Elon Musk has called Xi Jinping a “great leader” in an interview with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, just before Xi’s meeting with Donald Trump. We examine what Musk actually said, why Tesla’s Shanghai factory gives the remarks commercial significance, and where interpretation runs ahead of the evidence.

Iran has threatened neighbouring airports if countries cooperate with US efforts to stop Iranian flights.

We explain what senior security official Mohsen Rezaei said, how aviation sanctions can affect routes beyond America, and why a warning must be distinguished from an actual airport closure.

Police say at least 11 people were killed and three wounded at a house party near Durban. Three gunmen are being sought, while investigators say the motive remains unconfirmed.

Tigrayan forces have reportedly taken control of Mekelle airport as fighting reaches neighbouring Afar. Three airport destinations have lost flights, and Tigray’s regional government says it is in a defensive war.

Taylor Swift has announced Patient Zero for 25 September. Here are the confirmed release details, the listed acoustic and piano versions, and the questions fans cannot answer until they hear the song.

A reported six-month Gaza proposal includes housing, rubble removal and hospital repairs. The full $2.45bn is not secured, and political barriers still stand between the plan and delivery.

China's US ambassador has identified four red lines before Xi meets Trump. Taiwan is the most immediate test, with US arms sales and Beijing's objections still unresolved.

Trump plans an unusual airport greeting, military review and state dinner for Xi. The elaborate welcome comes as both countries face difficult decisions on trade, AI, rare earths and Taiwan.

US and Iranian officials passed messages through Qatari mediation in New York. It is their first shuttle contact in months, but disputes over the war and the Strait of Hormuz remain.

Russian drones struck Kyiv after Donald Trump met Volodymyr Zelenskyy in New York. This update explains what Ukrainian authorities reported, why casualty figures may change and how the attack bears on proposals to protect energy infrastructure. We distinguish the timing of the attack from evidence about Moscow's motives. Read the companion Taylor Tailored article for sources and later updates.

Hurricane Polo has undergone an extraordinary transformation over the eastern Pacific, strengthening into an exceptionally powerful Category 5 hurricane with aircraft measurements indicating sustained winds near 180 mph.

The storm remains offshore from southwestern Mexico, but its extreme intensity, slow movement and proximity to the coast mean the danger is not confined to the hurricane’s tiny eye. Heavy rainfall, flooding, mudslides, dangerous surf and tropical-storm conditions remain possible across parts of the Mexican coastline.

But the biggest story may be the speed of the transformation itself. Polo went from a far weaker hurricane to one of the most powerful tropical cyclones possible in a remarkably short period.

This episode examines what drove the explosive intensification, why a storm can still be dangerous without making landfall, and why Polo’s next movement could matter even more than its extraordinary wind speed.

Donald Trump delivered one of his strongest warnings yet against Iran from the United Nations stage. Then, only hours later, his administration revealed something that dramatically changed the picture: US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had spent roughly three hours meeting an Iranian delegation in New York.

Trump says the discussions went very well. Another meeting is expected. And the president is publicly predicting that a settlement can eventually be reached.

But the gap between talks and peace remains enormous.

In this episode, we examine why the three-hour meeting matters, how the nuclear dispute remains connected to sanctions and military pressure, why the Strait of Hormuz could become one of the most important bargaining chips, and how Trump is attempting to combine extraordinary pressure with an open diplomatic door.

The question is no longer simply whether Washington and Tehran can talk.

It is whether either side can accept the price of an agreement.

Trump administration action against Obamacare has canceled approximately 315,000 Affordable Care Act Marketplace enrollments covering more than 760,000 people after CMS said they were unauthorized.

The crackdown could return roughly $2.2 billion in federal premium subsidies and is putting insurance brokers under heavier scrutiny. Independent investigations have previously identified genuine weaknesses in ACA enrollment controls, but unauthorized coverage does not necessarily mean the affected consumer committed fraud.

The key question now is how far Washington's Marketplace enforcement will extend and what it means for legitimate ACA customers.

Donald Trump says the US and Iran were talking again on Tuesday and predicts an eventual settlement as Tehran signals that it is ready to revive diplomacy.

Trump’s UN warning places military pressure and a possible agreement in the same message. The unanswered question is what would turn his post-midterms prediction into reciprocal commitments that both governments implement.

Chad Gilbert, founding guitarist and songwriter for New Found Glory, has died aged 45 after a years-long battle with cancer. Just months earlier, three brain tumours led to emergency surgery before he made an emotional return to the stage in Nashville.

From My Friends Over You to New Found Glory’s latest era, Gilbert helped shape nearly three decades of pop-punk. His bandmates, family and musicians across the scene are now remembering the man behind the riffs and the remarkable final chapter of his life.

Earl Spencer has accused King Charles of “gaslighting” him after Buckingham Palace challenged his account of an alleged conversation following Princess Diana’s death.

The dispute centres on claims in Swan Song: Diana, My Sister about Diana’s funeral, William and Harry, and what Charles allegedly said in 1997. Spencer insists he is telling the truth, while the Palace has questioned how grief may have affected his memory.

Nearly three decades later, one of the Royal Family’s most painful chapters has been reopened.

Donald Trump says CNN, MS NOW and Politico are banned from the White House “effective immediately”, escalating his confrontation with major US news organisations.

The president blames what he calls fake news and warns that additional outlets could follow. The decision raises major First Amendment and press-access questions after previous White House disputes involving CNN and the Associated Press.

What happens when the administration tries to enforce the ban could determine whether the battle moves rapidly into federal court.

Diana’s Brother Says One Phone Call In The Hours After Her Death Left Him With An Extraordinary Impression Of The Future King.

At least 21 people were killed after a suicide car bomb and gun attack struck a mosque inside a police compound in Kohat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, during Friday prayers.

Officers and their families were among those caught in the assault, which was followed by a gun battle. No group has claimed responsibility, while Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has denied involvement.

The attack comes amid renewed militant violence in Pakistan’s north-western border region.