International
JUST IN: Nancy Pelosi announces retirement from historic run in Congress
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-California) announced her retirement Thursday morning via video message.
In the message posted on her social media accounts she speaks directly to San Francisco.
She said: “San Francisco, know your power,”. “We have made history. We have made progress. We have always led the way, and now we must continue to do so by remaining full participants in our democracy and fighting for the American ideals we hold dear.
“Dear San Francisco, we are fortunate to live in the most beautiful, remarkable place on Earth, but the true magic of San Francisco, the San Franciscans. There’s a reason why our city has always been synonymous with the future. Here, we don’t fear the future. We forge it from the gold rush to the miracles of science and technology. Our city has always been the cradle of innovation, buzzing with optimism and creativity.
“We are vibrant and diverse city, home to hard working families, diligent students and Heroic veterans and the dreams of entrepreneurs and immigrants from Chinatown to Japantown, from the mission to the film Hunters Point to the Castro North Beach to the sunset. We are also resilient, experiencing more than our fair share of challenges.
“When the Loma Prieta earthquake struck, we brought in federal support that ensured we would not just recover but reimagine the South of Market neighborhood, and of course, HIV AIDS tested our city to its core. But out of our agony came action. Under the leadership of UCSF and San Francisco General, we pioneered comprehensive community based care, prevention and research.
That very system served as a model, as we wrote the Ryan White Care Act, which still ensures access to life saving medical care nationwide. Fittingly, our city is home to the National AIDS memorial grove, a place of renewal, where we remember the loved ones we lost. For decades, I’ve cherished the privilege of representing our magnificent city in the United States Congress.”
International
Death toll in Hong Kong fire rises to 44 with 279 still missing, authorities say
Hong Kong authorities say the fires in four of the buildings have been brought under control, but large plumes of smoke are still hanging over the residential estate.
Photo: AFP
At least 44 people have been killed so far in a major fire engulfing public housing apartments in Hong Kong’s Tai Po district, with 279 people not accounted for.
Three construction company executives have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter connected to flammable materials, including mesh and plastic sheets, that may have allowed the fire to spread quickly.
More than 800 firefighters are tackling the blaze at Wang Fuk Court, which has been burning for over 18 hours.
The fire has been classified a level five blaze, the most serious level in Hong Kong.
A baby and an elderly woman were rescued during a late-night rescue, local media reports.
Hong Kong authorities say the fires in four of the buildings have been brought under control, but large plumes of smoke are still hanging over the residential estate.
I can smell it in the air. I can also see a number of small fires still burning in the apartment blocks.
Even more fire engines and an ambulance have arrived this morning to help with rescue efforts
BBC.
An Indian fighter jet has crashed while performing a display at an airshow in Dubai, officials have said.
Details later.
A Bangladeshi war crimes tribunal has sentenced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to death.
The verdict, delivered on Monday, November 17, 2025, follows a months-long trial that found Hasina guilty of ordering a lethal crackdown on a student-led uprising last year. She received a death sentence for the killing of several protesters and a life sentence on charges of crimes against humanity.
The ruling marks the most significant legal action against a former Bangladeshi leader in decades and comes ahead of parliamentary elections expected in early February 2026. There was cheering and clapping in the courtroom as the death sentence was pronounced. The verdict can be appealed in the Supreme Court, though Hasina’s son and adviser, Sajeeb Wazed, said they would not appeal unless a democratically elected government, including the Awami League, is in office.
Prosecutors told the court that evidence showed Hasina directly ordered security forces to use lethal force to suppress protests in July and August 2024. A United Nations report estimates that up to 1,400 people were killed during the demonstrations, with thousands more injured, making it the deadliest unrest in Bangladesh since its 1971 war of independence.
Hasina, represented by a state-appointed defense lawyer, denied the charges, calling the tribunal proceedings unfair and claiming a guilty verdict was “a foregone conclusion.”
Tensions in Bangladesh had escalated ahead of the verdict, with at least 30 crude bomb explosions and 26 vehicles torched in recent days, though no casualties were reported.
BREAKING: Prominent Islamic Scholar, Islamic scholar, Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, dies at 102
Sylva Seeks Audience With EFCC
Death toll in Hong Kong fire rises to 44 with 279 still missing, authorities say
Tech Expert, Zuckerberg trains with UFC champions, Adesanya, Alexander
Organ Trafficking: Ekweremadu bags 10 years in UK prison
SAINT OBI: Between his marriage and his death
-
Crime3 days agoHunting down those who kill people to sell their body parts for ‘magic charms
-
Crime2 days agoBREAKING: KEBBI ABDUCTION: 24 School Girls Regain Freedom
-
Business3 days agoAt age 16, he spent $23 to buy a website domain. 9 years later, his blue-collar business brings in $1.3 million a year
-
News2 days agoGovernor Soludo Presents ₦607.3 Billion 2026 Budget Proposal to Anambra State House of Assembly (Photos)
-
Politics3 days agoBreaking: Atiku officially joins ADC
-
News3 days agoOkonjo-Iweala Decries Kidnappings of school children, teachers
-
News3 days agoDelta Police Dismiss Bandits Invasion of Girls Secondary School Kwale
-
Entertainment3 days agoIndia’s Bollywood legend Dharmendra dies at 89