Foreign News

Cocaine found at White House sparked evacuation, US media report

Published

3 years ago

2023/07/5

Priyan

The Secret Service said the white powder - thought to be cocaine - was found in a work area of the White House's West Wing (pic BBC)

A white substance that sparked an emergency evacuation at the White House on Sunday night has tested positive for cocaine, US media reported.

The substance was found in a work area at the secure building during a routine inspection, the US Secret Service said. The preliminary positive test was reported by the Washington Post and AP News, citing law enforcement sources.

President Joe Biden and his family were away at the Camp David residence when the substance was found.

The White House complex was closed as a precaution around 20:45 local time (01:45 BST) on Sunday after Secret Service officers found the white powder “inside a work area” of the West Wing, Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi told the BBC in a statement.

Guglielmi said the fire department was quickly called and found the substance to be “non-hazardous”. He did not confirm the preliminary test results, saying the item has been sent for additional testing and that an investigation is ongoing, including on how the substance entered the White House.

The West Wing is a large, multi-level part of the White House that contains the offices of the president of the United States, including the Oval Office and the Situation Room. It also houses the offices of the vice-president, the White House chief of staff, the press secretary, and hundreds of other staff who have access.

(BBC)

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Foreign News

Head teacher evacuated 900 children minutes before school washed away by Nepal floods

Published

3 days ago

2026/08/30

Priyan

A head teacher’s quick decision to evacuate his school saved 900 pupils from deadly flash floods along the Nepal-Tibet border

Rajendra Dawadi tells the BBC he was tipped off about incoming flood waters and moved students to higher ground with just minutes to spare. One pupil says she and her friends survived by just 10 seconds and watched as a nearby bazaar was swept away

Wednesday’s disaster has killed at least 794 people and more than 2,500 people are missing in Nepal, local officials say

In Tibet, the official death toll is 16, with 546 reported to be missing, according to Chinese state media –

[BBC]

Foreign News

Ferry carrying 260 people capsizes off northern Cyprus coast

Published

3 days ago

2026/08/30

Priyan

A ferry carrying around 260 people has capsized off the coast of northern Cyprus with a search underway for survivors, according to local media.

The catamaran-style boat was travelling from the port of Kyrenia, also known as Girne, and started sinking a few kilometres off the coast of the island state on Sunday.

There were no immediate reports of casualties.

[Aljazeera]

Foreign News

Ex-White House teleprompter operator ordered to pay $172,000 for Trump speech bets

Published

4 days ago

2026/08/29

Priyan

The staffer was found to have made tens of thousands of dollars through betting on what the president would say in his speeches (BBC)

A former White House teleprompter operator has been ordered to pay more than $172,000 (£127,000) for using inside information to bet on US President Donald Trump’s speeches.

Gabriel Perez was found to have made trades on what the president would say during addresses between December 2025 and February 2026 on Kalshi – a prediction markets platform where users can bet on real-world events.

Its regulator, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), said Perez would have to surrender profits of $107,539.02 (£79,452) and pay a civil penalty of $65,000 (£48,000).

The White House has not yet commented. In July then press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Perez was on unpaid leave and would not return to his post.

Announcing the settlement on Friday, the CFTC said Perez had “misappropriated” his prior knowledge of Trump’s speeches to place bets “in breach of his duty of trust and confidence”.

It said his civil penalty had been reduced due to his “exemplary co-operation” with the investigation.

Perez has also been banned from trading for three years.

Writing on X, Kalshi’s lead lawyer Bobby DeNault welcomed the decision: “It doesn’t matter who you are: violate our rules or federal law and you will face the consequences.”

(BBC)