Minimalist News

Tech Companies Should Curb 'Sycophantic And Delusional' AI Outputs, Attorneys General Say Authored by Victoria Friedman via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Attorneys general from 42 states and territories wrote to tech giants on Dec. 9, warning them to do more to protect people—particularly children—from what they called “sycophantic and delusional” outputs from their generative AI-powered chatbots. OpenAI's ChatGPT app (Center 2nd R) and icons of other AI apps on a smartphone screen in Oslo, Norway, on July 12, 2023. Olivier Morin/AFP via Getty Images In the letter, made public on Dec. 10, the group of bipartisan attorneys general wrote to the legal representatives

Border Tsar Homan Announces Investigation Into Rep. Omar: A Case For Fraud Or Defamation? Authored by Jonathan Turley, This week, the lingering allegations over the marital history of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.) took an ominous step when Border Tsar Tom Homan publicly acknowledged that the government is looking into the matter. Rep. Omar has long denied that she married her brother to gain his entry into the United States, but the allegation has continued to rage on the Internet and among her critics. The question is whether this is a substantive case of fraud or defamation. Homan stated that he was investigating whether Omar

Oracle Shares Rebound After Denying 'Delays' Update (1300ET): Oracle shares are rebounding strongly (and helping the overall market) following a denial of Bloomberg's earlier report. Oracle told Reuters there are no delays to sites required for contractual commitments with OpenAI and that all milestones remain on track. Oracle additionally said site selection and delivery timelines were established in close coordination with OpenAI following execution of agreement and were jointly agreed, according to Reuters. ORCL shares are back at pre-delay-headline levels but still down on the day thanks to AVGO's overhang... *  *  * The fecal matter was already starting to strike the rotating object following Broadcom's

Americans Could See Up To $2,000 Tax Refunds Next Year: Bessent Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that working Americans are set to get “very large refunds” next year as tax cuts that were enabled in the Republican-backed One Big Beautiful Bill Act are set to go into effect. The top of a form 1040 individual income tax return for 2005 atop a stack on the same at the Des Plaines Public Library in Des Plaines, Illinois, on March 23, 2006. Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images “I think we’re going to see $100 [billion]–$150 billion

Russian Central Bank Sues Euroclear As EU Tries To Ram Through Assets Seizure In what could prove a well-timed preemptive attack and shot across the bow, Russia’s Central Bank (CBR) announced Friday it has initiated legal action against Euroclear, one of Europe's largest securities depositories, which is holding 185 billion euros ($217 billion) of Russia’s frozen sovereign assets. The CBR has filed a lawsuit against the Belgium-based bank in the Moscow Arbitration Court over "illegal actions" - just as European Union leadership is making a move to approve a plan to fund the Ukrainian government for the next years by using income from the Russian assets immobilized under EU sanctions. "Euroclear’s

What To Know About Trump's New 'Gold Card' Visa Program Authored by Savannah Hulsey Pointer via The Epoch Times, Applications opened on Dec. 10 for the Trump administration’s new Gold Card program that expedites visas for wealthy individuals. The program, initiated by President Donald Trump, will fast-track those whom the administration believes will be an asset to the United States economy. Here’s what to know about the program. HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS The program, which will be administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce, will offer expedited permanent residency for noncitizens if they donate $1 million to the country, pass a background check, and pay a

Green Rush Reloaded: Pot Stocks Soar On Trump Push For Rescheduling Update (1155ET): Pot stocks soared earlier today after news broke that President Trump is considering directing his administration to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. Trump has reportedly discussed the idea with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., CMS Administrator Mehmet Oz, and industry insiders, including Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers and payments executive Howard Kessler. In the markets, Tilray Brands surged 32%, Canopy Growth soared 36%, Aurora Cannabis climbed 14%, SNDL leaped 21%, and Cronos Group advanced 8%. However, taking a broader view, these pot stocks have been beaten down since the

Belgium Gets Cold Shoulder Ahead Of Russian Asset Confiscation By Molly Schwartz, Cross-Asset Macro Strategist at Rabobank THE COLD SHOULDER Tensions remain high as Russia and Ukraine fail to reach a ceasefire agreement, even as U.S. pressure mounts. One key demand in Russia’s 20-point proposal is a full Ukrainian withdrawal from the Donbas region, a condition that runs counter to President Zelenskyy’s policy of refusing to cede any territory. According to Bloomberg, Zelenskyy noted that the U.S. has floated the idea of designating the area a “free economic zone,” while Russia has called it a “demilitarized zone.” Zelenskyy would prefer that it remain a ‘Ukrainian zone,’

Trump Says He Is Pardoning Former Colorado County Clerk Tina Peters Authored by Matthew Vadum via The Epoch Times, President Donald Trump said on Dec. 11 that he is pardoning Tina Peters, a former Colorado county clerk convicted of election machine tampering in the aftermath of the disputed 2020 election. The presidential pardon of the Republican former officeholder appears to be symbolic. The Pardons Clause of the U.S. Constitution says the president has the power to “grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the United States.” The clause also allows presidents to grant preemptive pardons to individuals who have not yet been convicted of

Charlie Kirk Murder Suspect Makes First Courtroom Appearance Tyler Robinson, the Utah man accused of killing conservative commentator Charlie Kirk on Sept. 10, made his first courtroom appearance on Thursday in Provo, Utah.  With no orange jumpsuit, his three public defenders convinced the judge in the case pushed back Robinson's preliminary hearing to May 18.  Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for the 22-year-old over the shooting of Kirk during an event at the Utah Valley University campus in Orem - just miles away from the courthouse where Robinson appeared on Thursday. Both sides have also asked Judge Tony Graf not to allow cameras in the

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell To Run For Governor Of Minnesota Authored by Arjun Singh via The Epoch Times, Mike Lindell, the CEO of MyPillow, Inc. and a widely known political supporter of President Donald Trump, announced via social media on Dec. 11 that he is running for governor of Minnesota in the 2026 general election. Lindell is seeking the Republican nomination to challenge Gov. Tim Walz (D-Minn.), the Democratic Party’s vice-presidential nominee in the 2024 presidential election, who is running for a third term. “You know that I overcame my addiction to drugs. You know that I founded amazingly successful companies. You know that I

Everyone Except Zelensky 'Loved' My Plan, Trump Says, Warning Of WW3 First, on Thursday NATO chief Mark Rutte said from Berlin that Europe and the world should prepare for coming war, ominously warning that it could be "on the scale of war our grandparents and great-grandparents endured." Soon following this, President Donald Trump seemed to echo the warning while voicing frustrations of there being no current off-ramp to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. "Things like this end up in third world wars. And I told that the other day, I said, 'You know, everybody keeps playing games like this, you'll end up in a

Fermi Craters 50% After Losing First Tenant For Its Massive Texas Data Center Fermi America announced their first potential tenant for the Project Matador data center campus terminated their $150 million Advance in Aid of Construction agreement (i.e., lease). The stock has plunged as much as 50% in premarket trading in what is a wild overreaction with unprecedented demand for data center space (especially data centers named after the president) still offset with limited supply. Several weeks ago, we documented Fermi's difficulties with signing their first major tenant last month for their President Donald J. Trump Advanced Energy and Intelligence campus in Texas, set

Social Justice Gone Wild: Oklahoma BLM Leader Indicted On Fraud, Money Laundering Charges A federal grand jury has unsealed a 25-count indictment against the leader of the far-left Marxist group Black Lives Matter in Oklahoma City over allegations of wire fraud and money laundering. Tashella Sheri Amore Dickerson, 52, served as Executive Director of Black Lives Matter OKC (BLMOKC). As Executive Director, Dickerson had access to BLMOKC’s bank, PayPal, and Cash App accounts, where federal prosecutors allege she looted the organization “for her personal benefit,” including travel to Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, tens of thousands of dollars in retail shopping, more

Futures Dip After Hitting Record High, As Fed's "QE Lite" Sets Up Christmas Rally US equity futures are mixed; with small caps higher and tech stocks lagging. As of 8:15am ET, S&P 500 futures fall 0.1% after hitting a fresh record high yesterday; Nasdaq 100 contracts -0.5% amid signs of rotation out of tech as the equity rally broadens; Oracle led the broader sector lower on Thursday and Broadcom is poised to do the same in US trading after its sales outlook failed to meet investors’ lofty expectations. Its shares are down over 6% in premarket on lack of updated guidance, adding to weaker

COVID Porn Is Back Authored by 'sallust' via DailySceptic.org, The tireless hacks at the BBC have emerged from their bunkers once again to terrorise the public by bravely touring the hospitals and whipping up hysteria about the latest outbreak of flu. It seems “literally hundreds” of patients have been bombarding A&E departments, according to Health Editor Hugh Pym and Chloe Hayward who have been courageously touring the front line: > As one patient leaves his room at Leicester Royal Infirmary’s acute unit, cleaning staff are waiting outside. > > He is barely out of the room before the bed is stripped and bleach is sprayed. The

Beijing Prepares Its Own $70 Billion Chips Act News earlier this week reported that President Trump had approved exports of Nvidia’s AI H200 chips to China. Shortly afterward, however, reports emerged that Beijing plans to limit access to those advanced chips as it pushes to strengthen domestic chip innovation and production and reduce reliance on U.S. technology. Both the U.S. and China are deploying national strategies through a whole-of-government approach to bolster key industries. In the U.S., Trump has developed a national strategy around chips, rare earths, and revitalizing manufacturing, and could soon announce a new strategy focused on humanoid robots. In China,

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.

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

Justice Alexandre de Moraes and his wife had been under Global Magnitsky sanctions after conviction of ex-president The US Department of the Treasury has lifted sanctions imposed on the Brazilian supreme court justice who oversaw the conviction of the former president Jair Bolsonaro. Justice Alexandre de Moraes had been under Global Magnitsky sanctions, which target individuals accused of human rights abuses, since July. His wife Viviane Barci de Moraes – who was added the sanctions list in September – was also removed from the register on Friday. Continue reading...

Citizens told to stay at home while ELN guerrillas carry out exercises in response to US president’s cocaine warning Colombia’s ELN guerrilla group has ordered civilians in areas under its control to stay home for three days starting on Sunday, while it carries out military exercises in response to “intervention” threats from Donald Trump. Trump said earlier this month any country that produces cocaine and sells it to the United States was “subject to attack”. Continue reading...

Rookie Michael Ma leaves Conservative party for ‘steady, practical approach’ of Mark Carney’s government Canada’s ruling Liberals have edged closer to a majority government after a Conservative lawmaker crossed the floor, in yet another blow to the struggling Tories. Rookie lawmaker Michael Ma said late on Thursday that he had decided to leave the Conservative party, for “the steady, practical approach” of prime minister Mark Carney’s government, which he said would “deliver on the priorities I hear every day, including affordability and the economy”. Continue reading...

Torrential rain has caused mudslides, washed out roads and submerged vehicles with more deluges expected on Sunday The Pacific north-west is reeling from catastrophic flooding that inundated communities across the region this week, forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate and prompting a federal emergency declaration. Torrential rain rapidly filled rivers and triggered flooding on Thursday from Oregon north through Washington state and into British Columbia, causing mudslides and tearing homes from their foundations. Authorities have closed dozens of roads in response to the emergency and issued evacuation warnings for 100,000 people. More rain is expected over the weekend and through

Special forces veteran Bryan Stern says he told US defence officials some of his planned route to reduce airstrike risk The most dangerous moments came when salvation seemed finally assured. Many miles from land, the small fishing skiff carrying the Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel prize laureate María Corina Machado had been lost at sea for hours, tossed by strong winds and 10ft waves. A further hazard was the ever present risk of an inadvertent airstrike by US warplanes hunting alleged cocaine smugglers. Continue reading...

After deadly clashes between the two countries, the US president announces renewal of peace deal made in July * Thailand-Cambodia fighting explained Donald Trump has said Thai and Cambodian leaders agreed to renew a truce after days of deadly clashes that threatened to undo a ceasefire the US administration helped broker earlier this year. Trump announced the agreement to restart the ceasefire in a social media posting after calls with Thai prime minister, Anutin Charnvirakul, and Cambodian prime minister, Hun Manet. Continue reading...

Conservationists fear up to 11% of Tapanuli orangutan population perished in disaster that also killed 1,000 people The skull of a Tapanuli orangutan, caked in debris, stares out from a tomb of mud in North Sumatra, killed in catastrophic flooding that swept through Indonesia. The late November floods have been an “extinction-level disturbance” for the world’s rarest great ape, scientists have said, causing catastrophic damage to its habitat and survival prospects. 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...

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

The decision is a significant step towards using the cash to aid Ukraine’s defence – but Moscow is threatening to retaliate The EU has agreed to indefinitely freeze Russia’s sovereign assets in the bloc, as Moscow stepped up its threats to retaliate against Euroclear, the keeper of most of the Kremlin’s immobilised money. The decision by the EU to use emergency powers to immobilise €210bn (£185bn) of its central bank’s assets marks a significant step towards using the cash to aid Ukraine’s defence against Russia. Continue reading...

Bart De Wever will also discuss migration, security and economy ahead of coalition of the willing meeting and EU summit next week 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...

Week-long event organised by Brothers of Italy looks like winter wonderland but is chance for PM to flaunt power When, out of curiosity, Leila Cader and her friends entered the gardens surrounding Castel Sant’Angelo, a prominent Rome monument that once served as a refuge for popes during times of war, they thought they’d chanced upon an enchanting winter wonderland. With the scent of mulled wine wafting through the air, Santa’s elves wandering around, stalls selling nativity-scene figurines and skaters merrily gliding on an ice-rink, it was beginning to look a lot like Christmas. 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...

Mohammadi ‘violently’ detained along with other activists at memorial event in Mashhad, her foundation says There are fears for the wellbeing of the 2023 Nobel peace prize winner, Narges Mohammadi, after she was detained by Iranian security forces at a memorial ceremony for a human rights lawyer in the eastern city of Mashhad. Mohammadi, 53, who was granted temporary leave from prison on medical grounds in December 2024, was newly detained along with several other activists at the memorial for Khosro Alikordi, who was found dead in his office last week. 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...

King extols early diagnosis which can give ‘invaluable time’ and backs launch of screening checker tool King Charles has hailed a “milestone” in his “cancer journey” and revealed he is to reduce his schedule of treatment in the new year, describing the news as a “personal blessing”. His treatment will move into a precautionary phase with its regularity significantly reduced as his recovery reaches a very positive stage, it is understood. His medical team will access how much longer he will require treatment to protect and prioritise his continued recovery. Continue reading...

Exclusive: As Labour ministers prepare long awaited strategy, campaigners accuse them of sidelining experts Leading organisations have criticised the development of the government’s flagship violence against women and girls strategy, calling the process chaotic, haphazard and “worse than under the Tories”. Ministers are gearing up for a policy announcement blitz before the publication of the long-awaited plan next week. Continue reading...

Five men who targeted vulnerable girls in park sentenced to terms of between 18 months and 14 years Five men who were part of a “horrific” grooming gang that raped and sexually assaulted schoolgirls in a park have been jailed for between 18 months and 14 years. The men targeted vulnerable girls in Saltwell Park, Gateshead, plying their victims with alcohol and cocaine. Continue reading...

Nigel Farage’s party says it has more than 268,000 members amid reports Labour membership has fallen below 250,000 Reform UK says it is now the largest political party in Britain and has overtaken Labour, which has reportedly seen its membership fall below 250,000. Nigel Farage’s party says it has more than 268,000 members on the live tracker displayed on its website. Continue reading...

As Wham! top singles chart, Minogue draws level with David Bowie, Eminem, U2 and Rod Stewart in the album league table, thanks to a reissue of her 2015 Christmas LP Kylie Minogue has scored her 11th UK No 1 album, putting her level with David Bowie and Eminem in the league of all-time album chart-toppers. The album, Kylie Christmas (Fully Wrapped), will sound familiar to her fans: it’s a reissue of her 2015 album Kylie Christmas (which only reached No 12), containing four newly recorded tracks and an altered tracklisting. It had already been reissued once before, in 2016, as the Snow

Latest batch includes photos of Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and Richard Branson as top Democrat says ‘all we want is full transparency’ * House Democrats release Epstein photos with Trump, Bannon, Clinton and others * In pictures: latest Epstein photos released 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

Notable figures in the batch of images include Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, Woody Allen and Bill Gates * The latest tranche of Epstein evidence – in pictures House Democrats published a new tranche of what they called “disturbing” photographs from the estate of the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein on Friday, featuring among others Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and the British former royal Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. The 19 photographs, some of which have been seen before, represent a small number of the almost 100,000 images released to the House oversight committee that is looking into the actions and connections of Epstein, the disgraced financier who

Judiciary panel Democrats ask Aileen Cannon ahead of special counsel’s deposition next week Democrats on the House judiciary committee on Friday will ask Aileen Cannon, the judge who presided over the case against Donald Trump for allegedly hiding classified documents, to release the portion of special counsel Jack Smith’s report concerning his prosecution. Smith is scheduled to appear next week for a behind-closed-door deposition with the Republican-led committee, where he may discuss his investigation into allegations that Trump took classified materials to his properties and then hid them from federal authorities. The special counsel dropped that case against Trump, as well as

A year-long investigation into the Free Birth Society reveals how mothers lost children after being radicalised by uplifting podcast tales of births without midwives or doctors. Lucy Hough talks to the investigative correspondent Lucy Osborne about her reporting – watch on YouTube Continue reading...

Milton Otto Martin III, who has been accused by several alleged victims of assault, convicted of indecent behavior A Pentecostal pastor in Louisiana charged with sexually molesting a teenage girl in his church has been convicted of indecent behavior with a juvenile – but was acquitted of the more serious crime of statutory rape. Milton Otto Martin III, 58, faces up to seven years in prison and must register as a sex offender after a three-day trial in Chalmette, Louisiana, resulted in a guilty – if split – verdict against him Thursday. His sentencing hearing is tentatively set for 15 January in

The reigning Miss Finland, Sarah Dzafce, has lost her title and crown due to a racism scandal, the organisers of the beauty pageant announced on Thursday. They said at a press conference that they accepted no form of racism or discriminatory behaviour and apologised for the incident in a statement. Tara Lehtonen, who finished in second place in the competition, has already been chosen as the new Miss Finland. “I promise to carry this title with pride and deep respect,” the woman from Helsinki...

Democratic lawmakers released a selection of photos from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein on Friday, including some of now-US President Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and the UK’s former prince Andrew. Trump is featured in three of the 19 photos shared by House Oversight Committee Democrats, who said they are reviewing more than 95,000 images produced by the estate. In one black-and-white photo, Trump is seen smiling with several women – whose faces are redacted – on each side of him. A second image...

The European Union will start collecting a three-euro flat fee for each small parcel valued below €150 (US$176) sent directly from a non-EU country to customers in the bloc, following a decision adopted by the EU finance ministers meeting in Brussels on Friday. The move, set to kick in next July, marks a milestone in Europe’s fight, led by France, against the influx of small parcels, mostly from Chinese platforms such as Temu and Shein, entering the union tax free. But how effective these...

A federal judge ordered on Friday that US immigration officials could not detain Kilmar Abrego Garcia, hours after his release from immigration detention. Abrego Garcia was appearing on Friday morning for a scheduled appointment at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office, some 14 hours after he was released from detention on a judge’s orders. His lawyers asked the judge to block authorities from detaining him again. Officials cannot re-detain him until the court conducts a...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the strategic frontline town of Kupiansk on Friday, just as Ukrainian forces reported retaking parts of the railway hub and encircling Russian troops. Standing at the city’s entrance in a bulletproof vest, Zelensky emphasised in a video message that “it is extremely important to achieve results on the front lines so that Ukraine can achieve results in diplomacy”. “Many Russians talked about Kupiansk – we can see. I was here, I congratulated the...

Tom Barrack, the United States special envoy for Syria, recently made waves at an international forum in Doha, Qatar, by suggesting that “benevolent monarchies” might be the most effective form of government for the Middle East. He also suggested that Israel was not a democracy. His remarks were probably welcomed in some parts of the region, but probably less well received by the US and other Western media, which all but consider themselves guardians of proper world opinion. Barrack was just...

The UK is facing an “unprecedented wave of super flu”, a health chief warned on Friday as the health minister urged doctors to call off a threatened five-day strike ahead of Christmas. Wes Streeting said the state-funded National Health Service (NHS) was in an “incredibly precarious situation” as flu cases mounted, and was facing a “challenge unlike any it has seen since the pandemic”. NHS figures published on Thursday showed flu cases at a record level for the time of year. The number of cases...

It is almost eight years since US President Donald Trump first declared that “trade wars are good, and easy to win”. How much longer will it take him and his tariff hawks to eat those words, and acknowledge the crass economic illiteracy of that conviction? How high a price must everyone pay – in particular, US consumers – before he calls off his tariff war? As America’s Christmas shopping season gets into full swing, typically accounting for around one third of US retailers’ annual profits, the...

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...

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

The admiral had abruptly announced that he would step down as the head of the U.S. Southern Command. His departure leaves several issues about the strikes unanswered.

The U.S. seizure of a vessel off Venezuela is likely to squeeze the country’s government, but do little to counter the tankers that secretively move oil from sanctioned countries.

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.

Matt Dinniman introduced his series about an alien reality TV show free on the web. But readers ate up the goofy humor, now to the tune of 6 million books sold.

The German foreign ministry’s announcement, which Russia denied, was the latest suggestion of growing Russian aggression in Europe.

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, although Russia is unlikely to accept it.

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.

The center at the university’s public health school was also a focus of the Trump administration after having been examined in a Harvard antisemitism report earlier this year.

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.

Rivers hit record flood levels across the region after nearly a week of rain, with another storm on the way.

The British monarch said that his treatment would be reduced in the new year, in a prerecorded message emphasizing the value of cancer screening.

As more people tune in for the “theater” of high-end auctions, Bonnie Brennan is trying to convert them into clients.

Two columnists debate this strange moment.

Environmental design interventions play a subtle role in helping the city reduce gun violence.

Young Bulgarians turned out in protests that helped unseat their government. Whether that will translate into higher turnout in upcoming elections is up to them.

The national soccer team made it to the knockout stages of the Arab Cup for the first time, uniting fans from Gaza to the West Bank to Cairo to Arab cities in Israel.

A retired lawyer lost the money in a tech support scam, a type of online fraud that is surging. Citibank said it couldn’t recover the funds, which criminals wired from inside his account.