Minimalist News

US Commits $2 Billion For Foreign Aid But Tells Agencies To 'Adapt, Shrink, Or Die' Authored by Sam Dorman via The Epoch Times, The United States and the United Nations have finalized an agreement that includes $2 billion in humanitarian funding and what the State Department described as radical reform to save Americans’ tax dollars while avoiding ideological projects. The finalized agreement supports the U.N.’s 2026 plan to reach nearly 90 million people and target 17 crisis-affected countries. It was signed in Geneva, Switzerland, on Dec. 29 amid the administration’s criticism of what it said were wasteful foreign aid programs and its dismantling of

Hollywood Blamed The Fans For Their Failures And Now They Face Collapse In November, the entertainment media was energized by the news of potential studio mergers and a potential jump in content spending by Disney and Paramount.  The possibility of more cash flowing into productions was seen as a light at the end of a long dark tunnel for a film industry crushed by endless box office and TV streaming failures.  Maybe this new funding would revitalize a Hollywood gasping for oxygen? However, as The Hollywood Reporter noted, the surge in funding was not necessarily going into the pockets of the current

UAE Announces Full Withdrawal Of Forces From Yemen After Violating Saudi 'Red Line' Via The Middle East Eye The UAE has announced that it will withdraw its military personnel from Yemen, hours after Saudi Arabia struck its Yemeni allies and made an extremely rare public condemnation of Abu Dhabi's conduct in the country. The Emirati defense ministry said in a statement that "in light of recent developments" it was announcing "the termination of the remaining counterterrorism personnel in Yemen of its own volition".  The ministry said Abu Dhabi had participated in an Arab coalition supporting the internationally recognized government of Yemen since 2015. It stated that while UAE forces had mostly concluded their

Trump Admin Freezes All Childcare Payments To Minnesota As Somali Daycare Scandal Goes Viral The Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday announced that it has frozen all federal childcare funding for the state of Minnesota, citing rampant fraud allegations largely attributed to the Somali community.  In a post on X, Deputy HHS Secretary Jim O'Neill wrote that "You have probably read the serious allegations that the state of Minnesota has funneled millions of taxpayer dollars to fraudulent daycares across Minnesota over the past decade," which resulted in the following: > 1. I have activated our defend the spend system for all ACF

Researchers Successfully Reverse Alzheimer's In Mice: Peer-Reviewed Study Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Scientists have reversed Alzheimer’s disease in mice, potentially showing a pathway to treat the illness among humans, according to a Dec. 22 peer-reviewed study published in the Cell Reports Medicine journal. A nurse holds the hands of a person suffering from Alzheimer's disease at Les Fontaines retirement home in Lutterbach, France, on Sept. 21, 2009. Sebastien Bozon /AFP via Getty Images Alzheimer’s is traditionally considered irreversible. In the study, researchers treated two groups of mice with P7C3-A20, a pharmacologic agent. One group carried human mutations related

Hilarious Video: Humanoid Robot Kicks Operator In The Balls A video that surfaced late last week from an unnamed Chinese lab has captivated the internet, capturing a teleoperation session gone comically awry with Unitree Robotics' G1 humanoid, Interesting Engineering reports. An engineer, clad in a motion-capture suit and positioned alongside the robot, performs martial arts moves. As both face the same direction, his attempted low kick sends his own leg swinging upward in a painful self-inflicted strike to the groin. Collapsing in agony, he doubles over—prompting the G1 to mirror the posture precisely, to the audible amusement of onlookers. > Using a

America Is Arguing About Free Speech... The World Is Putting People In Prison For It Authored by Matt Schlapp via The Epoch Times, As the freest nation in the world, America has long understood the value of free speech—not as an abstract ideal, but as a fundamental right. The Conservative Political Action Conference’s (CPAC) newly released 2025 “Freedom of Speech Around the World Ratings” cut through the noise with a simple question: Does a country imprison or execute citizens for speech protected by the U.S. First Amendment? The purpose is not to deny America’s internal struggles, but to draw a clear line between

Vegas Police Roll Out Fleet Of Tesla Cybertrucks After $2.7M Donation Last month, the Las Vegas police department became the first in the US to deploy a fleet of Tesla Cybertrucks for patrol, according to The Guardian. The 10 black-and-white vehicles, equipped with sirens and emergency lights, were donated — costing taxpayers nothing, according to Sheriff Kevin McMahill. “They represent something far bigger than just a police car,” McMahill said. “They represent innovation.” News of the trucks first emerged in February when McMahill posted renderings on X, writing “These are badass.” The department later said the fleet “was entirely donated by an anonymous supporter.” That

Amid Economic Crisis, Mossad-Affiliated X Account Encourages Further Protests In Iran Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com, A Farsi-language X account claiming to represent Israel’s Mossad encouraged protests in Iran on Monday and suggested that the Israeli spy agency has operatives involved in demonstrations on the ground. "Let’s come out to the streets together. The time has come. We are with you. Not just from afar and verbally. We are with you in the field as well," the account, which Israeli media is treating as an official mouthpiece for the Mossad, said in Farsi. Protesters demonstrate against poor economic conditions in Tehran on December 29, 2025. Source: Fars

"Significant Safety Concerns" After Salem, Oregon Appoints Convicted Killer To Public Safety Boards Salem, Oregon, is facing backlash after appointing Kyle Hedquist — a convicted murderer whose sentence for a 1995 killing was later commuted — to two influential public safety bodies: the city’s Community Police Review Board and its Civil Service Commission, which oversee police conduct and public safety employment matters, according to Newser and KOIN. Marion County District Attorney Paige Clarkson, who opposed Hedquist’s 2022 release by then-Gov. Kate Brown, condemned the decision. In a statement Tuesday, she said that while people who have completed their sentences and demonstrated rehabilitation

The Most Prominent Buzzwords For The US Economy In 2025 Were "Affordability" And "Layoffs" Authored by Michael Snyder via TheMostImportantNews.com, If you are having a really difficult time keeping up with the rapidly rising cost of living, you are certainly not alone.  This year, “affordability” was a buzzword that was constantly on the lips of politicians, economists and talking heads on television.  As you will see below, Americans are being slammed by rising prices from a multitude of directions.  Meanwhile, “layoffs” has been another buzzword that has been widely used in 2025.  Thanks to the rise of AI and our steadily deteriorating

Starbucks Shuttering About 400 Locations, 40+ In New York City Alone Starbucks is quietly shrinking its physical footprint in some of the nation’s largest cities, signaling a major shift for a brand that spent decades in near-constant expansion, according to WSMV. The company intends to eliminate about 400 US locations, with the heaviest impact in major metro areas. Closures are already underway — New York City alone has lost 42 stores. Company leaders say the move reflects changing consumer patterns and a tougher business environment. Urban markets are saturated with competitors, foot traffic has not fully recovered as remote work remains common,

Judge Blocks White House's Attempt To Defund Consumer Watchdog Agency Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times, A federal judge ruled Tuesday that the White House cannot lapse its funding of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a watchdog that has long drawn the ire of congressional Republicans. In a ruling, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson wrote that the CFPB should continue to receive its funding from the Federal Reserve despite the central bank operating at a loss. The Trump administration has argued that the CFPB should be dissolved because how it gets its funds is invalid. The CFPB has largely been

Putin Authorizes Military Reserve Call-Up To Protect Critical Energy Sites One significant theme which emerged over the course of the last year of the Russia-Ukraine war is greater Ukrainian effectiveness in striking Russian territory, sometimes even distant targets many hundreds of miles away. On a regular basis at this point, oil and gas infrastructure and refineries are blown up, export terminals damaged, and even military bases and government buildings come under attack. President Vladimir Putin is taking fresh action, on Tuesday having signed a decree granting the military authority to call up members of Russia's mobilization reserve next year. via Shutterstock The new injections in

Yale No Longer Has A Single Republican Professor Across 27 Departments Authored by Jonathan Turley, Yale has finally achieved liberal nirvana. According to a recent report from the Buckley Institute, there is now not a single Republican found across 27 of 43 departments at Yale University. In a nation roughly evenly divided between Republicans and Democrats (with a slight advantage to the GOP), only 3 percent are Republicans across all Yale departments. In comparison, roughly 83% of faculty are registered Democrats or primarily support Democratic candidates. The Buckley Institute’s report looked at Yale’s undergraduate departments, as well as its School of Management and Law School. The report is hardly surprising.

Feds Charge Mexican-American With Trying To Arm ISIS Via Undercover FBI Agent The FBI has arrested a 21-year-old Texas resident and charged him with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization -- namely, ISIS. Depending on their level of faith in domestic counter-terror enforcement, some observers will applaud the news unquestioningly, while others may wonder if it's another situation where the man in handcuffs wouldn't have progressed to criminal action without police encouragement and assistance.   That man in custody and facing up to 20 years in federal prison is John Michael Garza, a 21-year-old resident of Midlothian, Texas, a

From Tax-Cuts To Tariff-Stability: US Economy Poised For Solid Growth In 2026 Authored by Andrew Moran via The Epoch Times, The turbulence that defined the U.S. economy in 2025 is expected to ease next year... Following President Donald Trump’s unveiling of his sweeping global tariffs plan, the consensus on Wall Street was that the United States would potentially face a downturn or, at the very least, a stagflation-type scenario: anemic growth, high inflation, and elevated unemployment. Those economic forecasts had appeared to be materializing after the economy contracted by 0.6 percent in the first quarter. However, in the following months, GDP growth rebounded to

Citizen Journalist Descends On Ohio, Immediately Finds 'First Signs Of Potentially Massive Somali Fraud' The "Nick Shirley Effect" has begun, with Muckraker founder Anthony Rubin on the ground in Columbus, Ohio, home to the second-largest Somali community in the U.S., investigating daycare centers. This development comes less than a day after Ohio attorney Mehek Cooke said federal investigators are examining allegations that elements within Ohio's Somali community defrauded millions of dollars from the state's Medicaid system. "The first Somali-affiliated daycare facility that we knocked on after landing in Columbus, Ohio, today did not answer," Rubin wrote on X, alongside a video showing

RFK Jr. Drops 2026 MAHA Agenda To Banish Toxic Food Dyes And Kill Off Processed Poison Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news, In a game-changing move that’s set to shake up the corrupt food industry, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has unveiled his 2026 MAHA agenda – a no-holds-barred assault on the chemicals and loopholes poisoning the health of America. The agenda, highlighted during a Fox News broadcast, targets eight critical areas: GRAS reform to close loopholes for untested additives, updating dietary guidelines to prioritize real nutrition over junk science, defining ultra-processed foods, front-of-pack labeling for radical transparency, a chemical review overhaul

Zelensky Claims Trump Is Considering US Boots On The Ground In Ukraine Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has newly claimed that US President Donald Trump is considering the possibility of deploying American troops to Ukraine as negotiations toward peace with Moscow stall. This is presumably connected with promises of future 'security guarantees'. This is somewhat of a surprise, as the White House has made no indication of this in any statement whether public or based on anonymous officials. Throughout the nearly four-long war the question of Western 'boots on the ground' has been raised at various times.  But the US - whether under Biden

Report of a drone attack on a port facility signals new phase in US military campaign against Nicolás Maduro * US wargames played out scenarios for Maduro’s fall. None of them ended well for Venezuela Nearly a week after Donald Trump first announced what he said was the first US ground strike in a four-month-long military pressure campaign against Venezuela, details remain very thin on the ground. CNN and the New York Times reported late on Monday that they had confirmed the CIA had used a drone to target a “port facility” allegedly used by the Tren de Aragua street gang. No

Former Brazilian president underwent a phrenic nerve block while temporarily released from prison for surgery Jair Bolsonaro underwent a second “phrenic nerve block procedure” on Monday to treat persistent hiccups. The treatment went well and the former Brazilian president’s condition is stable, according to his medical team. Continue reading...

Train accident in Oaxaca is likely to raise criticisms about public works projects from the previous administration At least 13 people were killed when a train derailed in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, in an accident which is likely to revive opposition criticisms of the speed and dealings with which the country’s government builds its flagship public works projects. The incident took place on the Interoceanic Train, which was built to link the Atlantic and Pacific oceans across the narrowest part of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, creating an alternative rail cargo route to the Panama canal intended to drive development in the

Trump alleged that US forces hit ‘very hard’ in what would mark his team’s first land strike on Venezuela if confirmed Donald Trump has claimed that US forces struck a “big facility” in Venezuela last week – but the president did not specify what it was, or where, and the White House has not commented further. “We just knocked out – I don’t know if you read or you saw – they have a big plant, or a big facility, where the ships come from. Two nights ago, we knocked that out. So we hit them very hard,” Trump told Republican donor

Government said the move was due to its ‘unrestricted respect for human rights’ in the face of US aggression Venezuela has said it has carried out its largest release of political prisoners this year, claiming to have freed 99 people detained for taking part in protests after the 2024 election, widely believed to have been stolen by the dictator Nicolás Maduro, as it comes under increasing military pressure from the US. Civil society organisations have treated the news with caution and stressed that the releases were insufficient, noting that at least 900 political prisoners remain in the country. Continue reading...

PM Sanae Takaichi joins petition calling for better facilities for women to match improved representation Nearly 60 female lawmakers in Japan, including the prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, have submitted a petition calling for more toilets in the parliament building for women to match their improved representation. Japanese politics remains hugely male-dominated, although the number of women in the parliament rose at the last election – and Takaichi became the first female prime minister in October. Continue reading...

Foreign affairs department statement says Australia opposes any actions that ‘increase the risk of accident, miscalculation or escalation’ * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Australia says it is deeply concerned about Chinese military exercises near Taiwan, and has raised the issue with Chinese officials. In a statement released on Wednesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Dfat) said the large-scale simulations risked destabilising the region and could result in an accident or escalation. Continue reading...

Community leaders raise alarm over study links and Polynesian ties, with Tonga to face restrictions from January as US says too many overstay The small Pacific nation of Tonga is one of more than a dozen countries to be hit with visa and entry restrictions on 1 January as the Trump administration tightens its crackdown on immigration. In December, the US said it would further restrict and limit the entry of foreign nationals to protect the country from “national security and public safety threats”. Continue reading...

US president says Chinese leader did not notify him of drills that have involved live missile launches into Taiwan strait * Taiwan-China tensions – explained in 30 seconds Donald Trump has said he is not worried by China’s live-fire military drills surrounding Taiwan and that he has a great relationship with the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, who “hasn’t told me anything about it”. The US president’s comments came amid a large two-day surprise attack simulation launched by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) on Monday and Tuesday, which China has called “Justice Mission 2025”. Continue reading...

Acquisition would further expand SoftBank’s investments in artificial intelligence as it tries to center itself in the boom SoftBank Group will acquire digital infrastructure investor DigitalBridge Group in a deal valued at $4bn, the companies said on Monday, as the Japanese investment firm looks to deepen its AI-related portfolio. The acquisition would expand SoftBank’s exposure to digital infrastructure as the Japanese conglomerate is positioning its portfolio to focus on artificial intelligence. SoftBank’s billionaire founder Masayoshi Son is seeking to capitalize on surging demand for the computing capacity that underpins artificial intelligence applications. Continue reading...

One man rescued by helicopter after accident near Barrenjoey Headland at Palm beach * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A man has died, a 14-year-old boy is missing and another man has been rescued after a boat capsized in waters off a northern Sydney beach on Wednesday. In a statement on Wednesday afternoon, New South Wales police said emergency services were called to Palm beach about 11.35am, after reports that a boat had capsized near Barrenjoey Headland, about 40km from the Sydney CBD. Continue reading...

NSW premier Chris Minns encourages Sydneysiders to ‘puff out your chest’, stating police on ‘high alert’ as more than 1 million people expected to celebrate in the city * Guide to New Year’s Eve fireworks and events in Australia’s capital cities * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Thousands of people have taken up key vantage points for New Year’s Eve fireworks, with Chris Minns asking Sydneysiders to “square your shoulders, puff out your chest and walk out” to celebrate as a show of defiance after the Bondi attack. Key viewing sites, including at Mrs Macquarie’s Chair

* The 54-year-old was admitted to hospital on Boxing Day * Martyn played total of 67 Tests between 1992 and 2006 The former Australian Test cricketer Damien Martyn has been admitted to hospital and placed in an induced coma after being diagnosed with meningitis. The sporting community is rallying around the 54-year-old, who “is in for the fight of his life”, according to the former AFL player Brad Hardie, who revealed Martyn’s condition on 6PR on Tuesday. Continue reading...

One passenger tells the ABC it was ‘chaos’ and she felt her life was in danger, but others shrug off the incident * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A passenger onboard the Coral Adventurer has told the ABC she won’t travel with the luxury cruise liner again, after it was grounded on a reef off Papua New Guinea at the weekend. Ursula Daus alleged her life was in “danger” as a result of the incident. But other passengers told the ABC their experience was more positive, after landing at Cairns airport on Tuesday. Continue reading...

Changes include the Victorian government expanding land taxes and Queensland introducing a child sex offender register * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Cheaper medicines on the PBS, a Medicare phone service and new laws mandating businesses to accept cash payments are just some of the major changes coming into effect in the first week of 2026. Indexation increases to social security payments, changes to childcare settings and a new online mental health service will also kick in from the beginning of January. Continue reading...

Passengers face continued delays day after power supply issue and broken down train halted services between UK and continent Eurostar passengers have been warned that continued delays and cancellations are possible on Wednesday despite the resumption of services after a power supply issue halted Channel tunnel train trips connecting London to the European mainland. Thousands of passengers in the busy run-up to the new year faced hours of delays after the train operator cancelled services between London, Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels on Tuesday due to an overhead power supply problem and a failed LeShuttle train. Continue reading...

Investigation established by UDR party to look at ‘neutrality, workings and financing’ of state TV and radio The French public broadcaster is at the centre of a political row as a parliamentary inquiry examines the “neutrality, workings and financing” of state TV and radio, while the media are expected to play a significant role ahead of the 2027 presidential election. The rightwing UDR party, an ally of Marine Le Pen’s far-right the National Rally (RN), set up the inquiry amid far-right claims that public TV and radio has a bias against them. Le Pen, whose party is expected to reach the final

This live blog is now closed. For the latest, read our full report: * Russia claims to have moved nuclear-capable missile system into Belarus Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz, has echoed Donald Tusk’s optimistic tone regarding talks on ending the war in Ukraine. He posted to X to confirm there had been “another round of consultations” with “European and Canadian partners”. It is not clear who was in the meeting. Peace is on the horizon, there is no doubt that things have happened that give grounds for hope that this war can end, and quite quickly, but it is still a hope, far from

Assertion comes after the Kremlin accused Ukraine of attacking Vladimir Putin’s palace in Novgorod * Did Ukraine target Putin’s residence or is Russian claim a ploy to sway Trump? Russia said its latest nuclear-capable missile system has been deployed in Belarus, a day after Moscow claimed that Ukraine had carried out a large-scale drone attack on Vladimir Putin’s residence. Footage released by Russia’s ministry of defence showed the new Oreshnik missile trundling through a snowy forest. Soldiers were seen disguising combat vehicles with green netting and raising a flag at an airbase in eastern Belarus, close to the Russian border. Continue reading...

Engineers still struggling to restore full rail service on Tuesday evening as car passengers face seven-hour delays A power outage in the Channel tunnel has disrupted thousands of journeys ahead of the new year celebrations, with all passenger and vehicle trains suspended for several hours while engineers raced to repair the fault. As Eurostar foot passenger departures for the continent were first delayed, then cancelled, the halls of St Pancras International station in London filled with stranded travellers awaiting updates. At Folkestone in Kent, tailbacks formed as drivers hoping to catch the shuttle faced seven-hour delays. Continue reading...

President calls for talks with leaders of demonstrations caused by decline in currency and living standards Iran’s government has called for dialogue with protest leaders after the country’s largest demonstrations in three years over a plunging currency and declining living conditions. Protests started on Sunday after Iran’s currency fell to a record low against the US dollar, causing traders and shopkeepers to close their stores in downtown Tehran. This was accompanied by mass protests in the capital as well as in major cities, including Isfahan, Shiraz and Mashhad. Continue reading...

Attack was aimed at what Riyadh called a shipment of weapons for separatists backed by UAE The United Arab Emirates has said it will withdraw its remaining forces in Yemen after tensions with Saudi Arabia escalated over a sweeping offensive by UAE-backed separatists. The Emirati defence ministry announced the withdrawal on Tuesday, hours after Saudi Arabia bombed what it said was a shipment of weapons for Yemeni separatists that had arrived from the UAE. Continue reading...

Isaac Herzog’s spokesperson says he has not spoken to Trump since US president wrote to urge him to stop trial The office of Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, has denied a claim by Donald Trump that Benjamin Netanyahu, who is on trial on corruption charges, would soon receive a pardon. Speaking shortly before his meeting in Florida with the Israeli prime minister on Monday night, Trump said he had been told by Herzog that a pardon was “on its way”. Continue reading...

Abbas Araghchi claims US president’s Arab allies now view Israel’s recklessness as ‘a threat to us all’ * You’ll never defeat us in Iran, President Trump: but with real talks, we can both win | Abbas Araghchi Donald Trump should defy Benjamin Netanyahu and realise renewed talks with Iran over its nuclear programme are a better bet and more likely to succeed owing to stronger support in the region for a successful outcome, the Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, says in a Guardian article. He also suggests Trump’s Republican base want a deal and not further unnecessary wars. Araghchi was writing a

Israeli prime minister said he will award Trump with Israel prize, highest civilian honor, while visiting Mar-a-Lago Donald Trump has warned that Hamas will have “hell to pay” if it fails to disarm while offering full-throated support to Benjamin Netanyahu during a meeting with the Israeli prime minister in Florida. In a bravura display of mutual admiration, Netanyahu announced that the US president would be awarded the Israel prize, the country’s highest civilian honour, which since its inception in the 1950s has never before been given to a non-Israeli person. Continue reading...

Zia’s archrivalry with Sheikh Hasina defined the country’s politics for a generation Khaleda Zia, the first female prime minister of Bangladesh whose long rivalry with Sheikh Hasina defined the country’s politics for a generation, has died aged 80. Zia was one of the most significant and divisive political figures in the country since Bangladesh independence 50 years ago. Her death was announced on Tuesday morning by the Bangladesh Nationalist party (BNP). Continue reading...

Turnout appears low for vote in which most candidates seen as allies of junta and large areas excluded by war Polls have closed in conflict-racked Myanmar, ending the first phase of an election that has been widely condemned as a sham designed to legitimise the military junta’s rule. The military has touted the vote as a return to democracy almost five years after it seized power in a coup, ousting the country’s then de-facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, detaining her and sparking a spiralling civil war. Continue reading...

Kathmandu mayor Balendra ‘Balen’ Shah will run for prime minister with presenter Rabi Lamichhane’s party after deadly protests that ousted government Two of Nepal’s most popular political leaders have formed an alliance ahead of next year’s election in the wake of deadly youth-led protests earlier in the year that ousted the government. Television host Rabi Lamichhane, the 51-year-old chairperson of the Rastriya Swatantra party (RSP), and the 35-year-old rapper turned Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah pledged to address the demands of the younger generation following September’s deadly anti-corruption protests. Continue reading...

As the military pushes ahead with a widely condemned election, Beijing’s priorities are proving decisive * Myanmar’s first election since the 2021 coup: everything you need to know Myanmar’s military has managed to regain momentum in its battle against a determined patchwork of opposition groups, retaking some territory, and pushing ahead with a widely condemned election that begins on Sunday. It is a turnaround for the military, which had appeared so beleaguered that some dared to question if it could collapse. Continue reading...

Elections will be first since military seized power in 2021, but analysts say vote is far from a step toward democracy Myanmar is preparing to go to the polls for the first time since its military seized power in a coup in 2021, but with its former leader behind bars, its most successful political party disbanded and roughly a third of the country either disputed or in rebel hands, few believe claims by its military rulers that its 28 December election will be “free and fair”. “This is not for the people, this is for themselves,” says Pai, 25, who fled Myanmar

Joe Dromey, head of the Labour thinktank, urges his party to take on the ‘twin populisms’ of Reform UK and the Greens The Green party leader, Zack Polanski, is offering voters “unicorns” and Labour must confront his “fantasy” solutions such as the idea that a wealth tax would fix the public finances, according to the Fabian Society’s general secretary, Joe Dromey. Much of the government’s fire is trained on Nigel Farage. But in an end-of-year interview, the head of Labour’s internal thinktank urges his party to take on the “twin populisms” of Reform and Polanski. Continue reading...

Rent rises likely to slow after rapid increases in recent years, lenders and estate agents forecast First-time buyers are expected to drive the UK housing market in 2026, with further interest rate cuts likely to improve stretched affordability. The for-sale market should accelerate moderately, with prices rising by 2% to 4%, while rent rises are likely to slow from the rapid increases of recent years, according to lenders and estate agents. Continue reading...

Retailers say appetite for alcoholic drinks that are about half the strength of the traditional versions is soaring Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations often used to result in a hangover the next day, but with moderation now the order of the day the new drinks industry buzzword is “coasting”. This involves choosing a white wine, lager or even a cocktail that is about half the strength of the traditional version of the drink – meaning you can have the same number of drinks without feeling the worse for wear. Continue reading...

Fire chief says summer, the UK’s hottest on record, was ‘one of the most challenging for wildfires that we’ve ever faced’ Ten English fire services tackled a record number of grassland, woodland and crop fires during what was the UK’s hottest spring and summer on record, figures show. In total nearly 27,000 wildfires were dealt with by fire services in England during the prolonged dry weather of 2025, according to analysis by PA Media. Continue reading...

Bereaved relatives say delays over risks at village churchyards are causing distress and call for council action Families of people buried in graves vulnerable to coastal erosion say indecision over how to tackle the problem is causing them avoidable anguish about the final resting places of their loved ones. North Norfolk district council (NNDC) has identified three church graveyards in the villages of Happisburgh, Trimingham, and Mundesley as being at risk of being engulfed by the sea in the coming decades. Continue reading...

Officials claim to find ‘rampant fraud’ in childcare funding, but prosecutions began in Biden era and Tim Walz says ‘we’ve spent years cracking down on it’ The Trump administration announced on Tuesday that it is freezing federal funding for childcare programs in Minnesota after allegations of fraud – first exposed and prosecuted during the Biden administration – recently became the focus of conservative influencers and media outlets. Jim O’Neill, the deputy secretary of health and human services, said in a video statement that the funding freeze was in response to what he called “blatant fraud that appears to be rampant in Minnesota

A pity that Trump, or one of the 18 intelligence agencies reporting to him, did not trace the image back to its source Even while on holiday at his Florida resort, Donald Trump has refused to take a break from his unrelenting war on wind energy. Late Tuesday, the US president posted an image of a dead bird beneath a turbine on social media, accompanied by the lament: “Windmills are killing all of our beautiful Bald Eagles!” Continue reading...

Water stored as snow during the winter months feeds waterways in the summer and supplies cities and farms A series of December storms delivered a welcome boost to California’s snowpack, scientists said on Tuesday in a closely watched assessment of the state’s water resources for the year ahead. The snowpack survey recorded a snow depth of 24in (61cm), said Angelique Fabbiani-Leon, state hydrometeorologist at the California department of water resources’ snow surveys and water supply forecasting unit. The survey was conducted at the Phillips station in the Sierra Nevada, a mountain range that covers the eastern part of the state. Continue reading...

One person had made an emergency call after companion fell 500ft, but rescue copter couldn’t land due to high winds A man and two of his companions are dead after high winds prevented rescue crews from responding to a report of an injured hiker near a southern California mountain trail, the San Bernardino county sheriff’s department announced on Monday. The three bodies were discovered Monday evening along the Devil’s Backbone trail at Mount Baldy, which rises more than 10,000ft and sits just east of Los Angeles, according to a statement from the San Bernardino county sheriff’s department. Continue reading...

Lawyers for Brian Cole argue he should be released ahead of trial for allegedly planting devices in DC in 2021 The man accused of planting pipe bombs outside the headquarters of both the Democratic and Republican national committees the night before the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol appeared at a federal detention hearing before a magistrate judge on Tuesday. Earlier this month, authorities arrested Brian Cole Jr of Woodbridge, Virginia. He has yet to enter a plea. Cole’s lawyers argued that he should be released while he awaits trial, as he does not present any danger. They also noted that

Iranian students staged street protests in Tehran on Tuesday, a day after the capital’s shopkeepers demonstrated against economic hardship and won a message of understanding from the president. According to Ilna, a news agency associated with Iran’s labour movement, protests erupted at 10 universities across the country, including seven in Tehran that are among the country’s most prestigious. Protests also broke out at the technology university in the central city of Isfahan and institutions in...

American environmental journalist Tatiana Schlossberg, the granddaughter of late president John F. Kennedy, has died from cancer at the age of 35, her family announced on Tuesday. “Our beautiful Tatiana passed away this morning. She will always be in our hearts,” the family wrote in a statement posted on the JFK Library Foundation’s Instagram account. Schlossberg, a science and climate reporter for The New York Times, wrote movingly about her diagnosis with acute myeloid leukaemia in an essay...

France’s three-time presidential candidate, Marine Le Pen, is to attend the funeral next week of 1950s and 1960s film star Brigitte Bardot, a member of her team said on Tuesday. President Emmanuel Macron – who on Sunday hailed Bardot as a “legend” – would however not attend her funeral, a source in his office said. Bardot, who died aged 91 on Sunday, drew criticism in her later years for her anti-immigration views and for supporting the far-right. She was several times convicted in court for...

At least two oil tankers have made their way to Venezuela in recent days and others are navigating towards the country, a sign of ‍state-run oil and natural gas company PDVSA’s effort to expand floating storage and keep selling crude even as a US blockade has reduced exports to a minimum. US President Donald Trump this month announced a blockade of all sanctioned vessels going in or out of Venezuelan waters as part of a strategy to pressure Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The US move has...

Poland ‍has asked the European Commission to investigate TikTok after the social media platform hosted artificial intelligence-generated content including calls for Poland to withdraw from the EU, it said on Tuesday, adding that the content was almost certainly Russian disinformation. A TikTok profile showing videos of young women dressed in Polish national colours ⁠and calling for Poland to leave the EU has gained popularity in recent weeks. The profile has now disappeared from the...

Robbers used a large drill to break into a German bank’s vault room during the extended Christmas break and steal cash, gold and jewellery worth €30 million (US$35 million), police and the bank said on Tuesday. The spectacular heist in the western city of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia state, saw thieves smash open more than 3,000 safe deposit boxes and make off with the loot. While the criminals remained at large, hundreds of distressed bank customers massed outside the branch on Tuesday...

The French government on Tuesday postponed a ban on plastic throwaway cups by four years to 2030 because of difficulties finding alternatives. The ban was meant to start on January 1, but the ministry for ecological transition said that results from a recent review into the “technical feasibility of eliminating plastic from cups” justified pushing back the deadline. It said in an official decree that a new review would be carried out in 2028 of “progress made in replacing single-use plastic...

The United Arab Emirates said on Tuesday it ‌was pulling its remaining forces out of Yemen after Saudi Arabia backed a call for UAE forces to leave within 24 hours, deepening a crisis between the two Gulf powers and oil producers. Hours earlier, Saudi-led ‍coalition forces had attacked the southern Yemeni port of Mukalla. The air strike on what Riyadh said was a UAE-linked weapons shipment was the most significant escalation to date in a widening rift between the two Gulf monarchies. In...

Israel on Tuesday said it had suspended more than two dozen humanitarian organisations, including Médecins Sans Frontières and CARE, from operating in the Gaza Strip for failing to comply with new registration rules. Israel said the rules were aimed at preventing Hamas and other militant groups from infiltrating the aid organisations. But the organisations said the rules were arbitrary and warned that the new ban would harm a civilian population desperately in need of humanitarian aid. Israel...

Eurostar said on Tuesday it was restarting services suspended earlier over a power supply problem in the Channel Tunnel, as passengers travelling in the busy run-up to New Year faced massive disruption. Travellers were left scrambling to find alternatives after the operator postponed all services between London, Paris, Amsterdam and Brussels. “As the Channel Tunnel has partially reopened we will start to resume services,” Eurostar said in a statement on its website midafternoon. A spokesperson...

Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday threatened Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with imminent death in a text peppered with insults on Telegram. Medvedev, who is now deputy head of the Russian Security Council and is known for his invective against Ukraine and its allies, referred to the Christmas address of Zelensky, saying he had wished death upon “a person” – presumably Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. “It is clear to everyone that he wishes death not only on ‘one person’,...

US President Donald Trump’s hopes for a grand deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping are being undercut by American allies’ self-interested amplification of the “China threat”. This year’s Nanking massacre memorial was particularly poignant in light of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s controversial remarks on Taiwan. Beijing warned that any attempt to challenge the post-war international order or undermine established historical truths would be “doomed to failure”. Meanwhile, Singaporean...

Russia’s nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile system has entered active service in Belarus, Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Tuesday, as the US efforts to broker a deal to end the nearly four-year war in Ukraine have entered a pivotal stage. The ministry released a video showing combat vehicles that are part of the mobile intermediate-range ballistic missile system driving across a forest as part of combat training. The ministry’s announcement followed a statement from Belarusian President...

Hollywood star George Clooney has become French, along with his wife Amal Alamuddin Clooney and eight-year-old ⁠twins Alexander and Ella, an official decree on Monday showed. The publication, in France’s government gazette, confirms an ambition Clooney alluded to early in December, when he hailed French privacy laws that keep his family shielded from paparazzi. “I love the French culture, your language, even if I’m still bad at it after 400 days of courses,” the 64-year-old actor told RTL radio...

Looking back on 2025, we may be justified in calling it an annus horribilis for the world. There seems to be no end to the bad news: the war in Ukraine, the destruction of Gaza, the terror attack in Australia and the significant economic and political setbacks faced by many nations in Asia and across the world. All these paint a rather grim picture. However, there is more than a glimmer of hope on the horizon. International science cooperation has strengthened significantly this year, in spite...

Saudi Arabia bombed Yemen’s port city of Mukalla on Tuesday over what it described as a shipment of weapons for a separatist force there that arrived from the United Arab Emirates. The kingdom later directly linked the UAE to the separatists’ recent advances in Yemen and warned Abu Dhabi its actions were “extremely dangerous”. The attack signals a new escalation in tensions between the kingdom and the separatist forces of the Southern Transitional Council, which is backed by the Emirates. It...

Actor Idris Elba and ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean were among the hundreds named in British King Charles’ New Year ‌honours list published on Monday. The full list includes more than 1,157 people ‍in politics, sport, the arts or community service to be awarded titles from Member, Commander or Officer of the Order of the British Empire to the highest honours of knighthoods and damehoods. Elba, who is known for ⁠his roles in the television series Luther and The Wire, was awarded a...

Chinese firms are increasingly anchoring themselves in Dubai’s free trade zones to navigate trade barriers and tap new markets as rising protectionism and supply-chain shifts impact global commerce. Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), state-owned DP World’s flagship free economic zone at the western end of the city in the United Arab Emirates, hosted 507 Chinese companies as of November, nearly double the number in 2021. The trend reflected how a Middle Eastern hub offered companies “neutral, stable...

US President Donald Trump teased that he has a preferred candidate to be the next head of the Federal Reserve but is in no hurry to make an announcement while also musing that he might fire the central bank’s current leader, Jerome Powell. “I do, still do – hasn’t changed,” Trump said at a press conference on Monday, when asked if he has a favourite candidate. “I'll announce him at the right time. There’s plenty of time.” Trump added that Powell “should resign” and that he would “love to fire...

The United States said on Monday it had approved a US$1.8 billion sale of patrol aircraft to Denmark, despite renewed tension after an envoy of US President Donald Trump called again for seizing Greenland. The State Department said it approved a request from Denmark to buy the P-8A patrol and reconnaissance system from Boeing, which will include up to three aircraft. The sale will “support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of...

Venezuela criticised the United States on Monday over its decision to approve a large-scale arms sale to Taiwan, aligning itself with Beijing as tensions escalated around the island. In a statement issued by the foreign ministry, the Venezuelan government said the sale interfered in China’s internal affairs and breached international commitments undertaken by Washington. It reiterated its support for the one-China principle and said Taiwan is “an inalienable part of China’s territory”. The...

US President Donald Trump warned Iran of fresh strikes and said Hamas would have “hell to pay” if it fails to disarm in Gaza, as he presented a united front with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. Speaking at a news conference with Netanyahu in Florida, Trump threatened to “eradicate” any attempt by Tehran to rebuild its nuclear programme or ballistic missile arsenal following US and Israeli strikes earlier this year. Trump also played down reports of tensions with Netanyahu...

Israeli President Isaac Herzog denied a claim by Donald Trump on Monday that the pair had discussed the US president’s request for a pardon on corruption charges for Israel’s premier. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is accused of accepting luxury goods from billionaires in exchange for political favours, and of seeking to negotiate more favourable coverage from Israeli media outlets. “There has not been a conversation between President Herzog and President Trump since the pardon...

US President Donald Trump has indicated that the US has “hit” a dock facility along a shore as he wages a pressure campaign on Venezuela, but the US offered few details. Trump initially seemed to confirm a strike in what appeared to be an impromptu radio interview Friday, and when questioned Monday by reporters about “an explosion in Venezuela”, he said the US struck a facility where boats accused of carrying drugs “load up”. “There was a major explosion in the dock area where they load the...

The United Nations urged global leaders on Monday to focus on people and the planet in a New Year’s message depicting the world in chaos. “As we enter the new year, the world stands at a crossroads. Chaos and uncertainty surround us. Division. Violence. Climate breakdown. And systemic violations of international law,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a video message. In 2026, as war rages in Ukraine and elsewhere, world leaders must work to ease human suffering and fight climate...

Iran’s president urged his government to listen to the “legitimate demands” of protesters, state media reported Tuesday, after several days of demonstrations by shopkeepers in Tehran over economic hardships. Shopkeepers in the capital had shut their stores for the second day in a row on Monday, after Iran’s embattled currency hit new lows on the unofficial market. The US dollar was trading at around 1.42 million rials on Sunday - compared to 820,000 rials a year ago - and the euro nearing 1.7...

Following angry exchanges on Monday, Russia dealt a fresh blow to diplomatic efforts on Tuesday by refusing to substantiate claims of a Ukrainian attack on President Vladimir Putin’s residence, instead using the unverified incident as justification to harden its position in conflict negotiations with Kyiv. US President Donald Trump said Putin had told him about the alleged attack in a phone call on Monday morning, which had angered him. Still, Trump repeated his belief that a peace deal may be...

President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed into law changes that give Russia the right ‌to ignore judgments in criminal cases issued by foreign and international ‍courts amid Ukrainian and European attempts to punish Moscow for its actions in Ukraine. The move, which comes as US President Donald Trump is trying to broker a peace ⁠deal in Ukraine, appears to be a response to several initiatives to go after Russian officials and military officers for alleged war crimes in Ukraine, something Moscow...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he asked Donald Trump for US security guarantees lasting as long as half a century to help deter against any future Russian invasion. Current proposals under discussion as part of a peace plan set out a 15-year term with the possibility for an extension, though “I would like the guarantee to be much longer,” Zelensky said on Monday in an audio message to reporters. “We would like to consider the possibility of 30, 40, 50 years and then it will be a...

War drums not heard in half a century are beating across Europe. Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte has warned that Europe “must be prepared for the scale of war our grandparents and great grandparents endured”. British and French defence chiefs have urged their respective nations to be ready to lose children in the fight against Russia. Britain’s foreign intelligence agency MI6 warns of a “grey zone” between war and peace, citing threats from Moscow. Russian President Vladimir Putin accuses...

The United States on Monday announced a US$2 billion pledge for UN humanitarian aid as President Donald Trump’s administration continued to slash US foreign assistance and warn United Nations agencies to “adapt, shrink or die” in a time of new financial realities. The money is a small fraction of what the US has contributed in the past but reflected what the administration believes is a generous amount that would maintain the United States’ status as the world’s largest humanitarian donor. The...

When US President Donald Trump stood outside the White House on April 2 and unveiled his punitive “Liberation Day” tariffs on most US trading partners, Asia was singled out for particularly harsh punishment. With the region accounting for seven of the 10 economies with the largest trade surpluses with the US, Asia was bound to be hit hard. However, as 2025 draws to a close, Asia’s economies have shown remarkable resilience. While several factors are at play, the most important one is the boom in...

We have put together stories from our coverage last weekend to help you stay informed about news across Asia and beyond. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Chinese nuclear experts believe Japan could build nukes in less than 3 years The late US statesman Henry Kissinger’s dire warning about Tokyo aiming to become a nuclear power by 2028 is being re-examined by Beijing. 2. A year after near total blackout, China builds world’s largest smart...

Mexican authorities ‌said on Sunday that at least 13 people were killed ‍after an Interoceanic Train carrying 250 people derailed in the southern state of Oaxaca. The Mexican Navy said the train, which derailed near the town of Nizanda, was carrying nine ⁠crew members and 241 passengers. Of those on board, 139 were reported to be out of danger, while 98 were injured, including 36 who were receiving medical assistance. President Claudia Sheinbaum said on X that five of the injured were in...

US President Donald Trump is expected to ‌push for progress in the stalled ceasefire in Gaza when he meets Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday for talks ‍that will include Israel’s concerns over Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran. Netanyahu said this month that Trump had invited him for talks, as Washington pushes to establish transitional governance and an international security force for the Palestinian enclave. It will be Netanyahu’s fifth visit to see Trump in the United States...

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said he will swiftly form a new government after ‍his party won half the votes in Sunday’s election, signalling a possible end to the year-long political deadlock that has paralysed parliament and delayed key international funding. The vote is the second this year in Kosovo after Kurti’s Vetevendosje Party fell short of a majority in February. Months of failed coalition talks prompted President Vjosa Osmani to dissolve parliament in November and call an early...

Two helicopters crashed mid-air in New Jersey on Sunday, killing one person and critically injuring another, authorities said. Hammonton Police Chief Kevin Friel said rescuers responded to a report of an aviation crash at about 11.25am. Video from the scene shows a helicopter spinning rapidly to the ground. Police and fire crews subsequently extinguished flames that engulfed one of the helicopters. The Federal Aviation Administration described the crash as a mid-air collision between an Enstrom...

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky were “getting a lot closer, ‌maybe very close” to an agreement to end the war in Ukraine, while acknowledging that the fate of the disputed Donbas region remained a key unresolved issue. The two leaders spoke at a joint news ‍conference after meeting at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Sunday afternoon. Both leaders reported progress on two of the most contentious issues in peace talks: security...

The UK prime minister is facing criticism after he celebrated the return to Britain of a human-rights activist who was recently released from an Egyptian prison but whose past social media posts apparently contained violent and antisemitic language. Successive British governments have campaigned for the release of Alaa Abdel-Fattah, a dual national who had been imprisoned in Egypt for most of the past 14 years. He returned to the UK on Friday after Egyptian authorities lifted a travel ban that...

At least three people were killed on Sunday during Alawite protests in western Syria, health authorities said, as thousands took to the streets across the religious minority’s heartland following a deadly mosque bombing. Thousands in coastal provinces and central Syria participated in demonstrations called by a religious authority to protest the mosque attack in Homs on Friday that killed eight people and reignited minorities’ fears under the new Islamist authorities. War monitor the Syrian...

Iran launched three domestically built observation satellites into space from Russia on Sunday, state television reported, marking a new step for Tehran’s space programme despite Western sanctions. The country maintains that its aerospace industry is peaceful and complies with UN Security Council resolutions imposed over its nuclear programme. “Three Iranian satellites, Zafar-2, Paya and Kowsar 1.5, were launched into space by a Soyuz rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome in Russia,” Iranian...

When the MetroCard replaced the New York City subway token in 1994, the swipeable plastic card infused much-needed modernity into one of the world’s oldest and largest transit systems. Now, more than three decades later, the gold-hued fare card and its notoriously finicky magnetic strip are following the token into retirement. The last day to buy or refill a MetroCard is December 31, 2025, as the transit system fully transitions to OMNY, a contactless payment system that allows riders to tap...

Brigitte Bardot, the French actress who set the standard for a generation of female sex symbols in the 1960s and devoted her later life to animal rights, has died. She was 91. Agence France-Presse reported her death on Sunday, citing a statement from her foundation that did not provide details. The archetype of beauty to millions of men, Bardot spawned an era of curvy, pouting, insouciant actresses with her role as a self-assured small-town sexpot in And God Created Woman (1956). Throughout the...

Russian ‌President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine was in no hurry for peace ‍and if it did not want to resolve their conflict peacefully, Moscow would accomplish all its goals by force. Putin’s remarks on Saturday, carried by state news agency Tass, followed a vast ⁠Russian drone and missile attack that prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to say Russia was showing its wish to continue the war while Kyiv wanted peace. Zelensky is to meet US President Donald Trump in Florida on Sunday to...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will sit down on Sunday with Donald Trump and seek to secure the US president’s stamp of approval for a new proposal to end the nearly four-year conflict with Russia. The 20-point plan, which emerged from weeks of intense US-Ukraine negotiations, lacks Moscow’s approval, and the face-to-face in Florida comes in the wake of a massive Russian missile and drone attack on Kyiv. The meeting, hosted by Trump at his opulent Mar-a-Lago residence, will be the pair’s...

The mayor-elect said the selections indicate his administration’s commitment to help New York City’s vulnerable residents.

An environmental journalist and child of Caroline Kennedy, she wrote of her struggle with leukemia in The New Yorker in November, drawing worldwide sympathy.

Tatiana Schlossberg, who died on Tuesday, was the granddaughter of John F. Kennedy. But as a journalist, her first editor remembers, she insisted on putting in the work.

Many opt out of the revelry, either as their own time-honored tradition or because of a different outlook this year.

By holding a left-leaning seat in suburban Des Moines, Democrats ensured that Republicans would not have a supermajority in the State Senate.

The U.S. military tried to intercept the Bella 1 last week in the Caribbean Sea as it headed to Venezuela to pick up oil.

A Democrat turned Republican, he was the only Native American during three terms in the House of Representatives and in 12 years in the Senate. He was also a judo expert and an Olympian.

Protests have erupted in Aceh Province on the northern tip of Sumatra island, where anger and frustration are mounting over what many see as inadequate relief efforts by a distracted government.

Katherine Maher has taken an unyielding approach to NPR’s biggest battles — which has sometimes put her at odds with her colleagues in public media.

The authorities closed access to part of Mount Baldy, the tallest peak in the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California. They cited dangerous and unpredictable terrain and weather.

America could all but lose vaccine access. Here’s how.

A tale of two cities, told through its pubs.

The organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, have resisted providing Israel with detailed information about their workers.

In one of his most enduring roles, he played a corrupt state senator known for his ability to fashion an expletive into an outstretched catchphrase.

After Christmas-week storms, two rounds of rainfall starting on New Year’s Eve could cause more flooding and mudslides.

The Republican served for almost three decades in Congress. He said he was withdrawing from public life after the diagnosis.