Cold weather and high prices could flip the Senate

How Aramco learned to keep pumping oil under fire

LONDON — When attack drones struck Saudi Aramco's biggest oil pipeline last month, satellite images showed one of its pumping stations burnt to ashes. By the next day, scores of bulldozers were already building a new pipeline. Within days pumping resumed. The speed of the recovery illustrates how the world's biggest oil producer has transformed its ability to operate under attack after years of assaults on energy infrastructure across the region. "Today, our teams can handle multiple incidents simultaneously, and we continue to build this capability," Saudi state oil firm Aramco's chief executive Amin Nasser told Reuters in an interview last week. Nasser said Aramco has built specialised rapid-response teams, expanded emergency stockpiles for repairs and deployed drones to assess damage even while incidents are still unfolding. Lessons on how to operate under fire came after drones and missiles hit Aramco's major oil processing facility in Abqaiq in 2019, temporarily knocking out half of Aramco's production. "After Abqaiq in 2019, we came up with the idea of rapid response teams, or what

Houthis attack presidential palace complex in Yemen's Aden, PM unharmed, officials say

Yemen's Houthis fired missiles at the presidential palace complex in the southern city of Aden on Thursday, killing two security guards, two government officials told Reuters. Yemen's prime minister and cabinet members who were at the Maashiq presidential palace complex were unharmed, Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani said, adding that the Houthis had fired five missiles at the complex. The Houthi-run Saba news agency, citing a military official, said the group had targeted a military operations headquarters run by Saudi officers at the complex, as well as weapons depots. Reuters could not independently verify the claims. The Iran-aligned group's military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said the strike on what he described as a Saudi military operations headquarters in Aden was part of the group's declared policy of "targeting Saudi military build-ups wherever they are." Three witnesses had earlier told Reuters they heard loud booms in the vicinity of the palace.

Trump scraps plan to livestream execution after broad backlash

WASHINGTON — The firing squad execution of a convicted military base shooter will not be livestreamed, U.S. President Donald Trump announced Thursday, canceling a contentious plan by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The move to livestream Nidal Hasan's execution was widely opposed at home and abroad, prompting outrage from both U.S. Democratic and Republican politicians, the Catholic Church and the United Nations. The cancellation is a blow to Hegseth, who is already under fire over the stalemated Iran war and its fallout, which are weighing on Trump's Republican Party ahead of November midterm elections. Hasan "will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. The U.S. president indicated he did not personally oppose the streaming plan, saying it "might have been a strong deterrent for the World to witness how America deals with Terrorists and SCUM like Hasan." But "many very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die," Trump said, adding that the execution could still be viewed in person by

Prince Harry and wife Meghan make first joint appearance since UK return

NOTTINGHAM, England — Prince Harry and his wife Meghan appeared together in public on Thursday for the first time since they made a surprise return to Britain, revisiting the city where they made their maiden joint official engagement nine years ago. Harry, the younger son of King Charles, and Meghan shocked the monarch and other members of the royal family when they relocated from California to England two months ago with their children Prince Archie, 7, and Princess Lilibet, 5. In their first joint public outing since then, the couple returned to Nottingham in central England which they visited in 2017, shortly after it was announced they were getting married. "It’s great to be back," Harry said. "Wonderful and great to be back in Nottingham, too." They began by visiting a recording studio run by a youth and community charity which has received support from a £1.1 million ($1.46 million) donation announced by Harry last year. At their next stop at the Himmah charity, which tackles food poverty, Meghan was reunited with four contributors to a charity cookbook released to raise funds

The China decoupling paradox: why the world still needs its manufacturing machine

Talk of global decoupling from China has persisted for years, as has speculation that emerging economies such as India and Vietnam could soon replace it as the “world’s factory”. But for Indian hardware engineer Neeraj Arora, the growth of India’s electronics manufacturing industry has not eliminated the need to source components from China. Instead, it has changed the nature of those imports. A decade ago, Arora imported finished phone chargers from the world’s second-largest economy. Today,...

Two hospitalised after shooting at Oregon elementary school; gunman dead

Two people were hospitalised and the shooter was found dead Thursday after a shooting at Silver Rail Elementary School in Bend, Oregon, prompting a lockdown as police responded to reports of an active shooter.

US stocks end higher as AI shares stabilise

Inside Audemars Piguet’s AP House Singapore, where watches are only part of the experience

At Raffles Singapore, the Swiss watchmaker has created a space where watches share the spotlight with food, design, hospitality and conversation. In partnership with Audemars Piguet

‘Multiple victims’ after gunman opens fire at Oregon elementary school: Shooter dead

Authorities have requested that residents stay away from the elementary school as police continue their work at the scene

Kids ‘among the victims’ after shooting at Oregon elementary school, police say

Ukraine-Russia war latest: Zelensky declares ‘we’re done’ on Trump’s failed ceasefire as Putin sends out warning

Kyiv had refrained from attacking Russian refineries but resumed strikes on Thursday after the US made a deal with Putin