Author: WTX News

Haiti takes steps to holding first elections since 2016 Haiti’s government has taken a significant step toward holding long-overdue elections with the establishment of a new electoral body. On Wednesday, a nine-member provisional electoral council (CEP) was created and tasked with organising elections by February 2026. This marks the first major movement toward a national vote since 2016, the last time Haitians elected a leader. Since then, widespread violence has engulfed the nation, with armed gangs controlling much of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and large parts of the countryside. So far, seven members of the CEP have been appointed, representing diverse…

Israel says 100 Hezbollah rocket launchers hit in Lebanon Israel has launched a series of intense air strikes on southern Lebanon, targeting over 100 Hezbollah rocket launchers and what it described as “terrorist sites,” including a weapons storage facility, according to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The IDF stated that the rocket launchers were poised to strike Israel, although there were no immediate reports of casualties. Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that Israel conducted at least 52 air strikes in southern Lebanon on Thursday evening, while Lebanese forces retaliated with strikes on military positions in northern Israel. Hezbollah leader…

The trial of Marieha Hussain is a deeply shameful chapter in the state’s ongoing attempted suppression of pro-Palestinian peace activists. A grave injustice has been avoided with her not guilty verdict. Marieha Hussain, 37, a teacher from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire denied the charge at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday. She carried a picture showing the faces of the then Prime Minister and Home Secretary superimposed on coconuts under a palm tree in November 2023. Her defence said the placard was not racist, but satirical and humorous. A major blow for the Government Ms Hussain’s defence described the decision to bring…

Child at Japanese school dies after stabbing in China A 10-year-old boy attending the Shenzhen Japanese School in southern China, died on Thursday, one day after being stabbed.  The young boy succumbed to his injuries early in the morning, according to Japanese officials. Local police reported that the attacker, a 44-year-old man identified by the surname Zhong, was arrested at the scene. Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa condemned the attack, calling it “despicable” and urging Beijing to provide an explanation “as soon as possible.” She emphasised that such an event “should never happen in any country.” Although the nationality of…

Lebanon on the brink after second day of deadly device explosions Lebanon is on high alert following two days of devastating electronic device explosions that have left the country shaken. On Tuesday, thousands of pagers suddenly detonated, followed by hundreds of walkie-talkies exploding on Wednesday, targeting members of the Hezbollah group, according to multiple reports. Sources suggest Israel’s Mossad spy agency was behind the attacks. The walkie-talkie blasts resulted in 20 deaths and over 450 injuries, while the pager explosions a day earlier killed 12 and left more than 2,000 wounded. While Israel has not officially commented on the explosions,…

Venezuelan opposition leader claims he was forced to accept Maduro’s election win Edmundo González, an opposition candidate in Venezuela, has stated that he was “forced” to acknowledge President Nicolás Maduro’s controversial victory in the July election before being granted asylum in Spain. In a video message from Madrid, González claimed that Maduro’s aides coerced him into signing a letter while he was hiding in the Spanish embassy in Caracas earlier this month. He said he was given an ultimatum: sign the document or face severe consequences. “There were very tense hours of coercion, blackmail and pressure. “At that point I…

Sadiq Khan deflects the real issue by announcing plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street Sadiq Khan deflects the real issue as The Mayor of London has announced plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street in a bid to reinvigorate the nation’s “most famous high street” and attract more shoppers. The Mayor of London has announced the proposals to turn the road into a traffic-free avenue, alongside a wider regeneration of the shopping destination. The retail area has seen a huge fall of sales, which Labour are trying to cover with this scheme. The main reason why the are has seen a drop in sales…

Astrazeneca paves the way to develop AI GP AstraZeneca outlines AI-enabled TROP2 biomarker strategy for Daiichi ADC after limited lung cancer showing. AstraZeneca has used artificial intelligence to devise a unique biomarker for its Daiichi Sankyo-partnered datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd), hoping to differentiate the antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) from competitors while offering an explanation why the TROP2-directed therapy appears to work only in some non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. What this means for you is, although algorithms have been used in data by the NHS for decades, this has opened a new path for AI tech which as it it developed will…

Some of the big European newspapers cover the latest from the EU as European Commissioner Von der Leyen has unveiled her new EU executive team that will help the bloc in facing challenges including wars in Gaza and Ukraine, migration, climate change, and economic competitiveness.

Canada’s Liberal Party loses long-held seat Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberal Party has suffered a significant blow after losing a key parliamentary seat in a special election in Montreal, raising more pressure on Trudeau to step down as leader. The narrow defeat in LaSalle-Émard-Verdun marks the second loss in three months for Trudeau’s minority government. With all votes counted, Liberal candidate Laura Palestini fell short to Bloc Quebecois’ Louis-Philippe Sauvé. Trudeau, now in his ninth year as prime minister, has seen his approval ratings plummet from 63% when first elected to just 28% in June, according to polls. Many suggest…

Russia region orders evacuation after Ukraine drone attack A partial evacuation has been ordered in Russia’s Tver region following a “massive” Ukrainian drone attack that sparked a fire, according to the local governor. Igor Rudenya, the region’s governor, stated that emergency services in the town of Toropets are working to contain the blaze, which was caused by the wreckage of drones. No information on casualties has been provided. Unverified footage circulating online appears to show a large explosion in the town, with unconfirmed reports suggesting that a weapons depot may have been hit overnight. Toropets, a town of around 13,000…

Ecuador leader proposes lifting ban on foreign military bases Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa has proposed amending the constitution to allow foreign military bases in the country, 15 years after the last US troops left the Manta base on Ecuador’s Pacific coast. The base, once a hub for US anti-drug operations, was returned to Ecuador’s military in 2008. Noboa, 36, argues that Ecuador needs foreign military assistance to combat powerful transnational crime gangs using the country as a key drug trafficking route between South America, Europe, and the US. Despite declaring war on these gangs in January, violence continues to plague…

Israel planted explosives in thousands of Hezbollah pagers – reports At least nine people have been killed and thousands injured after a series of handheld pager explosions rocked Lebanon on Tuesday afternoon. According to Lebanon’s health ministry, around 3,000 people were wounded, with 200 in critical condition, overwhelming local hospitals. Hezbollah, the powerful Lebanese group backed by Iran, has blamed Israel for what it called a “sinful aggression” and warned that Israel will face “fair punishment.” Israel has yet to respond to the accusation but earlier announced that one of its key goals in the Gaza conflict is to return…

Entire Polish city asked to evacuate as floods wreak havoc The mayor of Nysa, a city in Poland, has urged all 44,000 residents to evacuate as severe flooding continues to ravage central Europe. Kordian Kolbiarz, the city’s mayor, called for people to move to higher ground, warning of the potential for an embankment breach that could release a surge of water from a nearby lake into the town. The death toll from the weekend floods has risen to at least 16, with seven confirmed fatalities in Romania. Other casualties have been reported in Austria, the Czech Republic, and Poland. In…

Floods and mudslides kill more than 200 in Myanmar The death toll in Myanmar from Typhoon Yagi has risen to over 220, with nearly 80 people still missing, according to the country’s military government. The storm, which struck in early September, swept through northern Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar, claiming over 500 lives across the region. Myanmar was hit particularly hard, with severe floods and mudslides devastating entire villages, leaving at least 226 people dead. The UN has warned that over half a million people in the conflict-torn nation urgently need food, clean water, shelter, and clothing, as the storm…

Iran morality police will no longer bother women, new president says Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, has stated that the country’s morality police will no longer “bother” women about the mandatory hijab. His statement comes shortly after the UN raised concerns about the violent punishment of women who defy the strict dress code. Pezeshkian made these remarks on the second anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death, a 22-year-old woman who died in police custody after being arrested for allegedly wearing her hijab improperly. Amini’s death sparked widespread protests across the country. Despite the UN’s warning last week that Iran has increased…

Houthis Hit Central Israel For First Time, Netanyahu Vows ‘Heavy Price’ For Strike Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed that Yemen’s Houthi rebels will pay a “heavy price” after they launched a missile that landed in central Israel on Sunday.  According to the Israeli military, the missile hit an uninhabited area, and shrapnel found nearby suggests that air defence systems failed to intercept it before it entered Israeli airspace. The military is investigating how the missile was able to travel so far, with central Israel being about 2,000km (1,240 miles) from Yemen. This is the first time a missile…

Myanmar Floods and Landslides Kills At Least 100 More than 100 people have died in Myanmar due to severe flooding and mudslides triggered by the remnants of Typhoon Yagi. Zaw Min Tun, a spokesman for the ruling junta, confirmed on Sunday that 113 people have been killed, with 64 still missing. However, regional reports suggest the actual death toll may be even higher. Over 320,000 people have been forced to evacuate to temporary shelters, according to AFP. Typhoon Yagi, the most powerful storm to hit Asia this year, has already caused devastation across Vietnam, Laos, the Chinese island of Hainan,…

Shanghai Hit by Strongest Typhoon in 75 Years Shanghai has been struck by its most powerful typhoon in over seven decades. Typhoon Bebinca made landfall at 7:30 a.m. local time on Monday (23:30 GMT Sunday) in Lingang New City, on the eastern coast of Shanghai, according to the China Meteorological Administration. Thousands of residents in the Shanghai area have been evacuated. All flights at the city’s two main airports were grounded, and a red alert, the highest warning level, was issued. Winds in the typhoon’s eye reached speeds of 151 km/h (94 mph). This is the strongest storm to hit…

Trending News Inspiration Papers News that Matters Impact on your life Good News How London’s Oxford Street could look under Sadiq Khan’s new plans Trending – Huw Edwards spared jail despite being guilty of child sex images Trending – PM facing Labour rebellion over winter fuel allowance Previous Next Previous Next Sarah Wilkinson@swilkinsonbc Read More Jury declines to convict 4 @Pal_action -ists who caused over half a million pounds of damage to Teledyne’s factory which makes israeli missile parts Tommy Robinson@wtxnews Read More Keir Starmer and David Lammy currently sitting with Biden to decide if British Storm Shadow missiles can be…

Business & market insights this week UK Protecting banks and organisations over the average Joe public The UK’s economic outlook for the next week remains stable, with no major shifts expected. The Bank of England is set to keep interest rates unchanged, despite some improvements in inflation and wage growth data. Inflation has eased to around 2%, and services inflation is continuing to slow, which will support consumer spending. However, uncertainty remains regarding the labour market and geopolitical risks, such as energy price fluctuations, due to Israel’s war in the middle east. Economic growth for 2024 is projected to be…

Starmer flies off to the US to give money & escalate the war Sir Keir is in Washington for talks with US President Joe Biden on Friday, as allies of Kyiv discuss giving Ukraine permission to fire their missiles at targets inside Russia. This will be seen as an escalation by Putin. He told Russian state television that this would “mean nothing other than the direct participation of NATO countries – the US and European countries – in the war in Ukraine.” Alongside the license Starmer will be pledging to give more financial support to Ukraine specifically at a time…

India politics: Arvind Kejriwal bailed after five months in jail Delhi Chief Minister and prominent opposition leader Arvind Kejriwal has been granted bail by the Supreme Court, over five months after his arrest in a high-profile corruption case. Kejriwal, once known for his anti-corruption activism, was jailed following accusations linked to a controversial alcohol sales policy introduced by his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in November 2021. The policy aimed to tackle black market liquor sales, boost government revenue, and streamline liquor licence distribution. However, it was later scrapped when Delhi Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena accused AAP of manipulating the rules…

Israeli special forces raid secret weapons facility in Syria  Reports are surfacing about a covert operation by Israeli special forces targeting a “Hezbollah missile production facility” in Syria. Israel has remained silent on the matter, but US media suggests the raid occurred earlier this week. Syrian state media reported that 18 people were killed and several dozen injured during the operation on Monday, near the city of Masyaf, about 40km north of the Lebanese border. According to The New York Times, Israeli special forces reportedly arrived by helicopter, planted explosives in the Iranian-constructed facility, and retrieved sensitive intelligence. The daring…

South Africa ex-minister Pravin Gordhan dies at 75 Pravin Gordhan, South Africa’s former finance minister and a respected anti-apartheid activist, has passed away at the age of 75, his family confirmed. Gordhan played a significant role in South African politics, serving in key government roles since the dawn of democracy in 1994. He remained active in the country’s political landscape until his retirement in May of this year. According to a family statement, Gordhan passed away early Friday in hospital following a “short but brave battle with cancer.” He was surrounded by loved ones, including his family, close friends, and…