Venezuela bans six major airlines after tensions with US escalate

General Horta N'Tam has been sworn in as the transitional leader of Guinea-Bissau following a military coup that resulted in the ousting of President Umaro Sissoco Embalo. The swearing-in ceremony took place at the army headquarters just a day after the military declared total control of the country, which included the detention of the president and the suspension of the electoral process.

Pope Leo XIV has embarked on his first foreign trip to Turkey, emphasizing that the future of humanity is at stake due to ongoing conflicts, which he describes as a third world war being fought piecemeal. This visit is significant as it marks the Pope's inaugural international engagement amid rising tensions in the Middle East, particularly following recent violence in Beirut.

A catastrophic fire erupted in a high-rise residential complex in Hong Kong's Tai Po district, resulting in at least 44 fatalities and hundreds reported missing. Firefighters are actively engaged in rescue operations as they search for those unaccounted for after the blaze, which reportedly began on external scaffolding.

Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old Afghan national, has been identified as the suspect in a shooting incident that critically injured two members of the West Virginia National Guard near the White House in Washington, D.C. The CIA has confirmed that Lakanwal worked with agency-backed military units during the U.S. war in Afghanistan and entered the U.S. under the Operation Allies Welcome program in September 2021.

The United States has announced it will not invite South Africa to the G20 summit next year, following former President Donald Trump's claims of human rights abuses against the Afrikaner community and allegations of a supposed genocide. This decision comes after the U.S. boycotted the recent G20 summit held in Johannesburg, which was marked by significant diplomatic tensions.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has reported that average disposable income in the UK is projected to increase by only 0.5% annually over the next five years, indicating a dismal outlook for household spending power. This stagnation in income growth raises concerns about the financial well-being of families across the country.

The United States and Venezuela are on the brink of conflict, with escalating tensions attributed to the Trump administration's intensified campaign against President Nicolás Maduro, framed as a war on drugs but potentially serving broader geopolitical interests against China.

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has called in a cyber expert to investigate a premature release of Budget analysis documents, which disrupted Chancellor Rachel Reeves's planned statement. Journalists accessed the sensitive information ahead of the official announcement, leading to a chaotic situation for the Labour government.