Trump $5,000 midterm pledge raises legal questions

11 min agoTrump claimed the $5,000 payment was possible "because of our tremendous strength and success economically." He asked voters to "pretend that I'm on the ballot" during the two-hour convention speech in Dallas.

26 min agoA cargo ship docked at Qingdao port in China caught fire, killing at least 20 people and leaving five others missing, state media said. The fire broke out while the vessel remained in port.

56 min agoPresident Trump promised a $5,000 payment to every American adult if his party maintains control of Congress in November's midterm elections, speaking at the Republican convention in Dallas. He did not specify how the payments would be funded or address whether they would be legal, though the proposal would cost roughly $1.35 trillion based on approximately 270 million American adults.

1 h agoSeattle's defending champions rallied from behind to overcome New England in the season's first game. With starting quarterback Sam Darnold sidelined by injury, backup Drew Lock orchestrated two scoring drives while the defense recorded three fourth-quarter interceptions of Drake Maye.

2 h agoU.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran against activity at Pickaxe Mountain, a fortified site near the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, saying the United States would strike "very hard" if Tehran provoked further. The warning came as U.S. Central Command attacked five Iranian oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

2 h agoTrump called the payout a "Trump Dividend." CNBC reported such a payout could cost more than $1 trillion and is likely to face legal obstacles.

3 h agoA Hong Kong court found the publisher of the Wall Street Journal guilty of deterring reporter Selina Cheng from taking a role at the Hong Kong Journalist Association. Cheng was dismissed weeks after her appointment as chair of the union in 2024, with the newspaper citing restructuring. The court cleared the publisher of a second charge.

3 h agoA fire broke out on the M/V June Aster near Coron in Palawan province on Wednesday night. The vessel was carrying 134 people—117 passengers and 17 crew members. The Philippines Coast Guard said at least five died and 87 remain missing, with 42 rescued, though it cautioned the figures are preliminary.

4 h agoPresident Trump offered $5,000 to each adult American if Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress, speaking at the party's national convention in Dallas, Texas. He told supporters to vote in the midterms as if voting for him personally and warned that a Republican loss would mean losing border control, tax cuts, security and prosperity.

5 h agoMasked protesters gathered outside a Portsmouth hotel expecting asylum seekers, only to discover the building housed Pakistan's Under-19 cricket team. A local councillor clarified the misunderstanding and the protesters left. The England and Wales Cricket Board is reviewing security for the visiting team.