The names of the candidates for mayor of Arcis-sur-Aube have drawn global attention An upcoming mayoral runoff in the small French town of Arcis-sur-Aube has drawn global attention due to the unusual surnames of two candidates, which resemble those of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky. Mayor Charles Hittler is seeking reelection in a three-way second round on Sunday against Annie Soucat and Antoine Renault-Zielinski, after leading the first round of voting last weekend. Hittler, who has governed the small community of less than 3,000 in the Grand Est region since 2020, is in the lead following the first round, in which he received 37.81% of the vote. He was followed by Soucat with 32.20% and Renault-Zielinski with 29.99%, Le Figaro reported. What stopped Hittler from changing his name? Online jokes about the election have gone too far, the mayor told the BBC. “I’ve seen online articles saying ‘37% of the people of Arcis are Hitlerites!’ My wife is in tears.”...
Posts
The US president has warned of an attack on the South Pars area if Iran targets Qatar in response to Israeli strikes The US will “massively blow up” the South Pars gas field – the world’s largest – if Iran continues to strike Qatari energy facilities, President Donald Trump has warned. Israel launched strikes on Wednesday on Iran’s facilities in the South Pars gas field in the Gulf, which it shares with Qatar. The South Pars spans almost 10,000 sq km and hosts an estimated 1,800 trillion cubic feet of gas. In response, Iran attacked a Qatari LNG facility and has threatened counterstrikes on key energy infrastructure across the Gulf region. Multiple media outlets reported that the Israeli attack on South Pars had been coordinated with American officials, with a source to the Jerusalem Post suggesting the US was more accepting of strikes on gas infrastructure rather than on oil facilities. Read more Trump issues threat over major Iranian gas field, Moscow warns of ‘tipping point’ ...
Islamabad’s evolving program could put American cities within range, the intel chief has said Pakistan’s evolving missile program poses a potential threat to the US, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has said. She named the South Asian country along with Russia and others in the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment Report. “Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, and Pakistan have been researching and developing an array of novel, advanced, or traditional missile delivery systems with nuclear and conventional payloads, that put our homeland within range,” Gabbard told the US Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday. “Pakistan’s long-range ballistic missile development potentially could include ICBMs with the range capable of striking the homeland.” Gabbard told the committee that she expects threats to the US to expand collectively from more than 3,000 missiles to more than 16,000 missiles by 2035. Washington-based scholar Shuja Nawaz told Dawn News that this “continues the an...
Nearly 80% fear the government has no plan as tech firms cut workers while pocketing the profits from automation Americans increasingly view artificial intelligence as a threat to their livelihoods and believe the government should prioritize protecting workers over maximizing tech industry profits, polling data published by Blue Rose Research has indicated. The survey, conducted earlier this month with 2,716 respondents, found that 61% say their lives have become less affordable over the past year, while only 25% feel confident about their financial future. Some 64% said “things in America are rigged for the elite.” Anxiety about AI has surged faster than any other issue over the past year, according to the poll, with 57% saying the technology is advancing “too fast” and 79% concerned the government has no plan to protect workers from job losses. For many, the fears have shifted from a personal concern to a societal risk, with 79% worrying that young...
Another person was wounded in the incident at the Holloman facility in New Mexico, military officials have said One person was killed and another injured in a shooting on Tuesday evening at a US Air Force Base in New Mexico, according to military officials cited by AP. The Holloman base near Alamogordo was placed on a temporary lockdown at around 5:30 PM after reports of an active shooter near the facility’s convenience store, authorities said, adding that the injured individual was taken for medical treatment. “Emergency personnel are responding to the situation and there is no threat at this time,” AP cited officials as saying. The convenience store where the incident occurred will remain closed until further notice, according to a post on the base’s Facebook page. The identities of the victims have not been released, and additional details about the shooting have not yet been provided. Holloman Air Force Base covers about 93 square miles (240 sq km) and is home to the 49th Wi...
The country is preparing for a new era of technological and strategic competition Every spring, China’s Two Sessions – the combined annual plenary sessions of the National People’s Congress and of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference – provide a window into the country’s political priorities. This year’s gathering delivered a particularly clear signal: In a world of growing geopolitical turbulence, Beijing is placing security and military modernization firmly at the center of its long-term strategy. The 2026 sessions unfolded against a complicated economic backdrop. China’s economy continues to grow, but at a slower pace than in previous decades. Yet the meetings made clear that economic caution does not mean strategic hesitation. Instead, the leadership is doubling down on the idea that development and security must reinforce each other. President Xi Jinping underscored this point by placing the modernization of the People’s Liberation A...