first world war

The US national debt has reached 100% of gross domestic product, a milestone not seen since the Truman administration after World War II. Donald Trump has thus become the first president since Harry Truman to preside over a debt-to-GDP ratio at that level. The figure is fueling fresh debate about federal borrowing, deficit spending and long-term fiscal sustainability.

A First World War ghost story about Canadian soldier Cpl. Will Bird is circulating on social media. The tale describes a frosty April night in 1917 when Bird and two comrades from the 42nd Battalion of the Canadian Black Watch dozed in a dugout near Vimy Ridge and reportedly encountered a spectral visitor before dawn. Readers are sharing the account widely, drawn to its mix of wartime history and supernatural lore.

Discussion is circulating around the idea that a third world war would not open with a conventional strike but with a large-scale cyberattack. The claim is that critical infrastructure, power grids and financial systems would be targeted digitally before any visible conflict begins. The remark is being shared and discussed on social media, with users debating whether cyber warfare has already become the opening front between major powers.

The remains of 250 soldiers from a First World War unit that vanished have been found, drawing huge attention online. The discovery sheds light on one of the war's lingering mysteries: entire armies listed as missing whose graves were never located. Viewers are reacting to the scale of the find and the stories of the men finally accounted for more than a century after they disappeared.

France is preparing to commemorate the Armistice of 11 November, the anniversary of the end of the First World War in 1918. Media coverage focuses on the meaning of the national holiday, including advice on explaining its significance to children and grandchildren. Other news, such as a rail shutdown between Nice and Ventimiglia, is also drawing attention alongside the commemorations.

On 29 October 1914 the Ottoman Empire formally entered the First World War, fighting alongside the Central Powers. History and travel enthusiasts are marking the anniversary by revisiting Gallipoli, the Dardanelles campaign that became one of the war's defining and bloodiest episodes for Ottoman and Allied forces alike.

On October 29, 1940, the United States held registration for its first peacetime military draft under the Selective Training and Service Act, requiring men aged 21 to 36 to register for service as war loomed in Europe. News outlets are marking the anniversary in their 'Today in History' features, recalling how millions eventually registered and served during World War II.

Small Wars Journal's El Centro section has published a review of 'A Guerra: A Ascensão do PCC e o Mundo do Crime no Brasil', a book tracing the rise of Brazil's First Capital Command and its expansion across the country's criminal world. The review adds to growing English-language analysis of organized crime in Brazil and the gang's reach beyond prison walls.

A centenarian from the Chernihiv region of Ukraine has shared her life story, recounting how she survived two Holodomor famines, the Second World War and imprisonment in a Nazi detention cell. Today she spends most of her time in her room reading newspapers, and her account of enduring a century of hardship has drawn attention to Ukraine's turbulent 20th-century history.

Retreating glaciers in the Dolomites have exposed a cache of first world war munitions, a legacy of the fighting between Italian and Austro-Hungarian forces that took place in the high mountains between 1915 and 1918. The discovery highlights how climate change is exposing long-buried artefacts and hazards from the conflict, and experts are warning of the dangers posed by the ageing ammunition.

Ukraine has airlifted a wounded soldier from the front line using an unmanned drone, in what is being reported as a world first. The evacuation removed the need for a crewed helicopter or ground vehicle in a dangerous zone, underlining how drones are increasingly taking on battlefield roles beyond reconnaissance and attack.

The work titled "Coward" portrays a fragile love story unfolding in the shadow of the First World War. Attention is focused on how the piece weaves romance and fear of conflict, with the title suggesting themes of cowardice and courage under wartime pressure. Little further detail is available about the production, its creators, or reception.

Russia is set to host its first sporting World Championships since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, according to a report by Yahoo Sports. The news marks a notable moment in Russian sport's gradual return to international competition after years of bans and boycotts triggered by the war, and is likely to renew debate among athletes, federations and officials over whether Russia should be welcomed back on the global stage.

A new review of Ernst Jünger's First World War memoir Storm of Steel has been published on the Astral Codex Ten blog. The review examines the classic account of trench warfare, prompting discussion among readers about Jünger's depiction of combat, his wartime mindset, and the book's enduring place in military literature.

The director of the upcoming Call of Duty film has teased that the movie will explore 'the cost of war' and praised the characters of the Modern Warfare sub-series. The comments offer a first hint at the film's tone and story direction, and gaming outlets are picking up the remarks as fans speculate about how the blockbuster shooter franchise will translate to the big screen.

The opening 'Storm of Steel' mission of Battlefield 1, EA DICE's 2016 first-person shooter set in the First World War, is being highlighted once more, with commentary invoking the famous line that 'war never changes.' The mission is widely regarded as one of the most striking campaign intros in the series, dropping players into a chaotic frontline assault.

Reuters World News is examining whether Melania Trump could play a role in ending the fighting in Ukraine. The segment asks what influence the US first lady might have on her husband, President Donald Trump, as Washington pushes for a resolution to the war. It remains unclear what concrete role, if any, she has taken on.