Minimalist News

After Polar Vortex US Freeze, Global Warming Returns Before Christmas The Mid-Atlantic and Northeast have been locked in an extended period of unseasonably cold weather, with multiple rounds of accumulating snowfall over the past several weeks. Another surge of Arctic air is expected to arrive this weekend and persist into early next week. However, there is good news for those hoping for a break from the cold: the latest model guidance indicates a significant warm-up is likely across much of the eastern half of the Lower 48 heading into Christmas. In energy markets, U.S. natural gas futures surged in recent weeks amid the

White House: Seized Dark-Fleet Tanker Now En Route To U.S.; Track Its Position Here Update (1540ET): White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday that the VLCC Skipper, seized by U.S. forces on Wednesday, is inbound to a "U.S. port and that the U.S. intends to seize the oil. However, she noted that there is a legal process for such a seizure, and that process will be followed." > ⚠️🇺🇸 TRUMP ORDERS SEIZURE OF VENEZUELAN TANKER OIL – US forces stormed Skipper tanker off Venezuela coast yesterday; vessel heads to US port for legal forfeiture of sanctioned crude tied to illicit networks.

OPEC Maintains Bullish Oil Demand Outlook, IEA Trims Oil Glut Forecast Oil prices are lower this morning despite a less-hawkish-than-feared Fed cut and a double-whammy of relative optimism from OPEC and the IEA... IEA TRIMS OIL GLUT FORECAST AS SUPPLY SURGE HALTS OilPrice.com's Tsvetana Paraskova reports that the oil market still faces record oversupply next year, according to the monthly report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), but the glut estimate is now trimmed by about 230,000 barrels per day compared to the November forecast.  The market is headed to as much as 3.84 million barrels per day (bpd) of supply exceeding demand in

Zelensky Floats Holding Referendum On Giving Up Land For Peace "I am definitely in favor of elections," Ukraine's President Zelensky said Thursday. "The most important thing is that they are held legitimately." He's presenting a position of willingness to compromise amid the increasing pressure from Trump. Is this but a ruse to buy time?  President Trump is meanwhile pressing European leaders to force Zelensky to accept the US peace plan which hinges on major territorial concessions and a cap on Ukraine's armed forces. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that the US president held a tense call with his German, French and British

Trump Admin Pulls 9,500 Truck Drivers Off The Road For Failing English Tests Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said more than 9,500 commercial truckers have been taken out of service for failing English-language proficiency checks, a cumulative enforcement tally he said highlights an ongoing effort to keep unqualified operators from posing dangers on the nation’s roads. “We’ve now knocked 9,500 truck drivers out of service for failing to speak our national language — ENGLISH!” Duffy wrote in a Dec. 10 post on X. “This administration will always put you and your family’s safety first.” The tally reflects

Putin Doubles Down On Backing Maduro As US Prepares To Seize More Oil Tankers The Kremlin confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Thursday and reassured him of Moscow's support, at a moment he's facing likely regime change action at the hands of US military might. Putin expressed support for Maduro's rule "in the face of growing external pressure," but they also discussed their advancing a strategic partnership and the areas of ongoing economic and energy projects. Moscow has long stood by Caracas' side throughout years of growing isolation and sanctions. The Kremlin statement added that "Putin expressed solidarity

Impeachment Articles Filed Against Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Authored by Jonathan Turley, I recently wrote about the absurdity of the Democratic effort to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. I have also opposed Republican calls to impeach judges. Impeachment mania has returned for the midterm elections. However, on the scale of utter lunacy, the call to impeach Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. takes the cake. This effort is being led by Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), who is running for Senate and has decided that the best way to achieve that distinction is to turn the constitutional process into a mockery.In academic writings, testimony (including at the impeachment

Solid 30Y Auction Stops Through, Easing Long-End Selloff Concerns After two impressive coupon auctions ahead of yesterday's FOMC, moments ago we got the week's final auction, a sale of $22BN in 30Y paper. The auction was solid: it through, with a bounce in the bid to cover and solid buyside demand despite a modest dip in foreign bidders. Here are the details. The auction stopped at a high yield of 4.773%, up from 4.694% in November, although unlike the November auction, today's auction stopped through the 4.774% When Issued by 0.1bps. This was the first through since September, and only the second in

Senate Fails To Advance GOP Healthcare Plan After Collins, Murkowski, Hawley & Sullivan Break Ranks Update (1311ET): The Senate has failed to advance the GOP's healthcare plan which would allow Obamacare subsidies to expire, and would give millions of Americans $1,000 - $1,500 in health savings accounts.  The plan failed by a vote of 51 yeas to 48 nays. Republicans needed 60 votes to pass it. Breaking ranks with the GOP were Republican Sens. Collins, Hawley, Murkowski and Sullivan.  > 51-48: Senate blocks the Democrats' 3-year extension of the expiring enhanced ACA subsidies bill. 60 votes were needed. > > 4 Republican Senators Collins, Hawley, Murkowski and Sullivan

Dems Are "Greatest Con Artists" When It Comes To Inflation Disaster Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news, In a fresh interview, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt exposed the left’s blatant hypocrisy on economic issues that have hammered everyday Americans for years. Leavitt hammered Democrats for posing as saviors on affordability while ignoring their own role in fueling runaway inflation during the Biden era. Appearing on Fox News, Leavitt labeled Democrats “the greatest CON ARTISTS in American politics!” She zeroed in on their empty rhetoric, stating, “They are pretending to champion the issue of affordability when they themselves created the worst inflation crisis in

Left-Wing Judge Orders "Maryland Father" Migrant Released From ICE Custody A left-wing federal judge in Maryland has ordered the immediate release of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran migrant, directing Immigration and Customs Enforcement to free him by 5 p.m. EST today. U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis ruled that the federal government lacked lawful authority to continue detaining Garcia, accused of smuggling migrants within the U.S.  He has also been accused of being a member of the foreign terrorist organization MS-13.  > Kilmar Abrego Garcia is not a “Maryland Man”—he is an MS-13 gang member involved in human trafficking who entered the United States illegally.

US 'Answers' China By Sending Pair Of Nuclear-Capable Bombers Over Sea Of Japan On Wednesday we detailed that Japanese and South Korean fighter jets quickly answered a joint Russian-Chinese long-range bomber flight over the Western Pacific. Chinese J-16 fighter jets, two Russian Su-30 fighters and an A-50 early-warning aircraft were part of the provocative flight, which also passed close to South Korea. Russia's Defense Ministry (MoD) had confirmed its Tu-95MS strategic bombers and China’s H-9 strategic bombers conducted the eight hour flight over the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea and the Western Pacific - but that at no time was any country's airspace violated. Washington has quickly

Over 30 Kamikaze Drones Sent On Moscow Overnight, Shutting Down Airports An overnight drone assault on Russia by Ukraine was particularly large, including dozens of drones sent on Moscow. The Russian defense ministry said it down 287 drones across the country, one of the highest single-night totals ever recorded in the war. Among these were 32 Ukrainian long-range kamikaze drone inbound on Moscow, reportedly intercepted. The disruption of airspace around Moscow was enough to briefly shut down area hubs and cause the delay of some 200 flights, impacting at least four airports. Prior drone attacks have hit buildings in the heart of Moscow, via AFP In

Affordability Crisis: Challenging The Poverty Line Authored by Michael Lebowtiz via RealInvestmentAdvice.com, Michael Green, Chief Strategist and Portfolio Manager at Simplify Asset Management, wrote a provocative Substack essay, Part 1: My Life Is A Lie, that is sparking a debate among economists and raising awareness of the affordability crisis. It’s not just the wonky economists debating the merits of his article; The Washington Post, CNN (News Central), FOX Business (Charles Payne), and social media are also critiquing it. Michael uses the official poverty line calculation and what he deems the “Mathematical Valley” to help his readers better appreciate why affordability is becoming a hot topic.  THE

An "Existential Crisis" To Close 2025 By Michael Every of Rabobank The Fed delivered what was expected – a 25bps rate cut to 3.75% and a deep public split over whether it should cut further because the labor market is weakening or keep policy tight because inflation is too high. The Fed will also buy $40bn of T-Bills just after stopping QT, but this is not to be seen as QE, nor as having any impact on monetary policy - and QE was a neutral “asset swap”, not a balance sheet expansion that juiced asset prices. See here for the take of

TIME Person Of The Year Are The Architects Of AI TIME magazine has picked the 'Architects of AI' as their person of the year for 2025, when the potential for AI "roared into view" with no turning back. "For delivering the age of thinking machines, for wowing and worrying humanity, for transforming the present and transcending the possible, the Architects of AI are TIME’s 2025 Person of the Year," the magazine announced.  > 2025 was the year when artificial intelligence’s full potential roared into view, and when it became clear that there will be no turning back. > > For delivering the age of thinking machines,

Disney Invests $1 Billion In OpenAI, Strikes Landmark Deal To Bring Beloved Characters To Sora Disney and OpenAI have resolved their prior video-generation rights dispute by entering into a three-year licensing and technology partnership that makes Disney the first major content partner for Sora, OpenAI's generative video platform. "As part of this new, three-year licensing agreement, Sora will be able to generate short, user-prompted social videos that can be viewed and shared by fans, drawing from a set of more than 200 animated, masked and creature characters from Disney, Marvel, Pixar and Star Wars, including costumes, props, vehicles, and iconic environments," Disney

Australia's Social Media Ban For Under-16s Comes Into Effect Authored by Victoria Friedman via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), A social media ban for those younger than 16 in Australia came into effect on Dec. 10, with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hailing the world’s first restriction of its kind as giving children back their childhoods. Three 11-year-old boys use their phones while sitting outside a school in Sydney on Dec. 8, 2025. Rick RycroftAP Photo As of Dec. 10, according to the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act, social media platforms must stop under-16s in Australia from signing up for accounts

Rep Massie Introduces Bill For US To Dump 'Cold War Relic' NATO Conservative and outspoken libertarian-leaning Republican Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky introduced legislation Tuesday for the United States for formally withdraw from NATO. Sen. Mike Lee is also helping lead the charge, introducing companion legislation in the Senate. The bill argues that the US military cannot be seen as the police force of the world, and that given NATO was created to counter the long-gone Soviet Union, which no longer exists, American taxpayers’ money would be better spent elsewhere. "We should withdraw from NATO and use that money to defend our own country, not socialist

US-Backed Opposition Leader Secretly Whisked Out Of Venezuela, Appears In Oslo To Urge Regime Change As the main opposition figurehead and rival to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, she's reportedly been in hiding for many months. María Corina Machado hasn't appeared in public for nearly a year, after she was briefly detained all the way back on Jan. 9 in Caracas. Fearing another arrest where she could go away to prison for good, Machado has avoided public political or or protest events, even as her star was rising internationally with her being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. María Corina Machado arrived at Oslo Airport, in Gardermoen,

Move interpreted as escalation of US policy as Vladimir Putin ‘reaffirms’ support for South American dictator * US politics live – latest updates Diplomatic pressure on Nicolás Maduro has grown after the US interdicted a “dark fleet” tanker off the coast of Venezuela in a move that has been interpreted as an escalation of the Trump administration’s pressure on the South American dictator. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday said that the US would take the seized oil tanker, the Skipper, to a US port one day after military and law enforcement boarded it off the coast of Venezuela. Continue reading...

US forces have seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela in a major escalation of Donald Trump’s campaign against the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro, whose government called the seizure an act of international piracy. The Trump administration is facing increasing scrutiny over a series of attacks on boats off the Venezuelan coast. At least 87 people have been killed in 22 known strikes since early September. Lucy Hough talks to the Guardian’s deputy head of international news, Devika Bhat – Watch on YouTube. Continue reading...

Unease grows in Washington, including among some Republicans, over Trump administration’s escalating military posture in the Caribbean * US politics live – latest updates Senior Democratic lawmakers and at least one Republican have condemned Wednesday’s seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker off the nation’s coast, with one saying Donald Trump is “sleepwalking us into a war with Venezuela”. There is growing, at least somewhat bipartisan unease in Washington over the administration’s escalating military posture in the region. Trump has accused Venezuela of facilitating drug trafficking, and increased the US military presence in the Caribbean to a level not seen in decades. The

Maryland judge freed Ábrego as his case becomes a partisan flashpoint in battle over Trump’s deportation agenda A federal court in Maryland has ordered the release of Kilmar Ábrego García from ICE custody on Thursday, and he will be advised on his release conditions in his separate Tennessee criminal case. The case of Ábrego, a Salvadorian national who was a construction worker in Maryland, has become a proxy for the partisan struggle over Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration policy and mass deportation agenda. Continue reading...

Allegations he allowed state funds for Indigenous projects to be transferred to government officials’ accounts Bolivia’s former president Luis Arce was detained on Wednesday on charges that he “enabled illicit enrichment” by allegedly allowing state funds earmarked for Indigenous communities to be transferred into government officials’ personal accounts. Arce served as Bolivia’s president until last month, when he handed the sash to the centre-right former senator Rodrigo Paz Pereira, who won the runoff in an election that ended nearly 20 years of dominance by the leftwing Movement for Socialism, or Movimiento al Socialismo (Mas). Continue reading...

At least 20 killed and almost 200 injured, as Trump claims he can settle hostilities ‘pretty quickly’ * What’s behind the Thailand-Cambodia clashes – explained in 30 seconds Deadly fighting has continued along the disputed border of Cambodia and Thailand, as more than half a million people sheltered in evacuation centres. At least 20 people have been killed and almost 200 injured in clashes that began on Sunday, the fiercest fighting since a five-day conflict in July. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Letters with deepfake images of Carmen Lau in UK and targeting of Ted Hui in Australia part of growing harassment Sexually explicit letters and “lonely housewife” posters about high-profile pro-democracy Hong Kong exiles have been sent to people in the UK and Australia, marking a ratcheting up in the transnational harassment faced by critics of the Chinese Communist party’s rule in the former British colony. Letters purporting to be from Carmen Lau, an exiled pro-democracy activist and former district councillor, showing digitally faked images of her as a sex worker were sent to her former neighbours in Maidenhead in the UK

Cyclones like those in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Malaysia that killed 1,750 are ‘alarming new reality’ The climate crisis supercharged the deadly storms that killed more than 1,750 people in Asia by making downpours more intense and flooding worse, scientists have reported. Monsoon rains often bring some flooding but the scientists were clear: this was “not normal”. In Sri Lanka, some floods reached the second floor of buildings, while in Sumatra, in Indonesia, the floods were worsened by the destruction of forests, which in the past slowed rainwater running off hillsides. Continue reading...

Baby Ruth Villarama’s documentary Food Delivery depicts those struggling with the superpower to retain their trade. The director describes capturing their boats getting rammed by the Chinese coast guard During a televised debate in 2016, populist presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte made a typically belligerent statement that he himself would jetski to Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea and plant a Philippine flag there. Duterte claimed that he was ready to die a hero to keep the Chinese out of the bitterly contested maritime territory. “That made millions of Filipino workers and fishers vote for him because of that one promise,” says

After a ceasefire deal he brokered collapsed, Trump told a rally in Pennsylvania that he would ‘make a call’ to ‘stop a war’ between Thailand and Cambodia US president Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he will make a call regarding reignited hostilities on the Thai-Cambodia border, where fighting has resumed less than two months after a ceasefire he brokered between the two nations collapsed. Speaking at a rally in Pennsylvania, the US president reiterated his global peacemaking skills, proclaiming that “in ten months I ended eight wars”, before listing hostilities between Kosovo and Serbia, Pakistan and India, and Israel and Iran. Continue

Change comes after more than 220 writers, scholars and researchers signed an open letter expressing alarm about the proposal. Follow updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Officials investigating after Victoria police memorial vandalised overnight Victoria police are investigating the vandalism of the Victoria Police Memorial in Melbourne this morning. If you don’t need to be on the roads during heavy rainfall, we ask the community to delay their travel until the storm passes. If you do come across flash flooding, the best thing to do is turn around and find another way – it’s not worth putting

Department of Finance opts not to take up review’s recommendation that public servants only use business class on flights of three hours or more * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Anthony Albanese says federal bureaucrats should look for “value for money at all times” despite the government rejecting expert calls to tighten the rules around expensing short-haul business-class flights. Amid the growing expenses saga roiling Labor, the Department of Finance has opted not to take up a recommendation that public servants only be permitted to book

Emergency warning issued for parts of Kenwick, Wattle Grove, Maddington and Beckenham in Perth’s south-east * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Gusty winds have hampered the efforts of firefighters to contain two bushfires that have threatened residents and homes in Perth. Emergency warnings were issued on Thursday for blazes in Perth’s south and north-east, which were downgraded to watch and act in the evening after authorities earlier urged residents in multiple suburbs to leave if they could do so. Continue reading...

NSW housing policy states higher density developments must allocate some ‘affordable’ units – but in some suburbs these can still fetch up to $1,000 a week * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The trend of knocking down older blocks of flats to replace them with a smaller number of luxury apartments in parts of Sydney could see community support for development dive, federal independent MP Allegra Spender has warned. Spender, whose Wentworth electorate takes in Bondi, Potts Point and Paddington, has written to the New South

With 53-day wait time for aged care assessment, advocate says some doctors are advising elderly people to be admitted to hospital to speed up referral * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Anthony Albanese is pressing state and territory leaders to accept more than $20bn in extra spending for public hospitals or the federal government will pursue “other options” to end a protracted standoff over health funding. State health ministers will meet with their federal counterpart, Mark Butler, on Friday, as advocates for elderly Australians say shortages

Ukrainian president says plan would not be fair without guarantees that Russia would not simply take over zone The US wants Ukraine to withdraw its troops from the Donbas region, and Washington would then create a “free economic zone” in the parts Kyiv currently controls, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. Previously, the US had suggested Kyiv should hand over the parts of Donbas it still controlled to Russia, but the Ukrainian president said on Thursday that Washington had now suggested a compromise version in which Ukrainian troops would withdraw, but Russian troops would not advance into the territory. Continue reading...

Ukrainian leader says Washington has suggested that Russian troops would stay in region, but not advance further Nato’s Rutte largely sticks to usual pleasantries, but says the clear political signal from Germany and other European partners is that “Europe is ready to take on more responsibility,” and “a signal that burden sharing is not just a slogan.” In his opening remarks, Merz says that Nato plays “a key role in a time of great geopolitical upheaval,” as he recalls his numerous meetings with Rutte in recent months. Continue reading...

Interior ministry will tell 640 people awaiting sanctuary ‘there is no longer any political interest in their being admitted’ * Europe live – latest updates Hundreds of Afghans previously promised sanctuary in Germany have been told they are no longer welcome, in a stark U-turn by the conservative chancellor, Friedrich Merz‪. The 640 people in Pakistan awaiting resettlement – many of whom worked for the German military during the US invasion and occupation of Afghanistan – will no longer be taken in, as Merz’s government axes two programmes introduced by its centre-left-led predecessor. Continue reading...

Prime minister makes announcement before parliament vote on no-confidence motion filed by opposition Bulgaria’s prime minister has handed in his government’s resignation after less than a year in office after weeks of mass street protests over its economic policies and perceived failure to tackle corruption. Rosen Zhelyazkov announced his resignation on television shortly before parliament had been due to vote on a no-confidence motion submitted by the opposition and before the country is due to join the eurozone on 1 January. Continue reading...

Museum, which includes rich collection of Vermeers and Rembrandts, currently shows only fraction of its 1m objects Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum, which holds the world’s largest trove of paintings from the Dutch Golden Age, has announced plans to open an outpost in Eindhoven. The museum, which showcases only a fraction of its more than 1m objects, said on Thursday it would construct the 3,500 sq metre centre over the next six to eight years. Continue reading...

‘Clear conflict’ between Eurovision ideals of ‘inclusion and dignity for all’ and decision to let Israel compete, says 2024 winner Nemo, the Swiss singer who won the 2024 Eurovision song contest, has said they are handing back their trophy in protest over Israel’s participation in next year’s event. The 26-year-old, the first non-binary winner of the contest, said on Thursday there was “a clear conflict” between the Eurovision ideals of “unity, inclusion and dignity for all” and the decision to allow Israel to compete. Continue reading...

Guardian story helped to draw attention to planned hanging of Goli Kouhkan over death of abusive husband A child bride who was due to be executed this month in Iran over the death of her husband has had her life spared by his parents, who were paid the equivalent of £70,000 in exchange for their forgiveness. Goli Kouhkan, 25, has been on death row in Gorgan central prison in northern Iran for the past seven years. At the age of 18 she was arrested over allegedly participating in the killing of her abusive husband, Alireza Abil, in May 2018, and sentenced to

Syrians who have rebuilt their lives abroad face uncertainty over their futures amid hardening of attitudes Tears of joy streamed down Abdulhkeem Alshater’s face as he joined thousands of other Syrian nationals in central Vienna last year. The moment they were marking felt like a miracle: after more than five decades of brutality and repression, the Assad regime had fallen. A day later, however, the ripple effects of what had happened 2,000 miles away in Syria were laid bare. A dozen European states announced plans to suspend asylum applications from Syrians, in a show of how western states are increasingly treating refugees

Aid agencies say Israel is still restricting their aid shipments despite ceasefire announced two months ago Malnutrition continues to take a toll among Gaza’s young despite a ceasefire declared two months ago, with more than 9,000 children treated for acute malnutrition in October alone, according to the latest UN figures. While the immediate threat of famine has receded for most of the 2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza after the ceasefire announcement on 10 October, the UN and other aid agencies report continuing Israeli restrictions on their humanitarian aid shipments, which they say fall well below the needs of a population weakened and

Eyal Zamir said Israel would hold on to current positions, giving it control of more than half of the territory The “yellow line” that divides Gaza under Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan is a “new border” for Israel, the country’s military chief told soldiers deployed in the territory. The chief of the general staff, Eyal Zamir, said Israel would hold on to its current military positions. These give Israel control of more than half of Gaza, including most agricultural land and the border crossing with Egypt. Continue reading...

Bajun Mavalwalla, who maintains his innocence, will take case to jury even as others strike plea agreements An Afghanistan war veteran arrested on felony “conspiracy” charges a month after he participated in a protest against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) maintains his innocence and is preparing for a jury trial, even as others arrested the same day strike plea agreements to avoid long prison terms, his father said. Bajun Mavalwalla II – a former army sergeant who survived a roadside bomb blast on a special operations mission in Afghanistan – was charged in July with “conspiracy to impede or injure officers”

Officials say the Birch nightclub had contravened multiple safety regulations and that the basement had no fire safety exit Four members of the same family on their first holiday to Goa were among the 25 killed in a deadly fire at a nightclub in the popular Indian tourist state on Saturday night. The massive blaze broke out at just before midnight at Birch by Romeo Lane, a buzzing bar, restaurant and nightclub in north Goa’s Aporna district. Continue reading...

Fire broke out at midnight in Arpora with victims mostly kitchen workers, according to state’s chief minister At least 25 people have been killed in a fire at a nightclub in Goa, an Indian state popular for its nightlife and tourism. Several tourists were among the 25 dead in the fire, which broke out at about midnight at Birch by Romeo Lane, a popular restaurant, cocktail bar and club in Arpora, a district of north Goa. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed, you can read more on this story here Russia and India will reshape their defence ties to take account of New Delhi’s push for self-reliance, the two countries said in a joint statement after a summit between president Putin and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi. “In response to India’s aspirations for self-reliance, the partnership is currently being reoriented toward joint research and development, as well as the production of advanced defence platforms,” the statement said. Continue reading...

Narendra Modi says energy security is ‘pillar of the India-Russia partnership’ as two leaders meet in Delhi Vladimir Putin has told the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, that Russia is ready to continue “uninterrupted” shipments of oil to India, signalling a defiant stance to the US as the two leaders met in Delhi and affirmed that their ties were “resilient to external pressure”. The statement, made on Friday after the annual India-Russia summit, appeared to be directed at western countries – particularly the US – that have attempted to pressure New Delhi into scaling back its ties to Moscow. Continue reading...

Private investigator Jonathan Rees denies telling Doreen Lawrence he was involved in bugging her A key whistleblower supporting a legal claim headed by Prince Harry and Doreen Lawrence against the publisher of the Daily Mail appears to have dealt a last-minute blow to the case against the media group. Just weeks before a high court trial, Jonathan Rees, a private investigator who has supported claims of unlawful news gathering at Associated Newspapers, has contradicted a central allegation in the claimants’ case. Continue reading...

David McCann, 43, was arrested after police searched his flat in Edinburgh The editor of the Times and Sunday Times in Scotland has been suspended and charged over “indecent online communications”. News UK, which owns the newspapers, announced that David McCann had been suspended after he was “made the subject of a criminal investigation unrelated to his work”. Continue reading...

Health secretary announces investigation into Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys trust that has seen young patients take their own lives A public inquiry will be held into the failures of a north-east NHS foundation after the deaths of several patients, Wes Streeting has confirmed. The health secretary made the announcement in Darlington, speaking to the families of patients who died while receiving treatment from hospitals run by Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS foundation trust, which is headquartered in the County Durham town. Continue reading...

Warwickshire board says maximum 5% tax rise needed for financial viability despite election promise to cut costs Reform UK council leaders have been accused of making “rash promises” after a local authority led by the party has been told it will have to increase council tax by the maximum amount, despite its election promises to cut costs. Warwickshire county council has been warned by its executives that anything less than a 5% maximum council tax increase will put its financial viability at risk. Continue reading...

Hospitals treating record numbers of flu patients but worst is yet to come as medical bosses urge people to get vaccinated The NHS is bracing for its worst ever winter crisis in the next fortnight because of a worsening “flu-nami” that has left hospitals, GP surgeries and ambulances services under intense strain. Hospitals are already treating record numbers of people seriously ill because of flu for the time of year. But things will get worse in the days ahead, NHS leaders said, as medical bosses urged people to get vaccinated against the virus so they can enjoy Christmas gatherings more safely. Continue reading...

Chuck Schumer accused Republicans of ‘fighting like hell to kick people off insurance … [and] give sweet giveaways to billionaires and the ultra-rich’ Chris Van Hollen, the Democratic senator from Maryland, was among the lawmakers speaking out against the Trump administration and its actions around Venezuela, taking to the senate floor on Wednesday to call on Congress to block Donald Trump from “using taxpayer dollars to launch a regime change war”. “Last time I checked, the constitution of the United States gives Congress – this body – the power to decide questions of war or peace,” he said. Continue reading...

Measure to redistrict, which would add two GOP-friendly seats, failed 19-31 after 21 Republicans joined 10 Democrats Indiana Republicans rejected an effort to redraw the state’s congressional map on Thursday, a stunning and blunt rebuke of Donald Trump and Republican efforts to reconfigure the state’s congressional districts to add two more Republican-friendly seats. The measure failed 19-31, with 21 Republicans joining 10 Democrats in rejecting the new maps. Continue reading...

Explosion led to three-alarm blaze in Hayward, California, neighborhood after construction crew damaged a gas pipe A big explosion erupted in a San Francisco Bay Area neighborhood of Hayward, California, after a gas line rupture on Thursday, injuring at least six people, according to local news reports. The explosion broke out around 9.30am local time, several hours after a construction crew damaged a gas pipe. At least eight fire engines and two fire trucks responded to the three-alarm blaze. Continue reading...

UC Berkeley apologizes to Israeli sociologist and dance teacher and Pomona to create taskforce on Jewish life Two California colleges have reached settlements with Jewish organizations and individuals who filed complaints alleging antisemitism arising from pro-Palestinian campus protests, including a $60,000 payment to an Israeli sociologist and dance researcher who says she was not rehired by the University of California, Berkeley despite the popularity of her class. The UC Berkeley chancellor, Rich Lyons, on Wednesday issued an apology to Yael Nativ, a visiting 2022 professor who was found in a campus investigation to have been the victim of discrimination, the Los Angeles

Lindell, an election conspiracist who still maintains the 2020 election was stolen, joins a crowded Republican field Mike Lindell, a pillow salesman and election conspiracist, is running for governor of Minnesota, he announced on Thursday. Lindell, an ally of Donald Trump’s and major player in efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, joins a crowded Republican primary in the left-leaning state, where his pillow company, MyPillow, is headquartered. Continue reading...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky floated the prospect of putting the issue of territorial control in the country’s east to a referendum as Kyiv comes under mounting pressure to agree to terms of an emerging peace plan to end Russia’s war. Moscow has insisted that Ukraine withdraw its forces from the eastern Donbas, which includes areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions that the Russian military has failed to capture in its nearly four-year invasion. Zelensky has engaged in talks over the...

With the end of the year approaching, the European Commission is rapidly ramping up its de-risking efforts through a flurry of broadsides against Chinese firms – even as the bloc’s most powerful member states appear to be moving in different directions on China. Foreign subsidy regulation probes were launched against online retailer Temu and Nuctech, a maker of airport scanning equipment, on Wednesday and Thursday respectively. E-commerce giant Temu saw its Dublin headquarters raided by...

A US judge on Thursday ordered the immediate release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, whose wrongful deportation became a flashpoint in President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, ruling that the American government never secured a formal order for his removal from the United States. The order from US District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland means Abrego Garcia will at least temporarily be allowed to return to his Maryland home despite repeated declarations from Trump administration officials that he...

More than 600 items from a collection documenting the links between Britain and countries in the former British Empire were stolen from a UK museum in September, police said Thursday. Avon and Somerset police have launched an appeal for information about four men captured on CCTV images on September 25, outside a building in the southwestern city of Bristol which housed items from the collection. “More than 600 artefacts of various descriptions were taken by the offenders,” police said in a...

Mexico’s move to place tariffs of up to 50 per cent on Chinese and other Asian goods underscores US efforts to pressure other countries to take action against China – and Beijing may well retaliate, analysts said. The Mexican Senate on Wednesday approved duties between 5 and 50 per cent on 1,463 product categories – including auto parts, textiles and plastics – starting from January 2026. President Claudia Sheinbaum had proposed the tariffs in the name of protecting local industries, subject to...

The “Architects of AI” were named Time magazine’s person of the year for 2025 on Thursday. The magazine cited 2025 as the year when the potential of artificial intelligence “roared into view”, with no turning back. “For delivering the age of thinking machines, for wowing and worrying humanity, for transforming the present and transcending the possible, the Architects of AI are TIME’s 2025 Person of the Year,” Time said in a social media post. The magazine was deliberate in selecting people – the...

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s two-day state visit to New Delhi last week, for the 23rd Russia-India Summit, was heavy on optics, symbolism and multilayered signals, while tangible outcomes were relatively modest. First and foremost, Putin signalled to the West that Russia is not isolated, despite the US-led criticism of the war his government has unleashed against Ukraine since 2022. In an unusual departure from customary diplomatic practice, three European ambassadors to India – from...

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday that US President Donald Trump had been sent a proposal on territorial concessions Ukraine is ready to make to end its war against Russia. Merz said the proposal was sent after he and other European leaders had spoken by phone with Trump on Wednesday. “It mainly concerns the question of what territorial concessions Ukraine is prepared to make,” Merz said. He cautioned however that ultimately “the Ukrainian president and the Ukrainian people have...

Sweeping taxes on imports have cost the average American household nearly US$1,200 since Donald Trump returned to the White House this year, according to calculations by Democrats on Congress’ Joint Economic Committee. Using Treasury Department numbers on revenue from tariffs and Goldman Sachs estimates of who ends up paying for them, the Democrats’ report on Thursday found that American consumers’ share of the bill came to nearly US$159 billion – or US$1,198 per household – from February...

China has urged the Dutch government to push the Netherlands arm of semiconductor manufacturer Nexperia to send personnel to China, Beijing’s commerce ministry said during a press conference on Thursday. The Dutch embassy in China has been asked to urge The Hague’s Ministry of Economic Affairs to “implement the consensus reached in consultations” and encourage the Nijmegen-headquartered company to dispatch its representatives to China “as soon as possible”, ministry spokesman He Yadong...

We have selected seven Lifestyle stories from the past seven days that resonated with our readers. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Cantopop icon Alan Tam: from Leslie Cheung’s rival to fans smashing albums For over half a century, Alan Tam Wing-lun has stood as a colossus in Hong Kong show business. “Principal Tam” ruled Cantopop in the late 1970s and 80s but later vexed fans with his offstage actions. Still, he’s going strong today. 2. How does...

US President Donald Trump has deployed thousands of US troops to the Caribbean and warned of strikes on Venezuelan soil. On Wednesday, Trump announced the seizure of an oil tanker in enforcement of unilateral US sanctions. How far could Trump go, and what would be the result? What is the motivation? Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, a leftist nemesis of the United States, successfully resisted an attempt during Trump’s first term to oust him through sanctions and diplomatic pressure. Days...

Nobel Peace laureate Maria Corina Machado said on Thursday that the United States helped her get to Norway from hiding in Venezuela, expressing support for US military action against her country and vowing to return home. Machado, who vanished in January after challenging the rule of President Nicolas Maduro, emerged on a hotel balcony in Oslo to cheering supporters early Thursday after several days of confusion over her whereabouts. “We did get support from the United States government to get...

US President Donald Trump has blasted media reports questioning his state of health as “seditious, perhaps even treasonous”, sparking pushback on Wednesday by one of the major outlets behind the stories. In a long, late-night social media post, the oldest elected president in US history raged about stories in The New York Times and elsewhere suggesting that at the age of 79 he is slowing down. “There has never been a President that has worked as hard as me! My hours are the longest, and my...

On December 10, Australia began enforcing the world’s strictest social media age rule: platforms must now verify that users are aged 16 or above, or face fines of up to A$49.5 million (US$33 million), a bold experiment in returning oversight of childhood from Silicon Valley to democratically elected institutions. The relevant law, passed by the Australian parliament last year, represents more than protectionism or moral panic. It is a deliberate experiment in rebalancing the roles of state,...

Ukraine has sent Washington an updated plan for ending Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian officials said on Wednesday, as US President Donald Trump laid into European leaders in the latest sign of a growing transatlantic rift. A first US plan that involved Ukraine surrendering land that Russia has not captured was seen by Kyiv and its European allies as caving in to too many of Russia’s hardline demands, and has since been revised. A Ukrainian official briefed on the latest version said that it “takes...

US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that the United States had seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela as tensions mount with the government of President Nicolas Maduro. Using US forces to take control of a merchant ship is incredibly unusual and marks the Trump administration’s latest push to increase pressure on Maduro, who has been charged with narcoterrorism in the United States. The US has built up the largest military presence in the region in decades and launched a series...

Temu’s European headquarters in Dublin were raided by EU regulators last week on concerns about potential Chinese state subsidies granted to the online retailer, a subsidiary of China’s e-commerce giant PDD Holdings, a person familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. Temu did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The raid comes amid increasing concern within the EU over cheap imports from China, as low-value e-commerce shipments have flooded into the bloc thanks to a customs waiver...

Self-driving Waymo taxis have gone viral for negative reasons involving the death of a beloved San Francisco bodega cat and pulling an illegal U-turn in front of police who were unable to issue a ticket to a nonexistent driver. But this week, the self-driving taxis are the bearer of happier news after a San Francisco woman gave birth in a Waymo. The mother was on her way to the University of California, San Francisco medical centre on Monday when she delivered inside the robotaxi, said a Waymo...

Rwanda-backed M23 rebels have entered the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo town of Uvira, near the Burundian border, in the biggest escalation in months of the long-running war, sources said on Wednesday. Uvira, on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, has served as the headquarters of the Kinshasa-appointed government in South Kivu province and its regional military base since the provincial capital, Bukavu, fell to M23 in February. Control of Uvira could open the way for the rebels to advance...

A federal judge in California on Wednesday ordered an end to Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles and directed that they be returned to the control of the state’s Democratic governor, finding that the Republican US president had exceeded his authority. The ruling by San Francisco-based US District Judge Charles Breyer represented the latest legal setback for Trump in his efforts to deploy National Guard troops to Democratic-controlled cities, an extraordinary use of...

Scientists announced on Wednesday that they had discovered evidence in the UK of humans deliberately making fire 400,000 years ago, dramatically pushing back the timeline for when our ancient relatives are known to have mastered this crucial skill. Learning to light our own fires was one of the great turning points in human history, offering our ancestors warmth, a place to socialise and a way to cook food – which helped us evolve our unusually big brains. There were signs that humans were using...

Mexico’s lower house early Wednesday approved tariffs of up to 50 per cent next year on imports from China and several other Asian countries, aiming to boost domestic production and address trade imbalances. With 281 votes in favour, 24 against, and 149 abstentions, the chamber passed the bill, which still requires Senate approval, despite opposition from China and local business groups. The proposal would impose or raise tariffs – mostly up to 35 per cent – throughout 2026 on goods such as...

Secret grand jury transcripts from Jeffrey Epstein’s 2019 sex trafficking case can be made public, a judge ruled on Wednesday, joining two other judges in granting the Justice Department’s requests to unseal material from investigations into the late financier’s sexual abuse. US District Judge Richard M. Berman reversed his earlier decision to keep the material under wraps, citing a new law that requires the government to open its files on Epstein and his long-time confidant Ghislaine...

The thieves who stole crown jewels from the Louvre in October evaded police with just 30 seconds to spare due to avoidable security failures at the Paris museum, a damning investigation revealed on Wednesday. The investigation, ordered by the culture ministry after the embarrassing daylight heist, revealed that only one of two security cameras was working near the site where the intruders broke in on the morning of Sunday, October 19. Agents in the security control room did not have enough...

British author Sophie Kinsella, who wrote the popular Shopaholic series, has died aged 55 after being diagnosed with brain cancer, her family announced on Wednesday. Madeleine Sophie Wickham, who wrote under the pen name Sophie Kinsella, revealed last year that she was receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy for glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. “We are heartbroken to announce the passing this morning of our beloved Sophie,” her family said on Instagram. “Sophie counted herself...

China’s flagship sovereign wealth fund has revealed that it opened a representative office in London shortly after Donald Trump’s victory in last year’s US presidential election, a move made amid increased scrutiny of Chinese investments in the United States. The London office was officially registered in December 2024, with the mission of “advancing the company’s overseas investment business” and “promoting cross-border investment cooperation”, China Investment Corporation (CIC) said in its...

The administration of US President Donald Trump plans to order visa-exempt foreign tourists to disclose their social media histories from the last five years before entering the country, according to an official notice. The proposal laid out in a notice published on Tuesday in the Federal Register would apply to visitors from 42 countries, including Britain, France, Australia and Japan, who do not need a visa to enter the United States. Currently, those travellers only need to apply for a waiver...

Democracies must be prepared to fight for freedom to survive, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado said on Wednesday, in a speech delivered by her daughter during a ceremony Machado could not attend. The Venezuelan opposition leader said that the prize held profound significance, not only for her country but for the world. “It reminds the world that democracy is essential to peace,” she said, via her daughter Ana Corina Sosa Machado. “And the most important lesson Venezuelans can...

At least 22 people were killed late on Tuesday after two buildings collapsed in Fez, one of Morocco’s oldest cities and a key tourist destination, with the state broadcaster saying the blocks had shown signs of cracking. Local authorities in Fez prefecture reported two adjacent four-storey buildings had collapsed overnight, state news agency MAP said. The buildings were inhabited by eight families and were in the Al-Mustaqbal neighbourhood, a densely populated area in the west of the city, it...

The body of the last Thai national held hostage in Gaza since the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel was returned home on Wednesday, Thailand’s foreign ministry said. The remains of Sudthisak Rinthalak arrived at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport from Tel Aviv, ministry official Jeerasak Pomsuwan said more than two years after the attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas. Sudthisak was 43 and working in agriculture in southern Israel when he was killed on the day of the Hamas attack. His body...

French President Emmanuel Macron’s three-day visit to China last week signals a recalibration in how China and Europe engage at a moment when technological competition, trade disputes, climate imperatives and geopolitical fragmentation threaten global stability. Macron met enthusiastic students at Sichuan University; French first lady Brigitte Macron visited the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. The trip fostered economic collaboration between the two countries and deliberately...

After more than a decade of false starts, India and the European Union appear closer than ever to clinching a free-trade agreement, buoyed by renewed political will and converging economic interests despite lingering tensions over carbon taxes and Russia. Analysts say the breakthrough may be near following a fresh round of high-level talks in New Delhi that injected new urgency into negotiations that have been stuck in procedural drift for years. Both sides are seeking to secure supply chains...

There are few truly global hubs in the world. London is one. New York is another. But neither of them connect East and West quite like Hong Kong. I visited the city last week as part of the inaugural UK Investment Conference and saw first-hand the energy and resilience that define this city. That makes the recent tragedy in Tai Po all the more heartbreaking. My message to the people of Hong Kong after this deadly fire is this: we offer our profound sympathy to all those whose lives and...

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday ordered diplomats to return to using Times New Roman font in official communications, calling his predecessor Antony Blinken’s decision to adopt Calibri a “wasteful” diversity move, according to an internal department cable seen by Reuters. The department under Blinken in early January 2023 had switched to Calibri, a modern sans-serif font, saying this was a more accessible font for people with disabilities because it did not have the decorative...

Lithuania’s government has declared a national emergency over security risks posed by meteorological balloons sent from Russia-allied Belarus that have violated its airspace in recent weeks, while the Belarusian leader called for negotiations on border tensions and said his country “does not need war”. The balloons forced Lithuania to repeatedly shut down its main airport, stranding thousands of people, as Europe remains on alert over previous intrusions into Nato airspace during the war in...

US President Donald Trump tried to reassure Americans that the US economy was healthy at a campaign-style rally on Tuesday as Republicans braced for a tough fight to hold control of Congress in next year’s midterm elections. Speaking at a Mount Pocono casino in northeastern Pennsylvania, Trump argued that his economic policies, including his imposition of widespread tariffs on imports, were creating jobs, boosting the stock market and attracting increased investment into the United States. “I...

Honduran President Xiomara Castro on Tuesday denounced what she called an “electoral coup” unfolding amid a chaotic vote count from the November 30 presidential election, as hundreds of protesters gathered in the streets of the capital Tegucigalpa to demand clarity over the situation. The election has been marked by technical failures, unsubstantiated fraud claims and a shadow cast by US President Donald Trump, who has threatened to withdraw funding for the Central American nation if his...

A new report recommends European companies avoid an overreliance on China or the US in their supply chains, as companies find themselves squeezed between Beijing’s preferential policies for local companies and Washington’s trade volatility. The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China advised companies to “eliminate single-source dependencies on both China and the United States where possible” in its “Dealing with Supply Chain Dependencies” report released on Wednesday. “We are probably only...

The global artificial intelligence community’s attention was recently focused on DeepSeek’s latest open-source model, Math-V2, the first open-source AI model to score a gold medal-level performance at the International Mathematical Olympiad. But while California might hone in on the test scores, Jakarta and Nairobi are looking at something else entirely. For the Global South, the critical question is more likely to be whether that reasoning capability can optimise fertiliser distribution in a...

Lawmakers from both parties are warning that Chinese criminal groups have helped build what officials call a “Silk Road of crime”, a global network that launders Latin American cartel profits and supplies the chemicals used to make fentanyl bound for the United States. At a Senate hearing on Tuesday, members of the Caucus on International Narcotics Control said Chinese money brokers and Latin American cartels have merged their operations into a system that blurs the line between trade and...

Britain announced sanctions against Russian media and ideas outlets on Tuesday as the UKs top diplomat warned Western nations must raise their game to combat information warfare from “malign foreign states”. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the UK was imposing sanctions on the microblogging Telegram channel Rybar and its co-owner Mikhail Sergeevich Zvinchuk, as well as the Centre for Geopolitical Expertise and the Foundation for the Support and Protection of the Rights of Compatriots Living...

Scotland’s Nnena Kalu took home the Turner Prize on Tuesday, with the autistic artist beating four competitors including an Iraqi painter to the prestigious contemporary art award. Glasgow-born Kalu, 59, was nominated for her hanging sculptures using wrapped material, including fabric, rope and tape, with the British disability charity Sense hailing her shortlisting as “incredibly significant”. The jury of the prize, established in 1984 to celebrate contemporary British art, hailed Kalu’s art as...

Don’t bring a knife to a gunfight, they say. Alas, the Dutch government has been a slow learner. No matter, the Nexperia debacle has shown how some European states have been too compliant with the United States and defiant with China. They don’t seem to realise they are little better than pawns in US President Donald Trump’s America. “Model allies that step up … will receive our special favour,” US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth declared at the 2025 Reagan National Defence Forum in California...

US President Donald Trump’s administration is threatening to pull federal funding for public transport in Chicago unless the city tightens security after a man allegedly set a woman on fire inside a commuter train in November. Governor J.B. Pritzker’s office said in an email on Tuesday that Trump is politicising “a heinous tragedy” while doing nothing to make Illinois communities safer. Federal Transit Authority Administrator Marc Molinaro sent a letter on Monday to Pritzker and Mayor Brandon...

The Treasury Secretary unveiled changes to the Financial Stability Oversight Council to ease “overregulation.”

The monthly trade deficit fell to its lowest level in five years after the president’s imposition of sweeping global tariffs. But it’s unclear whether the trend will persist.

The Trump administration is threatening the Fed’s autonomy, which the central bank regained with the Treasury-Fed accord in 1951.

The S&P 500 edged higher as investors shrugged off concerns over Oracle’s earnings. It was just enough.

Actors took big swings in 2025. Here are some of the best.

Barred from leaving Romania, Andrew Tate courted powerful figures on the American right, from Tucker Carlson to Barron Trump. Then an extraordinary order let him go.

Desperate to catch up with Chinese automakers, Ford is redesigning its fleet with a Silicon Valley-style team. Is it too late?

American officials joined Russia, Saudi Arabia and Iran in objecting to language on fossils fuels, biodiversity and plastics in a report that was three years in the making.

The group’s report had been expected to provide a road map for change after months of upheaval at the agency.

The Ukrainian leader rejected the demand, making clear that territorial issues remain unresolved as Ukraine and Europe sent a counterproposal to the United States.

A new technology release from OpenAI is supposed to top what Google recently produced. It also shows OpenAI is engaged in a new and more difficult competition.

The deal is a watershed for Hollywood, which has been trying to sort through the possible harms and upsides of generative artificial intelligence.

Shares in the technology company are down as investors grow anxious that its bet on artificial intelligence, and OpenAI in particular, may not pay off.

It’s hard to make a movie studio tour exciting when movies aren’t made there anymore. “A vibe of tiredness, like the end of something,” one guest said.

Days of heavy rain pushed waterways to record flood levels in a mountainous region north of Seattle. “Do not wait,” local officials warned residents, urging them to seek higher ground.

The atmospheric river over the Pacific Northwest brought a deluge to British Columbia, forcing road closures and evacuations in Canada.

Off the coast of British Columbia, dolphins lead killer whales to salmon and earn their share of lunch, a new study reveals.

Trump is not interested in refighting the Cold War. He is, in my view, interested in fighting the civilizational war over what is the American “home.”

Some disciplinary measures have been imposed on the lecturer, including being monitored as she teaches a class on diversity and social justice.

Tyler Robinson faces murder charges in Utah in the Sept. 10 assassination of Mr. Kirk, the political activist and ally of President Trump.

The former chief executive, Michael S. Jeffries, was charged with running an international sex-trafficking ring. An earlier ruling found that he could not be tried because he had Alzheimer’s.

The outbreak shows no signs of slowing, likely because of the affected area’s “lower-than-hoped-for vaccination coverage,” a state health official said.