Author: Press Room

American consumers continued to expand their spending at a broad array of retail outlets in May, largely undeterred by rising gasoline prices. Retail sales jumped 0.9 percent in May, the Department of Commerce said Wednesday. Consumers increased their spending despite surveys suggesting distress. The University of Michigan’s survey of consumer sentiment hit an all-time low in May. A big driver of the increase came from higher gasoline prices. Sales at gas stations rose 3.4 percent in May and are up 26.4 percent compared with a year ago. In May, gasoline prices rose above $4.50 a gallon, a big increase from…

According to a report from talkSPORT, the champions of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will have the championship trophy presented to them in a very unique way, by the president of the United States. “The US president has already been told FIFA wish him to hand over the World Cup trophy to the eventual champions,” writes talkSPORT’s Ben Jacobs. “Sources say FIFA will leave it to Trump’s own discretion as to whether he wishes to stay in with the team during the lift or remain with other executives during the ceremony,” Jacobs reports. “White House insiders believe Trump will again…

The family of a Brazilian patient says doctors were overruled by a state-run bed-allocation system The family of a Brazilian woman who died after waiting several days for an intensive-care bed has blamed a new AI-powered state system for downgrading the severity of her condition and delaying her transfer.Rebeca Cardoso Tenente Molina, a 32-year-old psychologist from Minas Gerais, sought treatment earlier this month for what was believed to be gallstones. Her condition quickly deteriorated, and doctors soon concluded she needed urgent transfer to an intensive-care unit.However, the new state-run Core-MG bed-regulation platform reportedly failed to treat her case as critical…

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has vowed to sue German public broadcaster ZDF over a programme in which it accused the X owner of using his platform to encourage rioters in Belfast to “hunt migrants” in the wake of an attempted beheading allegedly committed by a Sudanese asylum seeker. Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (Second German Television), one of two publicly-funded television networks in Germany, is facing the prospect of legal action from the world’s richest man. In an episode of its flagship ‘Today Live’ programme last week, discussing the role of social media in the recent riots in Northern Ireland, ZDF presenter…

A Nigerian high court judge on Monday ordered the national election commission to decertify five opposition political parties, including the leading challenger to President Bola Tinubu, the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The move will leave ballots looking considerably less crowded when the next election is held in January. ADC immediately rejected the order by Judge Peter Lifu, calling it a “direct invitation to anarchy.” “We actually don’t think it’s legal. What is unfolding is political. The courts is just the vehicle for promoting the political agenda. Everything is politics. What is at stake is not just the politics of African…

A key signal for future inflation eased in the past month, suggesting that businesses see the latest surge in prices as temporary. The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s monthly survey of where businesses see inflation going showed the median expectation is for unit costs to rise 2.3 percent over the coming year, down from 2.4 percent a month earlier. The survey of hundreds of businesses in six states was released on Wednesday. A year ago, businesses said they expected costs to rise 2.4 percent. In June of 2024, the expected inflation was 2.3 percent. Business expectations for inflation are seen…

Democrat congressional candidate Christina Bohannan is refusing to explain her controversial vote in the Iowa House, making it easier for sexual predators to get off the sex offender list. When asked to explain her vote, Bohannan – running in the Hawkeye State’s 1st Congressional District – ignored the question, refusing to answer. While Iowa has sex offenders facing restrictions, such as limitations on being near child-centric establishments such as daycares or school, Bohannan voted to make it easier for offenders to seek removal from the registry. This is not the first time she has refused to explain that vote, either. “Christina Bohannan…

Activists detained during the Gaza flotilla raid say they were raped, tortured, and abused in Israeli custody Australian police have begun inquiries into claims that Israeli forces raped, tortured, and abused activists detained during last month’s raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla.The Australian Federal Police (AFP) confirmed the move after four women from the Global Sumud Flotilla met Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Multicultural Minister Anne Aly, and senior police officials in Canberra on Monday.The activists were among 11 Australians detained in May when Israeli forces intercepted the flotilla, which was attempting to break the blockade of Gaza and deliver humanitarian…

A field coordinator for humanitarian group Oxfam warned on Tuesday that supplies of clean water — the “first line of defense” against the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) — are “simply not available.” Contaminated water could be one reason case numbers are increasing despite massive health resources deployed to the outbreak region. Oxfam’s Manel Rebordosa told Sky News on Tuesday that the eastern Ituri province and its mining town Mongbwalo — which is ground zero for the Ebola Bundibugyo outbreak — have a nightmarish combination of transient residents, poor water quality, terrible personal hygiene, and…

By a single vote, the Senate shot down a proposal on Tuesday that would have reined in President Donald Trump’s ability to use military force against Iran without Congress’s approval. The vote fell just one vote short of advancing with 48-47. Republican Senators Susan Collins, Bill Cassidy, Lisa Murkowski, and Rand Paul voted with the Democrats. On the flip side, Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) crossed the aisle to vote alongside the Republican majority against the bill. Introduced by Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), the resolution sought to require congressional approval for continued U.S. military action involving Iran. Warnock had urged Republicans…