Minimalist News

FBI Arrests Alleged MS-13 Assassin, 'Kill Squad' Leader In Nebraska: Patel Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times, A suspected leader of the criminal gang MS-13 has been arrested in Nebraska, FBI Director Kash Patel said in a Dec. 9 post on X. Gerson Cuadra Soto, a Honduran national, “is believed to be responsible for overseeing one of their major kill squad units—and suspected of executing the assassination of the son of the former President of Honduras,” Patel wrote. “This is part of the FBI’s Joint Task Force Vulcan investigation out of @FBIHouston to locate, indict, and arrest members of MS-13 leadership ‘La

Palantir Lands $448 Million Deal To Fix Navy Submarine Delays Palantir Technologies is becoming a deeper partner to the US military as the Navy launches ShipOS, a $448 million effort to use the company’s AI and data tools to improve submarine production, according to a new report from Bloomberg. The deal will provide Palantir’s Foundry and Artificial Intelligence Platform across select shipyards and suppliers. The Navy wants to fix chronic delays and overruns affecting its Virginia- and Columbia-class programs. Secretary of the Navy John Phelan said the goal is to speed up an industry that has struggled with labor issues and subcontractor delays:

Israel Funds Summit For 1,000 US Pastors Overseen By Amb. Huckabee Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com, A group of more than 1,000 American Christian Zionist pastors and influencers has spent a week in Israel on an all-expenses-paid trip that was funded by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported on Tuesday. "This is the first time in history that the state of Israel has officially partnered with 1,000 strategic pastors to commission them as ambassadors to combat antisemitism and reach the youth of their generation," Mike Evans, an evangelical pastor who helped organize the trip, told CBN News. "Right now there’s an ideological war that Israel

Netflix Docudrama Features Transgender Coal Miner "Fighting The Patriarchy" The film industry has really been scraping the bottom of the barrel over the past few years to find "inspirational" LGBT stories to appease their DEI overlords in Hollywood.  Without a significant American audience the production of woke films is beginning to fade; no one wants to watch these movies.  However, some distributors can't help themselves as they search foreign markets to purchase far-left content and get their ideological fix.  The newest foreign art house slop making it's way to Netflix audiences in the US this month is a movie called "Queen Of

Judge Halts Trump's Deployment Of National Guard In Los Angeles Authored by Matthew Vadum via The Epoch Times, A federal judge on Dec. 10 blocked President Donald Trump’s use of the National Guard in Los Angeles to deal with civil unrest. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer rejected the Trump administration’s argument that protests against federal immigration authorities constituted a rebellion that warranted the president’s federalization of California National Guard troops. Breyer had previously blocked the deployment. On Sept. 2, he found the federal government had violated the Posse Comitatus Act. The federal government has argued that the sometimes-violent protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement were

House Armed Services Chairman Prepared To End Investigation After Viewing Double-Tap Boat Strike Congress this week has been threatening to withhold travel funds for Pentagon leadership as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has refused to turn over videos of strikes against suspected drug-smuggling boats off the coast of Latin America, amid the ongoing debate over their 'legality' of the actions. The demand, which would significantly reduce Hegseth's own travel budget, has been quietly tucked into the final draft of the annual defense policy bill. Congressional leaders called for "unedited video of strikes conducted against designated terrorist organizations in the area of responsibility of the

Supreme Court To Hear Arguments Over IQ And Death Penalty Authored by Sam Dorman via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), The Supreme Court is set to hear oral argument on Dec. 10 in a case that could impact how prisoners attempt to prove the type of intellectual disability that would allow them to avoid a death sentence. The U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Oct. 20, 2025. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times In 2002, the court held in Atkins v. Virginia that sentencing intellectually disabled convicts to death violated the Eighth Amendment’s bar on “cruel and unusual punishment.” How prisoners go about proving that disability

Musk Says DOGE Was "Somewhat Successful," But Wouldn't Do It Again After Swamp's Attack On Tesla Elon Musk joined Katie Miller's podcast for a wide-ranging interview, opening with a question about his time at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and whether the effort was worth it. Musk said DOGE's push to cut waste, fraud, and abuse from the federal government was "somewhat successful," but cautioned he wouldn't take on that role again given the backlash from what he described as the DC swamp. Miller asked Musk: > "Would you do DOGE again knowing what you know now?" Musk responded: > "I mean, the thing is,

Wild Video: Somali Student In Minnesota Threatens To "Pop" ICE Agents A Minnesota State University student has sparked outrage and a federal investigation after posting a video on TikTok in which he explicitly threatened to shoot Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. “ICE, I actually heard you guys pulled up to Owatonna, the big O, and you pulled up when I was not there? Y’all so p–s-ass s–t, boy. You’re gonna get popped next time I see you,” the student, identified by the New York Post as Hasan Mohamed, said in the clip, which was later deleted. “Bring the whole cavalry. Yeah,

Republicans Taking Note After Miami Mayor's Office Flips Blue For First Time In Decades Republicans looking for hints on how midterms might go need look no further than Miami, Florida - where Democrat Eileen Higgins won the mayor's race, becoming the first woman to lead the city - and the first Democrat to take the helm in nearly 30 years.  Miami mayor-elect Eileen Higgins celebrates at a watch party after winning the Miami mayoral runoff election, Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2025, in Miami. | Lynne Sladky/AP The 61-year-old campaigned on opposition to the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration, saying many in Miami have voiced concerns over family

Elon Musk Confirms SpaceX Is Going Public, Space-Based Data Centers Secured Update (1950ET): Elon Musk confirms reports that SpaceX is going public. > As usual, Eric is accurate > > — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 10, 2025 Space-based data centers are now secured...  > SpaceX has way more satellites in orbit than the rest of the world combined, so maybe we know a thing or two about the subject 🤣 > > Starlink V3 will be 20kW and launched at scale around Q4 next year. No problem to scale that to >100kW if the satellite mass is shifted towards solar… > > — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 10,

The Hyperventilating Over The DOE Restructuring Is Ongoing Authored by Larry Sand via American Greatness, In the latest wave of fearmongering surrounding President Trump’s efforts to overhaul the U.S. Department of Education, a coalition of states that sued to stop mass layoffs at the department in March is now challenging recent decisions to transfer many of the DOE’s core functions to the U.S. Department of Labor and other federal agencies. The attorneys general from 20 blue states and the District of Columbia, along with several teachers’ unions, argue in an amended complaint filed on Nov. 25 that federal laws require the U.S. Department of Education

Watch: Third Russian Oil Tanker Hit By Sea Drone In Black Sea Ukraine has carried out another drone attack on a Russia-linked so-called 'shadow fleet' tanker in the Black Sea on Wednesday, which marks a third such attack in less than two weeks, and which seeks to disrupt Moscow's maritime oil trade. Local reports have identified the Comoros Islands-flagged Dashan as being struck while sailing en route to the Russian port terminal of Novorossiysk. The Ukrainians were quick to release drone-perspective video confirming the attack, and the vessel appeared to be unladen at the time. The some $30 million tanker "sustained critical damage and was completely

Mistakes That Can Wreck Your Estate Plan Authored by Javier Simon via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours), So you have an estate plan. You’ve taken a major step in making sure you leave behind a legacy and that your assets are passed down as you see fit. But that, however, is not enough. There are plenty of potential mistakes that can torpedo your estate plan. That’s why you need to mobilize now to make sure your estate plan is bullet proof. Inside Creative House/Shutterstock So let’s take a look at some of the mistakes to look out for and how to fix them. FORGETTING TO

Crockett's Senate Run Was Engineered By Republicans Rep. Jasmine Crockett. (D-Texas) officially launched her campaign for the U.S. Senate on Monday, and Republicans appear to have played a major role in that happening.  According to a report from NOTUS, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) was “actively worked behind the scenes to encourage Rep. Jasmine Crockett to jump into the Senate Democratic primary in Texas, believing she will be the easiest opponent to beat.” With Sen. John Cornyn facing a tough three-way primary and Democrats fielding two strong candidates, Republican strategists reportedly were concerned the race would be tougher than expected. They feared

Letitia James Moves To Silence Debate Over Transgender Policies Authored by Jonathan Turley, There was an interesting complaint filed in New York yesterday in which a group of parents and educators sued New York Attorney General Letitia James over a letter viewed as threatening those who are raising transgender policies in public meetings. While the legal basis for the complaint is likely to be challenged as premature by the state, the lawsuit exposes an effort that seems clearly designed to chill such public discussions of transgender issues. The “guidance letter” warns school boards that discussing student trans issues at public meetings could violate the right to privacy

US To Ask Visitors For 5 Years Of Social Media History Under New Plan The United States is planning to require visitors from dozens of countries on the visa waiver program to provide up to five years of their social media history, according to a proposal from the US Customs and Border Protection posted to the Federal Register on Wednesday.  Countries on the list include much of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Qatar, Israel, Chile and Brunei. Citizens or nationals of these countries have been allowed to freely travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of

Could A Debasement Trade Drown Those Without Gold? Authored by Matthew Piepenburg via VonGreyerz.gold, Anyone who has spent decades within a specific craft or industry (be it carpentry, medicine, academia, masonry, or markets) slowly acquires not only skills but pattern recognition. The years, as I like to say, gradually teach things the days don’t notice. Such context cannot be downloaded, transferred or absorbed through an AI tool, which, by its very title, can never be a genuine substitute for earned (and therefore, actual) intelligence. GAINING PERSPECTIVE Having traversed years of complex market forces, themes and instruments (from derivative timebombs and COMEX tricks to banking risks and bond market signals), I, like many

Japan, South Korea Scramble Jets After Russian-Chinese Bomber Flight: 'Acts Of Intimidation' Airspace over Western Pacific waters near Japan continues to heat up at a moment of the highest tensions in decades between Beijing and Tokyo. Tuesday saw Japan and South Korea dispatch fighter jets in response to a joint patrol by Russian and Chinese bombers over the Asia-Pacific region, the countries' militaries confirmed. Russian military file image. The Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul described that seven Russian and two Chinese aircraft entered South Korea's Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) at approximately 10am local time (01:00 GMT) on Tuesday. While the zone is not strictly speaking sovereign

Oracle Tumbles On Disappointing Cloud Revenue; CapEx Soars: Funding Questions Remain While the Fed's "not so hawkish" cut was certainly better than what the market expected, largely thanks to the very dovish addition of $40BN in not QE monthly Reserve Management Purchases of T-Bills, there was another key event today and, as we previewed earlier, that was Oracle's second quarter results. And unlike the Fed, this one was not nearly as good for risk assets: the company reported earnings which beat estimates, but the top line was a mess, with cloud growth missing across the board, and margins also disappointing, sending

British government also rejects president’s claims on sovereignty over Falkland Islands as he suggests wanting to make Argentina a ‘world military power’ The British government has denied it is engaged in negotiations to lift a ban on selling arms to Argentina that has been in place since the Falklands war. Javier Milei, the president of Argentina, told the Daily Telegraph his government had begun speaking to the UK about the restrictions. Continue reading...

Footage uploaded to X by US attorney general shows its forces landing on the tanker in major escalation of Trump’s pressure campaign * US politics live: latest news updates US forces have seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, in a major escalation of Donald Trump’s four-month pressure campaign against the South American country’s dictator, Nicolás Maduro, whose government called the seizure “an act of international piracy”. Trump confirmed the operation on Wednesday, saying: “We’ve just seized a tanker on the coast of Venezuela – a large tanker, very large, the largest one ever seized actually.” Continue reading...

María Corina Machado climbs over barriers to meet chanting supporters gathered outside the Grand Hotel in early hours of Thursday Venezuela’s best-known opposition leader, the Nobel peace prize winner María Corina Machado, has made a dramatic appearance in Norway after slipping out of her authoritarian homeland by boat. The Venezuelan politician and pro-democracy activist stepped out on to the balcony of Oslo’s iconic Grand Hotel at just before 2.30am local time, after spending the past 11 months in hiding in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. Continue reading...

Ally claims former Mas president ‘illegally kidnapped’ and suggests arrest linked to fund for Indigenous Bolivians Bolivia’s former president Luis Arce was reportedly detained and taken to police headquarters on Wednesday. His former presidency minister, María Nela Prada Tejada, posted a video on social media saying she had received information from “unofficial sources” that Arce had been “illegally kidnapped” by police. Continue reading...

Daughter delivers speech, with Nobel Institute saying María Corina Machado still expected in Oslo after journey of ‘extreme danger’ Venezuela’s most prominent opposition leader, María Corina Machado, has vowed to continue her struggle to free the country from years of “obscene corruption”, “brutal dictatorship” and “despair” as she was awarded the Nobel peace prize at a ceremony in Norway’s capital, Oslo. The 58-year-old conservative has lived in hiding in Venezuela since its authoritarian leader, Nicolás Maduro, was accused of stealing the 2024 presidential election from her political movement. Despite fevered speculation that she would make a dramatic appearance at Wednesday’s event, having

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

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

At least 15 people killed, while more than 500,000 people have fled border areas near where jets, tanks and drones were waging battle Half a million evacuees in Cambodia and Thailand were sheltering in pagodas, schools and other safe havens on Wednesday after fleeing fresh border clashes while US president Donald Trump vowed to intercede to stop the fighting. At least 15 people, including Thai soldiers and Cambodian civilians, have been killed in the latest hostilities, officials said, while more than 500,000 people have fled border areas near where jets, tanks and drones were waging battle. Continue reading...

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

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

Gavin Morris, a former NRL referee, found guilty of putting pupils in choke holds and twisting their ears * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A former NRL referee has been spared jail after abusing his position of trust as a school principal by putting Indigenous students into choke holds and painfully twisting their ears. Gavin Morris was found guilty of four counts of aggravated assault and on Thursday was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment fully suspended for two years on condition he be of good behaviour. Continue reading...

Attorney general Deb Frecklington says ban was a ‘financial gerrymander’ because it didn’t apply to trade unions * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Queensland’s Liberal National party government will overturn a ban on property developer donations and quadruple the state cap on electoral donations, after tabling new laws which the Greens claim will “legalise another avenue of corruption”. Developers have been prohibited from donating to candidates and parties in state elections since a 2018 bill passed under Labor. Continue reading...

Emergency warning issued for parts of Kenwick, Wattle Grove, Maddington and Beckenham in Perth’s south-east * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A life-threatening bushfire is burning near suburban homes in Perth, with residents warned to leave and multiple roads already closed. An emergency warning has been issued in parts of Kenwick, Wattle Grove, Maddington and Beckenham in Perth’s south-east. Continue reading...

This blog is now closed * ‘The whole thing disgusts me’: Australians ditch US travel as new rules require social media to be declared * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Independent senator Lidia Thorpe has said the federal government needs to do more to address Indigenous deaths in custody and stop “handballing” to states and territories after a damning report found more Indigenous people died in custody last year than any year since 1980. Thorpe spoke to ABC News this morning, saying the recommendations from a royal commission completed in 1991 have still not been implemented.

The federal opposition and crossbenchers have backed a review of expenses spending rules * Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Anthony Albanese has sidestepped calls for reform or an inquiry into politicians’ expenses and travel perks, saying he is more focused on the under-16s social media ban than growing community outrage over MPs using taxpayer funds to fly their spouses to football games, cricket matches and exclusive dinners. At a press conference held at a school in Canberra to promote the under-16s social media ban, Albanese was

Opposition politician María Corina Machado thanks people who ‘risked their lives’ to get her to Norwegian capital 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...

Ecologically important Diadema africanum almost eliminated by unknown disease in Canary Islands A marine pandemic is bringing some species of sea urchin to the brink of extinction, and some populations have disappeared altogether, a study has found. Since 2021, Diadema africanum urchins in the Canary Island archipelago have almost entirely been killed by an unknown disease. There has been a 99.7% population decrease in Tenerife, and a 90% decrease off the islands of the Madeira archipelago. Continue reading...

Commercial in Netherlands depicting festival-season chaos at ‘most terrible time of year’ prompted flurry of criticism online McDonald’s says it has removed an AI-generated Christmas advertisement in the Netherlands after it was criticised online. The ad, titled “the most terrible time of the year”, depicts scenes of Christmas chaos, with Santa caught in a traffic jam and a gift-laden Dutch cyclist slipping in the snow. And the message? Retreat to a McDonald’s restaurant until January and ride out the festive season. Continue reading...

The 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) carries $8bn more than the funding Trump requested in May The US House has approved a sweeping defence bill that bolsters Europe’s security, in what appears to be sharp rebuke to Donald Trump’s mounting threats to downgrade Washington’s ties to traditional allies and Nato. The bipartisan vote came just days after the publication of a White House national security strategy that said Europe faced “civilisational erasure” and made explicit Washington’s support for Europe’s nationalist far-right parties – rattling EU leaders and opening up a seismic shift in transatlantic relations. Continue reading...

Previously sceptical MPs now want to modernise human rights law to prevent an overreach of the law and losing to the far right The sight of David Lammy and the attorney general, Richard Hermer, arriving in Strasbourg together to demand new constraints on human rights law would have been unthinkable a year ago. But as one ally says, quoting Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s seminal 1860s novel The Leopard: “If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.” It was that sentiment that convinced Lammy’s predecessor, Shabana Mahmood, now home secretary, that the UK should join the push

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 hospitalised for acute malnutrition in October alone, according to the latest UN figures. While the immediate threat of famine has receded for most of the 2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza after the ceasefire announcement on 10 October, the UN and other aid agencies report continuing Israeli restrictions on their humanitarian aid shipments, which they say fall well below the needs of a population weakened and

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

Former UK leader loses out on key role in transitional authority after objections from Arab and Muslim nations Tony Blair will not occupy a key position on Donald Trump’s Gaza “peace council” after Arab and Muslim nations were reported to have objected to the involvement of the former UK prime minister. According to the Financial Times (FT), Blair has been quietly dropped from consideration for Trump’s “board of peace”, which Trump has said he would chair himself. Continue reading...

Sanctions, instability and external meddling are still problems for Ahmed al-Sharaa, one year after Assad’s fall * Ddivided Syria struggles to escape cycle of violence * The fall of the house of Assad – in pictures If ubiquity and handshakes were the only measures of success, Ahmed al-Sharaa would be diplomat of the year. Since he formally became president of Syria on 29 January 2025, the former leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham – a jihadist group with an al-Qaida lineage – has made a total of 21 public international trips to 13 countries. These include a visit to the UN general assembly,

While country’s return to global stage has filled many Syrians with pride, domestically old grievances threaten efforts to rebuild the state * Anniversary of the fall of house of Assad in Syria – in pictures Lying in bed recovering after his latest surgery, Ayman Ali retells the story of Syria’s revolution through his wounds. His right eye, lost in an attack on a rebel observation post he was manning in 2012, is covered by yellow medical tape. Propped against the wall is a cane he uses to walk, after a rocket attack in 2014 left him with a limp. For 14 years,

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

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

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

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

Delhi visit gives Russian leader a chance to reduce Moscow’s isolation but both countries need each other to negotiate Trump’s US and a powerful China When Vladimir Putin last set foot in India almost exactly four years ago, the world order looked materially different. At that visit – lasting just five hours due to the Covid pandemic – Putin and the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, discussed economic and military cooperation and reaffirmed their special relationship. Three months later, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine would turn him into a global pariah, isolating the Kremlin from the world and restricting Putin’s international travel. Continue

Government lost Lords vote on employment rights bill by 24 votes, just hours after the creation of 25 new Labour peers The waiting list for routine hospital treatment in England has risen slightly, PA Media reports. PA says: An estimated 7.40 million treatments were waiting to be carried out at the end of October, up from 7.39 million at the end of September, NHS figures show. The number of patients waiting for treatment is broadly unchanged at 6.24 million. Continue reading...

Number of people in England being treated remains at record level for this time of year with daily average of 2,660 The number of people in hospital in England with flu remains at a record level for this time of year and has increased by 55% in a week, NHS figures show. An average of 2,660 flu patients were in hospital each day last week, up from 1,717 the previous week. At this point last year the number stood at 1,861 patients, while in 2023 it was just 402. Continue reading...

The mashup Satisfaction Skank was unofficial for years but band allow Norman Cook to remake it using original stems of their 1965 hit A classic bootleg recording by Fatboy Slim which samples the Rolling Stones’ (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction has finally been released, as the band give it their blessing after 25 years. Satisfaction Skank was a familiar track on turn-of-the-century dancefloors, as Fatboy Slim mashed up his own 1999 hit The Rockafeller Skank with the Stones’ 1965 classic, hurling Keith Richards’ iconic guitar riff into the “big beat” sound of the late 90s. Continue reading...

Singer told Jimmy Fallon that ‘the ink is not dry’ on a deal but the prospect of a stage version of her critically acclaimed album was ‘very exciting’ Lily Allen has said she is in discussions over adapting her hit album West End Girl into a play, possibly for the West End itself. Speaking on The Tonight Show in the US, host Jimmy Fallon said: “In London, they’re trying to make West End Girl into a play.” Continue reading...

Exclusive: Use of toxic plastic beads in treatment works is unnecessary and outdated, say conservationists The use of tiny, toxic plastic beads at sewage works should be banned nationwide, an MP and wildlife experts have said after a devastating spill at an internationally important nature reserve. Hundreds of millions of “biobeads” washed up on Camber Sands beach in East Sussex last month, after a failure at a Southern Water sewage treatment works caused a catastrophic spill. It has distressed and alarmed local people and conservationists, as not only are the beads unsightly but they pose a deadly threat to wildlife. Continue reading...

Republican senator Rand Paul said it was ‘not the job of the American government to go looking for monsters around the world’ Since Donald Trump’s election, Hasan Piker has become an in-demand voice in “the real world” for his views on the beleaguered political left, and especially that inordinately fretted-over demographic, young men. In this feature, the Guardian’s Steve Rose speaks to Piker about how he became one of the biggest voices on the US left: Donald Trump is illegally deploying our nation’s service members under misleading if not false pretexts. I’m deeply concerned that our nation’s military is being put in jeopardy by

Weaker-than-forecast quarterly data for Larry Ellison’s tech company shows slowdown in revenue growth but big rise in spending * Business live – latest updates Oracle’s disappointing results have knocked more than $70bn off the value of software and data company co-founded by Trump ally Larry Ellison, adding to fears of a bubble in AI-related stocks. Shares in the company fell by 11.5% overnight after it reported a lower-than-expected 14% rise in revenues to $16bn (£12bn) in the latest quarter while revealing it was boosting its AI spending by about $15bn. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed. * Full report – US forces seize oil tanker off Venezuela coast * Trump news at a glance: Seizure of oil tanker marks new level of tensions between US and Venezuela House speaker Mike Johnson said today that he has yet to see the video of the boat strike that has been the subject of intense scrutiny and accusations of war crimes. The Republican speaker said he missed the classified briefing with Hegseth and Rubio this week because he was working with House GOP lawmakers on their emerging health care proposals. Continue reading...

In survey, US school principals describe ‘climate of distress’ and declines in student attendance amid crackdowns Immigrant students across the US have experienced increased bullying, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) crackdowns causing declines in attendance and a “culture of fear” among immigrant students in public schools, according to a new survey of high school principals. Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles’s Institute for Democracy, Education and Access (Idea) conducted a “nationally representative” survey of more than 600 principals about the toll of raids and deportations, and how schools were responding. Continue reading...

Legislation includes pay increase for troops and a demand for more information about boat strikes in the Caribbean The US House voted 312-112 to pass a sweeping defense policy bill on Wednesday that authorizes $900bn in military programs, including a pay raise for troops and an overhaul of how the Department of Defense purchases weapons. The 3,000-page bill also includes a demand for more information about nearly two dozen lethal boat strikes in the Caribbean targeting suspected drug smugglers. A stipulation calls for the withholding of part of the travel budget of Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, unless the Pentagon releases to

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A member of the British armed forces died in Ukraine on Tuesday while observing Ukrainian forces test a new defensive capability, Britain’s Ministry of Defence said, adding that the accident had occurred away from the front lines. “It is with deep regret that we must announce that a member of the UK Armed Forces died in Ukraine this morning,” the Ministry of Defence said. It marked the first time a member of the UK military had been killed in Ukraine since Russia’s February 2022 invasion, it...

The father of late British singer Amy Winehouse on Tuesday defended his UK lawsuit against two of her friends after they sold some of her clothes at auction for around £730,000 (US$970,000). Mitch Winehouse told the High Court in London that Naomi Parry, the star’s former stylist, and her friend, Catriona Gourlay, did not have the right to sell dozens of items in auctions between November 2021 and May 2023. Lawyer Henry Legge, acting for Winehouse, told the court on Monday, the first day of the...

US President Donald Trump blasted Europe as “decaying” and “weak” on immigration and Ukraine in an interview published Tuesday, deepening a rift between the United States and some of its oldest allies. Speaking to Politico, Trump also called on war-battered Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky to hold elections despite Russia’s invasion and said that Moscow had the “upper hand”. Trump’s comments doubled down on extraordinary criticism of top US partners in his administration’s new national...

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado will not receive the Nobel Peace Prize in person at Wednesday’s award ceremony in Oslo, the director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute said on Wednesday, with her current whereabouts unknown. Machado, 58, was due to receive the award at a ceremony at Oslo City Hall in the presence of King Harald, Queen Sonja and Latin American leaders including Argentine President Javier Milei and Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa. The ceremony starts at 1pm (8pm...

The US Justice Department can publicly release investigative materials from a sex trafficking case against Ghislaine Maxwell, the long-time confidant of Jeffrey Epstein, a federal judge said on Tuesday. Judge Paul A. Engelmayer ruled after the Justice Department in November asked two judges in New York to unseal grand jury transcripts and exhibits from Maxwell and Epstein’s cases, along with investigative materials that could amount to hundreds or thousands of previously unreleased...

Last week’s release of the 2025 US National Security Strategy (NSS) was not a routine recalibration of diplomatic lines – it was a rupture. It represented the most explicit declaration to date that the United States no longer regards Europe as a partner in a shared transatlantic project but as a challenge to be managed, a continent to be reshaped and a strategic liability to be mitigated. The Trump administration has accused entire nations and supranational institutions of steering the continent...

Russia on Tuesday said there were no survivors in a military plane crash east of Moscow, with state media reporting earlier there were seven people on board. The country’s Investigative Committee, which is responsible for probing major crimes, said it had opened an investigation into flight preparation rules. “On December 9, 2025, during a test flight, an An-22 aircraft crashed near the village of Ivankovo in the Ivanovo region,” the committee said. “All crew members on board were killed.” It...

Andrej Babis, a billionaire supporter of US President Donald Trump, returned to power as Czech prime minister on Tuesday, signalling a possible end to Ukraine aid and potentially rockier ties with the European Union. Babis’s ANO movement, which won the October parliamentary elections, teamed up with two Eurosceptic parties to form a coalition government. In its policy statement, the coalition said the EU had “its limits” and no right to impose decisions infringing on the sovereignty of member...

Whereas then US president Joe Biden initially missed the group photo at the annual Group of 20 summit in Rio de Janeiro last year, requiring a reshoot, his successor did not even bother showing up for this year’s meeting in Johannesburg. US President Donald Trump boycotted the summit due to alleged mistreatment of white people in post-apartheid South Africa. Yet, even in the absence of the US, the G20 managed to make a leaders’ declaration at the start of the summit, which usually comes at the...

Reporters Without Borders said on Tuesday that Israel was responsible for nearly half of all journalists killed this year worldwide, with 29 Palestinian reporters slain by its forces in Gaza. In its annual report, the Paris-based media freedom group said the total number of journalists killed reached 67 globally this year, slightly up from the 66 killed in 2024. Israeli forces accounted for 43 per cent of the total, making them “the worst enemy of journalists”, RSF said in its report, which...

Three days after the US government codified its contempt for EU institutions in a startling new national security policy, the bloc’s leaders finally broke their silence on Monday, with European Council President Antonio Costa lambasting Washington’s “threat to interfere in Europe’s political life”. “The United States no longer believes in multilateralism, nor even in a rules-based international order. They speak of the so-called rules-based international order, and they say climate change is a...

A short-lived coup in Benin left “casualties on both sides” of the government forces and the mutinous soldiers, authorities said on Monday, as security forces intensified the search for the coup leader who was on the run. The military takeover attempting to overthrow President Patrice Talon, which lasted a few hours before authorities announced it had been foiled, was the latest in a series of recent coups across Africa - most following a similar pattern of disputed elections, constitutional...

A just-signed agreement aimed at ending the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo looked to be unravelling on Monday with the Congolese leader and Burundi slamming neighbouring Rwanda after the Rwanda-backed M23 armed group attacked border areas. DR Congo President Felix Tshisekedi accused Rwanda of “violating” the accord - signed only last Thursday in Washington at the urging of US President Donald Trump - as the M23 made a rapid advance to threaten the city of Uvira near the border with...

A powerful wave dragged a group of swimmers out to sea while they were in a popular seawater pool along the rocky, western coastline of the Spanish island of Tenerife, leaving four died and one missing, Spanish authorities said Monday. Crews recovered three bodies on Sunday - a 35-year-old man, a 55-year-old woman and another man - during a major rescue operation that used jet skis and helicopters to locate and pick up all those dragged out to sea. The fourth, a woman, died on Monday, a day...

President Trump has framed the program as a way for the government to raise billions of dollars and prioritize the admission of successful entrepreneurs and investors.

Several Democrats who fought to steer federal money to their states and districts have boasted about their success even after voting against the bill that provided the funds.

Midpriced steakhouses and fine-dining establishments are trying to figure out how to cover their rising costs without scaring away customers.

The tariffs will apply to goods from China and other nations. Washington has been pressuring Mexico to move away from dealing with China.

The central bank’s decision to lower interest rates for a third straight meeting was highly contentious, reflecting an internal divide that will likely limit how much borrowing costs will fall next year.

A head-to-toe guide to the many unexpected symptoms of the midlife transition.

The University of Michigan fired Sherrone Moore earlier in the day, an abrupt end to his career there, one of the highest profile jobs in college football.

Tens of thousands of people there and in nearby British Columbia were poised to evacuate as heavy rain caused flooding and sent rivers rising to dangerous levels.

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

Republicans redid their voting map so they could flip five seats to help keep control of the U.S. House. But achieving that goal is far from guaranteed.

Surro Connections held itself out as a reliable business. Now, clients have lost as much as tens of thousands of dollars meant to compensate women carrying their pregnancies.

King Juan Carlos I of Spain abdicated and left for exile years ago. Now, his attempted comeback is giving his family a royal headache.

Investigators said that a security camera recorded thieves preparing to burgle the Louvre. The museum’s director said previously that the camera was facing the wrong way.

Thailand says ordnance replanted by Cambodia has injured or maimed more than a dozen of its soldiers. Cambodia rejects the accusation.

Writing under a pseudonym, Madeleine Wickham cultivated an international following for her series centered on a young woman addicted to shopping.

Unlike during his last time in the White House, people now disapprove of Trump because of the economy, not in spite of it.

A grass-roots coalition is trying to push New York State to use eminent domain to buy out Central Hudson Gas & Electric and replace it with a public authority.

The actor, 60, was struck by a vehicle in Midtown Manhattan late on Monday, her agent and the police said.

The school has been brought to heel by conservative critics of higher education. It is part of a broader transformation at the state’s universities.

As the owners intentionally understaffed two New Jersey facilities and diverted Medicaid money for their own use, residents in the homes “suffered unnecessarily,” the state comptroller said.