Author: Darren Smith

Neighbours of the planned mosque near Kyungpook National University say the pork barbecues are cultural. Human rights groups call the displays hate speech, and it is unclear when the latest clip was filmed. Residents of Daegu, South Korea, have staged pork barbecues outside a planned mosque, including a whole-pig roast shown on KBS news. Pork is forbidden under Islamic dietary rules. They have opposed the project near Kyungpook National University since permits were issued in 2020, citing noise, traffic, smells and changes to the neighbourhood. The footage has since spread online, where it has been praised by the British activist…

The Duchess of Sussex has broken years of silence over her estrangement from Thomas Markle. He denies the allegations that prompted her statement, and police in the Philippines are examining a computer. The Duchess of Sussex has said that the distance she kept from her father, and her decision not to let him have contact with her children, was for one reason: “to protect them”. Her statement follows reports that Thomas Markle Snr is being investigated in the Philippines over allegations made by his son, Thomas Markle Jr. Mr Markle Snr, 82, strongly denies them. No charges have been reported,…

Andrew Feinberg was dropped from Thursday’s trip to Iowa a day after President Trump berated him in the Oval Office. The move comes as a federal judge has ordered press passes restored to other outlets and CNN threatens further legal action. The White House has removed The Independent’s White House correspondent, Andrew Feinberg, from the travelling press pool for President Donald Trump’s campaign trip to Iowa on Thursday 22 October. The Press Office told him on Wednesday evening that he would “not be the print pooler on tomorrow’s trip”, although his place in the rotation had been confirmed days earlier.…

The Facebook parent reported record third-quarter sales, but a near-$10bn charge tied to a legal settlement over teen mental health cut its operating income by 37%. Meta’s shares rose more than 4% in after-hours trading on Wednesday, to $726 from a close of $697.52, after the company reported a 26% rise in quarterly revenue. Third-quarter sales reached $64.6bn, up from $51.2bn a year earlier. Meta also announced a new class of publicly traded, non-voting shares, which could help finance its heavy investment in artificial intelligence while preserving Mark Zuckerberg’s control. The new structure is due to take effect on 19…

Survivors and human-rights investigators allege a systematic pattern of abuse in Russian-run detention facilities, including accusations that medical staff helped keep prisoners alive so the mistreatment could continue. Ukrainian prisoners of war and detained civilians have described being beaten, shocked and psychologically coerced at penal colonies and camps in Russia and Russian-occupied Ukraine. According to testimonies gathered by human-rights investigators, the abuse begins soon after capture or transfer and is followed by coercive interrogation. A report by the Centre for Civil Liberties names a prison doctor, Ilya Sorokin, known to inmates as “Doctor Evil”. The allegations are based largely on…

Independent MP Marjana Koçeku has told Truth Times that criticism of a planned Jewish Museum in Vlora should not be confused with antisemitism, as she calls for greater transparency over the project and reflects on the wider “Flamingo Revolution” protest movement she has been involved with. Independent Albanian MP Marjana Koçeku has spoken exclusively to Truth Times about the growing controversy surrounding a planned Jewish Museum in the historic centre of Vlora, insisting that opposition to the project’s location does not amount to hostility towards Jewish people. The museum, described by the Albanian-American Development Foundation as the first of its…

A doorbell camera clip showing a Royal Mail worker appearing to spit or blow towards a St George’s Cross has triggered a wave of online reaction, although the footage does not clearly establish what happened. A doorbell camera recording from around September 21–22, 2026, appears to show a Royal Mail delivery worker approaching a property where an England flag is displayed on a gate before leaning towards it. The worker, who is carrying parcels and wearing clothing bearing the Royal Mail logo, then walks towards the front door and rings the bell. The footage has since spread rapidly across social…

World-famous DJ Diplo trekked six miles across the Nevada desert to leave Burning Man after rain turned the festival grounds to mud and forced the closure of its main entrance and exit, in scenes reminiscent of his infamous 2023 escape from the same event alongside Chris Rock. World-renowned DJ Diplo walked six miles through the muddy Nevada desert to leave the Burning Man festival, after rain forced organisers to close the event’s main entry and exit gate in the Black Rock Desert. The musician filmed himself making the journey across the soaked terrain, telling followers on Instagram: “Here I am,…

A man was detained by police after a violent disturbance in Martina Franca left several people injured and a vehicle damaged, amid growing concerns over disorder in the southern Italian town. A Ghanaian man living in Martina Franca was taken into custody on September 5 after a disturbance in the centre of the southern Italian town involving attacks on people and vehicles. The incident unfolded behind the Palazzo Ducale, where the man was reportedly seen carrying a metal bar and behaving in an apparently altered or intoxicated state. Several people were hurt during the episode, while Carabinieri officers and emergency…

The NBA has fined the Los Angeles Clippers $30 million, suspended owner Steve Ballmer for a year, and stripped the franchise of five consecutive first-round draft picks after ruling the team circumvented the league’s salary cap through undisclosed endorsement arrangements involving star player Kawhi Leonard. The NBA handed down one of the largest basketball-related penalties in league history on Wednesday, fining the Los Angeles Clippers $30 million and Kawhi Leonard $700,000, suspending owner Steve Ballmer and two senior executives, and stripping the franchise of five first-round draft picks after concluding the team had circumvented the league’s salary cap rules. The…