Minimalist News

Nuclear Reactors For Investors Submitted by Steffan Szumowski from The Nuclear Review “We’re designing a Liquid Metal Reactor” “Our design will utilize proven technologies” “The design makes our reactor ‘walk-away safe’” There’s a growing list of public and private companies that are working to build reactors for various purposes. These reactors vary widely in their design, size, output, and potential purpose. Everything is on the table: from using the same designs we've used for decades to novel ideas still only on the drawing board. This article is designed to serve as a point of reference when reading about a new company and the reactor they’re designing.

Trump Poised To Greatly Ease Federal Marijuana Regulation In a move seen as long overdue by many people on both sides of America's left-right political divide, President Trump is expected to use an executive order to dramatically reduce federal restrictions on marijuana. The order, which may come in the next few weeks, will direct federal agencies to move toward reclassifying marijuana as a "Schedule III" drug, which would put it on the same level as common prescription painkillers. The shift would carry implications for not only for patients, medical researchers and recreational users, but the many companies seeking to thrive in

Delivery Theft And Scams Are Reshaping Holiday Shopping Decisions In 2025 Americans may be preparing for holiday sales and gift lists, but a new survey shows that growing anxiety over safety and scams is shaping how they shop in 2025. Concerns about home security, crowded retail environments, and package theft are pushing changes in buying behavior, from delivery choices to how—and when—people visit stores, according to a study from Hanwah Vision. The key findings were: * 62% of Americans are concerned about porch pirates this year. * 59.5% would pay more for secure delivery options. * 40.5% of Americans say that

The Trans-Siberian Railway Is Poised To Play A Pivotal Role In Joint Russian-US Projects Authored by Andrew Korybko via Substack, Unlocking this mutually profitable opportunity requires the US to first successfully manage the Turkish-Russian tensions in Central Asia that it’s responsible for exacerbating through TRIPP. The US’ management of Turkish-Russian tensions in the South Caucasus and Central Asia, which was proposed here as part of a larger NATO-Russian Non-Aggression Pact, could lead to the merger of its planned rare earth mineral (REM) investments in Central Asia and related post-Ukraine joint projects in Russia. Regarding the first, Trump clinched such deals with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan during the latest C5+1 Summit in DC, while

Chinese Drone "Mothership" Capable Of Swarm Attack Takes Flight Whether launched from shipping containers, robotic arms, commercial box trucks, or delivered by heavyweight jet-powered mothership drones, the creativity of military technology developers in designing and deploying loitering-munition swarms has been remarkable to watch. The latest piece of military hardware to hit our radar is China's Jiutian ("Nine Heavens") unmanned aerial mothership, capable of hauling up to six tons of guided bombs, air-to-air and anti-ship missiles, or entire racks of kamikaze drones. Jiutian's internal bay can deploy up to 100 kamikaze drones for a saturation-swarm attack, flying in coordinated patterns to strike targets simultaneously

Battle For Rare Earths And Recognition: Germany's Wadephul Arrives In China As A Supplicant Submitted by Thomas Kolbe After German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul was forced to cancel his October trip to China due to a lack of scheduled meetings, he has now finally met with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Commerce Minister Wang Wentao. At the center of the talks was one issue with immense strategic weight for Germany and Europe: the future handling of critical raw materials—above all rare earths. The relationship between Germany and the EU on the one hand and China’s political leadership on the other is clearly creaking.

Who's Glued To The 'Telly'? The United Kingdom has a particularly strong culture of television viewership. As Statista's Anna Fleck reports, according to a survey by Statista Consumer Insights, almost a third of UK respondents watch at least 11 hours of television per week. You will find more infographics at Statista This is slightly higher than other European nations such as France at 29 percent, or Germany at 28 percent. By contrast, China has a far lower share of heavy TV users, at just 16 percent. Tyler Durden Fri, 12/12/2025 - 02:45

Brussels Bureaucrats Push For Expanded Legal Migration Routes Into Europe To Help Those Who 'Dream Of A Better Life' Authored by Thomas Brooke via Remix News, The European Union must expand legal migration channels and intensify pressure on the criminal networks behind illegal border crossings, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday at a global migration conference in Brussels. Von der Leyen argued that creating structured, regulated routes into the EU is essential if the bloc wants to reduce reliance on smuggling networks. > “We must open more safe pathways, legal pathways to Europe,” she said, urging closer cooperation between Europe

NYT Editorial Board Urges US To Prepare For Future War With China Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com, The New York Times editorial board released a video this week calling for the US to "prepare for the future of war" and urged the Pentagon to take drastic steps to be better prepared for a potential fight with China, a conflict that could quickly turn nuclear. "US politicians often boast that America has the ‘Strongest and most powerful military in the history of the world’ but behind closed doors, they’re being told a different story," the editorial board said. "New York Times Opinion has learned that the Pentagon

Gaming The System: Huge Proportion Of 'Elite' University Students Claiming Disabilities Just when you thought the ongoing cultivation of weakness in American youth couldn't get much worse, huge proportions of the student bodies at US universities are enrolling with official disability designations that bestow various accommodations upon the students who claim them. As you may have expected, the alarming trend is most pronounced at what are supposed to be the most "elite" institutions.  We're not talking about people in wheelchairs, but rather students snagging diagnoses for ADHD, anxiety and depression from indulgent doctors. "It’s rich kids getting extra time on tests," an un-tenured professor at

FDA Investigating Deaths Potentially Linked To COVID-19 Vaccines Across Age Ranges Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is looking into the potential links between COVID-19 vaccination and deaths in various age groups, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). A nurse holds a COVID-19 vaccine in Miami, Fla., in this undated file photograph. Joe Raedle/Getty Images The FDA investigation is being carried out as part of a safety review, a HHS spokesperson said on Dec. 9. The probe follows a Nov. 28 memo by Dr. Vinay Prasad, director of the FDA’s

Criminalizing Bible Verses? Canadian Lawmakers Target Religious Expression With Proposed 'Hate Speech' Amendment In a move that should alarm anyone who is pro-free speech, members of Canada’s Liberal Party have capitulated to pressure from Quebec’s ultra-secular separatist party by voting to strip away a longstanding religious exemption from the country's hate-speech laws as part of the draconian Bill C-9, also known as the so-called Combating Hate Act. Clergy stand outside of the Martyrs' Shrine in Ontario, Canada Canada’s Criminal Code has long shielded good-faith religious expression with a clear exemption that speech is not hate propaganda “if, in good faith, the person expressed

Jordan Peterson Out Of Hospital But Still "Very Unwell", Daughter Says Authored by Jennifer Cowan via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Canadian psychologist and public speaker Jordan Peterson is continuing to fight an uphill battle with his health but has returned home after spending several months in the hospital, his daughter says. Author, media commentator, and clinical psychologist Jordan Peterson addresses the 5th Demographic Summit in the Fine Arts Museum in Budapest on Sept. 14, 2023. Attila Kisbenedek/AFP via Getty Images Mikhaila Peterson shared an update on social media this week—her first since October—to announce her father’s return home after spending time in an

US Solar Installations Soar As Developers Rush To Secure Tax Credits The U.S. solar market saw a significant jump in capacity installations in the third quarter as developers ramp up activity and construction to qualify for the last investment tax credits that are being phased out by the Trump Administration. As OilPrice reported, the industry added 11.7 gigawatts direct current (GWdc) of solar power capacity in the third quarter of 2025, up by 20% from a year earlier and a massive 49% surge compared to the second quarter. That was the third-largest quarter for deployment in the industry’s history, the Solar Energy

Israel Used Palantir Technology In Its 2024 Lebanon Pager Attack Via Middle East Eye Palantir software was used by Israel in its 2024 pager attacks in Lebanon, according to a new book by Alex Karp, co-founder of the Palantir tech company. On September 17, thousands of pagers belonging to Hezbollah members, including civilians not involved in any armed activity, were detonated across Lebanon. Many showed "error" messages and vibrated loudly prior to exploding, luring Hezbollah members or, in some cases, their family members to stand close by at the point of detonation. The next day more communication devices exploded, including at the public funerals of Hezbollah members and

Top Democrat: Murder Of DC National Guard Just An 'Unfortunate Accident' During a heated House Committee on Homeland Security hearing on Thursday, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) sparked outrage by dismissing the Thanksgiving-eve shooting of two National Guardsmen in Washington, D.C., as an "unfortunate accident." The casual characterization of what DHS Secretary Kristi Noem quickly corrected as a terrorist attack revealed Thompson's apparent inability—or refusal—to acknowledge the gravity of the attack that left 20-year-old U.S. Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom dead, and 24-year-old U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe critically wounded. The exchange began when Thompson referenced what he called "the unfortunate accident

The Million Petty Annoyances Of California's Regulatory State Authored by Edward Ring via American Greatness, The litany of reasons California is broken is well documented. The highest cost of living and the highest taxes. The highest percentages of homeless people and people living in poverty. Unaffordable homes and unaffordable rent. High crime and failing schools. A hostile business climate and record migration out of state as people and businesses flee. But not often enough are we reminded of the countless small things that have gone wrong. Small things that add up to a big problem: a state legislature that is out of touch

Blue State Governors Are Refusing To Implement Trump's 'No Tax On Tips' On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump promised to end federal taxes on tips and overtime. Democrats dismissed it as an election-year ploy to win votes, but Trump delivered on that promise when he signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on July 4, which eliminated taxes on tips and overtime for service and hospitality workers. However, blue-state Democrats like New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis are, in the words of Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, “deliberately blocking their own residents” from accessing

What Is Really Happening With Vaccination Policy? Authored by Jeffrey A. Tucker via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), The national press was overtaken with hullabaloo following the recent meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). This is a committee that serves under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), providing a check of outside expertise on what would otherwise be a bureaucratic edict. Dr. Robert Malone speaks during a meeting of the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) in Atlanta, Ga., on Dec. 5, 2025. Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images It brings together outside experts from academia and medicine to provide guidance

Letitia James Off The Hook Again As 2nd Grand Jury Refuses To Indict New York Attorney General Letitia James has dodged yet another bullet from the Trump DOJ, after a second federal grand jury in Alexandria, Virginia declined to indict her on mortgage fraud charges for the second time in a week, after their first case against James was dismissed because a federal judge ruled that Halligan's appointment as interim US attorney was invalid under federal law because she took office after the statutory 120-day interim appointment period had expired.  Apparently "any good prosecutor" cannot get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich. Or we're not dealing

Bryan Stern recounts hazardous night mission that provided perfect cover for Venezuelan opposition leader’s escape María Corina Machado’s getaway from Venezuela involved a long, “scary” and very wet sea crossing in the dead of night with no lights, according to the American man who says he led the operation. Bryan Stern, who heads a nonprofit rescue organisation, detailed the mission in an CBS interview published on Thursday after the Venezuelan opposition figure emerged in Norway after the Nobel peace prize ceremony. Continue reading...

Six more oil supertankers added to sanctions list, as well as members of Maduro’s extended family, amid rising tensions following tanker seizure Donald Trump has exerted more pressure on Venezuela’s president Nicolás Maduro, expanding sanctions and issuing fresh threats to strike land targets in Venezuela, as the South American dictator accused the US president of ushering in a new “era of criminal naval piracy” in the Caribbean. Late on Thursday, the US imposed curbs on three nephews of Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, as well as six crude oil supertankers and the shipping companies linked to them. The treasury department alleged the vessels

President Nayib Bukele entrusting chatbot known for calling itself ‘MechaHitler’ to create ‘AI-powered’ curricula Elon Musk is partnering with the government of El Salvador to bring his artificial intelligence company’s chatbot, Grok, to more than 1 million students across the country, according to a Thursday announcement by xAI. Over the next two years, the plan is to “deploy” the chatbot to more than 5,000 public schools in an “AI-powered education program”. xAI’s Grok is more known for referring to itself as “MechaHitler” and espousing far-right conspiracy theories than it is for public education. Over the past year, the chatbot has spewed various

Ábrego plans return to Maryland as DHS pledges to appeal judge’s decision, calling ruling ‘naked judicial activism’ Kilmar Ábrego García has been freed from an immigration detention facility in Pennsylvania after a federal judge in Maryland ordered his release on Thursday. Ábrego was released shortly before 5pm ET, his attorney told the Associated Press. He plans to return to Maryland, where he has lived for many years with his US citizen wife and child after first entering the country illegally as a teenager. 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...

Conservationists fear up to 11% of Tapanuli population perished in disaster that also killed 1,000 people Indonesia’s deadly flooding was an “extinction-level disturbance” for the world’s rarest great ape, the Tapanuli orangutan, causing catastrophic damage to its habitat and survival prospects, scientists warned on Friday. Only scientifically classified as a species in 2017, Tapanulis are incredibly rare, with fewer than 800 left in the wild, confined to a small range in part of Indonesia’s Sumatra. Continue reading...

Notoriously difficult entrance exam is regarded as gateway to economic security and even a good marriage The chief organiser of South Korea’s notoriously gruelling university entrance exams has resigned – after complaints that an English test he designed was too difficult. Passing the exam, known locally as the Suneung, is essential for admission to prestigious universities and regarded as a gateway to upward social mobility, economic security and even a good marriage. Continue reading...

Co-founder of Singapore-based Terraform Labs given more jail time by US judge than prosecutors sought Do Kwon, the entrepreneur behind two cryptocurrencies that lost $40bn (£29.8bn) three years ago and caused the sector to crash, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for fraud. The South Korean, 34, had pleaded guilty to two counts of US charges of conspiracy to defraud and wire fraud. Continue reading...

Move follows a disagreement with the largest grouping in parliament, with elections to be held within 45-60 days Thailand’s prime minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, announced on Thursday that he is “returning power to the people”, moving to dissolve parliament and clear the way for elections earlier than previously anticipated. Government spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat said the move followed a disagreement with the largest grouping in parliament, the opposition People’s party. “This happened because we can’t go forward in parliament,” he told Reuters. 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...

Federal resources minister Madeleine King announces five new offshore exploration zones as part of future gas strategy * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The Greens and environmental groups have condemned the federal government’s move to encourage more offshore gas exploration, describing it as an “environmental betrayal” that undermines Labor’s climate agenda. The minister for resources, Madeleine King, this week announced five new areas in the Otway basin, stretching from waters off the south-west coast of Victoria to the ocean west of Tasmania, would be opened up for gas exploration as part of the government’s future gas

Environmental advocates welcome Net Zero Commission’s report which found the fossil fuel was ‘not consistent’ with emissions reductions commitments * Sign up for climate and environment editor Adam Morton’s free Clear Air newsletter here * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The New South Wales government has been warned it can no longer approve coalmine developments after the state’s climate agency found new expansions would be inconsistent with its legislated emissions targets. In what climate advocates described as a significant turning point in campaigns against new fossil fuel programs, the NSW Net Zero Commission said coalmine expansions

Figure revealed this week was so low the Australian Services Union asked if it was a typographical error * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast The Australian Taxation Office is aiming to reduce its outsourced work by $500,000 this financial year within its $4.5bn annual operating budget, a figure so small the union says it presumed it was a typo. Senator Barbara Pocock said the amount, revealed after a Senate Estimates hearing, was “woefully inadequate” for a major agency that should be leading the way on reducing reliance on contractors and consultants. Continue reading...

Reality TV star jailed for trying to cover up evidence after the 2022 crash that killed co-star Chris ‘Willow’ Wilson * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Reality television star Matt Wright has been accused of “callousness” and given a 10-month jail sentence for attempting to pervert the course of justice following a fatal helicopter crash. The 47-year-old was sentenced by Acting Justice Alan Blow at the supreme court in Darwin on Friday. Continue reading...

Fires are burning across NSW, with Tasmania also facing an emergency, while in the US, Washington state braces for floods Bushfires have been ravaging Australia, with more than 50 burning throughout New South Wales, destroying homes and causing at least one death. Nine blazes remained out of control on Monday as flames ripped through homes and critical infrastructure. Scorching temperatures – peaking at 41C in Koolewong – combined with fierce, erratic winds to spread the fires rapidly and made them harder to control. On Sunday night an Australian firefighter was killed after a tree fell on him while he worked on a

Foreign ministry says there has been ‘significant increase in Russian hybrid activities’ and government will decide on further diplomatic measures later Russia’s central bank said it was suing the Belgium-based Euroclear financial group, which holds Moscow’s frozen international reserves, as the EU moves closer to using the funds to support Ukraine, AFP reported. The bank said it was filing “a lawsuit against Euroclear in the Moscow Arbitration Court” due to what it called “the illegal actions” of the institution. Continue reading...

Decision would anger environmental campaigners, who say it would amount to ‘gutting’ of green deal * Business live – latest updates The EU’s outright ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2035 is poised to be watered down, a senior European parliament politician has said. The decision, expected to be announced by the European Commission on Tuesday in Strasbourg, would be a divisive move, angering environmental campaigners who argue it would amount to the “gutting” of the EU’s flagship green deal. Continue reading...

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...

Mohammadi ‘violently’ detained along with other activists at memorial event in Mashhad, according to her foundation Iranian security forces have “violently” arrested the 2023 Nobel peace prize winner Narges Mohammadi at a memorial ceremony, her supporters said. Mohammadi, who was granted temporary leave from prison in December 2024, was detained along with several other activists at the ceremony for Khosrow Alikordi, who was found dead in his office last week, her foundation wrote on X. 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

Lawyers say people ‘don’t feel safe to leave their home’ as officials target recent arrivals and those awaiting hearings Immigration agents appear to be increasingly arresting and detaining Afghan asylum seekers, especially men, who have arrived in the US recently and are awaiting court hearings to decide their cases. Amir – an asylum seeker who came to the US via Mexico in 2024 – was driving home from his English class in Bloomington, Indiana just after noon on Monday, when he was pulled over by an unmarked police vehicle. Minutes later, the asylum seeker from Afghanistan was cuffed and driven to a

Conflict monitors say the junta has increased airstrikes year-on-year since the start of Myanmar’s civil war Dozens have been killed in a military strike on a hospital in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state, according to an aid worker, a rebel group, a witness and local media reports, as the junta wages a withering offensive ahead of elections beginning this month. “The situation is very terrible,” said on-site aid worker Wai Hun Aung. “As for now, we can confirm there are 31 deaths and we think there will be more deaths. Also there are 68 wounded and will be more and more.” 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...

Scottish rock band says image ‘meant to provoke debate, not hate’ after many at concert accuse group of antisemitism The Scottish rock group, Primal Scream, has defended displaying an image of a swastika inside a Star of David during a London gig, in response to accusations of racism and antisemitism. During a performance at the London’s Roundhouse, a video was shown on stage of a swastika in the centre of a Star of David that was then superimposed over eyes of images of political figures, including the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the US president, Donald Trump. Continue reading...

Lilian Greenwood condemns Conservative ‘mixed messages’ and promises a system that works for everybody * UK politics live – latest updates Conservative policies that pitted drivers against cyclists risked making the roads less safe by inflaming tensions, a minister has said, promising that the era of transport culture wars is over. Lilian Greenwood, whose Department for Transport (DfT) role includes road safety and active travel, said seeking to divide road users into categories was pointless given most people used different transport methods at different times. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Force to pay damages to Aisha Jung, who was put into a police van and held until 4am The Metropolitan police have agreed to pay £7,500 in damages to a woman arrested at a Gaza protest for holding up a placard that said: “Apartheid Israel, what a cuntry.” Aisha Jung, 53, from south London, was with her husband and two of her sons, aged 10 and 11, when police arrested her at the November 2023 demonstration in Trafalgar Square, central London, telling her that the sign could be considered offensive. Continue reading...

Mark Rowley says capital is a safe city, and claims of no-go areas are ‘completely false’ Members of the House of Lords have proposed “totally unnecessary” and “very cruel” amendments to the assisted dying bill in a bid to scupper it, Kim Leadbeater, the MP leading the campaign for the legislation, has said. Kiran Stacey has the story. I have beefed up the post at 9.08am to include the direct quote from Wes Streeting about not being able to guarantee patient safety in the NHS if the strike by resident doctors in England goes ahead. You may need to refresh the page

Balshaw, who joined in 2017, helped steer organisation through Covid-19 and fluctuating attendance Maria Balshaw is to step down as the director of Tate in 2026, after a challenging nine-year tenure when she steered the organisation through the Covid-19 pandemic and had to deal with fluctuating attendance figures and financial instability. Balshaw, who joined as director in June 2017 after a celebrated spell as the leader of the Whitworth in Manchester, said it was a privilege to serve as director but now was the time for her to move on. Continue reading...

President spoke at Congressional ball after Senate rejected two competing proposals to address imminent expiration of Obamacare subsidies The admiral in charge of US military forces in Latin America will retire two years early, AP reports, amid rising tensions with Venezuela that include Wednesday’s seizure of an oil tanker and more than 20 deadly strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats. Three US officials and two people familiar with the matter told Reuters that Admiral Alvin Holsey was pushed out by defense secretary Pete Hegseth. Two officials said Hegseth had grown frustrated with Southern Command as he sought to flex US military operations and

Measure to add two GOP-friendly seats failed 19-31 after 21 Republicans joined 10 Democrats. Plus, how the Paris climate treaty changed the world Good morning. Indiana Republicans rejected an effort to redraw the state’s lines on Thursday in a rebuke to Donald Trump and Republican efforts to add two more Republican-friendly seats to Indiana’s congressional districts. How might the administration react to the vote? Heritage Action, the advocacy branch of the conservative Heritage Foundation, posted on social media: “President Trump has made it clear to Indiana leaders: if the Indiana senate fails to pass the map, all federal funding will be stripped from

Exclusive: Congress members seek answers after Guardian revealed data to be shared for immigration enforcement More than 20 members of Congress are demanding answers from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and homeland security officials after the Guardian revealed the VA is compiling a report on all non-US citizens “employed by or affiliated with” the government agency that will then be shared with other federal agencies, including immigration authorities. The lawmakers, led by Illinois congresswoman Delia Ramirez – along with congressman Mark Takano of California and US senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, the top Democrats on the House and Senate veterans affairs

This live blog is now closed. * Trump at a glance: president ‘sick of meetings’ as Ukraine-Russia peace deal talks drag on * Indiana Republicans reject effort to redraw voting maps in rebuke to Trump 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

Order, which lacks the force of law, also creates taskforce whose ‘sole responsibility’ will be challenging states’ AI laws Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday that seeks to halt any laws limiting artificial intelligence and block states from regulating the rapidly emerging technology. The order also creates a federal taskforce that will have the “sole responsibility” of challenging states’ AI laws. At a signing ceremony, the president touted AI companies’ enthusiasm for wanting to “invest” in the United States and said that “if they had to get 50 different approvals from 50 different states, you could forget it”. Continue reading...

A Chinese business group has urged the European Union to halt its “discriminatory and disproportionate” use of anti-subsidy probes to target Chinese companies, as Brussels steps up its scrutiny of firms allegedly receiving unfair state subsidies. The EU launched an in-depth foreign subsidy regulation (FSR) investigation against the Chinese security firm Nuctech on Thursday, just days after Brussels reportedly raided the Chinese-invested e-commerce platform Temu’s European headquarters in Dublin...

The United States is preparing to intercept more ships transporting Venezuelan oil following the seizure of a tanker this week, as it increases pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, six sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday. The seizure was the first interdiction of an oil cargo or tanker from Venezuela, which has been under US sanctions since 2019. It came as the US executes a large-scale military build-up in the southern Caribbean and as US President Donald Trump pushes...

A massive international grey market in mobile phone SIM cards is fuelling large-scale manipulation and fraud online, a University of Cambridge study has found. The researchers say physical and virtual SIMs from providers like SMSActivate, 5Sim, SMShub and SMSPVA were being used to verify fake accounts on social media platforms and e-commerce services. “We find a thriving underground market through which inauthentic content, artificial popularity and political influence campaigns are readily and...

Greece’s finance minister was on Thursday named head of the Eurogroup, the body that helps shape euro zone policy, underlining his country’s turnaround since the years when it came close to crashing out of the single currency. Kyriakos Pierrakakis saw off the rival Belgian candidate to become president of the assembly of finance ministers from the 20 countries sharing the euro. Greece had to be bailed out three times between 2010 and 2015 by euro zone governments to avoid economic collapse after...

We have selected seven stories from this week’s news across Hong Kong, mainland China, the wider Asia region and beyond that resonated with our readers and shed light on topical issues. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. China desalination tech makes fresh water cheaper than tap water – plus hydrogen China has launched a revolutionary facility in the eastern province of Shandong that produces fresh water from seawater for just two yuan (US$0.28) per...

Canada’s governing Liberals were one seat short of a simple majority in Parliament after a Conservative lawmaker defected and joined Prime Minister Mark Carney’s party on Thursday. Michael Ma was the second Canadian Conservative opposition lawmaker to join the Liberals in just over a month. Hong Kong-born Ma, who represents Markham–Unionville, said he entered politics “to focus on solutions, not division”. “I have concluded that Prime Minister Mark Carney is offering the steady, practical...

A Hollywood director was convicted on Thursday on charges that he scammed Netflix out of US$11 million for a show that never materialised, while he instead used the cash for lavish purchases that included several Rolls-Royces, a Ferrari and about US$1 million in mattresses and luxury bedding. Carl Erik Rinsch, best known for directing the film 47 Ronin, was convicted of wire fraud, money laundering and other charges, according to court records and a spokesperson for federal prosecutors in New...

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is rapidly cementing its position as a global leader in the digital asset sector on the back of its regulatory infrastructure and the institutional adoption of cryptocurrencies, according to industry insiders at the fourth edition of Abu Dhabi Finance Week (ADFW). Speaking at ADFW, the largest financial and investment gathering in the Middle East and North Africa, Binance co-CEO Richard Teng said the UAE had been at the industry’s forefront, as capital city Abu...

The Indiana Senate on Thursday rejected a new congressional map that would have boosted Republican chances of keeping control of the US House of Representatives in next year’s midterm elections, dealing a blow to President Donald Trump’s nationwide push to install more favourable maps. The vote represented a rare rebuke to Trump by members of his own party, which he has largely ruled with an iron fist as president. The tally was 31-19 against, with more than half of Republican senators joining...

One-time cryptocurrency mogul Do Kwon was sentenced on Thursday to 15 years in prison after a US$40 billion crash revealed his crypto ecosystem to be a fraud. Victims said the 34-year-old financial technology whiz weaponised their trust to convince them that the investment – secretly propped up by cash infusions – was safe. Kwon, a Stanford graduate known by some as “the cryptocurrency king”, apologised after listening as victims – one in court and others by telephone – described the scam’s...

A grand jury declined for a second time to reindict New York Attorney General Letitia James on Thursday, refusing to resurrect a mortgage fraud prosecution encouraged by US President Donald Trump, according to a person familiar with the matter. It is another major blow to the Justice Department after the dismissal of earlier charges against James and another long-time Trump foe, former FBI director James Comey, in a stunning rebuke of the Trump administration’s efforts to prosecute the...

An oil tanker seized by American forces off the Venezuelan coast will be brought to a port in the United States, the White House said Thursday, as fears mount of open conflict between the two countries. Washington took control of the tanker in a dramatic raid that saw US forces rope down from a helicopter onto the vessel in an operation that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said was aimed at leftist Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro’s “regime”. President Donald Trump’s administration has...

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Thursday defended her government’s decision to impose new import tariffs, hours after the Senate approved legislation allowing duties of up to 50 per cent on more than 1,400 products from Asian countries. The measure, widely seen as aimed at curbing Chinese imports, comes as Mexico prepares for a review of its trade agreement with the United States and Canada next year. Sheinbaum described the move as part of her administration’s plan to strengthen domestic...

Bulgaria’s prime minister announced on Thursday that his government was resigning after less than a year in office following a series of anti-corruption protests, making fresh elections likely. The Balkan EU member, which is introducing the euro from January, has seen a spiral of elections in recent years, with parties unable to form a stable government. Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Bulgaria on Wednesday to protest against the government and corruption in the latest...

President Volodymyr Zelensky has floated the prospect of allowing Ukrainians to vote on whether to hand the Donbas region to Russia as Kyiv comes under mounting pressure to agree to terms of an emerging US peace plan. Moscow has insisted that Ukraine withdraw its forces from the eastern territories, which include 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 latest peace proposal...

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 the US 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 would never...

More than 600 items, including military medals and jewellery 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 on Thursday. Avon and Somerset Police have launched an appeal for information about four men captured on security cameras 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...

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...

The speaker has repeatedly lost his grip on the House floor thanks to a once rare parliamentary maneuver that G.O.P. members are increasingly using to force action on legislation.

The United States is escalating its pressure campaign on Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, after seizing an oil tanker off the coast.

Troops who play a part in deadly missions that they see as wrong or unjustified may suffer deep psychological harm as a result, research has shown.

The tanker was headed eastward and had recently carried Iranian oil. The seizure is an escalation in President Trump’s military pressure campaign against Venezuela’s leader, Nicolás Maduro.

The order would create one federal regulatory framework for artificial intelligence, President Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

When teachers do assign whole books, they often choose from a stagnant list of classics.

Many understand the dance their leaders must perform to appease President Trump. But that doesn’t make them any less weary of the rounds and rounds of talks.

Russia has been targeting energy infrastructure in Ukraine, leaving multiple cities without electricity. Kim Barker, who’s been covering the war, gives us a glimpse into the daily life of Ukrainians living with power cuts.

A Ukrainian peace plan, sent this week to Washington, pushes back against President Trump’s proposal that Ukraine give up more land for peace.

The lawsuit was a warning to European officials who are racing to agree to a plan to use Russian government assets in Europe to lend money to Ukraine.

Backed by White House officials, the tech billionaire has lashed out at the European Union after his social media platform X was fined last week.

Larry Ellison is backstopping Paramount’s bid for Warner Brothers, but Warner Brothers is concerned that the billionaire has not provided a personal guarantee to pay.

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.

Harold Hamm, an Oklahoma oil tycoon, has played a central role in reshaping energy policy by allying himself with President Trump.

Zohran Mamdani isn’t just a superfan. Until recently, he was a key player on the Talking Headers, a rec-league team in Brooklyn.

Researchers found a chasm between the health reasons for which the public seeks out cannabis and what gold-standard science actually shows about its effectiveness.

Alexandra Jacobs, Jennifer Szalai and Dwight Garner look back at the books that, as Jacobs writes, “bonked me on the head this year.”

David Ellison is cozying up to Trump in his effort to save Hollywood. It’s a risky strategy for our democracy.

Today we look at the state of American inertia.

The new visa for rich foreigners had Kimmel rethinking the Statue of Liberty’s inscription: “Never mind your poor and tired. Give us a million bucks — you’re in.”

The company said the new law, which makes it illegal for children under 16 to have social media accounts, infringes on children’s rights.

A video of the king discussing his “recovery journey” will air on Channel 4 on Friday as part of a national cancer awareness campaign in the U.K.

His two-character work won a Pulitzer Prize and had a long Broadway run, but he never replicated its success and struggled to get his later work staged.