The Pentagon on Friday said that it is withdrawing about 5,000 troops from Germany amid a feud between President Donald Trump and Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the U.S. war in Iran. The Pentagon’s chief spokesman, Sean Parnell, said in a statement that the decision follows a “thorough review” of the military’s force posture in Europe. “We expect the withdrawal to be completed over the next six to twelve months,” Parnell said. Source link
The BBC will cut up to 2,000 jobs as part of its biggest downsize in 15 years, according to reports. Staff were told of the news of redundancies during an all-staff call at 3pm on Wednesday but were not given details of who would be affected. The cuts would mark the biggest round of job cuts at the BBC in almost 15 years. They come as the broadcaster attempts to reduce costs by 10% over the next three years. In February, it was revealed it aimed to reduce spending by hundreds of millions of pounds within this timeframe as it continues to face “substantial financial pressures”. The latest cuts, originally reported by the Financial Times, come as former Google boss, Matt Brittin, prepares to take over as director-general next month. Image: Matt Brittin is preparing to take over as director-general. Pic: BBC The BBC also recently revealed plans to drastically reduce the team behind the coverage of national occasions such as royal and state events. Interim director-general Rhodri Talfan Davies, who led the all-staff meeting …
Just like for much of the world, 2025 was a rough year for Casita Bookstore in Long Beach. The Latina-owned business celebrated its third birthday on Dec. 3, but the milestone was marked by the sad realization that the store wasn’t going to make it through another year in its current location. Shop owner Antonette Franceschi-Chavez posted a video on social media over the weekend discussing the store’s hardship. “These last six months — especially in the summer — have been really hard, not only as a small business owner, but as a community, as a society,” she said. “We’ve depleted our savings, taken on some debt just to make sure we can make ends meet, but we’ve gotten to a point where we’re just not going to make it anymore.” She explained that her business experienced a nearly 20% drop in sales year over year from 2024 to 2025. This situation has left her with two options: shut down the operation permanently or scale down the store to save some money and give the …
Ever wondered how long it would take to build an accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, in your backyard? In the case of Alvaro “Al” and Nenette Alcazar, a retired couple, who downsized from a six-bedroom home in New Orleans to a one-bedroom ADU in Los Angeles, it took just 3½ months. “We went on vacation to the Philippines in November, right as they were getting started on construction,” Al says of the ADU his son Jay Alcazar and his partner Andy Campbell added behind their home in Harbor Gateway. “When we returned in March of this year, the house was ready for us.” The Alcazars were surprised by the rapid completion of their new 570-square-foot modular home by Gardena-based Cover. By the time construction was finished, they hadn’t yet listed their New Orleans home, where they lived for 54 years while raising their two sons. Andy Campbell, seated left, and his partner Jay Alcazar’s home is reflected in the windows of the ADU where Alcazar’s parents Al and Nenette Alcazar, standing, now reside. Jay Alcazar …
