Mike Johnson unveils new plan to extend U.S. spy powers

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., takes questions at a news conference at the Capitol on Tuesday. J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption toggle caption J. Scott Applewhite/AP Speaker Mike Johnson, R.-La., is forging ahead with his latest proposal to renew a key American spy power. His bill, revealed Thursday, is largely unchanged from a

Why Trump wants to spend $1 billion on the Great Salt Lake

Bison walk on the dry lake bed of the Great Salt Lake on April 08, 2026 near Syracuse, Utah. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images North America hide caption toggle caption Justin Sullivan/Getty Images North America At its peak, Great Salt Lake, located right outside the state's capital of Salt Lake City, was bigger than the state of

Morning News Brief

Ongoing U.S. blockade of Strait of Hormuz strands thousands of seafarers, Trump administration eases rules on medical marijuana, Wildfires fueled by drought continue to spread in parts of Georgia.

Pope Leo’s Africa trip pushes peace and unity

Pope Leo XIV's first trip to Africa was intended to set an example and send a clear message of peace to the world. That was the message from church circles at the start of the pontiff's journey to four African countries. On Thursday, after ten days on the continent, Leo began his return journey to Vatican

EU leaders to discuss Iran, Ukraine at Cyprus summit

Leaders from the EU's 27 member states gathered in Cyprus on Thursday to discuss the geopolitical challenges facing the bloc, including the wars in Iran and Ukraine. Here's what's on the agenda: Ukraine The two days of meetings began with leaders greenlighting a long-discussed €90 billion ($105 billion) loan to Ukraine and agreeing to even more sanctions

Iran war: Hormuz standoff casts shadow over ceasefire talks

Skip next section US military says it seized another vessel in the Indian Ocean April 23, 2026 US military says it seized another vessel in the Indian Ocean The US military seized another tanker accused of smuggling Iranian oil in the Indian Ocean during the US blockade of Iranian ports. The incident comes a day after

How Ukraine is rebuilding its energy system under fire

In autumn 2024, Russia launched massive aerial assaults on Ukraine, pounding its energy system and raising fears about the safety of its nuclear power plants. Several reactors were disconnected from the grid. One shut down entirely. "It wasn't that we were scared," says Shaun Burnie, recalling that night. "It was that we were terrified." For

Reza Pahlavi calls for regime change in Iran on Berlin visit

Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of Iran's former Shah, urged European governments not to appease Iran's leadership, saying continuing to negotiate would only keep the current power system in place. "If you think you can make peace with this regime, you are sorely mistaken," he said during a press conference in Berlin on Thursday. "There will never

April 23, 2026

Skip next section Ritter Sport to made first ever redundancies April 23, 2026 Ritter Sport to made first ever redundancies German chocolate manufacturer Ritter Sport is set to make redundancies for the first time in the company's 110-year history, a spokesman confirmed on Thursday, with just over 10% of jobs affected. Ritter, famous for its

A booklover’s dream holiday in Scotland

Running a cozy little bookshop where readers can meet and connect over their favorite authors is a dream shared by many book nerds. But beyond the romanticized idea, the independent bookstore business is renowned for being risky, which is why most people never get to follow that dream. There is a creative and popular alternative, however: The Open
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