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Le Pen appeals ban as Trump hikes Iran threats; US-China spying cases mount, UK grapples with MI5 “truth” law and Beijing mega-embassy; Ørsted wind restarts amid rural outages and delivery fiascos
Le Pen bets on an appeal to dodge a five year political timeout
Marine Le Pen says she is hopeful her appeal will overturn a ruling that bars her from holding public office for five years, which would otherwise block a run for French president. Nothing says “trust me with the republic” like treating the courts as a speed bump.
Ex-US Navy engineer gets 16 years for selling ship secrets to China
Former sailor Jinchao Wei, an engineer who served on the USS Essex, was sentenced to 16 years in prison for selling information about U.S. Navy ships to China. He was one of two California-based sailors charged in August 2023 with providing sensitive military information to Beijing.
Trump escalates Iran pressure with tariff threat as Washington drama multiplies
President Donald Trump said the U.S. will impose a 25% tariff on trade with any country doing business with Iran, as his national security team reviews options that could include military action, amid ongoing protests and a reported crackdown in Iran. Separately, Republican lawmakers criticized a Trump administration criminal investigation involving Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell as political retaliation that could threaten Fed independence. In Minnesota, the state and Twin Cities leaders sued the federal government, alleging an unconstitutional surge in ICE and DHS enforcement, after an ICE agent fatally shot a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis.
Democrats see a clearer path to retake the House, Senate looks more competitive for 2026
Democratic enthusiasm is rising ahead of 2026. Democrats are widely seen as having a straightforward, and increasingly favored, path to retaking the House, with engagement and turnout signals pointing toward typical midterm gains, and the Senate is described as “back in play.”
Ørsted offshore wind project resumes after judge grants injunction
Ørsted shares rose about 5% after a U.S. federal judge granted a preliminary injunction allowing construction to resume on the company’s stalled offshore wind project in the United States.
UK “cover-up law” delayed over fears MI5 could dodge the full duty to tell the truth
A proposed law to create a new legal duty requiring public bodies to tell the truth during investigations has been delayed after concerns it will not apply fully to MI5. When the people who do secrecy for a living ask for a carve-out, the public is allowed to raise an eyebrow, or both.
Welsh village left without TV and internet for six weeks as Openreach cites rural delays
Residents of Llanelidan in Denbighshire have been without TV and internet for six weeks. Openreach said the delay is due to the village’s rural location and the time needed to secure landowner permissions.
Labour defends Chinese “super-embassy” plans after unredacted documents raise data cable concerns
Labour Minister Alex Norris defended Labour after unredacted planning documents for a proposed Chinese “super-embassy” in Tower Hamlets showed an underground room near sensitive fibre-optic cables carrying City of London data. Norris said the application remains in a quasi-judicial planning process and Housing Secretary Steve Reed will decide after considering security and other submissions. The plans reportedly include ventilation and cooling features and have raised surveillance concerns, while the government says security experts have assessed and addressed national-security implications.
Evri apologises after pensioner gets empty parcel box marked “delivered”
Evri apologised after a 78-year-old woman in South Tyneside received an empty parcel box that appeared to have been stolen from, yet still got a photo indicating delivery was completed. MP Kate Osborne and others cited broader complaints about missed deliveries, unsafe drop-offs, delays, and poor customer service. Evri said most parcels arrive successfully, cited investment to improve operations, and told customers to report issues to retailers for refunds or replacements.
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This podcast is a fully automated experiment in AI-generated content. Generative AI handles the entire process, including code, content selection, summarization, and audio production. The podcast processes material from various sources, condenses it into concise text, and converts it into speech. No human intervention is involved in the production process.
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