi to visit US this week for Trump talks

BEIJING — China's leader Xi Jinping will visit the United States this week for talks with President Donald Trump, Beijing confirmed on Monday. Xi will be there from Wednesday to Friday, a government statement said. Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said the two leaders would "have an in-depth exchange of views on major issues concerning China-U.S. relations and world peace and development." Beijing would "work with the U.S. to enrich the substance of the relationship of constructive strategic stability between China and the U.S., strengthen dialogue and cooperation, (and) properly manage differences," he added. Washington had already made clear that the leaders of the world's two biggest economies were due to meet this week, in what is expected to be a bid to ease tensions over trade, technology and broader strategic issues. Trump will personally welcome Xi at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday before their meetings the following day, a U.S. official confirmed. The U.S. leader was welcomed by China's vice president when he landed in Beijing for his state visit in May. "I'll be discussin

Trump decries Democrats as 'communists,' even as he looks to impress China's communist leader
Sep 21, 2026
Trump decries Democrats as 'communists,' even as he looks to impress China's communist leader

WASHINGTON — Communism, President Donald Trump says, is the greatest threat the U.S. has ever faced. This summer, citing similarly grave concerns, he took the rare step of delivering a primetime address to the nation , accusing China of “sinister election meddling” in 2020 and reviving his yearslong push to dispute his loss in that year's election. Even as Trump seeks to decry Democrats as communists ahead of November's midterm elections, he is rolling out the red carpet this week for Chinese President Xi Jinping , the leader of the world’s most powerful communist country. The state visit comes as the president himself has increasingly directed his administration to take large stakes in private companies to try to stimulate the economy — something even some Republicans decry as corporate socialism. The contradictions between Trump's words and actions risk muddying Republican attack lines on Democrats. “I do think that we’re not offering a clear contrast," said Marc Short, who was chief of staff to former Vice President Mike Pence and worked in Trump's White House in his firs

US refuses visas for Iran UN delegation members: state media
Sep 21, 2026
US refuses visas for Iran UN delegation members: state media

TEHRAN — The United States has refused to issue visas for members of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's delegation, including his communications team, for this week's trip to the U.N. General Assembly, Iranian state media reported Monday. Pezeshkian will be the highest-ranking Iranian official to enter the United States since the war began with U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in February. "In an unprecedented hostile move by the U.S. government, (U.S. President Donald) Trump has denied U.S. visas to certain members of the president's high-level delegation, including members of his communications team," state news agency IRNA reported. The Mehr news agency also carried the story, citing a spokesperson for the Iranian presidency, and added that Pezeshkian will address the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday. The U.S. has authorized the Iranian delegation to travel for the U.N. General Assembly but will, like last year, put restrictions in place. Iran's delegation will not, for instance, be allowed to purchase luxury goods or other items, the State Department said on Thursday. Iranian Foreig

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