A magnitude 7.2 quake hit near Caracas on Wednesday evening. Less than a minute later, a 7.5 followed. At least 188 people are dead, more than 1,500 are injured, and seismologists warn the final toll could run far higher.
Keir Starmer won the biggest Labour landslide in a generation eighteen months ago. On Monday he resigned, citing a loss of confidence among his own MPs. Now a Greater Manchester mayor who was not even in Parliament is favourite to run one of the world’s largest economies.
China announced sanctions on 10 American defense companies, blocking Chinese exports of dual-use goods to drone makers, rare earth miners, and defense contractors. It is a direct response to a US move against Chinese tech firms.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth lashed out at NATO allies, announced a review of US forces in Europe, and called for a reboot into a NATO 3.0. For a 76-year-old alliance, this is the loudest warning shot in years.
Marius Borg Hoiby, the eldest son of Norway’s future queen, was sentenced to four years in prison for rape and domestic violence. He watched the verdict by video link. The story of how a palace let the law run its course is the real headline.
A knife attack sparked three nights of anti-immigrant violence across Northern Ireland. Water cannon, 27 people burned out of their homes, and a police chief invoking the worst days of the Troubles.