The Deadly Heatwave in Europe

Temperatures in Europe have hit a new high this summer, with hotter early-summer heatwaves resulting in illness, excessive deaths and the collapse of infrastructure. 

On June 28, temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in some regions of the continent, including in Germany, the Czech Republic and Poland. 

And France’s national public health agency Santé publique France reported that the country experienced roughly 1,000 excess deaths during the heatwave which began on June 20th. 

Official figures noted that France's baseline death rate prior to the extreme heat (measured during April and May) sat at approximately 900 to 1,000 deaths per day. 

It's really, really bad because on June 23, 2026, for instance, France recorded a temperature of 44.3°C (111.7°F), making it one of the highest temperatures ever measured in the country since modern weather records began. 

Overall, 1,300 excess deaths have been reported in Europe since June 21, according to World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. 

In a post on X on June 28 too, he wrote that Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth, heating at twice the global average, and warned that the continent’s infrastructure has not been built to withstand high temperatures. 

“Driven by climate change and global warming, the phenomenon of the ‘once-in-a-generation’ heatwave is now occurring nearly annually”, he had grimly said.

Contrast this to Malaysia. During our hottest months so far in 2026 (March to May), the average daily temperatures ranged between 27°C and 28°C, with normal average daytime highs sitting around 33°C. 

In March and April, multiple districts in northern states like Perlis, Kedah, and Perak were placed under Level 2 heatwave alerts as daily maximum temperatures spiked between 37°C and 40°C for consecutive days. 

In fact, extended hot weather lasted through June, with maximum daytime temperatures consistently soaring up to 38°C across Peninsular Malaysia.

In case you're interested, the expected temperature in Malaysia today ranges from a minimum of 24°C to 25°C to a maximum of 33°C to 34°C. The current conditions are partly sunny at 24°C, though high humidity makes it feel closer to 28°C.

China’s H1 Resilience: GDP Up 4.7%

For years, the dominant narrative in many Western capitals has been that China's rise would eventually slow or even stall. Concerns over debt, demographic decline, a struggling property sector and geopolitical tensions have fueled repeated predictions that China's best days are behind it. 

Despite gloomy predictions on China's future, the country continues to chart steady growth, posting a 4.7% GDP expansion in H1 2026 to stay within Beijing's target range.

The dust settles on the World Cup semi-finals yesterday, solidifying the monumental matchups that dictate who is left standing in the hunt for glory. 

On Tuesday, La Roja produced an absolute masterclass in control to secure their place in just their second World Cup final – they won 2-0 – and yes, Les Bleus got blown away. 👏👏👏

And on Wednesday, Argentina impressively knocked the Three Lions out of the semi-final. La Albiceleste won 2-1 after scoring two dramatic late goals. England actually scored first in the 55th minute, but the Argentines equalized 30 minutes later before they headed home the winner in stoppage time. 👏👏👏

Just as I predicted, it'll be either Argentina or Spain that gets crowned champions on Sunday! 😁😁😁

Law School's Ban on Laptops and Smartphones

A US university have announced a ban on laptops and smartphones for incoming law students in an effort to combat AI usage. 

The new policy will prevent first year students at the University of Chicago Law School from accessing any electronic devices during classes, starting from the 2026-2027 academic year. 

The ban is part of the law school’s strategy to develop “AI-resilient pedagogy and assessments” in an effort to elevate “essential human skills that distinguish excellent lawyers” in the AI era. 

“We need to ensure that our students actually learn to think critically, strategically, and independently without relying on AI”, the law school’s new AI strategy states. 

I can expect other academic institutions to follow suit.

There's been a lot of fixtures, a lot of football and it's already 100 games into the FIFA World Cup. 

It is said the quarter-finals were all quite closely contested – I didn't even bother watching any of the games – and the four teams left to compete in the semi-finals are France against Spain, and Argentina against England.

The Opta supercomputer predicts France to emerge as the winners of the 2026 edition. 

I know I've said I don't care, but IF I HAVE TO CHOOSE, I'd pick Argentina or Spain.

Axis Redux

Beware of Japan! And Germany!

In 1940, the imperial regimes of both of these two countries (as well as Italy) joined what would be known as the Axis powers, bound by a shared desire for territorial expansion and imperial supremacy. 

They fought a world war, and they lost it, and their populations spent the next 85 years with shrunken militaries and a heavy reliance on their former enemy, America, for security. 

Now, both countries are moving to reduce their reliance on US security guarantees and are accelerating efforts to bolster their own defense capabilities. And, once again, they are strengthening ties. 

Their cooperation is expected to gather momentum at the meeting of the leaders of the Group of 7 (G7) in Évian-les-Bains, France, taking place now. It already includes sharing know-how, technology and weapons, like drones and helicopters, critical to the countries’ respective efforts to rearm. 

In a few years, Germany’s military spending could be larger than that of France and Britain – combined. Japan commits half as much as Germany, but it is still one of the world’s top spenders on defense, with a budget this year of about $58 billion. 

Already, Germany has forged close ties with Ukraine in developing and deploying new weapons and has asked France to help provide it with a nuclear deterrent. 

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, who won office last year with nationalist calls to revive the military, has deployed long-range missiles – capable of reaching China – in southern Japan, and has reversed postwar bans on arms exports. The country recently sealed a $6.5 billion deal to supply warships to Australia, and it is in talks with the Philippines and Indonesia about exporting warships. 

Make no mistake, this is an Axis redux – as both countries enthusiastically embrace the ambition to reassert their dominance. Indeed, Germany and Japan are primed and eager to unleash their military might once more.

And the US is encouraging the two countries – but they have to be stopped before they start getting ideas and threaten the world! 

Methinks, Japan should confront its wartime legacy and seek genuine reconciliation with the countries it once invaded. It should also respect the postwar international framework and the spirit of its pacifist constitution instead of pursuing belligerent strategies.

A Containment Zone for Mona Lisa

Paris, France's Louvre have selected international architecture firms Studios Architecture Paris and Selldorf Architects to design their sweeping $1 billion "Nouvelle Renaissance" expansion. 

The centerpiece of this massive overhaul is a custom-built, 33,000-square-foot underground exhibition space – I call it a containment zone – specifically dedicated to the Mona Lisa. 

This project aims to solve the severe, chronic overcrowding at the world's most-visited museum. Approximately 80% of the museum's 9 million annual visitors come primarily to see the portrait, turning the current viewing room into a chaotic bottleneck. 

In fact, visitors who came solely for the Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece will buy a separate, dedicated ticket. 

It means that those looking to only view the famous Giocanda will not necessarily have to pass through or even visit the rest of the Louvre. They will be spared the extra time waiting in line, and can get in, take their selfies, and get out. 

Meanwhile, those who wish to see the hundreds of thousands of other pieces among the galleries, will be spared the extra waiting time in line from those queuing only for the purpose of seeing the Mona Lisa. 

Methinks, it's a superb compromise.

Happy news as Malaysian women's doubles pair Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan have been cleared to return to action at the Singapore Open, which begins tomorrow. 

Pearly Tan (right) had to miss both the Uber Cup 2026 as well as the Malaysia Masters, due to a recurring back injury.  

FIFA's Legal Setback Just Before 2026 WC Kick-off

FIFA have suffered a legal blow just weeks before the World Cup after the French footballers’ union UNFP achieved a landmark decision in the European courts. 

The UNFP have successfully advanced a complaint about the health and safety of players’ working conditions and a lack of collective bargaining as a result of decisions made by FIFA. 

The UNFP’s complaint at the European Committee of Social Rights is against the French state for failing to uphold protections that they have committed to under the European Social Charter. 

They will now proceed to a full hearing and, if successful, will apply pressure to governments across Europe to hold FIFA to account over their decisions to expand the global calendar, adding to the workload of professional footballers. 

“Violations of fundamental labour rights – on health and safety, working time, and the right to collective bargaining – are not isolated failures of individual states”, said a statement from international players’ union FIFPRO Europe. 

“They are a structural feature of professional football, driven by FIFA’s expanding competition formats and their unilateral decision-making and control over the international match calendar, in which players and their representatives have no meaningful say. 

“France is not alone: many other states are in a comparable situation, with minimum standards for working time, rest periods, occupational health and collective bargaining structurally undermined by decisions taken at global level. FIFPRO Europe therefore regards the UNFP complaint as a signal case with implications well beyond France”. 

The legal battle is the latest to be waged between player unions and FIFA as a result of the governing body’s introduction of a 32-team Club World Cup and expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams.

China's Upcoming Nuclear-powered Supercarrier

High-resolution satellite imagery captured over China's Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Company (DSIC) on March 22, 2026, confirms that the country’s fourth aircraft carrier, the Type 004, is progressing at a rate that stuns Western naval analysts. 

Displacing an estimated 110,000 to 120,000 tonnes, the vessel is not only poised to be China’s first nuclear-powered "flattop" but may also displace the USS Gerald R Ford class as the largest warship ever built. 

The project, which represents the "crown jewel" of Beijing’s naval modernization, marks China's entry into the exclusive club of nuclear-powered carrier operators currently occupied only by the United States and France. 

While Beijing has remained officially tight-lipped about the ship's propulsion, the physical evidence on the ground has become impossible to ignore. 

Reactor Containment Units: Surveillance photos from late 2025 and early 2026 revealed two massive, double-walled square compartments being integrated into the hull’s center. These structures are dimensionally consistent with shipborne nuclear reactors rather than the massive intake and exhaust trunking required for conventional fossil-fuel turbines. 

The "Dragon Might" Prototype: Naval intelligence has linked the Type 004 to the "Longwei" (Dragon Might) land-based reactor prototype in Sichuan Province. Successfully tested in 2024, this pressurized water reactor is believed to provide the high-density power needed for sustained "blue water" operations. 

Infinite Endurance: Unlike the conventionally powered Fujian (Type 003), which is tethered to a vulnerable logistical tail of fuel tankers, the Type 004 will have virtually unlimited range, limited only by the crew's food supply and aviation fuel. The Type 004 is designed to operate a massive air wing of 90 to 100 aircraft, significantly larger than the 60-75 aircraft carried by previous Chinese iterations. 

The J-35 Stealth Edge: The carrier is specifically optimized for the J-35 stealth fighter, China’s answer to the F-35C. With its internal weapons bays and low-observable coatings, the J-35 will provide the Type 004 with a high-end "first strike" capability. 

Electronic Warfare & AEW&C: The deck will house a dedicated contingent of J-15D electronic attack aircraft and the KJ-600 Airborne Early Warning and Control plane, critical for detecting incoming threats at long range. 

Advanced EMALS: The ship will feature four electromagnetic catapults (EMALS), one more than the Fujian. This means China can put more aircraft into the sky in a shorter window during high-intensity combat. 

Perhaps most concerning to the Pentagon is the speed of construction. While a US Ford-class carrier typically takes over a decade to reach sea trials; the Type 004 is benefiting from Dalian’s "multi-segment synchronous construction".

Synchronous Assembly: More than a dozen large functional modules, including the bow, hangar, and reactor cabins, are being produced simultaneously in specialized factories across China and transported to Dalian for final "mating". 

2mm Precision: Despite the massive scale, Dalian shipyard reports suggest assembly welding errors are being controlled within a 2-millimeter tolerance, ensuring structural integrity for a ship expected to serve for 50 years. 

Target Launch: Analysts now project a 2027 launch window, with sea trials beginning by 2029. This would put the Type 004 on track for full operational status by 2031, years ahead of earlier Western estimates. 

The arrival of the Type 004 shifts the naval balance in the Indo-Pacific from defensive to "offensive projection". 

Global Reach: No longer restricted by fuel logistics, a Type 004 carrier strike group could maintain a permanent presence in the Indian Ocean or the Pacific, challenging US maritime supremacy far from China’s shores. 

The Nine-Carrier Goal: US Naval Institute reports suggest Beijing aims for a fleet of nine aircraft carriers by 2035. The Type 004 serves as the standardized blueprint for all subsequent builds. 

Command and Control: The ship is equipped with a flagship-level command suite, designed to coordinate "swarm" attacks involving Type 055B stealth destroyers and Type 095 nuclear attack submarines. 

"The Type 004 isn't just a ship; it's a statement", a senior maritime analyst noted. "With this vessel, the PLA Navy ceases to be a coastal force and becomes a global predator". (Although I would not call PLAN a predator; China does not have hostile intentions).

Greenland Prompts US Tariffs on European Allies

The Greenland issue is not going away anytime soon! 

US President Donald Trump is seeking to force the hand of his European allies who opposed his plan to take over the self-governing territory when he wrote on his Truth Social platform on Saturday that Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and UK will be subject to a 10% US tariff on "all or any goods" from February 01. 

Accusing these countries of playing "a very dangerous game", he said the tariffs would be raised to 25% on June 01 "until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland". 

Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and UK have even dispatched a tiny contingent of troops to Greenland in a symbolic show of force. It is strange that Denmark wasn't mentioned at all – but I would think they'll have troops there too.

I saw another report that says only 31 troops were deployed. Of this total, 15 were from France, 13 from Germany, 2 from Norway and one from UK. 😂😂😂

Denmark's Army chief Major-General Peter Boysen has come out to boldly assert that he's ready to defend Denmark! 😂😂😂

But Greenland and Denmark are two separate entities. Lest we forget, Denmark is an occupier, a colonizer.

And Boysen should know that at the Pituffik Space Base located on the north-west coast of Greenland – where the Americans already have a presence – the US has 150 troops stationed there!

Trump has previously said Washington would get the territory "the easy way" or "the hard way" – an apparent reference to buying the island or taking it by force. The US president insists “world peace is at stake” as China and Russia “want Greenland”. 

Only the US can “play this game”, he emphatically adds.

Kaja Kallas Says It’s Time for Booze

EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas has privately suggested that the state of the world might make it a “good moment” to start boozing, Politico reported on Wednesday. 

The comment comes as Kallas faces direct calls to step down over her handling of the bloc’s foreign policy. 

The Estonian reportedly made the remark during an informal discussion with leaders of political groups in the European Parliament, according to Politico which cited two people who were present. According to the sources, Kallas (right) said that even as a teetotaller, the current global situation could justify starting. Poor woman, methinks, it's an open admission of personal stress.

Her ‘joke’ comes amid heightened tensions across the globe, including US threats towards Denmark's Greenland, Iran and Venezuela, the ongoing Ukraine and Gaza conflicts, and mounting criticism of Brussels from within the EU. 

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (left) stated last week that “we must replace the European Union’s High Representative for Policy, Ms. Kallas”, arguing that the bloc is in an unprecedented crisis and that the leadership is incapable of solving problems, knowing only how to “hate Russia”.

Meanwhile, some Western European leaders were recently caught up in a drug-abuse controversy after a video went viral in May supposedly showing French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer with objects speculated to be drug paraphernalia during a train journey to Kiev, Ukraine. 

Macron’s office have vehemently denied the claims, stating the object in question was a tissue and calling the story “disinformation” spread by “France’s enemies”. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s investment envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, however, suggested at the time that if the suspected objects were indeed drug-related, it would explain “a lot of recent ideas and proposals” coming from Kiev’s European backers. 

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova also commented on the footage stating that it “opened the veil of the stinking Sabbath” of Western politics, adding that “the fate of Europe is decided in every sense by drug addict placeholders”. She also recalled a Western ambassador telling her in 2022 that it was “normal” to take drugs in the EU and that many Western leaders used cocaine.

Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan's defensive frailties once again came into focus as the world No. 2 were clearly outplayed by Japan's Yuki Fukushima-Mayu Matsumoto in the semi-finals of the India Open today. 

The Malaysians fell 21-16, 21-13 to the world No. 6 Japanese as Yuki-Mayu's attacking exposed gaps at the backcourt. 

Thinaah admitted that they struggled to cope with their opponents' pace and intensity, particularly during rallies. Despite producing flashes of quality, the duo were often forced into passive positions, allowing Yuki-Mayu to dictate play with sharp angles and quick interceptions at the net. 

The Malaysians' next mission is the Indonesia Masters next week.

EU Won’t Succeed Where Hitler and Napoleon Failed

An Italian confirmation that the whole world outside of the West already knows!

The EU’s 19 packages of sanctions on Russia have weakened the European economy, Matteo Salvini, Italian deputy prime minister and minister of transport and infrastructure said. 

"I would just like to note that almost four years of the conflict and 19 packages of sanctions, which were supposed to bring [Russia] to its knees, <...> brought European economies to their knees... ", he told Rete4. 

As I write this post, the EU are busy preparing their 20th package of sanctions against Russia. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has clearly expressed her ambition to further raise the cost of Russia's war. 

EU’s chief diplomat Kaja Kallas had earlier already reiterated the same: “Wars are lost by those who run out of money or soldiers first”, and adding that was why “we must continue to put pressure on Russia with sanctions”.  

But Russia is not to be messed with. 

As Salvini noted: "Neither Hitler nor Napoleon was able to bring Moscow to its knees, and I doubt that [top EU diplomat] Kaja Kallas, [French President Emmanuel] Macron, [British Prime Minister Keir] Starmer, and [German Chancellor Friedrich] Merz will be able to do that". Von der Leyen should know that too.

In his view, Europe is NOT facing any threat from the east.

World No. 2 Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan put one foot into the semi-finals of the BWF World Tour Finals after powering to their second straight win in Group A on Thursday.

The duo stamped their authority once again by brushing aside world No. 6 Rin Iwanaga-Kie Nakanishi 21-13, 21-18 in 52 minutes. 

The victory has stretched Pearly-Thinaah's commanding head-to-head record against the Japanese pair to 8-2.

The Malaysians will take on another Japanese pair, Yuki Fukushima-Mayu Matsumoto in the final fixture today.

Russia Unwraps New Weapons

Russophobic Europe are itching to go to war against Russia. I am especially pointing out France, Germany and UK.

I don't know if the Europeans are naive or stupid. Or if they're not, they don't give a damn. 

The truth is, Russia is not to be messed with. Russia can obliterate Europe, if it chooses to. 

Just so everyone knows that in a matter of less than a year, Russia has come up with not one, not two, not three, but 4 bangers! 

1. Oreshnik: Hypersonic missile, already tested on the Ukrainian battlefield 
2. Burevestnik or Stormbringer with a nice "Deep Purple" ring to it. Nuclear missile with unlimited range. 
3. Poseidon: Nuclear-powered torpedo, capable of loitering underwater, undetected for unlimited time; then, on command, strikes at coasts with a nuclear payload, provoking a radioactive tsunami. Largely exceeds the destructive power of the Sarmat, Russia's largest ICBM
4. Khabarovsk: Nuclear sub. Call it the Messenger of Doom, capable of delivering at least 6 doomsday-enabling Poseidons.

The West possesses this conviction that Russian weaponry is degraded due to the effects of massive sanctions, the losing war in Ukraine, and systemic issues with its military-industrial base. I have even read about this bizarre belief that Russian nukes are impaired and maybe not even operational. 😮😮😮😮

Nothing can be further from the truth. The West underestimates Russia at their own peril.

Celtic are within two points of Hearts and with a game in hand after their 2-1 win against Hibernian in yesterday's Scottish Premiership match. 

A poor pass from the Hibees goalie let Reo Hatate steal possession, who then rolled the ball to his right for Daizen Maeda to slot into the empty net in the 27th minute. Within a minute, Yang Hyun-jun clipped in an inviting cross from the left and Arne Engels stooped to power home a header from just outside the six-yard box. 

The Edinburgh side came back into the match and reduced the deficit in the 56th minute after being awarded a penalty for a Liam Scales handball. 

Hibs chased the equaliser thereafter but Celtic held firm to make further ground on the table toppers.

This was a victory which bore all the hallmarks of the Celtic side of a year ago. Energy, no little skill and relentless pressing. The elements which led the side to the brink of a famous win Champions League win at Bayern Munich in February but have been conspicuous by their absence pretty much ever since. 

One cannot underestimate the impact of Martin O'Neill. These are the same players Brendan Rodgers had at his disposal. They just look different; better still, they played with purpose. The biggest compliment you can give O'Neill is that Celtic are now starting to look far more like themselves.

Prized Japanese Oysters Are Dying

In August 2023, Japan began dumping over a million tonnes of radioactive wastewater from Fukushima into the Pacific Ocean. The IAEA said it was safe. The world agreed. 

China banned Japanese seafood immediately, citing radiation concerns. Everyone called it politics. 

Fast forward to November 2025: Japan's prized oysters are dying at rates up to 90%. Scallops too. 

The official explanation? "High water temperatures". But is that really the whole story? 

Remember, China warned us! Isn't it strange that Japan's not testing for radiation in these dead oysters. Why?

The graphic speaks for itself!

French Army Chief's Warning Country Must Prepare to Lose Children in War

A stark warning from France's army chief about the country "losing its children" in a potential war with Russia has sharply divided political opinion. 

General Fabien Mandon said on Tuesday that France's biggest weakness in today's dangerous times was the lack of a will to fight. 

He, who had previously suggested that France could be at war with Russia by 2028, argued that the country has the economic and demographic power to “deter” Moscow, but lacks the “strength of spirit”. 

"If our country wavers because it is not ready to lose its children... or to suffer economically because the priority has to be military production, then we are indeed at risk", the warmongering general (right) declared. 

Moscow has, of course, dismissed Western speculation that it has any plans to attack the EU or NATO as “nonsense”. 

France has repeatedly cited the supposed Russian threat as a pretext to ramp up military spending despite its ballooning budget deficit – at €3.35 trillion ($3.9 trillion), or 113% of GDP, it is one of the highest in the EU. France plans to hike military spending to €64 billion in 2027, nearly double what it spent in 2017. 

Moscow has dismissed claims that it plans to attack EU countries, saying the allegations are being used by European politicians to scare people and justify growing military spending. Russia has rightfully maintained that it is defending its citizens in the Ukraine conflict, accusing NATO of provoking the hostilities.

Yesterday, the defending champions slumped to their eighth defeat in their last 11 matches in all competitions, and their sixth of their last seven Premier League matches as Nottingham Forest deservedly won 3-0 at Anfield. 

A 33rd-minute goal and second-half strikes (46, 78) sealed a famous win for the Tricky Trees and piled even more pressure on Arne Slot's (right) Liverpool side. 

Tough to watch as a Liverpool fan but you have to applaud the better team. 

All that money spent – £446 million to sign seven new players, the highest outlay by a Premier League club in a single window – to currently be sitting bottom half of the table, proper joke of a club is Liverpool. 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 

As somebody commented: "(Arne) Slot handed in (Jürgen) Klopp's coursework and celebrated getting an A – he then takes the test himself and gets an F". 

But please do not sack Slot, he's doing a great job at Liverpool, Thank you from the rest of the league, Liverpool are playing the best football in years.

The West's Broken Democracy

Western democracy doesn't work in the eyes of its people, a new study revealed Saturday. 

A September survey of Western countries showed that satisfaction with the electoral model was below 50% in most of them. This contrasts with separate studies of Asian nations such as China and Singapore, where citizens are enthusiastic about their model of democracy, with 80 to 93% approval. 

Ipsos, a European survey firm, questioned 9,800 voters in the US, UK, Croatia, France, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, and Sweden. In all except Poland and Sweden, there were deep concerns about the western electoral model. 

Gideon Skinner, senior director of UK politics at Ipsos, told Politico that “there is widespread concern about the way democracy is working, with people feeling unrepresented particularly by their national governments. In most countries, there is a desire for radical change”. 

Only a minority of respondents said they felt satisfied with how democracy was working in their country – 18% in Croatia, 19% in France, 20% in the US, 26% in the UK, 27% in Spain and 29% in Italy. Majorities in all countries except Sweden expected things to be worse in five years. 

A good case in point is the US itself, which has always prided itself a leading and influential democracy. Even so, Donald Trump in his first ten months has purged career civil servants viewed as disloyal, publicly urged his attorney general to prosecute political opponents, deployed troops to US cities, attacked judges who ruled against him, threatened universities because of the pro-Palestinian protests on campuses, and expanded his use of executive power through unilateral decrees and emergency authorities. 

In October, Trump’s justice department indicted Letitia James, the New York attorney general who successfully sued him for fraud, and separately charged the former FBI director James Comey, a longtime political adversary. He has also called for jailing the Illinois governor, JB Pritzker, and the Chicago mayor, Brandon Johnson, both Democrats who opposed his deployment of federal troops there.

French President to Prove Wife is a Woman

French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife, Brigitte (left), intend to provide a US court with photographic and scientific evidence that will prove that the first lady is a woman, the couple’s lawyer avowed. 

The materials will be submitted as part of a defamation lawsuit filed by the Macrons against US commentator Candace Owens, who has claimed that Brigitte Macron was born a man. 

Tom Clare, who represents the Macrons in the case, told the BBC’s Fame Under Fire podcast on Thursday that they wish to disprove the allegations “both generically and specifically”. Owens’ claims regarding Brigitte Macron have been “incredibly upsetting” to the French president, Clare said. He noted that while the process of proving that she is a woman before the court is in no way a pleasurable experience for the French first lady, “she is firmly resolved to do what it takes to set the record straight”. 

The Macrons filed the lawsuit in July in the US state of Delaware, accusing the Youtuber (right), who has millions of subscribers, of falsely claiming that Brigitte Macron was born male, that the couple are blood relatives, and that Emmanuel Macron is a product of a CIA mind control program. 

Speaking in July, Owens doubled down on her claims, adding that she was “fully prepared to take on this battle on behalf of the entire world”! 

The rumors about Brigitte date back to at least 2021, when self-proclaimed ‘spiritual medium’ Amandine Roy interviewed independent journalist Natacha Rey, who claimed that Brigitte Macron was born a man named Jean-Michel Trogneux. 

The Macrons filed a defamation lawsuit in France and initially won it in 2024, only for the ruling to be overturned on appeal in July 2025 on freedom of expression grounds. 

Twenty-four years his senior, France’s first lady met Emmanuel Macron when he was 15 and she was his literature teacher at school. The couple got married in 2007.

In the first of seven PL games played yesterday, Liverpool managed to do just enough to win 2-1 over Everton.

On ten minutes, Ryan Gravenberch received the ball over the top from Mohamed Salah and he took it on the bounce, hooking it brilliantly over the Toffees' keeper and into the net.

The Dutchman turned provider next when he threaded a lovely through ball into the same channel where he got the opener. This time it was Hugo Ekitike running onto it and his finish in the 29th minute was so composed to beat the goalie.

But Everton pulled a goal back in the fifty-eighth minute. To be honest, the Reds didn't turn up for the second-half. Fortunately, they kept the Toffees at bay and came out on top of the Merseyside derby once again. 

And Liverpool keep their 100% record going in the Premier League. Five wins from five means they are guaranteed to stay top of the table for at least another week.

The Bizarre British Brag of Brobdingnagian Proportions

In case you missed this bewildering boast 👇

I call it the bizarre British brag of Brobdingnagian proportions!!!!!!!

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 

Sivasangari Subramaniam advanced to the quarter-finals of the Egyptian Open after defeating England's Jasmine Hutton in Giza on Monday. 

The world No. 8 Malaysian beat the world No. 18 Englishwoman 12-10, 7-11, 11-9, 11-5 in 46 minutes in the third-round match.