A spokesman for the White House National Security Council (NSC) has flatly rejected a report which claimed that China and Cuba have reached an agreement in principle to host a surveillance post. John Kirby appeared on MSNBC shortly after the publication of The Wall Street Journal’s report on Thursday; the report claimed that the cash-strapped Cuban government had accepted an offer by Beijing to set up a listening post on Cuban soil, within range of some US military installations. The article went on to claim that such a listening post could theoretically scoop up communications across much of the southeastern United States. “Officials familiar with the matter said that China has agreed to pay cash-strapped Cuba several billion dollars to allow it to build the eavesdropping station and that the two countries had reached an agreement in principle,” read the report. It continued: “An eavesdropping facility in Cuba, roughly 100 miles from Florida, would allow Chinese intelligence services to scoop up electronic communications throughout the southeastern U.S., where many military bases are located, and monitor U.S. ship traffic.” But Mr Kirby said that the Journal’s assertions were inaccurate when confronted by NBC’s Andrea Mitchell. "China and Cuba have now reached a secret agreement, we’re told, for China to establish an electronic facility which would allow Chinese intelligence agents to scoop up electronic communications throughout the southeastern US,” Mitchell began to Mr Kirby. “I’ve seen that press report, it’s not accurate,” Mr Kirby contended. “What I can tell you is that we have been concerned since day one of this administration about China’s influence activities around the world, certainly in this hemisphere and in this region, we’re watching this very, very closely.” Mitchell tried again: “You’re saying it’s not accurate that they’re planning this?” “I’m saying we’ve seen the report, it’s not accurate,” said Mr Kirby in response. It was a much stronger statement than he himself had made to the Journal initially. The paper quotes him as saying in response to their request for comment, “While I cannot speak to this specific report, we are well aware of – and have spoken many times to – the People’s Republic of China’s efforts to invest in infrastructure around the world that may have military purposes, including in this hemisphere.” “We monitor it closely, take steps to counter it, and remain confident that we are able to meet all our security commitments at home, in the region, and around the world,” he added in that statement. At a news briefing on Thursday, a spokesman for the Pentagon echoed Mr Kirby’s denial. “I’ve seen that reporting, I can tell you, based on the information that we have, that that is not accurate,” said Air Force Brig Gen Pat Ryder. The report’s publication comes at a time of tension between Washington and Beijing, with both sides accusing the other of purposefully inflammatory actions. Some of those actions have included trips to Taiwan by senior US officials, which have enraged the Chinese government as they mark the US’s continued defiance of China’s claims of sovereignty over the island. It also comes as many in the US, particularly on the left, argue that the time has come for an end to the US embargo of Cuba, the socialist nation shunned by the US since the Cold War, when it was firmly allied with the Soviet Union. The decades-long trade prohibition has left Cuba’s economy in a delicate state, and many argue serves no purpose in the modern era. Read More Biden and Sunak to focus on Ukraine and economic security in British PM's first White House visit AP-NORC poll finds both Democrats, Republicans skeptical of US spying practices Alabama senator says Space Command prefers Huntsville for HQ, but command has no comment Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden stress ‘unwavering support’ for Ukraine Sunak announces ‘Atlantic Declaration’ to boost UK-US ties after Biden talks AP-NORC poll finds both Democrats, Republicans skeptical of US spying practices

Lina Hurtig’s converted her penalty and Sweden knocked the United States out of the World Cup 5-4 on penalties after a scoreless draw at the Women’s World Cup

Jude Bellingham delivered a decisive brace to inspire Real Madrid to a comeback victory over Barcelona in El Clasico

ISTANBUL Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek said on Monday that Turkey's government would seek further revenues outside the budget,

Jodi Benson who voiced Ariel in Disney's 1989 animated classic also applauded Halle Bailey's performance in 'The Little Mermaid'

BEIJING China has not issued a ban on the purchase and use of foreign phone brands, the Chinese

Greek authorities said the bodies of 18 people were found Tuesday in an area of northeastern Greece struck by a major wildfire. The charred bodies were found in a remote village in northern Greece on Tuesday, where wildfires have been raging for days, the fire brigade said as a heatwave hitting southern Europe turned deadly. Greek media, without citing sources, said the bodies found south of the village of Avantas in northern Greece were thought to be of migrants. The broader Evros region is a popular route for migrants crossing from Turkey into Greece. On Monday, the burned body of another man believed to be a migrant was found in the region, a local police official said. Hundreds of firefighters struggled Tuesday to control major wildfires burning out of control for days in northeastern Greece and on Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands. Hot, dry and windy conditions have seen dozens of wildfires break out across Greece, with the most severe entering its fourth day and encroaching on the northeastern port city of Alexandroupolis. On Monday, two people died and two firefighters were injured in separate fires in northern and central Greece. The fire risk level for several regions, including the wider Athens area, was listed as “extreme” for the second day Tuesday. Authorities have banned public access to mountains and forests in those regions until at least Wednesday morning and ordered military patrols. Dozens of hospital patients – including newborn babies – have been evacuated onto a ferry in the Greek port city of Alexandroupolis away from a wildfire that has raged for days. In Alexandroupolis, northeastern Greece, a ferry was turned into a makeshift hospital after 65 patients were evacuated from the University Hospital in the early hours. Ambulances also ferried patients away from a nearby clinic. Elderly patients lay on mattresses strewn across the cafeteria floor, paramedics attended to others on stretchers and a woman held a man resting on a sofa, an IV drip attached to his hand. “I’ve been working for 27 years, I’ve never seen anything like this,” said nurse Nikos Gioktsidis. “Stretchers everywhere, patients here, IV drips there... it was like a war, like a bomb had exploded.” It comes as a fresh heatwave hit southern Europe. Authorities urged residents to avoid the heat as France, Italy, Spain and elsewhere suffered hot, dry and windy conditions that scientists have linked to the climate crisis. Firefighters were also battling blazes in Spain and Italy. Read More Turkey says UN lost neutrality after world body condemns Cyprus roadwork, assault on peacekeepers U.N. calls unauthorized construction by Turkish Cypriots a violation of the status quo on Cyprus Major wildfires burn in Greece, Spain's Canary Island of Tenerife Turkish Cypriots attack UN peacekeepers trying to halt road work inside divided Cyprus' buffer zone Marble head and Cartier ring: The other items previously stolen from British Museum British Museum boss reveals items have been stolen as staff member dismissed

Halloween is over, which means it's basically Christmas. In Mariah Carey's eyes at least. Keeping up her annual tradition, the singer released a video to Instagram of the clock striking midnight on 1st November, and her subsequent defrosting. As the ice melts away, her hit track 'All I Want For Christmas' plays out, and she whistles her iconic: "It's time!" It's a long-running joke that Mariah Carey owns the festive season, and if that doesn't get us into the Christmas spirit, nothing will. Click here to sign up for our newsletters.

Turkey on Wednesday parted ways with German head coach Stefan Kuntz after a dire spell in which the national football team failed to qualify...

Montana officials are seeking to downplay a first-of-its-kind trial over a state’s obligations to protect residents from climate change

There have been some great offensive showings and some horrible defensive performances in the early stages of NFL 2023. There are two games in Week 4 that epitomize those words.

Irina Shayk has shared details about her co-parenting relationship with ex Bradley Cooper. The supermodel, 37, opened up about sharing custody of her six-year-old daughter, Lea, with the Silver Linings Playbook star in an interview with Elle published on 8 November. In the interview, Shayk revealed that she and Cooper always put their daughter first, despite their busy schedules. “We both take Lea everywhere with us. She’s super easy,” she told the outlet. Shayk went on to recall how her daughter sat and drew in a colouring book for an hour while she was working out. When the mother-daughter duo then went to a Michael Kors fitting, Lea drew the designer a “kitty cat” and he “gave her a bag” in return. The Russian-born model admitted that she and Cooper, who grew up outside of Philadelphia, both come from “normal backgrounds” far different from Lea’s childhood in New York City. However, Shayk revealed that neither of them have hired a nanny for their daughter, so as to give her as regular an upbringing as possible. “Looking at my daughter now, she’s growing up in a completely different environment,” Shayk said. “She lives in the West Village. She went to all these countries in two months. But we want her to know the value of stuff. We want to show our daughter: ‘You have to work hard to get something.’” Even when Cooper is away shooting a film, Shayk admitted that they “always find a way” to make their co-parenting schedule work for both of them. “He’s the best father Lea and I could dream of. It always works, but it always works because we make it work,” she said. The supermodel previously admitted in March 2021 that she “never understood” the term co-parenting. “When I’m with my daughter, I’m 100 per cent a mother, and when she’s with her dad, he’s 100 per cent her dad. Co-parenting is parenting,” she told Elle at the time. Although the former couple split in 2019 after four years together, they’ve remained close for the sake of their daughter. In August, Shayk and Cooper took their daughter on vacation together to Italy. In a post shared to her Instagram Story during their getaway, the model shared a black and white snap of The Hangover star lying in a kayak on the water. The pair also posed for a photo together on another family vacation in August 2022. In the smiling image, Shayk and Cooper could be seen smiling for the camera and feeding a group of pigs, as she rested her head on the actor’s shoulder. While Shayk has been open about her co-parenting relationship with Cooper, she was not as quick to address rumours she’s dating retired NFL star Tom Brady. “No comment,” Shayk told Elle, when asked about her rumoured love interest. The model maintained that she chooses to keep certain aspects of her life private, including who she’s dating. “I share my work stuff because I decided to keep my personal life personal,” Shayk said. “That’s why it’s called personal, because it’s something that belongs to me. If one day I feel like I want to share it, I will.” Back in July, Shayk and Brady sparked romance rumours when they were spotted together in Los Angeles. In photos obtained byPage Six, the pair were photographed in a car, with the former quarterback sitting in the driver’s seat and smiling at Shayk in the passenger’s seat. One photo also appeared to show Brady’s hand placed on Shayk’s face while they were at a stoplight. A source claimed to People that the rumoured couple “have been in touch for a few weeks” and that “there is a spark” between them. “There is an attraction, the source claimed, adding that Shayk and Brady “have never been involved romantically before”. Just last month, however, insiders told the outlet that Brady and Shayk’s rumoured relationship has “fizzled out” since the summer. “Irina was very attracted to Tom. She liked dating him. It excited her,” one source said. "They had fun travelling to see each other. In the end, it kind of just fizzled.” “They both keep having obligations, and it was getting more difficult to be in the same city at the same time,” they continued. “Irina has nothing but great things to say about Tom.” A second source added that “there’s no drama” between Brady and Shayk following the split. Meanwhile, Cooper is currently romantically linked to fellow model Gigi Hadid. The two first sparked romance rumours in early October, when they were spotted having dinner together in New York City. Cooper and Hadid, 27, were later photographed taking a stroll in the Big Apple - where the actor could be seen sporting a pair of Ellen Degeneres-branded boxers peeking above his pants waistband. Read More What is silent reflux? Salon owner with incurable cancer who lost hair in treatment makes customisable wigs Should we end daylight saving time? Doctors think it’s bad for our health What is silent reflux? Salon owner with incurable cancer who lost hair in treatment makes customisable wigs Should we end daylight saving time? Doctors think it’s bad for our health