Author: News Desk

We are 10 days BT: Before Trump is back in office. And this week has seen the president elect given to an unconditional discharge, spared of jail or a fine, but confirmed as a convicted felon for fraud relating to hush money payments to an adult film star.

  Under the Digital Services Act, Elon Musk and his social media platform, X, could face heavy penalties should investigators for the European Union find that he manipulated the site’s algorithm in order to influence voters. The DSA was adopted in 2022 to prevent disinformation and other illegal activities online. In July, the European Union found that X had violated multiple tenets of the DSA by not providing access to data to researchers, failure to complay with advertising-transparency requirements, and selling access to its “blue check” verification system in a way that allowed fraudsters to impersonate celebrities and public officials.  On Thursday, Musk…

The US on Friday imposed a swath of fresh sanctions on Russian oil and gas which could cost the country billions of dollars per month, aimed at cutting Russia’s revenue for funding the ongoing war in Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the action, which should improve the odds of a peace deal being reached.  US intensifies sanctions on Russia in bid to give Ukraine, Trump leverage

“Blame Canada!” goes the satirical song from the 1999 animated comedy film “South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut,” where a mother rallies her small Colorado town to confront youth degeneracy. The song humorously shifts blame to America’s northern neighbor rather than United States government policies, parenting failures, or media influence, declaring, “We need to form a full assault  — it’s Canada’s fault.” Decades later, US President-elect Donald Trump appears to be channeling a similar energy, blaming Canada for illegal migration and drug trafficking across the northern border. Weeks after winning a second term in the White House, Trump threatened to impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian imports…

Landlords will soon be banned from asking for more than one month’s rent upfront Moving house can often strike fear into the hearts of renters without thousands of pounds in savings to cover hefty rent and deposit fees, but now, landlords will soon be banned from asking for more than one month’s worth upfront. The Renters’ Rights Bill will now make it illegal to ask tenants to pay more than one month plus a deposit equating to six weeks’ worth of rent – undoubtedly welcome news for those struggling to scramble together copious amounts of money after signing a new…

For the second year in a row, the city of Ouidah in Benin is playing host to Vodun Days – a celebration of the region’s long spiritual traditions. France 24’s correspondent Lilaafa Amouzou visited the festival and found out about efforts to dismantle myths about Vodon. Celebrating Benin's Vodun heritage

The United States and the United Kingdom imposed further sanctions on Russia’s energy sector on Friday in an attempt to curb funding for Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The US Treasury Department said it was designating two of Russia’s largest oil companies, Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, fulfilling “the G7 commitment to reduce Russian revenues from energy.” The sanctions also apply to 183 vessels that the US government believes are part of Moscow’s “shadow fleet” of ships allegedly used to evade existing sanctions on the transport of Russian oil. In addition, the measures target specific projects and infrastructure for liquefied natural…

Mayorkas extends deportation shield for eye-popping number of immigrants ahead of Trump admin The Biden administration on Friday announced the extension of deportation protections for hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals from a slew of countries, just weeks before the incoming Trump administration is expected to launch a historic deportation operation.The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it is extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for El Salvador, Venezuela, Sudan and Ukraine for an additional 18 months beyond their current expirations.TPS grants protection from deportation and work permits for nationals living in the U.S. from countries deemed unsafe for them to…

The union of technicians of the Ministry of Finance, Gestha, has assured that almost half of the taxpayers would not have to pay the Inheritance and Donation Tax even with the elimination of the bonuses that the autonomous communities currently grant to this tax, which benefits “a minority of wealthier households.” According to Gestha data based on statistics from the Bank of Spain, half of Spanish households with heads of household between 65 and 74 years old have less than the median wealth, 225,800 euros. Lower figures when the head of the family is 75 years old or older, in…

The death toll from the wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area rose to at least ten, the authorities said, even as new fires continued to spring up. US President Joe Biden pledged extra federal funds and resources to deal with “the most… devastating fire in California’s history.” News of the growing toll, announced late Thursday by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, came as swaths of the United States’ second-largest city lay in ruins. A vast firefighting operation continued into the night, bolstered by water-dropping helicopters thanks to a temporary lull in winds, even as new fires continued to spring up.…