“British authorities said Monday they were dropping a criminal case against two men who had been accused of spying for China in Britain, including a former researcher who worked in the U.K. Parliament. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s office said it was ‘extremely disappointing’ that Christopher Cash, 30, and Christopher Berry, 33, would not face trial, but prosecutors said there was not enough evidence to proceed. Both men have denied wrongdoing. The men had been charged in April 2024 with violating the Official Secrets Act by providing information or documents that could be ‘useful to an enemy’ and ‘prejudicial to the safety or interests’ of the U.K. between late 2021 and February 2023. Cash was a parliamentary researcher who led the China Research Group.” (09/15/25)
“Nepal’s prime minister on Monday selected three new ministers to join her interim administration, which is tasked with holding fresh elections in March after violent street protests last week led to the collapse of the previous government. Sushila Karki, the Himalayan country’s first female prime minster, appointed Kalman Gurung as energy minister, Rameshore Khanal as finance minister and Om Prakash Aryal as home minister. … Last week’s massive demonstrations — called the protest of Gen Z — ended with at least 72 people killed and hundreds wounded. The army stepped in to impose a curfew and finally agreed to make Karki the head of an interim government that will hold elections in six months.” (09/15/25)
“‘Threatening voters and cities over their elections is what authoritarians do,’ said one progressive organizer Monday after US President Donald Trump did just that—suggesting he would rip federal funding away from New York City, and possibly the state, if democratic socialist mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the November election. The president’s threat came after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, announced her endorsement of Mamdani in an op-ed in The New York Times, after months of pressure from progressives. Trump said Hochul had ‘Endorsed the ‘Liddle Communist’’ and called the governor’s support ‘a rather shocking development. How can such a thing happen? … Washington will be watching this situation very closely. No reason to be sending good money after bad!'” (09/15/25)
“Tesla shares jumped after CEO Elon Musk disclosed Monday his first purchase of the stock in the open market since February 2020. Musk bought 2.57 million shares at various prices Friday which tallies up to about $1 billion, a significant insider acquisition that traders took as a vote of confidence from the outspoken CEO. Tesla shares were higher by 8% in premarket trading Monday morning. They closed Friday slightly lower for 2025 despite a recent rally, with the stock up more than 25% over the last 3 months.” (09/15/25)
“Three people went on trial in South Africa on Monday after being charged with housebreaking and stealing $580,000 in U.S. banknotes hidden in a couch at a game farm owned by President Cyril Ramaphosa. The strange case mired Ramaphosa in scandal and almost cost him his job after he was accused of tax evasion, money laundering and breaching foreign currency laws. He was also accused of trying to hide the existence of the money because the alleged theft happened in 2020, but was only revealed two years later. The case has been dubbed ‘farmgate’ in South Africa. Ramaphosa, who campaigned on an anti-corruption ticket, was cleared of wrongdoing and survived a vote in Parliament over whether impeachment charges should be brought against him, but he is still under scrutiny over why such a large amount of money was stashed in a piece of furniture.” [editor’s note: Yes, before any trial for “stealing” it they need to explain how it got there, and whose money it really is – SAT] (09/15/25)
“Indian security forces killed a top Maoist commander and two other rebels in a gun battle on Monday, officials said, as the government intensifies efforts to crush the decades-long conflict. India is waging an all-out offensive against the last remaining traces of the Naxalite rebellion, named after the village in the foothills of the Himalayas where the Maoist-inspired guerrilla movement began nearly six decades ago. … Three ‘top Naxal commanders’ were killed in the fight, the CRPF said, including Sahdev Soren, who was part of the central committee of the Maoist organisation. Authorities had issued a bounty of around US$113,000 for his capture.” (09/15/25)
“FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said Monday that investigators are probing whether Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin acted alone or as part of a broader plot, while also revealing troubling signs that the suspect had been ‘taken over’ by ideology leading up to the shooting. Bongino told Fox News'[s] ‘America’s Newsroom’ that although one suspect is in custody, the bureau is ‘looking into’ possible accomplices. ‘If this was a larger effort, if there was any aiding and abetting, whether it be financial or someone who knew the specifics of it and failed to report that, we’re looking into that,’ he told Bill Hemmer Monday. ‘There’s not going to be a stone left unturned.’ Investigators are scrutinizing video showing the gunman leaping from a rooftop after the fatal shot.” (09/15/25)
“U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he would call a national emergency and federalize Washington, D.C. after Mayor Muriel Bowser said its police would not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. At issue is the provision of information on individuals living in, or entering, the United States illegally [sic]. Trump’s threat adds to a move critics have seen as federal overreach, with more than 2,000 troops patrolling the city. … Trump blamed ‘Radical Left Democrats’ for pressuring Bowser to inform the government about the non-cooperation with ICE, adding that if the police halted cooperation with ICE, ‘Crime would come roaring back.'” (09/15/25)
“California lawmakers are throwing a lifeline to the troubled legal cannabis industry, approving a cannabis tax cut that the industry says will prevent further business failures. Lawmakers gave final approval to the bill last week, sending the measure to the desk of Newsom, who has previously committed to signing it into law. The measure would drop the state excise tax on cannabis from 19% to 15% on Oct. 1 and maintain that tax rate until June 30, 2028. Amy O’Gorman Jenkins, the executive director for the California Cannabis Operators Association, said in a statement that the organization is ‘deeply grateful’ to the Legislature for passing the law, which she said would strengthen the legal market. ‘This vote saves thousands of jobs and prevents hundreds of small businesses from closing their doors,’ O’Gorman Jenkins said in an email.” [editor’s note: I almost never say this, but this time California leads the way to sanity – SAT] [editor’s note: The implication that a small tax cut is some kind of special favor is sickening, though – TLK] (09/15/25)
“Germany’s ruling parties suffered losses in municipal elections in North Rhine-Westphalia, the country’s most-populous state, intensifying pressure on Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s government to revive growth and push through reforms. The far-right Alternative for Germany, or AfD, was able to more than triple support to 16.5% across the state, according to exit polls from Infratest dimap for public broadcaster WDR on Sunday. Merz’s Christian Democrats lost 0.3 points to 34%, but remained the strongest force in the state. The co-ruling Social Democrats, which once counted the state as a stronghold, declined 1.8 points to 22.5%.” 909/14/25)
