The announcement comes less than week after Amazon laid off 14,000 people.
OpenAI has signed a new deal valued at $38bn with Amazon that will allow the artificial intelligence giant to run AI workloads across Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud infrastructure.
The seven-year deal announced on Monday is the first big AI push for the e-commerce giant after a restructuring last week.
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The new deal will give the ChatGPT maker access to thousands of Nvidia graphics processors to train and run its artificial intelligence models.
Experts say this does not mean that it will allow OpenAI to train its model on websites hosted by AWS – which includes the websites of The New York Times, Reddit and United Airlines.
“Running OpenAI training inside AWS doesn’t change their ability to scrape content from AWS-hosted websites [which they could already do for anything publicly readable]. This is strictly speaking about the economics of rent vs buy for GPU [graphics processing unit] capacity,” Joshua McKenty, CEO of the AI detection company PolyguardAI, told Al Jazeera.
The deal is also a major vote of confidence for the e-commerce giant’s cloud unit, AWS, which some investors feared had fallen behind rivals Microsoft and Google in the artificial intelligence (AI) race. Those fears were somewhat eased by the strong growth the business reported in the September quarter.
OpenAI will begin using AWS immediately, with all planned capacity set to come online by the end of 2026 and room to expand further in 2027 and beyond.
Amazon plans to roll out hundreds of thousands of chips, including Nvidia’s GB200 and GB300 AI accelerators, in data clusters built to power ChatGPT’s responses and train OpenAI’s next wave of models, the companies said.
Amazon already offers OpenAI models on Amazon Bedrock, which offers multiple AI models for businesses using AWS.
OpenAI’s sweeping restructuring last week moved it further away from its non-profit roots and also removed Microsoft’s first right to refusal to supply services in the new arrangement.
Image hurdles
Amazon’s announcement about an investment in AI comes only days after the company laid off 14,000 people despite CEO Andy Jassy’s comment in an earnings call on Thursday saying the layoffs were not driven by AI.
“The announcement that we made a few days ago was not really financially driven, and it’s not even really AI-driven, not right now at least,” Jassy said.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has said the startup is committed to spending $1.4 trillion to develop 30 gigawatts of computing resources – enough to roughly power 25 million United States homes.
“Scaling frontier AI requires massive, reliable compute,” said Altman. “Our partnership with AWS strengthens the broad compute ecosystem that will power this next era and bring advanced AI to everyone.”
This comes amid growing concerns about the sheer amount of energy demand that AI data centres need to operate. The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimates that AI data centres will use up to 12 percent of US electricity by 2028.
An AP/NORC poll from October found that 41 percent of Americans are extremely concerned about AI’s impact on the environment, while another 30 percent say they are somewhat concerned as the industry increases its data centre footprint around the US.
Signs of a bubble
Surging valuations of AI companies and their massive spending commitments, which total more than $1 trillion for OpenAI, have raised fears that the AI boom may be turning into a bubble.
OpenAI has already tapped Alphabet’s Google to supply it with cloud services, as Reuters reported in June. It also reportedly struck a deal to buy $300bn in computing power for about five years.
While OpenAI’s relationship with Microsoft, which the two forged in 2019, has helped push Microsoft to the top spot among its Big Tech peers in the AI race, both companies have been making moves recently to reduce reliance on each other.
Neither OpenAI nor Amazon were immediately available for comment.
On Wall Street, Amazon’s stock is surging on the news of the new deal. As of 11:15am in New York (16:15 GMT), it is up by 4.7 percent.
Helen Flanagan was left humiliated after she struggled to remember the name of a TV legend while appearing on an episode of the celebrity version of The Weakest Link
Former Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan’s memory was put to the test while appearing on the celebrity version of The Weakest Link. When asked by host Romesh Ranganathan to name which month shared the surname of a Top Gear host, the former soap star, 35, took an awkwardly long pause while figuring out the answer.
And this left the other contestants, including rapper Konan from Krept and Konan, in utter disbelief. This came after she was shown a picture of James May, who co-hosted the hit motoring show for many years, alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond.
When the image was revealed, Romesh asked the now turned reality TV star: “Look at your screen, this TV presenter shares his surname with which month of the year?”
Taking an awkwardly long pause she then answered the question after a reported 20 seconds. But she gave a correct answer, to which the mum of three yelped “yes”, in response to being told the good news.
Speaking about the show, former Coronation Street actress Julie Hesmondhalgh, who does the voiceover said : “Helen took so long to get the month question that I had enough time to make a cup of tea and go to the shop for biscuits – but she did getit right in the end.”
After receiving the most amount of votes, Helen said: “Wow – that is so bad, I am so shocked. I got the main question right.” And comedian Tim Vine added: “The thing that made me do it was just before a correct answer when you waited for, I think, six minutes. It was quite a long time.”
In an attempt to redeem herself, Helen hit back saying: “But did I get that answer right?” Biting back Tim answered: “Yes, but the clock was going down.” Doing his best to keep the peace, host Romesh chimed in saying: “If it makes you feel any better she seems pretty chilled about it.”
But this is not the first time Helen has appeared on the show as she attempted to excel last year. The mum of three has been off our screens for many years since playing Rosie in the popular ITV soap.
During her previous stint, Romesh asked her: “In geology, the White Cliffs of Dover are principally formed of what substance, chalk or cheese?”
But, assumingly without thinking, she answered “cheese,” which undoubtedly left her fellow contestants bowing their heads. And it also caused a stir on social media.
Away from the spotlight, it looks as though Helen is keen to get her love life back n track. In an interview with the Mirror, she admitted: “I’m open to dating, but I’m just so, so busy with the kids. “
She added: “When you’re 19 you can go out in Manchester and come home with a boyfriend a few days later, but I’m 35 now, I’m not really going to go on a night out am I, really?”
North Africa is emerging as a growth engine, led by Egypt and Morocco. But structural challenges persist.
This year again, North Africa is the fastest growing region in Africa and the Arab world. Combined GDP growth in Mauritania, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya is expected to reach 4% in 2025, compared to 3.9% for the rest of the continent and 2% in the Middle East, according to the International Monetary Fund.
They aim to keep the trend going. Despite differing economic trajectories, the six countries have signed multiple agreements over the years to boost trade. Chronic political tensions have limited the impact of these deals, and North Africa is far from being a unified market. But there is still growth potential.
In 2023, Egypt’s exports to North Africa reached a record $3.5 billion, or 9% of total exports. Trade with Morocco has nearly doubled over the past decade and Libya is Egypt’s largest regional export market, with many Egyptian companies playing a role in the war-torn country’s reconstruction.
In support of corporate activity, many of the region’s local banks have established a cross-border footprint. Attijariwafa Bank, Morocco’s leading institution, operates in Tunisia, Mauritania, and Egypt. Algerian banks have recently expanded into Mauritania and Tunisia’s Banque International Arabe de Tunisie (BIAT) which has offices in Libya.
“Many Tunisian SMEs export to Libya and vice versa, and this sector holds strong growth potential,” says Elyes Jebir, general director of BIAT, Tunisia’s largest bank by assets.
For now, Europe is still the main trading partner for North African countries, but Morocco and Egypt are also increasingly looking south of the Sahara for new ventures.
“Our added value is supplying safe and effective products at an affordable price,” says Seif Yashar Helmy, director of international affairs at Pharco Pharmaceuticals, which ships 20% of its exports—worth $9 million a year—to other parts of Africa and expects strong growth in the coming years thanks to a new line of World Health Organization-approved mRNA vaccine.
Egypt And Morocco Lead The Way
Egypt is by far North Africa’s largest market with a population of over 110 million, half of whom are under 30. The country is emerging from a severe fiscal crisis that almost led to bankruptcy in 2024, but is expected to post a solid 3.8% GDP growth this year, according to the IMF. While the economy relies heavily on foreign support and imports, Cairo, Africa’s largest city, has a strong industrial base across sectors including textiles, food processing, and automotive.
Pharco, Egypt’s leading pharmaceutical maker, produces 1.7 million boxes of drugs a day. During last year’s crisis, it had to scale back some production, but optimism is returning.
“We see the economy picking up, and prospects are good,” says Helmy. Pharco recently invested $350,000 in Medoc, a clinic management startup. “Egypt is underserved in healthcare, be it clinics, polyclinics, laboratories, imagery, and that opens opportunities.”
Recent reforms, including the floating of the Egyptian pound, have helped stabilize the economy and rekindled foreign investors’ interest. Many local companies are seeking new global partners, and a robust pipeline of IPOs is expected on the Egyptian Stock Exchange.
“The laws are becoming more flexible for foreigners to invest, and we see a lot of appetite for foreign direct investment [FDI] coming from Europe and the Gulf Cooperation Council,” Helmy notes.
Egypt also boasts some of Africa’s largest banks and most successful financial innovators. Fawry and MNT Halan were among the region’s first fintechs to reach $1 billion valuations. Today, Cairo is one of Africa’s top three fintech hubs, home to hundreds of startups from giants like Paymob to emerging players such as Sahl and Kilivvr.
For fintech entrepreneurs, structural challenges, from low financial literacy to currency devaluation, are creating space for innovation.
Islam Zekry, group CFO and COO, CIB
“There’s a universal problem in our region, which is a lack of foreign currency, combined with rising inflation, shooting consumer price indices, and no investment products,” says Ahmed Amer, CEO of Web3 tech provider EMURGO Labs. “People basically only have two ways of investing their money, either in gold or in real estate.” EMURGO has supported the launch of USDA, a stablecoin regulated by the US Securities and Exchange Commission that is pegged to the US dollar for trade finance and remittances.
“It’s really important that emerging economies start thinking outside of the box to develop new ways of attracting and preserving capital,” Amer adds.
Traditional banks are moving in the same direction. “We’re investing heavily in building a group-wide data infrastructure, not only in Egypt but across our African footprint,” says Islam Zekry, group CFO and COO at Commercial International Bank (Egypt), the country’s largest private bank. “One clear opportunity lies in streamlining KYC and compliance processes. By creating an integrated data warehouse and sharing verified customer intelligence across our markets, we expect to reduce the cost to serve by 20% to 30%. We aspire to be a platform that attracts capital, connects businesses, and delivers a new standard of banking experiences, all while being proudly rooted in Egypt.”
Morocco is the second pillar of North Africa’s economy. Decades of economic reforms encouraging private sector growth and infrastructure investment have turned the country into an FDI magnet. Today, Morocco is considered one of the best places in Africa to do business, with global giants including Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Siemens, and AstraZeneca setting up factories and regional headquarters in the kingdom. Despite global headwinds, the IMF expects Morocco’s GDP to grow 3.9% this year.
Tunisia Faces Headwings
Other North African countries present a different story.
Mauritania, Algeria, and Libya remain largely shut off, rent-driven economies. In Tunisia, despite years of deep economic and financial turmoil, the government still has not enacted reforms that could unlock IMF support.
Last year, the Central Bank of Tunisia had to step in to bail out the economy, and the IMF projects growth for 2025 at just 1.4%. That said, the banking sector has held up relatively well. In March, Moody’s upgraded Tunisia’s sovereign debt rating to Caa1 from Caa2, citing the central bank’s ability to maintain stable foreign exchange reserves.
“Results for 2023, 2024, and the first half of 2025 demonstrate the resilience of Tunisian banks,” argues BIAT’s Jebir. “I believe we can expect progress in Tunisia’s next reviews, which would have a positive knock-on effect for banks’ ratings. This would enable us to expand further internationally without being constrained.”
Tunisia’s banking model is still largely brick-and-mortar, but modernization efforts are underway. This year, the government passed laws restricting the use of paper checks and encouraging digital payments. Jebir sees an opportunity in the shift.
“We are developing a wide range of digital solutions for both retail and corporate clients,” he says. “At the same time, we are reshaping our branch network into advisory and expertise centers, providing added value beyond the traditional services of a bank.”
A fintech ecosystem is emerging, with startups such as mobile wallet Floucy, but international investors remain cautious.
“It’s tough to operate there,” says Amer, who has supported Tunisian startups in the past. “I mean, it’s very hard to attract FDI when your fiscal and monetary policy doesn’t provide any confidence to the investors, right?”
Looking South
As their own economies improve, North African companies are looking south for expansion, supported by their banks. Moroccan lenders now operate across the continent; Bank of Africa, Attijariwafa, and BCP Group cover more than 25 African countries, from Senegal to Ethiopia. Egyptian banks, including CIB and Banque Misr, are following trade corridors in East Africa using Kenya as a regional base.
“We’re enhancing SME lending through digital partnerships, leveraging the country’s well-developed ecosystem,” says CIB’s Zekry. “We’re also advancing digital channels to scale access and deepen client engagement, reflecting our broader model of localized innovation with regional consistency.”
Zekry also sees growth potential in climate finance. “As we expand across Africa, a significant share of our growth will come from transitional finance, particularly in agricultural and underserved communities. We’re introducing specialized services in these areas, not just as a development goal but because they make strong business sense.”
Cross-border trade, industrial strength, and financial innovation are opening new opportunities throughout North Africa, but structural issues remain. “The potential is massive, but reforms need to continue and the capacity to introduce new technologies will be critical,” Amer observes. If these elements align, North Africa could realize its aspiration to become a strategic hub connecting Europe, the Middle East, and sub-Saharan Africa.
WASHINGTON — One year after Trump retook the White House and set into motion a dramatic expansion of executive power, the Republican president figures prominently in state and local elections being held Tuesday.
The results of those contests — the first general election of Trump’s second term — will be heralded by the victors as either a major repudiation or resounding stamp of approval of his second-term agenda. That’s especially true in high-profile races for Virginia and New Jersey governor, New York City mayor and a California proposition to redraw its congressional district boundaries.
More than half of the states will hold contests on Tuesday. Here’s a look at some of the major statewide and local races on the ballot:
Governors: New Jersey and Virginia
In New Jersey, Democrat Mikie Sherrill and Republican Jack Ciattarelli are the nominees to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy. Sherrill is a four-term U.S. representative and former Navy helicopter pilot. Ciattarelli is a former state Assemblyman backed by Trump. In 2021, Ciattarelli came within about 3 percentage points of toppling Murphy.
In Virginia, Republican Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and Democratic former U.S. Rep. Abigail Spanberger look to replace term-limited Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. While Spanberger has made some efforts to focus on topics other than Trump in stump speeches, the president remained a major topic of conversation throughout the campaign, from comments Earle-Sears made about him in 2022 to some of his more polarizing policies, such as the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill tax and spending cut measure and the widespread dismissal of federal workers, many of whom live in northern Virginia.
Trump was scheduled to participate in telephone rallies for the candidates on Monday night.
As the only gubernatorial races held in the year following a presidential election, the contests have long served as the first major test of voter sentiment toward the party holding the White House. In every race for governor since 1973, one or both states have elected a governor from a party different than that of the sitting president.
New York City Mayor
The race to lead the nation’s largest city features Democratic state legislator Zohran Mamdani, independent candidate and former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa.
Mamdani’s comfortable victory over Cuomo in the June primary generated excitement from the party’s more progressive wing and apprehension among the party establishment. Party leaders like Gov. Kathy Hochul and U.S. House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries eventually endorsed the self-described democratic socialist months after he won the nomination.
The winner will replace outgoing Mayor Eric Adams, who initially sought renomination as a Democrat. After losing the primary Adams opted to run as an independent, but dropped out of the race in September and eventually endorsed Cuomo. In February, the Trump Justice Department asked a court to drop corruption charges against Adams because the case impeded Trump’s “ immigration objectives.” Trump later said he’d like to see both Adams and Sliwa drop out of the race in an effort to defeat Mamdani.
California Proposition 50
California voters will decide a statewide ballot measure that would enact a new congressional map that could flip as many as five Republican-held U.S. House seats to Democratic control.
Proposition 50, championed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, is in response to a new Texas map that state Republicans enacted in August as part of Trump’s efforts to keep the U.S. House under Republican control in the 2026 midterms. The Texas plan, which could help Republicans flip five Democratic-held U.S. House seats, has sparked an escalating gerrymandering arms race among states to pass new maps outside of the regular once-a-decade schedule.
Pennsylvania Supreme Court
Control of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will be at stake when voters cast Yes or No votes on whether to retain three justices from the high court’s 5-2 Democratic majority.
Partisan control of the court could have major implications for the 2028 presidential race, since justices might be asked to rule on election disputes, as they did in 2020. Spending on Tuesday’s contests is on track to exceed $15 million as Republicans have campaigned to end the majority and Democrats have responded.
If all three justices are ousted, a deadlock in the confirmation process to replace them could result in a court tied at 2-2. An election to fill any vacant seats for full 10-year terms would be held in 2027.
Other notable contests
VIRGINIA ATTORNEY GENERAL: Republican incumbent Jason Miyares seeks a second term against Democrat Jay Jones. Much of the fall campaign has focused on text messages suggesting violence against political rivals that Jones sent in 2022.
TEXAS-18: Sixteen candidates hope to fill a vacant congressional seat previously held by the late Democratic U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner.
STATE LEGISLATURES: Control of the Minnesota Senate and Virginia House of Delegates is at stake, while New Jersey Democrats defend their 52-28 General Assembly majority.
BALLOT MEASURES: Maine voters will decide statewide questions on voting and a “red flag” law aimed at preventing gun violence. Texas’ 17 ballot measures include constitutional amendments on parental rights and limiting voting to U.S. citizens. Colorado and Washington also have statewide measures on the ballot.
MAYORS: Detroit, Pittsburgh, Jersey City and Buffalo will elect new mayors, while incumbents in Atlanta, Minneapolis and Cincinnati seek another term.
The English Football League has criticised the “undermining” of the Carabao Cup after it was forced to compromise on the date of Crystal Palace’s quarter-final because of fixture congestion.
Palace will now face Arsenal in the last eight at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, 23 December at 20:00 GMT.
The other three quarter-finals take place the previous week but the Eagles’ commitments in the Uefa Conference League – they host Finnish club KuPS at Selhurst Park on 18 December – has left them with four games in nine days.
Palace host Manchester City on 14 December and are away to Leeds on 21 December, either side of the KuPS game.
A statement from the EFL was critical of the “expansion of European cup competitions” which it believes was “implemented without adequate consultation with domestic leagues”.
The EFL said it had “shown a willingness to compromise” but scheduling conflicts are “now entirely unavoidable”.
“To continue making endless concessions only serves to undermine the reputation of the EFL Cup,” said the statement.
“It also challenges the traditional scheduling of the English football calendar and strength of our domestic game.”
Uefa’s European calendar now stretches across 10 midweeks, rather than the six of two seasons ago, with the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League each given a standalone week for exposure.
It has caused a huge logistical headache, with the third round of the EFL Cup having to be seeded and played across two weeks to keep clubs in the Champions League and Europa League apart.
Palace boss Oliver Glasner said last week it would be “irresponsible” if the club were forced to play two games in three days.
The EFL said it shared the “frustration and concern” of managers and players concerning the congested programme which deprived clubs of the “necessary time for preparation” and ability to “field their strongest line-ups” in the EFL Cup.
Boxing Day fixtures have been a long-standing tradition in English football but this year the only Premier League game will be Manchester United’s home match with Newcastle United (20:00 GMT).
Nov. 3 (UPI) — Two men face federal charges for allegedly plotting a terror attack in Michigan over Halloween weekend, according to a criminal complaint unsealed.
On Friday, FBI Director Kash Patel stated the bureau “thwarted a potential terrorist attack.” Patel added that FBI agents arrested “multiple subjects in Michigan who were allegedly plotting a violent attack over Halloween weekend.”
Five suspects were arrested, two of whom — Mohmed Ali and Majed Mahmoud — were charged with multiple felonies in a 73-page criminal complaint in Michigan’s eastern federal judicial district.
Ali and Mahmoud were charged with receiving, transferring, attempting and conspiring to transfer firearms and ammunition.
In addition, the two suspects were charged with knowing and having reasonable cause to believe that the firearms and ammunition would be used to commit a federal terror crime.
The two allegedly purchased three AR-15-style rifles in August and September along with thousands of ammunition rounds and other firearm accessories, according to court documents.
Suspects referred to an attack by “brothers” in private WhatsApp messages on behalf of an Islamic extremist terror group.
FBI officials said the two “traveled together to scout potential target locations in Ferndale, Michigan” that included a number of known LGBTQ+ bars and clubs.
On Saturday, Ali was described as a 20-year-old U.S. citizen “with a lawful interest in recreational firearms.”
“There is no evidence whatsoever of a planned terror or ‘mass casualty’ plot,” said attorney Amir Makled, who represents Ali.
Two of the five arrested were released from custody.
Meanwhile, Ali and Mahmoud were due in court Monday.
The government has asked the media regulator to revisit its rules on phone companies raising their prices in the middle of a contract, after O2 unexpectedly announced it was raising prices by £2.50 a month.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall said O2’s higher than expected price increase is “disappointing given the current pressures on consumers”.
“I believe we need to go further, faster. I am keen that we look at in-contract price rises again,” she wrote in a letter to the media regulator.
Ofcom said it shared the government’s concern “customers who face price rises must be treated fairly by mobile providers”.
O2 said in a statement: “We appreciate that price changes are never welcome, but we have been fully transparent with our customers about this change, writing directly to them and providing the right to exit without penalty if they wish.”
Ofcom has been given until 7 November to respond to Ms Kendall’s letter, and said it would respond to her specific questions shortly.
In January, new rules came in which cracked down on phone and broadband providers increasing prices in the middle of a contract without warning.
It was able to do this because the increase was not linked to inflation, and it has given customers 30 days to leave without penalty – so long as they pay off the cost of their device in full.
The company said it has not gone against the regulation and Ofcom’s rules do not stop providers from raising prices.
“A price increase equivalent to 8p per day is greatly outweighed by the £700m we invest each year into our mobile network, with UK consumers benefitting from an extremely competitive market and some of the lowest prices compared to international peers,” it said.
Ms Kendall said O2 went “against the spirit” of the rules in her letter to Ofcom’s chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes.
She has asked Ofcom to look into whether the 30-day switching period makes it easy enough for consumers to move to another provider.
“I would welcome your undertaking a rapid review on how easy it is for customers to switch providers,” she said.
“If companies are determined to increase pricing, it is beholden on us to make sure that customers are able to go elsewhere as easily as possible.”
She has also asked for an assessment into whether the January rules give consumers enough transparency into price rises during their contracts.
Ofcom’s rules require companies to tell customers how much their bills will rise by in pounds and pence before their contract starts.
O2 initially said its monthly prices would increase by £1.80 a month in April 2026 for current customers.
But the firm now says they will go up by £2.50 instead.
Ms Kendall said she wants phone providers to inform all their customers – including those whose contracts started before the new rules – how much their monthly prices will go up by.
“We’ve always said fixed should mean fixed,” said Tom MacInnes, director of policy at the Citizens Advice charity, and added the current rule “hasn’t gone far enough to protect customers”.
“If one company is able to get away with this, other providers could follow suit,” he said.
“The time has come for the regulator to banish mid-contract price rises for good.”
Meanwhile, telecoms analyst Paolo Pescatore of PP Foresight said UK network operators are “cash-strapped as margins are being squeezed”.
He added: “Striking the right balance between raising much-needed funds and investing in next-generation networks is never easy.”
But he said while other providers would have usually followed in announcing similar prices rises, “it seems highly unlikely that rivals will follow suit, given the consumer backlash and awareness generated thus far”.
President Trump’s administration said Monday that it will partially fund SNAP after a pair of judges’ rulings required it to keep the food aid program running.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture had planned to freeze payments to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program starting Nov. 1 because it said it could no longer keep funding it due to the shutdown. The program serves about 1 in 8 Americans and is a major piece of the nation’s social safety net. It costs about $8 billion per month nationally.
It’s not clear how much beneficiaries will receive, nor how quickly beneficiaries will see value show up on the debit cards they use to buy groceries. The process of loading the SNAP cards, which involves steps by state and federal government agencies and vendors, can take up to two weeks in some states. The average monthly benefit is usually about $190 per person.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the nation’s largest food program, said last month that benefits for November wouldn’t be paid out due to the federal government shutdown. That set off a scramble by food banks, state governments and the nearly 42 million Americans who receive the aid to find ways to ensure access to groceries.
Most states have boosted aid to food banks, and some are setting up systems to reload benefit cards with state taxpayer dollars.
It also spurred lawsuits.
Federal judges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ruled separately but similarly Friday, telling the government that it was required to use one fund with about $5 billion to pay for the program, at least in part. The benefits and administration cost over $8 billion per month.
The judges gave the government the option to use additional money to fully fund the program and a deadline of Monday to decide.
Judge John J. McConnell Jr., in Providence, Rhode Island, said if the government chose full funding, it would need to make payments Monday. With a partial version, which would require recalculating benefits, the payment deadline is Wednesday.
Trump said on social media Friday that he does “NOT want Americans to go hungry just because the Radical Democrats refuse to do the right thing and REOPEN THE GOVERNMENT.” He said he was telling government lawyers to prepare SNAP payments as soon as possible.
Benefits will be delayed in November because many beneficiaries have their cards recharged early in the month and the process of loading cards can take weeks in many states.
Democratic state attorneys general or governors from 25 states, as well as the District of Columbia, challenged the plan to pause the program, contending that the administration has a legal obligation to keep it running in their jurisdictions. Cities and nonprofits also filed a lawsuit.
The USDA has a $5 billion contingency fund for the program, but the Trump administration reversed an earlier plan to use that money to keep SNAP running. Democratic officials argue that the administration could also use a separate fund of about $23 billion.
U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell in Providence, Rhode Island, said SNAP must be funded using at least contingency funds, and he asked for an update on progress by Monday.
In an additional order Saturday, McConnell said if the government makes full payments, it must do so by the end of the day Monday. If it chooses partial ones — which involve recalculating how much recipients get — those would need to be issued by Wednesday.
That does not mean people would necessarily see the payments that quickly, because the process of loading cards can take up to two weeks in some circumstances.
McConnell also ruled that all previous work requirement waivers must continue to be honored. During the shutdown, the USDA has terminated existing waivers that exempted work requirements for older adults, veterans and others.
In Boston, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani ruled the suspension was unlawful and said USDA has to pay for SNAP. Talwani ordered the federal government to advise by Monday whether they will use emergency reserve funds to provide reduced SNAP benefits for November or fully fund the program using both contingency funds and additional available funds.
Advocates and beneficiaries say halting the food aid would force people to choose between buying groceries and paying other bills. The majority of states have announced more or expedited funding for food banks or novel ways to load at least some benefits onto the SNAP debit cards.
Rhode Island officials said Monday that under their program, SNAP beneficiaries who also receive benefits from another federal program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, received payments Saturday equal to one-fourth of what they typically get from SNAP. Officials in Delaware are telling recipients that benefits there won’t be available until at least Nov. 7.
To qualify for SNAP in 2025, a household’s net income after certain expenses can’t exceed the federal poverty line. For a family of four, that’s about $32,000 per year. Last year, SNAP assisted nearly 42 million people, about two-thirds of whom were families with children.
Mulvihill writes for the Associated Press. AP reporter Kimberlee Kruesi in Providence, R.I., contributed to this report.
Sometimes you have to sacrifice having great statistics to lead your team to victory. That’s what 5-foot-8 running back Journee Tonga has done for Leuzinger this season.
A year ago, he rushed for 2,267 yards and 29 touchdowns. This season, to help Leuzinger win the Bay League championship, go 9-1 and earn a Division 2 playoff matchup against unbeaten Crean Lutheran on Friday, Tonga has been doing everything, from playing quarterback to slot.
“He’s been our Swiss Army Knife,” coach Jason Miller said.
A hand injury to starting quarterback Russell Sekona forced Tonga into a wildcat formation to fill in. Sekona will find out this week if he can return.
If that happens, Tonga will be providing help with his running and catching skills.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].
Israel is holding a record 360 Palestinian children from the occupied West Bank in its prisons, many without charge or trial, in what rights groups call a system of control and abuse. Families say the detentions, marked by torture and neglect, are meant to crush Palestinians.
A fuel blockade by al Qaeda-linked militants has severely impacted the capital of Mali, raising concerns that the jihadist group, Jama’at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), might attempt to impose its rule in the country. While analysts believe that JNIM currently lacks the resources to seize control of Bamako, they view the blockade as a strategy to weaken the government by cutting off fuel supplies, which has led to school closures and affected local businesses.
The blockade aims to pressure the military government, which took power in 2021 after promising to combat the Islamist threat. Analysts speculate that JNIM seeks to provoke another coup in Mali, potentially the third since 2020, which could destabilize the nation further and provide JNIM with more opportunities to gain power and resources. A recent report warned that the government’s stability is at high risk in the coming weeks due to the increasing pressure from JNIM.
JNIM announced the blockade was aimed at the ruling authorities, accusing them of oppressing citizens, particularly outside the capital. The group has been advancing from northern Mali into central areas and neighboring countries, increasing its attacks on military posts and acquiring more weapons. Recently, JNIM reportedly received a large ransom for hosting Emirati hostages and has begun extending its operations in southern Mali, intensifying its focus on Bamako.
The blockade is viewed as both an economic tactic and a means of instilling fear among Bamako’s leadership and its residents. Although there haven’t been significant protests despite the fuel crisis, tensions among military leaders and the arrest of several generals could threaten the current regime’s stability. Observers caution that the potential collapse of Mali’s government could have a domino effect on neighboring Burkina Faso and Niger, where military-led governments are in place, thus destabilizing the Sahel region.
Malians have remained relatively quiet about the fuel shortage due to fear of government reprisals. One resident explained the struggles of finding fuel, while the military continues to deal with internal challenges. Analysts believe that the situation may make the current military leaders vulnerable to being ousted, given the growing pressures from both political factions and armed groups.
If JNIM were to gain control of Bamako, it could lead to significant restrictions on daily life, as seen in areas previously occupied by the group. Recent warnings from foreign embassies have urged citizens to leave Mali, yet there hasn’t been a significant exodus or an increase in flight bookings at this time. The future remains uncertain, with risks of JNIM attempting to advance into the city still possible, according to diplomats.
If you’re looking to save money on a UK hotel stay, there’s one day of the week you should always book on
Some excellent hotel bargains can emerge after 6pm just 24 to 48 hours beforehand(Image: Getty)
Whilst holidaymakers frequently look to secure a staycation during this period, it might seem logical to book over the weekend whilst enjoying a relaxing brew. Nevertheless, this approach could result in higher costs.
Rather, you should hold off until the surge of weekend reservations subsides and corporate travel arrangements are finalised. This puts Tuesday as the optimal day for holiday booking, given increased availability and booking platforms seeking to fill remaining accommodation swiftly.
Consequently, being adaptable proves beneficial if you can tolerate the uncertainty.
Hotels generally maintain a cancellation period of 24 to 48 hours, prompting them to market any cancelled accommodations – occasionally at discounted rates, reports the Express.
Whilst extremely risky and spontaneous, some excellent hotel bargains can emerge after 6pm – provided you happen to be nearby.
Nevertheless, these guidelines are reversed regarding major chains such as Premier Inn and Travelodge.
Travel specialist Linda Reynolds, from Personal Travel Agents, informed The Guardian that she advises travellers to reserve early for optimal deals.
For instance, Travelodge promotes “rooms from £35 or less” when secured in advance; and particular travel platforms prove valuable additions to your toolkit.
Google Hotels, Kayak and Trivago, for example, will alert subscribers when rates drop, ensuring you’re informed about fantastic holiday bargains.
When to book a holiday
When it comes to choosing your actual hotel dates, Sunday through to Thursday typically offers the best value, helping you dodge those weekend price surges targeting short-break travellers.
It’s also worth keeping school holidays, bank holidays and local festivities in mind, as these will inevitably push costs up and are worth swerving if possible.
Reynolds said: “Sunday nights in cities are usually cheaper than Friday or Saturday nights because leisure demand dips after the weekend.
“In rural locations, including coastal areas, midweek (Monday to Thursday) is often cheaper than weekends, when leisure travellers arrive.”
If you’re plotting a London getaway, think about booking accommodation outside the city centre in zones two to three.
These areas offer better value, excellent transport links and still provide an authentic taste of the capital.
The same principle works for other major cities including Glasgow, Manchester, Edinburgh and Bristol.
Meanwhile, money coach Maddy Alexander-Grout suggests checking out Plans Change marketplace, which lets holidaymakers flog their trips at reduced rates – with discounts starting at 25% off.
“In my job, I travel around the country a lot, and I regularly use the site, saving about 20% on a hotel booking direct,” she said.
President Donald Trump’s razing of the White House’s East Wing to build a ballroom has put some news organizations following the story in an awkward position, with corporate owners among the contributors to the project — and their reporters covering it vigorously.
Comcast, which owns NBC News and MSNBC, has faced on-air criticism from some of the liberal cable channel’s personalities for its donation. Amazon, whose founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post, is another donor. The newspaper editorialized in favor of Trump’s project, pointing out the Bezos connection a day later after critics noted its omission.
It’s not the first time since Trump regained the presidency that interests of journalists at outlets that are a small part of a corporate titan’s portfolio have clashed with owners. Both the Walt Disney Co. and Paramount have settled lawsuits with Trump rather than defend ABC News and CBS News in court.
“This is Trump’s Washington,” said Chuck Todd, former NBC “Meet the Press” host. “None of this helps the reputations of the news organizations that these companies own, because it compromises everybody.”
Companies haven’t said how much they donated, or why
None of the individuals and corporations identified by the White House as donors has publicly said how much was given, although a $22 million Google donation was revealed in a court filing. Comcast would not say Friday why it gave, although some MSNBC commentators have sought to fill in the blanks.
MSNBC’s Stephanie Ruhle said the donations should be a concern to Americans, “because there ain’t no company out there writing a check just for good will.”
“Those public-facing companies should know that there’s a cost in terms of their reputations with the American people,” Rachel Maddow said on her show this week, specifically citing Comcast. “There may be a cost to their bottom line when they do things against American values, against the public interest because they want to please Trump or buy him off or profit somehow from his authoritarian overthrow of our democracy.”
NBC’s “Nightly News” led its Oct. 22 broadcast with a story on the East Wing demolition, which reporter Gabe Gutierrez said was paid for by private donors, “among them Comcast, NBC’s parent company.”
“Nightly News” spent a total of five minutes on the story that week, half the time of ABC’s “World News Tonight,” though NBC pre-empted its Tuesday newscast for NBA coverage, said Andrew Tyndall, head of ADT Research. There’s no evidence that Comcast tried to influence NBC’s coverage in any way; Todd said the corporation’s leaders have no history of doing that. A Comcast spokeswoman had no comment.
Todd spoke out against his bosses at NBC News in the past, but said he doubted he would have done so in this case, in part because Comcast hasn’t said why the contribution was made. “You could make the defense that it is contributing to the United States” by renovating the White House, he said.
More troubling, he said, is the perception that Comcast CEO Brian Roberts had to do it to curry favor with the Trump administration. Trump, in a Truth Social post in April, called Comcast and Roberts “a disgrace to the integrity of Broadcasting!!!” The president cited the company’s ownership of MSNBC and NBC News.
Roberts may need their help. Stories this week suggested Comcast might be interested in buying all or part of Warner Bros. Discovery, a deal that would require government approval.
White House cannot be ‘a museum to the past’
The Post’s editorial last weekend was eye-opening, even for a section that has taken a conservative turn following Bezos’ direction that it concentrate on defending personal liberties and the free market. The Oct. 25 editorial was unsigned, which indicates that it is the newspaper’s official position, and was titled “In Defense of the White House ballroom.”
The Post said the ballroom is a necessary addition and although Trump is pursuing it “in the most jarring manner possible,” it would not have gotten done in his term if he went through a traditional approval process.
“The White House cannot simply be a museum to the past,” the Post wrote. “Like America, it must evolve with the times to maintain its greatness. Strong leaders reject calcification. In that way, Trump’s undertaking is a shot across the bow at NIMBYs everywhere.”
In sharing a copy of the editorial on social media, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote that it was the “first dose of common sense I’ve seen from the legacy media on this story.”
The New York Times, by contrast, has not taken an editorial stand either for or against the project. It has run a handful of opinion columns: Ross Douthat called Trump’s move necessary considering potential red tape, while Maureen Dowd said it was an “unsanctioned, ahistoric, abominable destruction of the East Wing.”
In a social media post later Saturday, Columbia University journalism professor Bill Grueskin noted the absence of any mention of Bezos in the Post editorial” and said he wrote to a Post spokeswoman about it. In a “stealth edit” that Grueskin said didn’t include any explanation, a paragraph was added the next day about the private donors, including Amazon. “Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Post,” the newspaper said.
The Post had no comment on the issue, spokeswoman Olivia Petersen said on Sunday.
In a story this past week, NPR reported that the ballroom editorial was one of three that the Post had written in the previous two weeks on a matter in which Bezos had a financial or corporate interest without noting his personal stakes.
In a public appearance last December, Bezos acknowledged that he was a “terrible owner” for the Post from the point of view of appearances of conflict. “A pure newspaper owner who only owned a newspaper and did nothing else would probably be, from that point of view, a much better owner,” the Amazon founder said.
Grueskin, in an interview, said Bezos had every right as an owner to influence the Post’s editorial policy. But he said it was important for readers to know his involvement in the East Wing story. They may reject the editorial because of the conflict, he said, or conclude that “the editorial is so well-argued, I put a lot of credibility into what I just read.”
It seems the nation’s favourite beach has been named – and it’s nestled on the eastern coast
Gorleston-on-Sea Beach is a gem on the Norfolk coast(Image: Getty)
Gorleston-on-Sea Beach, a gem on the Norfolk coast just south of Great Yarmouth, has been crowned with the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best award, placing it amongst Europe’s top holiday destinations. The UK beach, renowned for its stunning views and golden sands, finds itself in good company, rubbing shoulders with popular spots in Greece and Spain.
The coveted ‘Best of the Best’ accolade is bestowed upon beaches that consistently receive glowing reviews on TripAdvisor over a year. With fewer than 1% of the 8 million listings achieving this milestone, Gorleston-on-Sea Beach stands tall on an impressive pedestal.
Visitors to the beach can enjoy views of grassy cliffs, engage in a game of pitch and putt, or try their hand at bowling greens, tennis and basketball. For the little ones, there’s a playground, a model yacht pond and a splashpad.
One of the major attractions is the free parking, coupled with public toilets, including facilities for disabled visitors. Known for its popularity among surfers and body boarders, Gorleston-on-Sea beach is a hit with water sports enthusiasts.
Just a five-minute stroll away is the town centre, brimming with shops, cafes, and amusements for visitors to explore.
Gorleston boasts an Edwardian theatre offering seaside shows throughout the year, reports the Express.
For those who enjoy a good walk, a trim-trail on the cliff top offers breathtaking views of the beach and harbour.
One holidaymaker shared their glowing review on TripAdvisor, stating: “A lovely place to visit. Lots of space and not overcrowded.
“A great play park on the clifftop which we had to ourselves even in school holidays. Few cafes and good toilet facilities. Lovely and clean area.”
Another visitor was charmed by its “old fashioned charm” and “miles of sandy beach”, while a third praised the “beautiful beach and calming atmosphere”.
Another tourist gushed: “Beautiful beach, so clean, so long and so relaxing. Sandy parts, stony parts, lots of lovely views. Amenities nearby and public loos.”
Yet another posted: “Beautiful beach with all that you need for a lovely family day at the beach. Drinks, ice cream and delicious fish and chips. Added bonus of plenty of free parking. Would defo recommend.”
Gorleston is touted as an excellent base for exploring Norfolk and Suffolk, and it’s a breeze to get there from Great Yarmouth, whether by car or public transport.
There are several bus services that run between Great Yarmouth and Gorleston.
New York City’s mayoral candidates are making a final push Monday to get voters to the polls, as the race to lead America’s biggest city nears its finale.
Ahead of Election Day on Tuesday, Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa have all spent the race’s final stretch campaigning at a frenetic pace across the city’s five boroughs as they make their case to succeed outgoing Mayor Eric Adams.
In recent days, Mamdani went dancing with seniors on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Cuomo dined in the Eastern European enclave of Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, and Sliwa went to a mosque in the Bronx.
Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist who would be the city’s first Muslim mayor, jolted the political world when he defeated Cuomo in the primary with an energetic campaign focused on making the city a more affordable place to live.
As the race approaches the finish line, he’s continued to post viral social media videos and run a relentless ground game, while warning his progressive fan base not to become complacent and to send as many supporters to the polls as possible.
Cuomo is trying to make his return to political office after resigning as governor four years ago following a barrage of sexual harassment accusations that he denies. Now running as an independent, the 67-year-old has in recent days shifted to wooing Republican voters to bolster his centrist base, pitching himself as the only candidate who can stop Mamdani.
Sliwa, the creator of the Guardian Angels crime patrol group and a longtime fixture on New York’s airwaves, seeks to spoil both Democrats’ chances. He’s been heavily canvassing the streets and subways in his signature red beret to spread his message of public safety.
Early voting in the city ended Sunday, and election officials say more than 735,000 ballots were cast.
In last year’s general election, there were 1,089,328 early, in-person votes cast. But in the 2021 mayoral general election, only 169,879 in-person early voting ballots were cast.
Nov. 3 (UPI) — The Texas-based Kimberly-Clark Corporation announced Monday it reached a deal to purchase Kenvue — the maker of Band-Aid and Tylenol products — for $48.7 billion.
The combination cash and stock transaction will see Kimberly-Clark acquire all outstanding shares of Kenvue common stock. A news release from Kimberly-Clark said the sale will put 10 billion-dollar brands together under the same company.
Kimberly-Clark’s brands include Kleenex, Cottonelle, Huggies, Poise, Pull-Ups, Scott, Viva and Kotex.
“We are excited to bring together two iconic companies to create a global health and wellness leader,” CEO Mike Hsu said.
“With a shared commitment to developing science and technology to provide extraordinary care, we will serve billions of consumers across every stage of life.”
Kimberly-Clark said the sale is expected to close in the second half of 2026 upon approval by shareholders of both companies. Upon completion, Hsu will serve as chairman of the board and CEO of the combined company. Meanwhile, three board members from Kenue will join Kimberly-Clark’s board.
In the wake of the news, Kenvue’s shares increased 20% in premarket trading, and Kimberly-Clark’s decreased by 14% Monday, CNBC reported.
Less than a week before the announcement, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced he was suing Kenvue and its parent company, Johnson & Johnson, for “deceptively marketing” Tylenol as a safe pain reliever.
The Trump administration announced in September that there was a link between Tylenol and an increased risk of autism, though, on Thursday, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy said there wasn’t sufficient evidence to explicitly claim that Tylenol causes autism.
US President Donald Trump has appeared on the CBS News programme 60 Minutes just months after he won a $16m settlement from the broadcaster for alleged “deceptive editing”.
In the interview with CBS host Norah O’Donnell, which was filmed last Friday at his Mar-a-Lago residence and aired on Sunday, Trump touched on several topics, including the ongoing government shutdown, his administration’s unprecedented crackdowns on undocumented migrants, the US’s decision to restart nuclear testing, and the trade war with China.
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Trump, who regularly appears on Fox News, a right-wing media outlet, has an uneasy relationship with CBS, which is considered centrist.
In October 2020, the president walked out of a 60 Minutes interview in the lead-up to the 2020 election he lost, claiming that the host, Lesley Stahl, was “biased”.
Here are some key takeaways from the interview:
The interview took place one year to the day after Trump sued CBS
The president’s lawyers sued CBS owner Paramount in October 2024 for “mental anguish” over a pre-election interview with rival candidate Kamala Harris that Trump claimed had been deceptively edited to favour Democrats and thus affected his campaign.
CBS had aired two different versions of an answer Harris gave to a question on Israel’s war on Gaza, posed by host Bill Whitaker. One version aired on 60 Minutes while the other appeared on the programme Face the Nation.
Asked whether Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, listened to US advice, Harris answered: “We are not going to stop pursuing what is necessary for the United States – to be clear about where we stand on the need for this war to end.”
In an alternative edit, featured in earlier pre-broadcast promotions, Harris had given a longer, more rambling response that did not sound as concise.
The network argued the answer was edited differently for the two shows due to time restrictions, but Trump’s team claimed CBS “distorted” its broadcasts and “helped” Harris, thereby affecting his campaign. Trump asked for an initial $10bn in damages before upping it to $20bn in February 2025.
Paramount, in July 2025, chose to settle with Trump’s team to the tune of $16m in the form of a donation to a planned Trump presidential library. That move angered journalist unions and rights groups, which argued it set a bad precedent for press freedom.
Paramount executives said the company would not apologise for the editing of its programmes, but had decided to settle to put the matter to rest.
The company was at the time trying to secure federal approval from Trump’s government for a proposed merger with Skydance, owned by Trump ally Larry Ellison. The Federal Communications Commission has since approved the merger that gives Ellison’s Skydance controlling rights.
On October 19, Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Steve Witkoff, US special envoy to the Middle East, were interviewed on 60 Minutes regarding the Israel-Gaza war.
President Donald Trump, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping, right, shake hands before their meeting at Gimhae International Airport in Busan, South Korea, October 30, 2025 [Mark Schiefelbein/AP]
He solved rare-earth metals issue with China
After meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea last Thursday, Trump praised his counterpart as a “strong man, a very powerful leader” and said their relationship was on an even keel despite the trade war. However, he blamed China for “ripping off” the US through its dominance of crucial rare earth materials.
Trump told 60 Minutes he had cut a favourable trade agreement with China and that “we got – no rare-earth threat. That’s gone, completely gone”, referring to Chinese export restrictions on critical rare-earth metals needed to manufacture a wide range of items including defence equipment, smartphones and electric vehicles.
However, Beijing actually only said it would delay introducing export controls for five rare-earth metals it announced in October, and did not mention restrictions on a further seven it announced in April this year. Those restrictions remain in place.
Xi ‘knows what will happen’ if China attacks Taiwan
Trump said President Xi did not say anything about whether Beijing planned to attack autonomous Taiwan.
However, he referred to past assurances from Xi, saying: “He [Xi] has openly said, and his people have openly said at meetings, ‘We would never do anything while President Trump is president’, because they know the consequences.”
Asked whether he would order US forces to action if China moved militarily on Taiwan, Trump demurred, saying: “You’ll find out if it happens, and he understands the answer to that … I can’t give away my secrets. The other side knows.”
There are mounting fears in the US that China could attack Taiwan. Washington’s stance of “strategic ambiguity” has always kept observers speculating about whether the US would defend Taiwan against Beijing. Ahead of the last elections, Trump said Taiwan should “pay” for protection.
He doesn’t know who the crypto boss he pardoned is
When asked why he pardoned cryptocurrency multibillionaire and Binance founder Changpeng Zhao last month, Trump said: “I don’t know who he is.”
The president said he had never met Zhao, but had been told he was the victim of a “witch hunt” by the administration of former US President Joe Biden.
Zhao pleaded guilty to enabling money laundering in connection with child sex abuse and “terrorism” on his crypto platform in 2023. He served four months in prison until September 2024, and stepped down as chief executive of Binance.
Binance has been linked to the Trump family’s cryptocurrency company World Liberty Financial, and many have questioned if the case is a conflict of interest.
In March 2025, World Liberty Financial launched its own dollar-pegged cryptocoin, USD1, on Binance’s blockchain and the company promoted it to its 275 million users. The coin was also supported by an investment fund in the United Arab Emirates, MGX Fund Management Limited, which used $2bn worth of the World Liberty stablecoin to buy a stake in Binance.
This part of the interview appeared in a full transcript of the 90-minute interview, but does not appear in either the 28-minute televised version or the 73-minute extended online video version. CBS said in a note on the YouTube version that it was “condensed for clarity”.
Other countries ‘are testing nuclear weapons’
Trump justified last week’s decision by his government to resume nuclear testing for the first time in 33 years, saying that other countries – besides North Korea – are already doing it.
“Russia’s testing, and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it,” Trump said, also mentioning Pakistan. “You know, we’re an open society. We’re different. We talk about it. We have to talk about it, because otherwise you people are gonna report – they don’t have reporters that gonna be writing about it. We do.”
Russia, China, and Pakistan have not openly conducted tests in recent years. Analyst Georgia Cole of UK think tank Chatham House told Al Jazeera that “there is no indication” the three countries have resumed testing.
He’s not worried about Hamas disarming
The president claimed the US-negotiated ceasefire and peace plan between Israel and Hamas was “very solid” despite Israeli strikes killing 236 Gazans since the ceasefire went into effect. It is also unclear whether or when the Palestinian armed group, Hamas, has agreed it will disarm.
However, Trump said he was not worried about Hamas disarming as the US would force the armed group to do so. “Hamas could be taken out immediately if they don’t behave,” he said.
Venezuela’s Maduro’s ‘days are numbered’
Trump denied the US was going to war with Venezuela despite a US military build-up off the country’s coast and deadly air strikes targeting alleged drug-trafficking ships in the country’s waters. The United Nations has said the strikes are a violation of international law.
Responding to a question about whether the strikes were really about unseating Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, Trump said they weren’t. However, when asked if Maduro’s days in office were numbered, the president answered: “I would say, yeah.”
A closed sign is displayed outside the National Gallery of Art nearly a week into a partial government shutdown in Washington, DC, the US, October 7, 2025 [Annabelle Gordon/Reuters]
US government shutdown is all the Democrats’ fault
Trump, a member of the Republican Party, blamed Democrats for what is now close to the longest government shutdown in US history, which has been ongoing since October 1.
Senators from the Democratic Party have refused to approve a new budget unless it extends expiring tax credits that make health insurance cheaper for millions of Americans and unless Trump reverses healthcare cuts made in his tax-and-spending bill, passed earlier this year.
The US president made it clear that he would not negotiate with Democrats, and did not give clear plans for ending the shutdown affecting 1.4 million governent employees.
US will become ‘third-world nation’ if tariffs disallowed
Referring to a US Supreme Court hearing brought by businesses arguing that the Trump government’s tariff war on other countries is illegal and has caused domestic inflation, Trump said the US “would go to hell” and be a “third world nation” if the court ordered tariffs to be removed.
He said the tariffs are necessary for “national security” and that they have increased respect from other countries for the US.
ICE raids ‘don’t go far enough’
Trump defended his government’s unprecedented Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and surveillance on people perceived to be undocumented migrants.
When asked if the raids had gone too far, he responded: “No. I think they haven’t gone far enough because we’ve been held back by the judges, by the liberal judges that were put in by [former US Presidents Joe] Biden and [Barack] Obama.”
Zohran Mamdani is a ‘communist’
Regarding the New York City mayoral race scheduled for November 4, Trump said he would not back democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani, and called him a “communist”. He said if Mamdani wins, it will be hard for him to “give a lot of money to New York”.
As the nights start to draw in even earlier leading up to Christmas, TV viewers will be looking for sumptuous dramas to get lost in
Doctor Who’s Jenna Coleman portrays the iconic monarch(Image: ITV)
ITVX is presently broadcasting a popular period drama featuring a British ruler that’s ideal for a comfortable binge-watch throughout the lengthy winter nights.
With darkness falling increasingly early in the run-up to Christmas, television enthusiasts will be seeking lavish dramas to lose themselves in.
Viewers need look no further than ITV’s digital streaming platform, which boasts an extensive range of celebrated programmes to select from.
Among the finest choices available this winter is the successful series Victoria, which launched in 2016 and featured Doctor Who’s Jenna Coleman as the youthful sovereign, charting her journey from defiant adolescent years through to responsible adulthood over three captivating seasons.
Whilst critics have targeted the programme’s shortage of historical precision, it’s undeniable that the series crafted by Daisy Goodwin provides tremendous entertainment that’s ready for exploration, or potentially a second viewing, reports the Express.
The Guardian’s favourable critique captured the essence: “As ever, it all hinges on Jenna Coleman’s performance as Victoria and her ability to conjure up a portrait of this queen as understanding, sympathetic, kind and decent, even under unimaginable and possibly imaginary pressures.
“It might not be elegant and it might not survive the strain of putting its plot points to the search engine test, but as diverting drama it gets the job done.”
An enthusiastic review from an IMDb viewer declared: “Rather captivating, I loved it. Every inch a Queen.
“I love [Coleman’s] portrayal of Victoria, she has some presence and a definite strength of character. Rufus Sewell I thought was exceptional as Lord Melbourne too, the complex relationship the pair had in real life was explained very well.
“The settings, costumes, and general production values were first rate, the show felt incredibly plush and lavish, I shudder to think of the budget for this series. Totally engaging, this was first rate viewing 9/10.”
Sadly, the series left many fans feeling let down when it was cancelled after just three seasons, leaving Queen Victoria’s story incomplete.
However, ITV gave a glimmer of hope in 2021, stating “there are no plans presently to film Victoria, but that’s not to say we won’t revisit the series with the production team at a later date”, hinting that a fourth season featuring an older Victoria might eventually be on the cards.
One hopeful fan penned: “This has been the most amazing series since Downton Abbey I have watched. I laughed, I cried, I got angry. I felt every emotion humanly possible through watching it.
“My mother and I binge watched it together and couldn’t believe how much it draws you in from beginning to end. I am so heartbroken that it has not yet come out with a 4th season. My mother and I both are. We pray they decide to release another season.
“I plead to ITV or whoever, to please give the green light for the 4th season and then some. This is an amazing love story that NEEDS to be completed.”
There’s a glimmer of hope for the series to carry on if enough viewers rewatch the series on ITVX, so it’s time to start binge-watching.
