Politics

Mikhail Gorbachev, the Russian politician who served as the eighth and final leader of the Soviet Union, has died at the age of 91, according to the Associated Press. The Central Clinical Hospital in Russia provided a statement to Russian news organizations that Gorbachev died after suffering from an undisclosed, long-term illness. Gorbachev served as

Finally, it’s clear that there’s one thing you’re even less likely to ever see at a show by country superstar Jason Aldean than a mask: a rainbow flag. The country superstar and his wife Brittany Aldean have become increasingly outspoken as conservative activists, without too much commentary or pushback from more centrist or liberal-leaning country

The Singapore government announced that it will continue to restrict and classify media content with LGBTQ themes, even after its planned decriminalization of same-sex relationships. The move to repeal a colonial-era law that criminalized sex between men was announced Sunday by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. The law, Section 377A of the Penal Code, was

Rep. Liz Cheney, who has become one of former President Donald J. Trump’s fiercest critics in the Republican Party, lost her bid for re-election in Wyoming on Tuesday. The outcome confirmed that loyalty to Trump — and to his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen — remains an essential litmus test in Republican

SAG-AFTRA announced on Monday evening that it has reached a tentative agreement with the major studios on actor exclusivity periods, an issue that has become a top priority for the union in recent years. The issue affects actors on TV series, who can find themselves barred from working on other projects for many months or

Warner Bros. Discovery has condemned the threats made against “Harry Potter” creator J.K. Rowling after she expressed concern for “The Satanic Verses” author Salman Rushdie. On Friday, after Rushdie was attacked on stage in western New York, Rowling tweeted in response: “Feeling very sick right now. Let him be ok.” Feeling very sick right now.

The SAG-AFTRA Health Plan announced Friday that it will reimburse participants for travel costs when they are forced to go out of state for an abortion. The health plan covers eligible members of the union, which represents about 160,000 actors, broadcast journalists, stunt performers, news editors, and other media professionals. The trustees of the plan

UPDATED 4:30 p.m. Friday: Booker Prize winning author Salman Rushdie is on a ventilator after being attacked as he was about to deliver a lecture in western New York on Friday. The author’s agent, Andrew Wylie, said in a statement to the New York Times Friday evening, “The news is not good.” Wylie said the

Donald Trump said on Monday that the FBI conducted a search of his home at the Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla. According to the New York Times, two people familiar with the matter said the search seemed to be focused on classified documents that Trump brought with him to Mar-a-Lago after leaving the White

David McCullough, an award-winning author, narrator, historian and television host, died on Sunday at his Hingham, Mass. home. He was 89. His daughter, Dorie Lawson, confirmed the news to the New York Times. McCullough was best known for “Truman” and “John Adams,” two presidential biographies that notched him two Pulitzer Prizes in a 10-year span.

“You wanna take mine or yours?” With those six words and a picture of herself and paramour Travis Scott embracing in front of two private jets last month, Kylie Jenner ignited outcry about celebrity climate offenders that shows no sign of abating. It didn’t help that the @celebjets Twitter account, which tracks private jet trips,

K-pop sensation BTS may be allowed to practise and perform overseas even if they enter South Korea’s mandatory military service, the country’s defense minister said on Monday. All able-bodied men in Korea are required to enlist for service before age 30 unless they are given an exemption. The oldest BTS member Jin would normally be

President Joe Biden tested positive for COVID-19 again on Saturday afternoon. Biden shared the news himself through his official Twitter account. “Folks, today I tested positive for COVID again. This happens with a small minority of folks,” the president wrote. “I’ve got no symptoms but I am going to isolate for the safety of everyone

Los Angeles County has decided not to reinstitute its indoor mask mandate despite high levels of COVID-19 at the moment, though wearing masks indoors remains “highly recommended.” The decision comes as a response to COVID-19 transmission rates continuing to remain at alarming levels in the area. “We remain in high,” said Public Health Director Barbara

As the U.S. Senate prepares to vote on the Respect for Marriage Act, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has mobilized 173 major businesses to sign a letter encouraging passage of the bill. Disney, Comcast NBCUniversal, Apple and Sony are among the businesses. The letter, which will be delivered to every senator in the country, states

A live debate between Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, two British politicians vying for the open Prime Minister position, was canceled Tuesday after the debate’s presenter fainted on-air. Truss was in the middle of responding to a question when presenter and TalkTV political editor Kate McCann fainted and loudly crashed to the floor off camera.

The World Health Organization has declared the monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency. The rare designation means that the W.H.O. now views the outbreak as a significant enough threat to global health that a coordinated international response is needed. The announcement was made on Saturday morning for the W.H.O.’s second emergency committee on the issue

Michelle Obama has penned her second book, “The Light We Carry,” a follow-up to her bestselling memoir “Becoming.” The new book is set to be published in print and digital formats Nov. 15. In “The Light We Carry,” which clocks in at 336 pages, Obama offers a series of stories and insightful reflections on change,

A federal appeals court lifted the injunction blocking Georgia’s “heartbeat” abortion ban on Wednesday, which will allow the law to go into effect. The law prohibits abortion after the detection of a fetal heartbeat — generally around six weeks — and has been on hold since it was signed in 2019. In its ruling on

President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Friday that seeks to protect access to abortion, but said voters will have to elect more pro-choice senators in order to restore the rights that existed under Roe v. Wade. The executive order directs the secretary of health and human services to come up with a plan

Political leaders of every stripe have expressed anger, sorrow and their fears for Japan’s democracy following the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe, who died at age 67 of his wounds at a hospital in Nara on Friday. The weapon was apparently a handmade gun wielded by a 41-year-old man, a one-time member of

Shinzo Abe, a former prime minister of Japan, has died after succumbing to injuries from gunshot wounds sustained during a campaign speech on Friday. His death has been reported by Japanese public broadcaster NHK and the BBC. He died at 17:03 local time. NHK camera footage showed Abe collapsed on the street, holding his chest,

Prince Harry has followed in his wife Meghan Markle’s footsteps by winning the first stage of his legal claim against British tabloid the Mail on Sunday. The prince, who is also known by his title the Duke of Sussex, filed a claim against the newspaper’s publisher Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over a series of articles

Mainstream Japanese media has gone into full all-hands-on-deck mode following the shooting of former prime minister Shinzo Abe. Most of the major networks, including public broadcast giant NHK, and the private sector NTV, TBS, Fuji and TV Asahi channels, have ditched their schedules to cover the shooting. The NTV and TBS CS (communications satellite) news

Shinzo Abe, a former prime minister of Japan, was apparently shot during a campaign speech on Friday in Nara, according to the Associated Press and NHK public television. NHK camera footage showed him collapsed on the street, holding his chest, with the broadcasting corporation reporting that he is experiencing heart failure. Abe was rushed to

Shinzo Abe, a former prime minister of Japan, was apparently shot during a campaign speech on Friday in Nara, according to the Associated Press and NHK public television. NHK camera footage showed him collapsed on the street, holding his chest, with the broadcasting corporation reporting that he is experiencing heart failure. Abe was rushed to

British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell has reportedly filed an appeal against her conviction and sentence, according to reports. The Press Association first reported she had filed the appeal, citing court documents. Maxwell was convicted on federal sex trafficking charges in New York last December after a trial lasting almost a month. Following five full days of

Boris Johnson is set to resign as U.K. prime minister amid mounting scandals and the resignations of his top ministers. Following a turbulent 48 hours in British politics, Johnson has finally agreed to stand down, and a new Conservative leader is expected to be in place by the party conference in October. Johnson will remain

“Unprecedented,” the documentary from Alex Holder featuring previously unreleased footage of Donald Trump and his family during the final six weeks of the 2020 presidential campaign – and their reactions to the outcome of the election and the Jan. 6 insurrection – will be released on Sunday, July 10, exclusively on Discovery+.  According to Discovery,

Boris Johnson’s government is facing potential collapse following the resignations of two high-profile ministers who have stepped down in protest of the U.K. prime minister’s conduct amid numerous scandals. Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid — both of whom, historically, have been close to the prime minister — resigned from their roles on