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November 8, 2023
Jack Montgomery
Politics

Cornyn: ‘I Was Wrong’; Grassley: ‘Trump’ll Carry Iowa’.

Republicans who once believed Donald Trump was unelectable or actively opposed his candidacy for 2024 are now conceding he is capable of dethroning Joe Biden, and that rivals such as Ron DeSantis are incredibly unlikely to oust him.

“Looks like I was wrong,” said Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas), after polling for The New York Times showed Trump is leading Biden by 11 points in Nevada, six in Georgia, five in Arizona, five in Michigan, and four in Pennsylvania, while the 80-year-old Democrat is ahead by just two points in Wisconsin.

Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) also says “it looks like Trump’s going to carry it,” referring to the Iowa caucuses in the GOP primary race. Even if more candidates besides Mike Pence drop out, Grassley said, their support shifting to other candidates will impact Trump’s lead only “minimally”.

“The people thinking of dropping out are 2 or 1 percent,” he observed. “I don’t know how you calculate that.”

DeSantis backers such as Robert Bigelow, who donated $20 million to DeSantis, are already throwing in the towel: “I think Trump has the momentum,” he said, comparing the former president to a “bull” – and the Florida Governor to “dinner”.

Editor’s Notes

Behind-the-scenes political intrigue exclusively for Pulse+ subscribers.

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
It’s a big moment and a buried lede, or two, rather, in the POLITICO piece that we’ve linked to in the article
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It’s a big moment and a buried lede, or two, rather, in the POLITICO piece that we’ve linked to in the article show more
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News
Politics
UK

Kemi Badenoch’s Conservative Party Stands Former Neo-Nazi as Local Candidate.

The Conservative Party, led by Kemi Badenoch, has selected a former neo-Nazi to stand as a local candidate in Somerset, England.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: The Conservative Party in the United Kingdom has announced a former neo-Nazi activist as the party’s candidate in an upcoming local election.
📺 DETAIL: Joshua Bonehill-Paine, a former neo-Nazi activist and creator of The Crewkerne Gazette, which is known for creating satirical political videos created with artificial intelligence (AI), was selected by Badenoch’s party to stand for election next year. Specifically, Bonehill-Paine will stand in the Crewkerne South district of Somerset Council in south-west England. In 2014, Bonehill-Paine was convicted of assaulting a police officer and burglarizing a police station. That same year, he was convicted for malicious communications. In 2015, Bonehill-Paine was imprisoned for over three years for posting “antisemitic” material ahead of a neo-Nazi rally. In 2016, Bonehill-Paine was convicted of racially aggravated harassment of a Jewish Member of Parliament. “Kemi claims the Tories have changed and they will have a new generation of candidates. It’s now clear what calibre of candidates they will be. Kemi claims to support the fight against antisemitism yet selects a convicted antisemite Nazi as a candidate. The hypocrisy is breathtaking,” said a spokesman for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party.
🎯 IMPACT: The selection of Bonehill-Paine has sparked concerns due to his extremist past. Bonehill-Paine has said that his local Conservative branch is aware of his past convictions.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “The branch and indeed party are fully aware of my past. Our chairman has been a vocal advocate and has supported me since I became a member of the party. I am very grateful for the support,” said Bonehill-Paine.
📺 FLASHBACK: Back in June, Badenoch criticized the U.S. State Department’s condemnation of two-tier policing in Britain following the murder and wrongful arrest of Henry Nowak, an 18-year-old white student who was stabbed to death by 23-year-old Vickrum Digwa with an eight-inch Sikh religious dagger. “Ideological conditioning and two-tiered policing are glaring symptoms of civilizational decline. They must be rejected across the West. The United States sends our condolences to the family of Henry Nowak and the people of the United Kingdom at this troubling time,” the Department of State posted on X (formerly Twitter) at the time. 

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The Conservative Party, led by Kemi Badenoch, has selected a former neo-Nazi to stand as a local candidate in Somerset, England.

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By Popular Demand.
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2 hours ago
Health
News

Planned Parenthood Labels Abortion ‘Gender Affirming Care’.

Planned Parenthood is now describing abortion as “gender-affirming care,” as it pivots heavily into providing transgender-related services alongside its foundational focus on aborting babies.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Planned Parenthood described abortion as “gender-affirming care” in a recent social media post.
📺 DETAIL: On Monday, Planned Parenthood posted a graphic reading “Abortion is gender-affirming care” with the caption: “Reproductive freedom means every person gets to decide what’s right for their own body. No exceptions.” This follows a sharp rise in demand for Planned Parenthood’s transgender-related services alongside its traditional focus on aborting babies. Planned Parenthood Alaska, Great Northwest, Hawaii, Indiana, and Kentucky documented 24,295 “gender-affirming care” services in 2025, up from 13,432 in 2024. Planned Parenthood also performed 434,450 abortions last year, an eight percent increase from 2024. Planned Parenthood’s “gender-affirming” services include hormone therapy (estrogen for males, testosterone for females), puberty blockers, and referrals for mutilating gender reassignment surgeries. Demand for such services has increased by over 40 percent between 2024 and 2025 across the organization’s 14 largest branches, according to a report from Concerned Women for America Legislative Action, a public policy and advocacy organization.
🎯 IMPACT: The statement shows the extent to which Planned Parenthood has pivoted into advertising and providing transgender-related services. The post also demonstrates how the organization facilitates the rising demand for transgender-related services. The post will likely raise questions about the direction of the organization as it regains federal funding following a year-long ban.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Reproductive freedom means every person gets to decide what’s right for their own body. No exceptions.” – Planned Parenthood
📺 FLASHBACK: Last month, it was revealed that Planned Parenthood regained federal funding via Medicaid following a year-long ban imposed by Congress. The ban on federal funding for Planned Parenthood was introduced by President Donald J. Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Specifically, while the ban blocked Medicaid payments to organizations that conducted abortions, even for non-abortion “services,” it ultimately lacked the required votes for an extension and has since expired. When the ban was implemented, the organization lost 39 percent of its $2.14 billion total revenue.

Image by Mark Dixon.

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Planned Parenthood is now describing abortion as "gender-affirming care," as it pivots heavily into providing transgender-related services alongside its foundational focus on aborting babies.

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By Popular Demand.
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2 hours ago
Health
News

Biden COVID Czar Concedes Virus Likely Came from Chinese Lab.

Dr. Ashish Jha’s shift toward the lab leak theory highlights the ongoing need for further transparency and accountability in determining what officials knew about COVID-19’s origins during the pandemic.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Dr. Ashish Jha, the former White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator, said he now believes the coronavirus pandemic was more likely caused by a laboratory leak in Wuhan than by a natural outbreak. Jha said his conclusion is based on information he learned while serving in the White House, but added that no definitive proof exists and that only Chinese officials have access to the information needed to determine the virus’s origin with certainty.
📺 DETAIL: Jha said that greater transparency and accountability from China remains essential. Jha’s comments come as diary entries from former health chief Dr. Anthony Fauci, released by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), have renewed debate over the pandemic’s origins. The entries show Fauci privately questioned the so-called wet market theory of COVID’s origins as early as January 2020 and considered a laboratory connection more plausible, despite publicly supporting a natural origin. Jha said his assessment reflects his current best judgment. The renewed focus on both Jha’s comments and Fauci’s diary has intensified scrutiny of how the origins of COVID-19 were assessed during the early stages of the pandemic, but the lack of access to records from Wuhan continues to prevent a conclusive determination.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “Based on information I’ve learned and based on information I’ve seen, I have come to conclude it is more likely to have been a lab leak … We still need transparency and accountability on this.” – Dr. Ashish Jha
🎯 IMPACT: Jha’s remarks and Fauci’s diary entries raise questions about how early assessments of the pandemic’s origins were handled by U.S. health officials. They are also likely to further erode public trust in the health establishment, given its initial resistance to accepting that COVID-19 likely originated in the Wuhan laboratory researching coronaviruses.
📺 FLASHBACK: Early in the pandemic, the wet market theory pushed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was widely promoted by public health officials and media outlets, in opposition to President Donald J. Trump and despite private doubts among key figures, including Fauci. The lab leak theory, once dismissed as a conspiracy, has gained increasing acceptance over time.

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Dr. Ashish Jha's shift toward the lab leak theory highlights the ongoing need for further transparency and accountability in determining what officials knew about COVID-19's origins during the pandemic.

show more
By Popular Demand.
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3 hours ago
News
UK

Musk-Backed Rupert Lowe Fell Out With ‘Everyone’ After ‘Screaming,’ ‘Shouting,’ and Lawfare Threats: Farage.

Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage has addressed a social media video from Rupert Lowe, leader of the Elon Musk-backed Restore Britain splinter party, in which he seemed to reach out to Farage, albeit in vague terms.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party, said he is “not closing [his] mind” to coming to an “arrangement” with Rupert Lowe, the former Reform politician who now leads the Restore Britain splinter party backed by Elon Musk, on Monday. Lowe had posted a video to social media on Sunday claiming he was “reaching out” to Farage to see if they could “find a way of working together in some form,” following a series of poor election results for Restore. Significantly, Farage noted that the overture followed a falling out between Lowe and the establishment Conservative Party.
📰 DETAIL: Raheem Kassam, Editor-in-Chief of The National Pulse, asked Farage at a press conference on Reform’s Operation Fortress border control plan, if Lowe would have seemed more sincere if he had privately apologized to figures in Reform he had previously abused, rather than issuing a public challenge for Farage to come to an “arrangement” with him. Farage noted that “Restore have spent most of their time attacking Reform… endlessly, relentlessly,” while avoiding criticism of the establishment Conservative Party, responsible for the “Boriswave” of mass migration before its ouster by the incumbent Labour government in 2024. “There was some kind of deal between [Restore and the Conservatives]. Don’t ask me what it was. I just know that it erupted and blew up last week,” Farage said, adding: , if you you have to speak to people or make arrangements with people that you’ve previously fallen out with, “If there is a greater good to be had from that, then I’m not closing my mind to it. ‘Sorry’ [from Lowe] would be nice, but I would have thought unlikely to be forthcoming.”
💬 KEY QUOTE: “There is this myth there that I fell out with Rupert Lowe. It’s not true. Everyone fell out with Rupert Lowe. It was the screaming, the shouting, the threatening, the legal writs. Everyone fell out with him.” – Nigel Farage
🎯 IMPACT: Lowe was suspended from Reform in 2025 after an independent investigation found there were “credible” allegations he and his team were bullying female staff in ways that “seem[ed] to amount to harassment.” He later founded Restore and positioned it as being to the right of Reform on immigration, despite the fact that Lowe had previously stated he had “no problem” with a multicultural society. While there are ongoing concerns that Restore could peel just enough votes from Reform to cost it crucial parliamentary seats in a general election and keep the left-wing Labour Party in power, its results have so far been disappointing, with the small number of votes it won in recent key by-elections (special elections) in Manchester, England, being insufficient to have changed their outcomes.

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Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage has addressed a social media video from Rupert Lowe, leader of the Elon Musk-backed Restore Britain splinter party, in which he seemed to reach out to Farage, albeit in vague terms.

show more
By Popular Demand.
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3 hours ago
News
Politics

Buttigieg ‘More Inclined Than Not’ to Run for President in 2028.

Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (D) has hinted at a potential 2028 presidential bid shortly after polling ahead of other potential contenders for the Democrat nomination.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (D) is leaning towards running for President in 2028.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “I think I’m more inclined than not, but there’s so much we don’t know,” Buttigieg said during a The Diary of a CEO podcast appearance.
📺 DETAIL: On Monday, Buttigieg, who served as Transportation Secretary under former President Joe Biden, confirmed that he was more likely than not to run for President in 2028. Buttigieg previously ran in the 2020 Democratic primary, where he finished fifth. Buttigieg’s comments follow polling that suggests he would be among the frontrunners for the Democrat nomination. Specifically, last month, a poll from New Hampshire revealed that Buttigieg is polling at 21 percent, just one percentage point behind frontrunner Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). The poll suggested that Buttigieg is the most popular potential Democrat candidate not formally aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a far-left organization currently taking over the Democrat Party. According to recent polling, approximately one-third of Democrat and Democrat-aligned voters identify as Democratic Socialists. Other non-DSA Democrats, including California Governor Gavin Newsom and Arizona Senator Mark Kelly, polled in the single digits. In September last year, it was reported that former Vice President and failed 2024 Democrat nominee Kamala Harris wanted Buttigieg as her running mate before opting for outgoing Governor Tim Walz (D-MN).
🎯 IMPACT: Buttigieg’s potential candidacy positions him as an early contender for the Democrat nomination in 2028. The polling from New Hampshire is important as the state often serves a critical bellwether during the primary stage. However, the former Transportation Secretary noted that his decision to run for President hinged upon on personal and family considerations. Back in 2021, Buttigieg and his male spouse, Chasten Buttigieg, adopted twins. Given the recent electoral successes of the DSA, and the rising support for far-left politics in the Democrat Party, it is possible that Buttigieg will be viewed by the insurgents as the candidate of the party establishment. It is also possible that Buttigieg moves leftward to secure the nomination should he decide to run.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg (D) has hinted at a potential 2028 presidential bid shortly after polling ahead of other potential contenders for the Democrat nomination.

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By Popular Demand.
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5 hours ago
Immigration
News

ICE Detentions Hit New Monthly Record.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detentions hit a new monthly record in July, reflecting a significant rebound in immigration enforcement efforts.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recorded 46,000 detentions in July, setting a new record for the Trump administration.
📺 DETAIL: The new figures constitute a new monthly record for the second Trump administration. The new figures also represent an increase from the 43,000 detentions carried out in June. In response to the recent surge in detentions, ICE has announced four new detention centers across the country. The facilities will be located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Seattle, Washington; Denver, Colorado; and Miami, Florida. The new ICE facilities add a combined total of 5,500 beds. Specifically, the Philadelphia detention center will add 1,800 beds, the Seattle and Denver facilities will both increase capacity by 1,500, and the Miami facility will hold 700. At present, there are approximately 68,000 people in ICE custody. This follows ICE data released back in July which revealed that the agency was making more than 1,400 arrests per day. It was predicted at the time the data was released that, if the arrest rate continued, the agency would make more than 44,000 arrests by the end of the month.
🎯 IMPACT: The record-breaking detentions highlight the Trump administration’s renewed focus on immigration enforcement. The significant increase in recorded detentions suggests that media and activist pressure to slow down or halt deportation efforts is waning. This represents another record-breaking achievement for the Trump administration, having deported over 500,000 illegal migrants within the first year of President Donald J. Trump’s second term. In October 2025, it was reported that illegal immigration had fallen to a record low. This represents a significant rebound from earlier in the year. According to ICE data, the agency made an average of 1,164 arrests per day in January, 1,025 arrests in February, and 954 arrests in March, the lowest number of the year. 

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Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detentions hit a new monthly record in July, reflecting a significant rebound in immigration enforcement efforts.

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By Popular Demand.
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6 hours ago
Crime
News
UK

Another Rape Gang Convicted for Drugging and Sexually Exploiting Girls.

A grooming gang in Rhyl, Wales, has been found guilty of sexually exploiting two teenage girls, with a fifth defendant convicted of perverting the course of justice.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Four men from Wales, one of the four Home Nations of the United Kingdom, have been convicted of raping and sexually exploiting two underage girls.
📺 DETAIL: Mustafa Iqbal, 43, Mohamed Arshad, 36, Ziaullah Badshah, 25, and Jaswinder Singh, 61, were convicted at Caernarfon Crown Court following a three-month trial. Iqbal, Arshad, and Badshah were found guilty of rape and sexual exploitation, while Singh was convicted of conspiracy to traffic. The victims were aged 14 and 15. The men formed their grooming gang in Rhyl, a seaside town in Wales. A fifth defendant, Sarah Gray, 53, was convicted of three offenses: assisting an offender, conspiring to supply Class A drugs, and perverting the course of justice. Iqbal, the gang’s ringleader, was convicted of grooming a third victim, a 16-year-old girl. The men used drugs and alcohol to lure and exploit the girls. Evidence presented in court revealed that the men misrepresented their ages in order to traffic the victims. The prosecution alleged that the four men were “friends who shared details of what they could get the girls to do.”
💬 KEY QUOTE: “These men treated the girls as sexual commodities. They took full sexual advantage.” – Prosecutor Owen Edwards KC.
🎯 IMPACT: The case demonstrates that the grooming gang scandal impacts all parts of the United Kingdom, not just England. The four men and Gray will be sentenced on September 25. It adds to the growing number of cases involving men from South Asian and Muslim backgrounds forming grooming gangs across Britain.
📺 FLASHBACK: In December last year, it was announced that the probe into the grooming gang scandal would be expanded to Scotland after the Scottish government, roughly equivalent ot a U.S. state government, conceded to some involvement in a national review. However, in late July, The National Pulse exclusively revealed that new British Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s Head of Political Strategy, Matthew McGregor, co-wrote a report with a now-convicted pedophile which downplayed the existence “so-called ‘grooming’ gangs” operating in Britain.

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A grooming gang in Rhyl, Wales, has been found guilty of sexually exploiting two teenage girls, with a fifth defendant convicted of perverting the course of justice.

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By Popular Demand.
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6 hours ago
Immigration
News
UK

Thousands of Illegal Migrants Have Surged Into Britain Under New UK PM Andy Burnham.

The first weeks of British Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s tenure have been marked by a surge in illegal migrant crossings of the English Channel.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Over 2,000 illegal migrants have crossed the English Channel since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
📺 DETAIL: Andy Burnham became Prime Minister of the United Kingdom two weeks ago. Since entering 10 Downing Street, the Prime Minister’s official residence, over 2,000 illegal migrants have already arrived in the country. This represents an increase compared to the 1,962 illegal migrants who crossed the English Channel at the same time last year. There have been well over 10,000 illegal Channel crossings so far this year, according to data released by the Home Office, roughly equivalent to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
🎯 IMPACT: The crossing figures show a growing surge of illegal migrants since the start of Burnham’s premiership. Despite the new Prime Minister’s claim that the government’s plan for the migrant crisis is working, the recent spike in arrivals has invited criticism. In response to the rise in illegal arrivals, Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK party, announced a new policy titled “Operation Fortress” on Monday. The program would seek to use Britain’s Royal Navy to deter and return illegal migrants crossing the English Channel on small boats.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “The public don’t like the idea that the border looks like it’s not controlled… We need to bring back that control, but also we need to offer support for people who genuinely need it. Slowly but surely we are putting in place those building blocks of a very different approach to this issue. It’s working, but there’s more to be done.” – Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
📺 FLASHBACK: Illegal crossings of the English Channel recommenced upon Burnham entering Number 10. This followed a brief lull in arrivals during the final days of Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership. In August last year, it was reported that 50,000 illegal migrants had arrived in Britain by boat since the Labour Party took power one year prior in July 2024.

Image by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street.

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The first weeks of British Prime Minister Andy Burnham's tenure have been marked by a surge in illegal migrant crossings of the English Channel.

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By Popular Demand.
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7 hours ago
Crime
Immigration
News

Afghan Refugee Accused of Murdering British Aid Worker for Asking Him to Become Christian.

Greek police arrested an Afghan man in connection with the murder of British aid worker Elisabeth Jane Ross, whose body was discovered in a suitcase in Athens, citing anti-Christian hatred as a potential motive.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Greek police have arrested a 26-year-old Afghan man in connection with the killing of 38-year-old British aid worker Elisabeth Jane Ross, also known as Lisa, whose body was discovered inside a suitcase in an abandoned parking area in Athens on July 18. Investigators allege the suspect killed Ross at her apartment before placing her body in the suitcase and abandoning it, with CCTV footage reportedly showing him carrying the luggage to the scene before leaving without it.
📺 DETAIL:  Police said the suspect was identified after Ross’s mobile phone, which had been switched off for several days, was briefly turned on, allowing officers to trace it to a residence where he was staying with his wife and child. According to investigators, the man’s wife told police he admitted becoming angry with Ross because she was trying to persuade him to join a stricter Christian group, and her testimony, along with CCTV evidence, proved critical to his arrest. Authorities said the suspect was found carrying keys to Ross’s apartment and withdrawing approximately $11,600 USD from her bank accounts after her death. Police believe Ross most likely died from asphyxiation, although the official cause of death has not yet been confirmed. Ross, from Edinburgh, had volunteered for several years with organizations assisting refugees, homeless people, and other vulnerable groups, including Christian charities.
💬 KEY QUOTE: “The woman told us that her husband had confided in her that he was angry with the British woman. She was trying to influence him religiously and it became too much for him.” – Greek police source
🎯 IMPACT: The case highlights the potential dangers faced by volunteers working abroad with anti-Christian migrants, and is not the first case of a migrant killing an aid worker in Europe in recent years.

Image by Eric Vernier.

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Greek police arrested an Afghan man in connection with the murder of British aid worker Elisabeth Jane Ross, whose body was discovered in a suitcase in Athens, citing anti-Christian hatred as a potential motive.

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By Popular Demand.
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8 hours ago
News
War

Iran Denies Negotiations With U.S. After Trump Cancels Strikes.

Iran has publicly rejected claims that it is negotiating with the United States, contradicting President Trump’s announcement of upcoming talks.

PULSE POINTS
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Iran stated Monday that no negotiations or meetings with the United States are planned, contradicting President Donald J. Trump, who said over the weekend that talks would begin Monday afternoon and cited them as a reason for canceling planned military strikes. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei claimed all negotiators remain in Iran, except Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, who is on a religious pilgrimage in Iraq, and added that the only ongoing discussions involve Oman over the management of the Strait of Hormuz.
📺 DETAIL: Publicly, Tehran has consistently rejected negotiations with Washington since a June memorandum aimed at ending the conflict collapsed in early July. The U.S. has yet to achieve its stated objectives of fully dismantling Iran’s nuclear program. Disputes over control of the Strait of Hormuz remain a major sticking point, with Washington arguing Iran had agreed to reopen the vital shipping route, while Tehran insists the agreement preserved its self-proclaimed authority over traffic through the waterway.
🎯 IMPACT: The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has affected global oil prices. Brent crude futures dropped over four percent to $84 per barrel after Trump canceled planned strikes on Iran, but they may rise again following Iran’s statement claiming no negotiations are taking place.
📺 FLASHBACK: In June, a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran aimed at establishing a ceasefire so a peace settlement could be hammered out collapsed, due to Iranian attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington has since sought to compel Iran to reopen the strait, a key waterway for global energy and fertilizer shipments, by force.

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Iran has publicly rejected claims that it is negotiating with the United States, contradicting President Trump's announcement of upcoming talks.

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By Popular Demand.
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