WASHINGTON (AP) - Katie Zacharia will no longer serve as President Donald Trump’s press secretary after spending less than a week on the job, thrusting the White House’s communications operation back into a state of chaos. Zacharia was out of the role as of Friday, according to people familiar with the matter who requested anonymity to describe the decision before it was made public. A White House official said Zacharia is transitioning out of the job. It’s unclear if she would take another position in the White House or in Trump’s orbit.  Zacharia acknowledged the move in a social media post late Friday, saying it was “an honor to work for” Trump.

 

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WASHINGTON (RT) - Two women have filed a federal lawsuit accusing former U.S. Representative Matt Gaetz, President Donald Trump’s first pick for attorney general, of participating in a sex trafficking ring while serving in Congress. Gaetz has faced similar allegations for years, and has denied any wrongdoing. The lawsuit, filed in Florida on Thursday, alleges that Gaetz and several other men, including former Seminole County Tax Collector Joel Greenberg and former Florida legislator Christopher Dorworth, sexually exploited the plaintiffs between 2017 and 2019.

 

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BEIJING (Xinhua) - China will take resolute and effective measures to deter any moves that disrupt peace and stability in the South China Sea, China’s Ministry of National Defense said on Friday. Senior Colonel Chen Xi, spokesman for the ministry, said China remains committed to safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests, while working with countries in the region to make the South China Sea a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation. “China has indisputable sovereignty over Huangyan Island and the Nansha Islands, including Zhongye Island, Xianbin Reef and Ren’ai Reef, as well as their adjacent waters, and exercises sovereign rights and jurisdiction over relevant waters,” Chen said.

 

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TUNIS (Reuters) - Thousands of Tunisians joined the largest protest against President Kais Saied in years in the capital on Saturday, accusing him of undermining democracy and mishandling the economy in a growing challenge to his rule. The demonstration, led by the major UGTT labour union and civil society groups, comes as Tunisia grapples with an economic crisis, worsening public services, recurring water and power cuts, and shortages of medicines and essential goods. Saied seized broad powers in 2021 and 2022, dissolving parliament, dismissing dozens of judges and ruling by decree, moves that opponents described as a coup.

 

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SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea has conducted an underwater test of a new torpedo weapon system to verify technological upgrades, state news agency KCNA reported on Saturday, describing the test as a success and a significant step in the country’s naval development. The test verified propulsion technology developed through more than 180 tests over the past five years, KCNA said, adding that artificial intelligence was used for target detection and guidance in the new high-speed precision-guided torpedo. The test is the latest in a run of North Korean weapons launches.